Devotion
Your Will Above Mine
David Jacobs
A night out at a fancy restaurant --or even the town diner-- is always a great delight. You don't have to worry about cooking for the night, a cooking staff will take care of that, and a waiter is there to cater to your every desire.
Sometimes we imagine prayer being like ordering at a restaurant, telling God what we want in our lives. But God is no waiter! When Jesus prayed, he asked that God's will be done rather than his own, and we are called to do the same. Prayer is not a way of asking God for things, but rather a way for us to connect to God and to know his will.
Of course, giving up our own will is one of the hardest and scariest things we do as Christians. However, we are comforted in knowing that God's will has our best interests! Just as Jesus was strengthened as he asked for God's will to be done, we will also be strengthened and taken care of by God.
Prayer
Thought: Before and during prayer, it's good to be mindful of why we are praying for the things we ask of God. Personally, I have taken to examining each part of my prayers and asking myself, "Is this what I want, or what God wants?"
Devotion
Culpability
Frances Taylor
This is an interesting passage because, among other things, it talks about sin and who is considered guilty of sin. Paul is talking about how he has been forgiven, how God has been merciful to him because his actions were committed in unbelief. In order for sin to be committed, one needs to know he is committing it. No one can commit sin in retrospect. Sin is always a deliberate act. This can be hard for some to understand. Actions can be considered sinful, even though the person committing them may not be culpable. For example, lying is a sin. However, is the two year old hiding behind the curtains sinning when he or she claims not to have broken the vase? No, because the child has no understanding of the difference between truth and lie. Those who do not have a relationship with God, who do not know the commandments, who have never heard of Jesus, may commit sinful actions, but are not guilty of sin. This is what Paul claims is his situation. Paul ...
Morning Prayer
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth.
Inspiration
When the Lord sent his only Son, he sent also his word. For his body was this very word made flesh. Importantly this was not simply a manifestation of God's word, but also rather an 'animation' of it (meant here in the original Latin as 'animare' –'to instill with life or spirit'), an instance of God's love and divine grace in action, among us.
Prayer
Lord, I am grateful for your mercy in showing us your word made flesh so that we may be redeemed. Further, I am grateful to you for showing us your love and grace through your only begotten son. Let his body not have been torn and broken for no avail, but feed us now in the Eucharist. Let not his blood have...
