Devotion
Do not be afraid of the roaring lion!
Be aware of it
David Jacobs
No matter where you are from, if you are old enough, you have been exposed to some form of addiction. Whether you have battled addiction yourself as I have or you have seen it grip somebody that you know, the depths of addiction and the hold that it can have on people is terrifying. Knowing all that we do about addiction and the harms that it brings, how are we not more wary of it? How do we not do more to resist its temptations? The enemy is stronger than we imagine, prowling like a lion on helpless prey. This is true if and only if we remove the valuable defenses and ignore the lessons of people before us and of God.
I have struggled mightily with my own addictions. During my darkest times, it was so easy for me to point a finger at something or someone else to blame them for my actions. I was weak, ignoring the roars of the devil, making myself as easy a target as possible. If you are like me, do not give up! We have armor! It is a gift forged by the word of our Heavenly Father, delivered to us by his only son Jesus of Nazareth! It is an armor of the righteous, defending against addiction, evil, and weakness! In the darkest times when we can hear the deafening roar of the devil, we must turn to the teachings of God, and in this our hearts will be fortified.
Prayer
Do you know someone that needs to be stronger? Can you lend a helping hand to someone to assist them in their defense of the devil? The greatest reason for addiction is not the actions or substance that we abuse. It is loneliness. Reach out to someone today that could use your help. You may not realize how this seemingly insignificant action can so significantly strengthen someone's resolve.
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...
