Devotion
Light overcomes all darkness
David Jacobs
Recently the light in my closet began flickering, making it almost impossible to see anything. Thinking that it would be a fairly easy job, I took off the light and replaced it with another only to see, much to my dismay, the new light bulb also flickered. I remained proactive, and removed the entire fixture and had to eventually replace the transformer (which I admit I did not know existed). After multiple days, voila! The light was back on in my closet, so now I was able to notice the state of complete disarray that my clothes were in. Do we neglect to illuminate our own light in our lives?
Jesus is the light of the world and knows that he must shine so that we may see him. Should we not also hold ourselves to the same standard? Luke 8:16-17 discusses the importance of where a light is used. We would not light a candle and put it under a pot or under a bed (and unfortunately not in my closet). We should hold the light high so that we, and others, can see it. Jesus shined brightly for us, a gleaming example to which we should aspire, and his light was not extinguished even when pressed by the Pharisees. No, he remained confident, knowing full well that he was the truth and the light.
Many Christians do not shine bright enough in their daily lives. Much of society frowns upon it but is accepting of public displays of sex, greed, and violence. We should not put our faith under a vessel! We owe it to God and his son, who is our light in the darkness! We owe it to all those around us, to help lead them when they cannot see. Last, we owe it to ourselves, to surround ourselves with light and drive away darkness. Everything else, we leave to God.
Thought: If you notice darkness around you, do not be afraid to step up and shine, even in public. As Jesus stood up when pressed by the Pharisees, we too, can stand up and shine when we know we are right.
Prayer
Dearest Father, help listen to the words of your Son and my savior. He is your light and mine, my guide, strength, and redeemer. Humble me in thy sight, O Lord, so that I realize that I am lost without your guidance, a lamb without a shepherd. In times of darkness, help me to stand for what I know is good, and shine as an example to others. In your holy name I pray, Amen.
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...
