Devotion
Feed the world
David Jacobs
When I was young, I remember reading the stories of Moses avidly. The supernatural elements, moral protagonist, and evil antagonists would make for a great, Hollywood movie (as evidenced by the movie The Ten Commandments). I thought about how incredible it would have been to witness Moses call down plague after plague on the Egyptians, with each one increasing in severity. The Passover holiday, one of the most important in the Jewish calendar, is related to the tenth plague, when an angel of death "passes over" the Jewish households but kills the first-born son of every Egyptian home. Not wanting any more bloodshed, the Pharaoh finally relents, freeing the Jews, and has been celebrated ever since.
Many of the elements in place in Exodus related to Passover are mentioned in John 6. Jesus tells his disciples to gather the food and not waste any, just as Moses did in Exodus 16:19. There are other elements in John 6 as well, but the most important parallel between these verses and Exodus is how Christ and Moses were viewed after these events. As verse 14 explains: "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." Non-believers have been converted, the same as the Pharaoh with Moses. Jesus and Moses fed the hungry and freed their people. How can we do the same in our lives?
Prayer
We have been called to feed the hungry. This can be taken in the literal sense as well as the spiritual. We may lack the natural resources to feed everyone but we do not lack the spiritual. Go forth to Love the Lord, love the people, serve the Lord, and serve the people. Leave everything else to God. 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...
