Devotion
Receiving the Holy Ghost and being freed from sin!
David Jacobs
Everyone deals with feelings of insecurity at times. Personally, I have always compared myself to the people that I most look up to, namely, my mother, father, and Jesus. Doing so has made me feel inadequate often: Christ is God in human form but I am just a man; Christ never sins and I sin often; Christ died and rose from the dead and I am fearful of death. These feelings hinder my growth as a person when I feel them strongly, and it is why verses like these are so important to me.
In these verses, Christ appears to the disciples, proves that he is truly reborn, and breathes the Holy Ghost into them. Their sins are forgiven. They, and all believers, are good enough for Jesus to say these words, to die and sacrifice himself so that our sins, the sins of inadequate mortals, would be remitted. When I remember these verses, I no longer feel inadequate; I, too, feel reborn. The Holy Ghost lives in me as he does in you. My sins are forgiven as are yours. With this in mind, how can I ever feel inadequate?
Prayer
Dear God, my Heavenly Father, who sent his only begotten Son to us, show us peace and mercy. I, like the disciples reunited again with Christ, feel joy in your presence, O Lord. I am weak, but with you am strong, and thank you for reconnecting me with your miracles and wonders. For joy is what my heart wants, and joy is what it shall receive, accepting your blessings and your everlasting embrace. 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...
