Devotion
Live by the spirit, die by the spirit
David Jacobs
It is not always easy to control our natural urges. Our consumer culture seems completely devoid of any moral compass, constantly leading us towards temptation. Turn on the TV, watch any movie, listen to any song, look at any advertisement online or on the TV or in a movie...we are constantly bombarded by sins of the flesh: lust, violence, gluttony, greed, envy. As followers of Christ, the task of resisting these temptations may seem daunting, and it is. However, considering the consequences of relenting and giving in to these temptations, it is obviously worthwhile.
Prayer
The Old Testament commandments are often prohibitive, and God's prophets more strict than the Apostles. In the verses directly preceding these, Paul writes that circumcision, a commandment of Moses, is no longer necessary and does not measure the worth of a man (Galatians 5:6). In the verses above, Paul writes about much of the sins to avoid, but he also mentions what we should pursue: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. These we should perform in abundance, the sins as sparingly as possible. It may sound difficult when you read the words, but it is a guide to make our lives and the world as the kingdom of heaven: one of eternal love and life everlasting.
"Sins are like credit cards: enjoy now; pay later." -Unknown
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...
