Devotion
Pour out your soul before the Lord
David Jacobs
One of my best friends' growing up had a series of tragedies occur to him: his father died in a plane crash, one year later his mother died of cancer, and a few months after that his mother-in-law committed suicide, unable to bear with the grief. My friend was plunged into the harsh waters of reality, and he coped with it by drinking and doing drugs. After a few years, he realized that his actions were only making him feel worse, and started going to church again. Within a few months, he turned back into one of the most positive people I've ever met. He told me that for years he felt that he was drowning, but he soon realized that it was his own actions that held him underwater. Once he went to God, he felt that he could swim again.
Hannah is unable to bear children, which is a hardship made her sad and perhaps feel inadequate. The inability to have children at that time also made your life far more difficult, because you did not have anyone to take care of you or your property as you grew older. Her sorrow was holding her back just like the example of my friend. She refused to eat, which probably made her less healthy and less able to get pregnant, and in turn, more sad.
After talking with Eli, some of the sadness is lifted. She leaves Eli feeling more positive, eating, and shedding her sad disposition. Not long after, she finally gets pregnant, with a son named Samuel.
Life can sometimes make you feel hopeless: death, disease, misfortune. No matter what happens in your life, there is hope. God is there, and if you do as Hannah did, pouring out your soul for the Lord, God will hear your prayers. He heard Hannah's; He heard my friend's.
Prayer
Patient Shepherd, loving Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer. Lord, I know that I have strayed from you when times have been difficult for me. I pray today hoping that you will remind me, O Lord, that it is in these times that I most need your loving embrace. Remind me also to hug those around me that are at their low points. I will go from this place to love you, love people, serve you, and serve people. 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...
