Devotion
Love your neighbour as yourself
David Jacobs
Many of the people who live near my apartment are incredibly wealthy. The parking lots are filled with fancy cars, perhaps not ever remembered by their owners, that are covered in dust. It can foster a bit of ill will to the other people around them, especially those with less money. We are taught to love our neighbors as ourselves, but it is much easier said than done.
This message of loving your neighbor and not holding a grudge is so important because it is so difficult! This is why it is mentioned so many times in the Bible. Holding a grudge is a pestilence to all true believers. There is a famous quote that is a good summation of a grudge: "grudges are like swallowing poison and hoping your enemy dies from it". This negative feeling that we carry towards another person is mostly reflected on our own disposition. The Proverbs mention that here: holding a grudge is a way to devise evil. Mercy and truth are how to devise good.
It may be difficult to reflect and understand the importance of these messages because we hear them so often, but they are said so often because of their importance!
Prayer
Lord God, please hear my prayer. Help me to not begrudge or despise my neighbors for any wrongs they may have committed. As you have forgiven me, let me forgive them. As you say in the Proverbs, good is devised from truth and mercy. Help me to forgive those that have trespassed against me, as you have forgiven me for my trespasses. I pray this in your name, 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...
