Devotion
A letter from prison
David Jacobs
Some improvements need to be made in the prison system in America. The recidivism rate is dreadful, meaning that once you go to prison it is very likely that you will go back to prison upon your original release. The prisoners are not given much opportunity to gain any useful skills, and are basically used for slave labor. It can be a depressing and lonely place, sapping the will to live from many that have entered.
Luckily for us, Paul the Apostle, along with the other Apostles, had made a pact with Christ. He vowed to spread the good news of the gospel to every creature on earth (Mark 16:15). Unluckily for Paul, his doing so landed him in a jail cell. Due to his pact with Christ, the iron bars that kept him caged inside did not stop him from doing all that he could to spread the teachings of Christ. In verse 20, he speaks of being in bondage, able to speak boldly. I am always fascinated by how the authors of books of the Bible conclude their writings. In the book of Ephesians, Paul wishes peace to his brethren, love with faith, and grace to all that love Christ. He does this from a prison cell! He stays faithful and happy, working to spread the love of Christ around the world.
Prayer
Reading this is inspiring but also makes me feel a bit guilty: if Paul can do all of this from the cold confines of a cell, what more can I be doing? Ask yourself the same question. Meditate on it, pray to God, and perhaps you will get an answer to what more you can be doing.
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...
