Devotion
A Blessing for the New Year
Francis Taylor
A new year, a new beginning, a chance to start over! Tradition says this is a time for resolutions to be made. We think about more exercise, a better diet, getting healthy, but what about spending more time on prayer, on picking up the Bible more often? We are not just physical beings, we are also spiritual beings. Just as it is important to take care of our physical health, it is important to take care of our spiritual health. When we take care of our spiritual self, we can deal more effectively with the concerns of the day. Every day brings us news of the chaos and confusion, the violence and fears our world is facing. If this is all we think about, even our health can suffer – headaches, an increase in our blood pressure, sleepless nights! When we turn our minds and hearts to God, we are reminded of the promises He has made. It's not that the world has changed, but our response to the cares of the world has changed. This prayer of blessing given to Aaron for the Israelites is our prayer as well. This is a prayer that promises peace, protection, kindness and mercy. Let this prayer be our mantra for the New Year, a reminder of God's goodness. Let's not stop there! This prayer also gives us a way for us to be a blessing during this New Year. Just as God will be kind and merciful to us, we should be kind and merciful to others. In this way, not only will the year be a blessing for us, it will also be a blessing for others.
Prayer
Dear God, let us make a new resolution for this New Year. Give us the grace to be a blessing for others as we remember the blessings you have promised to us. 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...
