Morning Prayer
Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Inspiration
To have reverence of the Lord, God Almighty, truly is what is meant by "fearing God". Having reverence for God makes us remember who He really is – the God who created everything, who knows all things, and is all mighty and all powerful. Having reverence for God will affect the decisions we choose to make, and the actions we take – we will not be quick to act in ways that are deceptive, destructive, or unwise.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I never take your authority and your supremacy for granted; to do so, would be a terrible mistake on my part. Father, I thank you that with the assistance and guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will continue to revere you and uphold your sovereignty. May my life be an expression of my reverence towards you, Heavenly Father. In the name of Jesus', I pray. 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...
