Morning Prayer
And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Inspiration
The other day I needed to get to an appointment on time but intentionally left late because I did not want to wait in traffic. I knew the "pain" that I would endure on the journey and opted to take the easier option. Jesus knew the pain that he would endure, and it involved a lot more than a traffic jam: betrayal by his own disciple, embarrassment, torture, ridicule, mockery, and death. His bravery and faith in the divine plan are why we have the chance to bask in glory in heaven.
Prayer
You are an awesome and loving God, Abba Father! Your divine plan is the only saving grace for humanity. My faith, which I must admit has wavered and waned, shall be forever pledged to you, my Lord, my rock and my refuge. Give me the wisdom to resist evil temptations, and most importantly remind me of the incredible sacrifice that you made by sending your only begotten son to earth, knowing full well that he would go through tremendous persecution and pain, so that we could live. I aim to live, my Father, and pledge my faithful servitude to you now and forever. 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...
