Devotion
Keep the Commandments
Frances Taylor
We who believe that Jesus is the Christ and loves him, loves God the Father as well and the way we show this love is by keeping the commandments. It all goes back to that. Jesus told us he did not come to abolish the commandments, in fact he summed them up in his command to love. No matter where we turn in Scripture the commandments come up. The Israelites kept breaking them and the prophets kept reminding them to turn back to God. The psalms ask forgiveness for breaking them and thanks for God's forgiveness. John the Baptist calls people to repent because they had forgotten the commandments. Jesus reminds us of their importance and yet we still ignore them. We lie, cheat, steal, covet and basically do what we want and don't worry about the consequences. I guess we have to decide what loving Jesus and his Father means to us. We know what John says, but! To love like that today is so counter-cultural, we are mocked and scorned as being too pious, or old-fashioned. We're told to get with it and be like everyone else. Sin is nothing but an out of date concept, so why are we in just as much trouble as those who came before us. Where are today's prophets? What will make us wise up? When will we begin to live a life of love?
Prayer
Loving and forgiving God, we say we love you, we say we want to follow your Son, but we keep failing. Give us the grace and strength to love as we should. 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...
