Devotion
A Community of Love
Frances Taylor
Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Trinity. This is one of the great mysteries of Christianity and one that is a stumbling block to many. How can we even try to understand its meaning? Maybe it's not important to try and understand, but to reflect on its importance in our lives. God is Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a community of love. When I was young, I was taught that the work of the Father was creation, the Son, salvation and the Holy Spirit, sanctification. So, within the Trinity there are distinctions and yet unity. We are called by our baptism to be a community of love. There are distinct roles that each of us plays and yet we are called to be one in love for all. We are one family, all children of the one God, saved by the actions of the Son who became one of us so that we could be "joint heirs with Christ" and filled with the Holy Spirit so that we may go forth and tell others of this great mystery. The early Christians were well known for the love that they showed one another. I wonder what the non-Christian world sees when it looks upon us today. Do they see a community of love or do they see discord and conflict? While it's true that we can't change the past, we can work to change the present. If every Christian family became a witness of God's love, what would happen in our neighborhood, our city, or our world? We have a choice. We can say that one family more or less can't make a difference or we can decide to become an example of the great Community of Love that is the Trinity.
Prayer
O most Holy Trinity, help your people today become a symbol to the world of a community of love. Amen.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
