Devotion
I Have Hope
Frances Taylor
We don't often think about reading the Book of Lamentations. This passage, however, is one that we can all relate to at one time or another. My son died fourteen years ago and his burial plot is a very old one that had been in the family for over 80 years. He is buried in the front row of the cemetery and I drive by it almost every day and often several times a day. It's easy for me to remember the misery, the wormwood and the gall. I miss him and always will, but I have hope as does the writer of Lamentations because of God's loving kindness, and my faith in the promises of Christ that we will be reunited with Christ in eternity. My pain is mine and yours is yours, but there is no escaping suffering in life; and for some, hope is lost. There are those who will turn away from God for a time or permanently because they can't get past the anger, the pain or the hopelessness. The writer or writers of Lamentations knew pain. They had witnessed the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the murder or exile of so many of their countrymen and women. With all of that, they remembered the promises of God; the many times God had forgiven them and brought them back to their land. They had hope. When we are in pain, we, too, need to remember the times when God had been there in the past and believe that he will always be at our side to see us through the pain and bring us to hope.
Prayer
Lord, we will always have suffering in our lives. You didn't even spare your Son from the pain of a terrible death. Help us to remember that you will always be with us with your love and compassion. 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...
