Devotion
False Gods
Frances Taylor
Moses spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain and the people were frightened. Okay, God had performed many feats of power in Egypt to get Pharaoh to let them leave. He blocked the chariots of Pharaoh's army so that they could escape, he dried up the water so that they could reach dry land, fed them with manna and fowl in the desert so they wouldn't go hungry and they promised to obey God's commandments, and now they were worshipping a golden calf. What had God not done that they didn't trust him? We can look at them and say that they were fools, but they could probably look at us and say the same. When we remember all that God has done for us, why don't we trust him? Now we don't go out and carve an idol out of gold, or even wood, but we do manage to find idols just the same. Sometimes the idol is ourselves because we feel that we are the only one we can trust. For some the idol is money which people think can solve all the problems of the world. Sometimes it's drugs or alcohol which we might use to forget about the problems we think we can't handle. What happened to our trust?
Prayer
Lord, you have given us so much, you have blessed us with your presence each time we called on you, and yet we have difficulty trusting you. Give us the graces we need to go to you first, when we need help and to avoid false gods. 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...
