D.R.R.
April 20th 2004, 11:32 AM
April 20, 2004 Daily Prayer with Regnum Christi
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For parents everywhere, that God may protect them and help them to raise their children to be faithful Christians.
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Life Giving Spirit
April 20, 2004
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
John 3:7b-15
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Do not be amazed that I told you, ´You must be born from above.´ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can this happen?" Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
Introductory Prayer:Here I am Lord to listen to your words and embrace them in my life. Thank you for this opportunity to spend this time with you, you who give me everything that is good, and continue to do so every moment of my life. Thank you for giving me the gift of your Spirit, and all the gifts and graces the Spirit brings.
Petition:Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart, fill my life!
1. By the Power of the Holy Spirit We define years, centuries and millennia according to whether they come before or after the birth of Christ. As Christians we live in the reality of the birth of Jesus Christ. The mystery of the Incarnation was accomplished "by the power of the Holy Spirit." It was brought about by that Spirit who, in the mystery of the Triune God, is the Person-love, the uncreated gift, the eternal source of every gift that comes from God in the order of creation. The mystery of the Incarnation is the climax of this giving, this divine self-communication. The divine conception and birth of Jesus Christ are in fact the greatest work accomplished by the Holy Spirit in our history: the supreme grace, source of every other grace.
2. Rebirth in Grace The Word became flesh, that Word in whom was life. The life was the light of men ... “and to all who received him he gave the power to become the children of God" (John 1:14). But all this was accomplished and continues to be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. For as St. Paul tells us, "all who are led by the Spirit of God" are "children of God" (Romans 8:14). The mystery of the Incarnation is the basis of our adoption as children of God. We are reborn through Christ, the eternal Son. But the birth, or rebirth, happens when God the Father sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts and we receive a spirit of adopted sons by which we cry “Abba, Father!” This new life, divine and supernatural, has its principle in sanctifying grace
3. The Holy Spirit Who Battles for Our Life. Unfortunately the history of salvation shows that God´s coming and making himself present to us meets with resistance and opposition. This opposition arises from the tendency to sin present in the human heart, as St. Paul describes: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would" (Galatians.5:16). This tension, this struggle in man is part of everyday experience. As St. Paul writes: "Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness … drunkenness, carousing and the like … enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy." But with these works, which bring spiritual death are contrasted “the fruit of the Spirit," such as "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:9-21). "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live" (Romans 8:13).
Dialogue with Christ: Thank you Lord Jesus for giving me the gift of your Holy Spirit. Through him you give us life that lasts not only a day but for all eternity. Help me to fight today to live according to your Spirit, the spirit that you have placed in me. You gave your life so that I might call God my Father; thank you for giving me that grace which has incomparable value. So you have loved me. Help me to believe in this love for me and respond in kind. Mary, my mother, help me to respond to the Holy Spirit as you did, and so bring God to the world around me.
Resolution: I will practice one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit: a particular act of love, or joy, or peace, or patience.
By Father Jon Budke, LC
Vocation.com announces a pilgrimage to the Eternal City for college-aged men and High School Seniors discerning God´s will in their lives. For more information click here.
Want to help us maintain this free service? Make a tax-deductible donation online by clicking here.This link will take you to the online donation page of the Legion of Christ, but accessing it by this specific link will create a report letting us know your donation is for the daily meditation service from RegnumChristi.org.Thank you and God bless you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can send your testimony to testimonies@regnumchristi.org
If you would like any further information please contact infoeng@regnumchristi.org
If you did not subscribe to this service or you would like to cancel your subscription please click here or send an email to meditation-request@regnumchristi.org with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.
© Regnum Christi http://www.regnumchristi.org/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For parents everywhere, that God may protect them and help them to raise their children to be faithful Christians.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life Giving Spirit
April 20, 2004
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
John 3:7b-15
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Do not be amazed that I told you, ´You must be born from above.´ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can this happen?" Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
Introductory Prayer:Here I am Lord to listen to your words and embrace them in my life. Thank you for this opportunity to spend this time with you, you who give me everything that is good, and continue to do so every moment of my life. Thank you for giving me the gift of your Spirit, and all the gifts and graces the Spirit brings.
Petition:Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart, fill my life!
1. By the Power of the Holy Spirit We define years, centuries and millennia according to whether they come before or after the birth of Christ. As Christians we live in the reality of the birth of Jesus Christ. The mystery of the Incarnation was accomplished "by the power of the Holy Spirit." It was brought about by that Spirit who, in the mystery of the Triune God, is the Person-love, the uncreated gift, the eternal source of every gift that comes from God in the order of creation. The mystery of the Incarnation is the climax of this giving, this divine self-communication. The divine conception and birth of Jesus Christ are in fact the greatest work accomplished by the Holy Spirit in our history: the supreme grace, source of every other grace.
2. Rebirth in Grace The Word became flesh, that Word in whom was life. The life was the light of men ... “and to all who received him he gave the power to become the children of God" (John 1:14). But all this was accomplished and continues to be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. For as St. Paul tells us, "all who are led by the Spirit of God" are "children of God" (Romans 8:14). The mystery of the Incarnation is the basis of our adoption as children of God. We are reborn through Christ, the eternal Son. But the birth, or rebirth, happens when God the Father sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts and we receive a spirit of adopted sons by which we cry “Abba, Father!” This new life, divine and supernatural, has its principle in sanctifying grace
3. The Holy Spirit Who Battles for Our Life. Unfortunately the history of salvation shows that God´s coming and making himself present to us meets with resistance and opposition. This opposition arises from the tendency to sin present in the human heart, as St. Paul describes: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would" (Galatians.5:16). This tension, this struggle in man is part of everyday experience. As St. Paul writes: "Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness … drunkenness, carousing and the like … enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy." But with these works, which bring spiritual death are contrasted “the fruit of the Spirit," such as "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:9-21). "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live" (Romans 8:13).
Dialogue with Christ: Thank you Lord Jesus for giving me the gift of your Holy Spirit. Through him you give us life that lasts not only a day but for all eternity. Help me to fight today to live according to your Spirit, the spirit that you have placed in me. You gave your life so that I might call God my Father; thank you for giving me that grace which has incomparable value. So you have loved me. Help me to believe in this love for me and respond in kind. Mary, my mother, help me to respond to the Holy Spirit as you did, and so bring God to the world around me.
Resolution: I will practice one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit: a particular act of love, or joy, or peace, or patience.
By Father Jon Budke, LC
Vocation.com announces a pilgrimage to the Eternal City for college-aged men and High School Seniors discerning God´s will in their lives. For more information click here.
Want to help us maintain this free service? Make a tax-deductible donation online by clicking here.This link will take you to the online donation page of the Legion of Christ, but accessing it by this specific link will create a report letting us know your donation is for the daily meditation service from RegnumChristi.org.Thank you and God bless you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can send your testimony to testimonies@regnumchristi.org
If you would like any further information please contact infoeng@regnumchristi.org
If you did not subscribe to this service or you would like to cancel your subscription please click here or send an email to meditation-request@regnumchristi.org with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.
© Regnum Christi http://www.regnumchristi.org/