D.R.R.
May 17th 2004, 12:34 PM
May 17, 2004 Daily Prayer with Regnum Christi
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For all working professionals, that they may bring integrity and charity to the workplace as living witnesses of their faith.
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The World Continues to Resist the Truth
May 17, 2004
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
John 15: 26-16: 4a
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.”
Introductory Prayer:Holy Spirit, help me to pray well. Help me to see all things in the light of faith, especially those things that affect my everyday life.
Petition:Lord, help me to love the truth. Help me to see that being a good Catholic has much more to do with loving the truth than just being a “nice” person.
1. The Spirit Comes to Witness to the Truth. Jesus gives his disciples the task of witnessing to the truth. He promises to send them the Spirit of truth, who will witness to him, and the disciples in turn are to witness to the truth the Spirit teaches. Now, it’s not only the Apostles’ generation that was to hear Jesus speak, but ours too––through the Spirit. In fact, the Spirit came to continue to witness to the truth, especially to those who would not have had the opportunity to physically hear Jesus speak. In this way, Jesus’ teaching could reach all times and places. What is the Holy Spirit’s plan to accomplish this? The Church. Through the Church, the Spirit of truth continues to witness to the truth. It has done so for 2000 years now without fail.
2. The Truth is a Motive for Persecution. Witnessing to the truth is the cause of the disciples’ persecution. There are many who don’t want to hear the truth. No one likes to be told they are wrong. It is even harder when we are attached to our mistakes. A humble person acknowledge his mistakes and tries to change, but those that “know neither the Father nor me”––as Jesus says––have no such reason to practice humility. Such is the case with the Apostle’s persecutors. They allowed their pride to overcome them and clung to mistaken ideas, even going so far as to kill most of the Apostles. How important is it for me to cling to Jesus’ words and his truth as taught by the Church?
3. Resisting the Church’s Teachings. The Church continues to witness to the truth in our day, and the world continues to persecute it. People still do not like to be told they are making mistakes, preferring to discredit the messenger of the truth rather than change their lives. For example, how many people today resist the Church’s teaching on purity! Purity can be understood simply as one concrete application of the Great Commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind´´ (Matthew 22:37). Yet how many people don’t want to live it! The result is contraception, divorce, abortion, Internet pornography, and all manner of sexual addiction––the modern idolatries. The Church, with her teaching and discipline, seeks to call all people to a true love of God and neighbor.
Dialogue with Christ: Lord, I want to live according to your truth. Heal me of any blindness to the truth caused by my pride. I pray for those who persecute you and your Church. May my living of the truth in charity help them to see the truth clearly and be converted. Help me to see that your triumph always lies in winning over your enemies to the truth rather than destroying them.
Resolution:If there is someone who makes me suffer for my faith, I will forgive that person in my heart, try to love them as I should and make at least a small sacrifice for their conversion.
By Father James Swanson, 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 all working professionals, that they may bring integrity and charity to the workplace as living witnesses of their faith.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The World Continues to Resist the Truth
May 17, 2004
Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
John 15: 26-16: 4a
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.”
Introductory Prayer:Holy Spirit, help me to pray well. Help me to see all things in the light of faith, especially those things that affect my everyday life.
Petition:Lord, help me to love the truth. Help me to see that being a good Catholic has much more to do with loving the truth than just being a “nice” person.
1. The Spirit Comes to Witness to the Truth. Jesus gives his disciples the task of witnessing to the truth. He promises to send them the Spirit of truth, who will witness to him, and the disciples in turn are to witness to the truth the Spirit teaches. Now, it’s not only the Apostles’ generation that was to hear Jesus speak, but ours too––through the Spirit. In fact, the Spirit came to continue to witness to the truth, especially to those who would not have had the opportunity to physically hear Jesus speak. In this way, Jesus’ teaching could reach all times and places. What is the Holy Spirit’s plan to accomplish this? The Church. Through the Church, the Spirit of truth continues to witness to the truth. It has done so for 2000 years now without fail.
2. The Truth is a Motive for Persecution. Witnessing to the truth is the cause of the disciples’ persecution. There are many who don’t want to hear the truth. No one likes to be told they are wrong. It is even harder when we are attached to our mistakes. A humble person acknowledge his mistakes and tries to change, but those that “know neither the Father nor me”––as Jesus says––have no such reason to practice humility. Such is the case with the Apostle’s persecutors. They allowed their pride to overcome them and clung to mistaken ideas, even going so far as to kill most of the Apostles. How important is it for me to cling to Jesus’ words and his truth as taught by the Church?
3. Resisting the Church’s Teachings. The Church continues to witness to the truth in our day, and the world continues to persecute it. People still do not like to be told they are making mistakes, preferring to discredit the messenger of the truth rather than change their lives. For example, how many people today resist the Church’s teaching on purity! Purity can be understood simply as one concrete application of the Great Commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind´´ (Matthew 22:37). Yet how many people don’t want to live it! The result is contraception, divorce, abortion, Internet pornography, and all manner of sexual addiction––the modern idolatries. The Church, with her teaching and discipline, seeks to call all people to a true love of God and neighbor.
Dialogue with Christ: Lord, I want to live according to your truth. Heal me of any blindness to the truth caused by my pride. I pray for those who persecute you and your Church. May my living of the truth in charity help them to see the truth clearly and be converted. Help me to see that your triumph always lies in winning over your enemies to the truth rather than destroying them.
Resolution:If there is someone who makes me suffer for my faith, I will forgive that person in my heart, try to love them as I should and make at least a small sacrifice for their conversion.
By Father James Swanson, 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/