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Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click. |
Posted on 01/02/2014 7:33:20 PM PST by Salvation
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Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click. |
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
The Most Holy Name of Jesus
optional memorial
January 3rd
Christ, Man of Sorrows - school of Jan Mostaert (post-1510) oil on panel
Copyright © National Gallery, London. Used with permission
From apostolic times, the Church has professed that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:10-11). Through the particular efforts of St. Bernardine of Siena, devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus was promoted through the inscription of the monogram of the Holy Name (IHS) and the addition of the name of Jesus to the Hail Mary. Pope Sixtus V first granted an indulgence for the uttering of the phrase used so often by the present Holy Father, John Paul II and included among the pious invocations of the current Enchiridion Indulgentiarum: "Praised be Jesus Christ!"
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
O God, who founded the salvation of the human race
on the Incarnation of your Word,
give your peoples the mercy they implore,
so that all may know there is no other name to be invoked
but the Name of your Only Begotten Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: Philippians 2:1-11
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Gospel Reading: Luke 2:21-24
And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
Excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Prayer to Jesus
2665 The prayer of the Church, nourished by the Word of God and the celebration of the liturgy, teaches us to pray to the Lord Jesus. Even though her prayer is addressed above all to the Father, it includes in all the liturgical traditions forms of prayer addressed to Christ. Certain psalms, given their use in the Prayer of the Church, and the New Testament place on our lips and engrave in our hearts prayer to Christ in the form of invocations: Son of God, Word of God, Lord, Savior, Lamb of God, King, Beloved Son, Son of the Virgin, Good Shepherd, our Life, our Light, our Hope, our Resurrection, Friend of mankind. . . .
2666 But the one name that contains everything is the one that the Son of God received in his incarnation: JESUS. The divine name may not be spoken by human lips, but by assuming our humanity The Word of God hands it over to us and we can invoke it: "Jesus," "YHWH saves." The name "Jesus" contains all: God and man and the whole economy of creation and salvation. To pray "Jesus" is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him.
2667 This simple invocation of faith developed in the tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West. The most usual formulation, transmitted by the spiritual writers of the Sinai, Syria, and Mt. Athos, is the invocation, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners." It combines the Christological hymn of Philippians 2:6-11 with the cry of the publican and the blind men begging for light. By it the heart is opened to human wretchedness and the Savior's mercy.
2668 The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always. When the holy name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart, the prayer is not lost by heaping up empty phrases, but holds fast to the word and "brings forth fruit with patience." This prayer is possible "at all times" because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus.
2669 The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps. The stations from the Praetorium to Golgotha and the tomb trace the way of Jesus, who by his holy Cross has redeemed the world.
Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus
V. Lord, have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
V. Lord, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear us.
R. Jesus, graciously hear us.
V. God the Father of Heaven
R. Have mercy on us.
V. God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. God the Holy Spirit,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Holy Trinity, one God,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Jesus, Son of the living God,
R. Have mercy on us.
V. Jesus, splendor of the Father,
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, brightness of eternal light.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, King of glory.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, sun of justice.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, most amiable.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, most admirable.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, the mighty God.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, Father of the world to come.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, angel of great counsel.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, most powerful.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, most patient.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, most obedient.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, lover of chastity.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, lover of us.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, God of peace.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, author of life.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, example of virtues.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, zealous lover of souls.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, our God.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, our refuge.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, father of the poor.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, treasure of the faithful.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, good Shepherd.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, true light.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, eternal wisdom.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, infinite goodness.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, our way and our life.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, joy of Angels.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, King of the Patriarchs.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, Master of the Apostles.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, teacher of the Evangelists.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, strength of Martyrs.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, light of Confessors.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, purity of Virgins.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Jesus, crown of Saints.
R. Have mercy on us
V. Be merciful,
R. spare us, O Jesus.
V. Be merciful,
R. graciously hear us, O Jesus.
V. From all evil,
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. From all sin,
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. From Your wrath,
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. From the snares of the devil.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. From the spirit of fornication.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. From everlasting death.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. From the neglect of Your inspirations.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By the mystery of Your holy Incarnation.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your Nativity.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your Infancy.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your most divine Life.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your labors.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your agony and passion.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your cross and dereliction.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your sufferings.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your death and burial.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your Resurrection.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your Ascension.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your institution of the most Holy Eucharist.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your joys.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. By Your glory.
R. deliver us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. spare us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. graciously hear us, O Jesus.
V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
R. have mercy on us, O Jesus.
V. Jesus, hear us.
R. Jesus, graciously hear us.
V. Let us pray.
All. O Lord Jesus Christ, You have said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you." Grant, we beg of You, to us who ask it, the gift of Your most divine love, that we may ever love You with our whole heart, in word and deed, and never cease praising You.
Give us, O Lord, as much a lasting fear as a lasting love of Your Holy Name, for You, who live and are King for ever and ever, never fail to govern those whom You have solidly established in Your love. Amen.
Feast Day: January 3
Born: 422 at Nanterre near Paris, France
Died: 500 at Paris, France
Patron of: Paris
St. Genevieve
Feast Day: January 03
Born: 422 :: Died: 500
Genevieve was born in Nanterre, a small village four miles from Paris in France. When she was seven years old, Genevieve met Saint Germanus of Auxerre on his way to England.
Her holy face caught his attention when he was preaching and after his sermon he spoke with her and found that she wanted very much to live her life for Jesus. He blessed her, gave her a gold medal and asked her to keep it as a reminder of that day and of God, to whom her life belonged.
Germanus then talked with Genevieve's parents and told them how special their daughter was. After her parents died, Genevieve went to live with her godmother. She spent time praying every day.
Soon she and two other young women took their vows to become nuns before the bishop of Paris and were given their veils. She became very close to Jesus and wanted to bring his goodness to people. Genevieve was a kind, generous person. She went out of her way to do good things for others.
The people of Paris were going to run away from a terrible army coming to attack them. Genevieve stepped forward and encouraged the people to trust in God. She said that if they did penance, they would be spared. The people did what she said, and the fierce army of Attila the Hun suddenly turned back. They did not attack the city at all.
St. Genevieve practiced charity and obedience to God's will every day of her life, not just in times of need. She never gave up trying to do as much good as possible. Faithfulness to Jesus and courage are the special gifts of witness she leaves for us.
One of the best ways for us to help our country is to pray for our leaders. We should ask God to guide them for the good of us all.
St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Saving the day in His Holy Name: St. Genevieve gets a reprieve [Catholic Caucus]
The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus
Friday, January 3
Liturgical Color: White
Today is the optional memorial of the Most
Holy Name of Jesus. We are reminded of all
the graces and gifts we receive from the
Father through Jesus. The Council of Lyons
first encouraged devotion to the name of
Jesus in 1274.
Daily Readings for:January 03, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, who founded the salvation of the human race on the Incarnation of your Word, give your peoples the mercy they implore, so that all may know there is no other name to be invoked but the Name of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
ACTIVITIES
o Day Ten ~ Activities for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
o Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
o Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas
o Story of the Holy Name of Jesus
PRAYERS
o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Christmas Season (2nd Plan)
o January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus
o Invocation or Ejaculation to the Most Holy Name of Jesus
o Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria
o Prayer of Petition in honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
o Act of Reparation for Blasphemies Uttered Against the Holy Name of Jesus
o Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Christmas (1st Plan)
o Novena in Honor of the Holy Name
LIBRARY
o The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus | Fr. William Saunders
Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite this feast is celebrated on January 2. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was removed, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial in the Ordinary Form on January 3.
The Church reveals to us the wonders of the Incarnate Word by singing the glories of His name. The name of Jesus means Savior; it had been shown in a dream to Joseph together with its meaning and to Our Lady at the annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel.
Devotion to the Holy Name is deeply rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, especially in the Acts of the Apostles. It was promoted in a special manner by St. Bernard, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. John Capistrano and by the Franciscan Order. It was extended to the whole Church in 1727 during the pontificate of Innocent XIII. The month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.
According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus which is kept on the First Sunday in the year; but if this Sunday falls on January 1, 6, or 7, the feast is kept on January 2.
Holy Name of Jesus
This feast marks no progress in the development of the Church year. It merely embellishes the occasion just observed when the Child received the Name Jesus as had been foretold by the angel. The feast is meant to impress on us Christians the dignity of the Holy Name. It is a relatively new feast, stemming out of devotional piety. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to find in it some liturgical or ancient Christian dogma. What did a name signify originally? The name should express the nature of a thing. Thus Adam in paradise gave the animals names in accordance with their being. Among the Jews God's name expressed His essence, Yahweh, i.e., I (alone) am who am (and cause all else to be). The Jews had the highest respect for the name of God, a reverence that finds continuation in the Our Father: "Hallowed be Thy Name."
Persons who played prominent roles in the history of salvation often received their names from God Himself. Adam — man of the earth; Eve — mother of all the living; Abraham — father of many nations; Peter — the rock. The Savior's precursor was given the name God assigned him. According to divine precedent, then, the name of the Redeemer should not be accidental, of human choosing, but given by God Himself. For His name should express His mission. We read in Sacred Scripture how the angel Gabriel revealed that name to Mary: "You shall call His name Jesus." And to St. Joseph the angel not merely revealed the name but explained its meaning: "You shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." The Messiah should not only be the savior, but should be called Savior. With Jesus, therefore, the name actually tells the purpose of His existence. This is why we must esteem His name as sacred. Whenever we pronounce it, we ought to bow our heads; for the very name reminds us of the greatest favor we have ever received, salvation.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Things to Do:
The Most Holy Name of Jesus
I saw the Spirit come down. (John 1:32)
A new president. A royal birth. Freed hostages. Truly significant events make newspaper headlines and nightly news programs everywhere. No wonder, then, that all four Gospels recount the descent of the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism! Not only was this one of the most important events in Jesus’ life; it’s also one of the most important events in the unfolding of God’s plan for his creation. After all, if Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to accomplish his mission, how much more do we need the Spirit to help us live the Christian life!
In his own way, each Evangelist tells us that the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus at his baptism. Then, the entire New Testament goes on to tell us that the heavens remain open to this very day. Think about it. No barrier between heaven and earth! Nothing to keep us from hearing the Father’s voice! We can know God, hear his voice in our hearts, and experience his Spirit empowering us.
There’s another equally amazing truth behind Jesus’ baptism: heaven has come down to earth! Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come,” but he also told us, “The kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:21). It’s not here in fullness yet, but it is here—and we are its ambassadors. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we can bring the reality of heaven to our families, offices, and schools. We can bring a taste of heaven to prisons, hospitals, and homeless shelters. We can become vessels of the Spirit in coffee shops, bookstores, supermarkets, and even traffic jams. Because we have the Spirit, people around us can learn what heaven is like.
Jesus was baptized so that the Spirit could be released. He was baptized so that the good news of the gospel would come not just in the words we hear at Mass or read in the Scriptures but in power and in the Holy Spirit. You—yes, you—get to be God’s headline in this world! Your life can become a news story that everyone is eager to read. All because heaven has come down to earth.
“Holy Spirit, fill me! Teach me to bring the life of Christ and the reality of heaven everywhere I go today.”
1 John 2:29–3:6; Psalm 98:1, 3-6
Daily Marriage Tip for January 3, 2014:
(Most Holy Name of Jesus) “On the 10th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me – 10 Lords-a-Leaping.” Leap to each other’s beck and call today. You’ll either have fun trying to outdo each other, or simply bump into each other. Either way, laugh.
Abide in my presence
Friday, 03 January 2014 10:19
For the First Friday of 2014
Intercession for other souls is a work of love.
It consists in placing oneself with Me before the Father,
with a boundless trust in the merits of My Passion
and in the wounds that I present to the Father
on behalf of all who approach Him with confidence,
through Me.
I live in the Sacrament of My Love
as I live in heaven,
in a ceaseless state of intercession
for all who believe in Me
and come to Me with the weight of life’s burdens and sorrows.
There is nothing that I will not do
for the soul who approaches Me with confidence.
For this reason did I wish to remain present
in the Sacrament of My Love until the end of time:
so that souls might know where to find Me,
and approach Me easily,
certain of being heard,
and trusting in the mercy of My Heart
for a world marked by suffering and ravaged by sin.
There is no form of intercessory prayer more efficacious
than that of the soul who approaches My Eucharistic Presence
certain of finding Me, and certain of being heard.
I am not distant from souls in need.
I have made Myself close to them,
as close as the nearest tabernacle.
Would that my people understood this!
My churches would be filled to overflowing
at every hour of the day and night.
I would never be left alone in the Sacrament of My Love.
The exercise of faith increases faith.
The exercise of confidence causes confidence to grow.
One who approaches My tabernacle in faith
is giving evidence of a complete reliance on My Merciful Love.
The Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is My Heart
open to receive those who will respond to My timeless invitation:
Come unto Me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.
Take up My yoke upon you, and learn of Me,
because I am meek and humble of heart,
and you shall find rest to your souls.
For My yoke is sweet, and My burden light.
One who approaches Me frequently in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar
will discover that he is yoked to Me by an unbreakable bond of love.
He will discover, by personal experience,
that I share in all his sorrows,
that I bring him relief in afflictions,
that I carry his burdens with him,
and that he is never, not even for a moment,
forsaken or left to himself alone.
What I am teaching you
is more than the simple visit to Me in the Sacrament of My Love;
it is a way of approaching Me marked by absolute confidence in My intercession with the Father.
It is an act of faith in My Merciful Love,
and a way of disposing oneself to receive the waters of life that stream abundantly
from My open Side.
Do souls believe in My Real Presence in the tabernacles of My churches?
Have they altogether forgotten who I am and where I am to be found?
Has the faith of My priests in the Sacrament of My Love grown so tepid and so weak
that the souls entrusted to them have lost the simple instinct of the believing heart,
that is, to seek Me out in the Most Holy Eucharist,
and to abide in My presence,
loving Me, and allowing Me to love freely those who come to Me,
to heal their wounds,
and to draw them into the sanctuary of My open Side?
The emptiness of My churches is an affront to My Love,
to the Love that compelled Me to give Myself,
by the hands of My priests,
under the forms of bread and wine,
so that no one might perish from hunger or thirst
on the road to eternity.
I am all Love in the Sacrament of My Love.
My Heart is open to receive all,
even those who have in their souls
no more than the faintest spark of faith in My Real Presence.
Let them come to Me,
and that little spark will become a shining flame
giving joy and hope to all who perceive its light.
The emptiness of My churches apart from the hours of the liturgical offices,
is an indictment, first of all, of My priests,
and then, of my faithful.
My Eucharistic Presence meets with coldness,
with indifference, and with a chilling ingratitude,
even on the part of My priests and of consecrated souls.
They fail to recognize in the mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist
the pearl of great price, the treasure once hidden in the field,
but now offered freely
to all who would partake of its inexhaustible riches.
I am left alone in a world where so many lament their loneliness.
If only souls would come to Me and would tarry in My presence,
they would discover a Love that fills the heart so completely that it dispels every loneliness
and becomes wondrously fruitful in the live of those who accept it.
Your life, your vocation, your mission now is to abide in My sacramental Presence.
It is to console My Eucharistic Heart
and to expose your soul to the radiance of My Eucharistic Face
for the sake of so many of your brother priests
who stumble about in a darkness that no earthly light can dispel.
| John | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| John 1 |
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| 29. | The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world. | Altera die vidit Joannes Jesum venientem ad se, et ait : Ecce agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccatum mundi. | τη επαυριον βλεπει [ο ιωαννης] τον ιησουν ερχομενον προς αυτον και λεγει ιδε ο αμνος του θεου ο αιρων την αμαρτιαν του κοσμου |
| 30. | This is he, of whom I said: After me there cometh a man, who is preferred before me: because he was before me. | Hic est de quo dixi : Post me venit vir qui ante me factus est : quia prior me erat : | ουτος εστιν περι ου εγω ειπον οπισω μου ερχεται ανηρ ος εμπροσθεν μου γεγονεν οτι πρωτος μου ην |
| 31. | And I knew him not, but that he may be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. | et ego nesciebam eum, sed ut manifestetur in Israël, propterea veni ego in aqua baptizans. | καγω ουκ ηδειν αυτον αλλ ινα φανερωθη τω ισραηλ δια τουτο ηλθον εγω εν τω υδατι βαπτιζων |
| 32. | And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven, and he remained upon him. | Et testimonium perhibuit Joannes, dicens : Quia vidi Spiritum descendentem quasi columbam de cælo, et mansit super eum. | και εμαρτυρησεν ιωαννης λεγων οτι τεθεαμαι το πνευμα καταβαινον ωσει περιστεραν εξ ουρανου και εμεινεν επ αυτον |
| 33. | And I knew him not; but he who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. | Et ego nesciebam eum : sed qui misit me baptizare in aqua, ille mihi dixit : Super quem videris Spiritum descendentem, et manentem super eum, hic est qui baptizat in Spiritu Sancto. | καγω ουκ ηδειν αυτον αλλ ο πεμψας με βαπτιζειν εν υδατι εκεινος μοι ειπεν εφ ον αν ιδης το πνευμα καταβαινον και μενον επ αυτον ουτος εστιν ο βαπτιζων εν πνευματι αγιω |
| 34. | And I saw, and I gave testimony, that this is the Son of God. | Et ego vidi : et testimonium perhibui quia hic est Filius Dei. | καγω εωρακα και μεμαρτυρηκα οτι ουτος εστιν ο υιος του θεου |
| Be Inspired! | ||
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John 1:29-34 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ´A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.´ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ´On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.´ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” Introductory Prayer:Lord Jesus, I know that all Christians are called to proclaim you with their lives and to follow the path you have taught. I want to grow closer to you and to be more the person you want me to be. I love you and long to be transformed by your grace! Petition: Holy Spirit, help me to be attentive and docile to your inspirations. 1. Trust in the Lord and Let Him Lead You: Although John the Baptist knew that he was sent as the Precursor of the Messiah, he did not initially know who the Messiah would be. But he did not let uncertainty about the details stop him. He knew that God had a plan and that he was called to play a part in it; as soon as he knew what direction to go, he went, regardless of not knowing his exact destination. Sometimes we can want to have total knowledge of God’s plan, and we hesitate to go forward until we’re sure we know exactly what to do. However, God rarely gives us a full view of his plan before we start out. He wants us to trust in him, to act on what we do know, and to be confident that God will bring his plan to a good end. Not that we shouldn’t have all the foresight we can, but we can’t expect God to let us in on his “master plan.” When God calls us, our response 2. The Holy Spirit Is Our Guide: The fact that we have to trust in God and allow him to reveal his plan as we go along means that we have to be very attentive to his work in our life. John the Baptist recognized Jesus because he was paying total attention to the signs God was giving him: The Holy Spirit revealed to him that Jesus was the Messiah. God will usually not speak to us through visions and special signs; however, if we have St. John the Baptist’s attitude of openness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, seeing God’s will in the events around us, we will be able to discern his plan for our life and fulfill it. The most important time to listen to God is in prayer, so setting aside time to be with God has to be part of our daily routine. 3. Dealing with the Unexpected: When St. John the Baptist realized that Jesus was the Messiah, it might have been a surprise. They were related through their mothers’ families, and they may have known each other in youth before John went out into the desert. However, John clearly states that he did not know who the Messiah was until the moment the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus’ true identity. John may well have shared the common opinion that Jesus was a man like any other, albeit outstanding in justice and piety. The important thing is that he doesn’t doubt the divine inspiration. Rather, he immediately acts on it, proclaiming Jesus to his followers. In our own lives, God may well ask us to do the unexpected, or we may see his will in places we least expect it. We need to have St. John the Baptist’s readiness to see God’s hand and act on it, even if it goes contrary to our expectations. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, knowing your will in my life can be hard at times. Even when I think I do know what you want from me, it can be difficult to follow through — especially when it is something that I did not expect or that requires that I go beyond my “comfort zone.” But, Lord, I do want to do your will. Grant me the same spirit of docility and dedication as St. John the Baptist! Resolution: Today I will renew in prayer my personal commitment to always seek to know and follow God’s will in my life. I will try to heed the inspirations that the Holy Spirit gives to guide me on the right path. |
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Bless my baby, dear Lord
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