General Theme: “Our dedication is to believe and enjoy being children of God where the Holy Spirit brings us beyond frontiers.” General Objective: - to believe and enjoy being children of God in order to understand the Verbum Dei charism and Mission. - to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us beyond frontiers. Objective of the week: To enjoy and believe that all peoples are my brothers and sisters as we live the Verbum Dei mission.
INTRODUCTION
The intimate union of the apostle with Christ will make him/her feel vitally linked with all his/her brothers and sisters with bonds stronger than those of flesh and blood. In the heart of the Church and obedient to it, he/she will feel with it the brotherly and sisterly heartbeat, whether it be healthy or unhealthy, of all humankind without exception or discrimination; with Christ. Like Him, he/she will give his/her life for the Church and for the faith of our brothers and sisters worldwide. (Constitutions of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity #51) Mission is a passion for Jesus and at the time a passion for his people. When we pray before Jesus crucified, we see the depth of his love which gives us dignity and sustains us. At the same time, we realize that the love flowing from Jesus’ pierced heart expands to embrace the People of God and all humanity. We realize once more that he want to make use of us to draw closer to his beloved people (cf. ibid., 268) and all those who seek him with a sincere heart. In Jesus’ command to “go forth”, we see the scenarios and ever-present new challenges of the Church’s evangelizing mission. All her members are called to proclaim the Gospel by their witness of life. In a particular way, consecrated men and women are asked to listen to the voice of the Spirit who calls them to go to the peripheries, to those to whom the Gospel has not yet been proclaimed clear: It is the poor, the little ones and the sick, those who are often looked down upon or forgotten, those who cannot repay us (cf. Lk 14: 13-14). Evangelization directed preferentially to the lest among us is a sign of the Kingdom that Jesus came to bring: “There is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we never abandon them” (Evangelii Gaudiun, 48). (Some words from Pope Francis’ message for the World Mission Day, 2015. Vatican, May 24, 2015 Solemnity of Pentecost) MONDAY Christian Love 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”[a] says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”[b]21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12: 10-21) Jesus has demanding commandments of forgiveness. It is a false wisdom that would advise us to return evil for evil, mean behavior for mean behavior, a tooth for a tooth, also, to strive to be noticed by adopting customs of a problems, or regard more highly moneyed people, the powerful or good speakers. How do you deal with people who persecute you? Is God’s love greater than your pain? TUESDAY Love One Another 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (John 15: 12-13) To love our neighbor because this is the only commandment, we will achieve nothing because each one understands love in his own way. Thus, we need to interiorize the thinking of Christ on loving one another. We need to receive from the source of all love the ability to love selflessly. Keep my commandments is a way of the Lord’s asking us to first share in His thinking. So we need to become His friends in order to know Him as a person who loves us and acts in us. The Lord is ever present in our midst. Hopefully, we will produce the authentic fruit of love whose source is Christ. Lately, were you able to share to your friends about your greatest friend-----Jesus? WEDNESDAY No gift higher than LOVE 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8) Love is forever. It is the only thing that we shall take with us on passing to a better life. Love will be everything when it reaches its perfection. Love is the binding face in any relationship. Likewise, a strong foundation in family life----- in the community and society as well. Is the love in your heart greater than your worries, pain, anxiety and desperation? Ask the LORD for the grace in order to love as HE has loved. THURSDAY Let us love in truth and in deed 16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3: 16-18) The practice of love never weakens us as can happen with other forms of sacrifice done without love. Rather, it transforms us into God’s likeness and we are able to love others as HE loved us. Charity is synonymous to love, thus the need to share to our less fortunate brothers and sisters. What are the concrete ways of showing your love in truth and in deed? Do you give love to others in terms of your time and talent as well as your treasures? FRIDAY Love your neighbor as yourself 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] (Mathew 22: 37-39) Jesus makes the love of neighbor part and parcel of the commandment of love. Our love for God does not bring us into an exclusive relationship. Rather, love diffuses; it goes out and brings others into the circle of love. We show our love for God by loving fellow human beings as we love ourselves. How did you love someone today? SATURDAY God so loved the world 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3: 16) What have you done in the name of love? What have you sacrificed for a loved one? What have you truly and freely given for a beloved? Have you experienced being so much in love that you will do anything for love or for the person you love? If you have experienced this love-giving, to the point o giving not only what you have or who you are but your only heart, then it will be easy to understand the Father. It will be natural to know the Son and feel very close to the Holy Spirit. The Trinity means a love-giving relationship. SUNDAY Solemnity of Pentecost 1st Reading: Acts 2: 1-11 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 104 2nd Reading: Romans 8: 8-17 Gospel: John 14: 15-16, 23b-26 Comments are closed.
|
Weekly Prayer GuidelinesRead this week's guidelines to help you deepen in the Word of God for today. Archives
December 2016
Categories
All
|