|
Message of the Day
|
|
God wills only our good; God loves us more than anybody else can or does love us. His will is that no one should lose his (her) soul, that everyone should save and sanctify his soul. . . God has made the attainment of our happiness, his glory.
- St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Uniformity With God’s
Will
(God wills your happiness. Stand on this promise and strive to be happy and joyful this day.)
|
|
Readings of the Day
|
Acts 15:1-6; PS 122:1-2, 3-4ab,
4cd-5 Jn 15:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that
does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my
disciples.” USCCB lectionary
|
|
Reflection on the Scripture
|
Apart from Me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5
Business leaders understand well
the concept of cutting unprofitable activities out of the business process. Sports coaches and athletic trainers also understand cutting out practice drills and plays which are not productive. Farmers don’t waste their limited time on activities which do not increase the yield of crops, flock, or herd. So, Jesus’ teaching on disposing of the branches which don’t bear fruit is well understood by many (Jn 15:6).
What is not as well understood in our culture is the weakness of the human will without the strength of the Lord. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (see Rm 7:18). On our own, our endurance will eventually fade. Only by remaining in Jesus can we bear fruit for Him (Jn 15:4-5). Outside of Jesus, we will ultimately wither and fade (Jn 15:6). Secular society teaches
that the human spirit will triumph on its own effort. It proclaims that education will make you successful. Jesus, on the other hand, states bluntly, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). Jesus couldn’t make the message any clearer: We either remain in Jesus or wither (Jn 15:4-6). Prayer: Father, may I never treat Your gracious gift of Your Son Jesus as meaningless (Gal 2:21). I want to
spend my life as a Spirit-filled, fruitful disciple.
Promise: “Their story caused great joy among the brothers.” —Acts 15:3
Presentation Ministries
|
|
Spiritual Reading
|
|
|
|
Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Three, Gift of the Spirit Chapter 4: Transformative
Gifts - Selected quotes
Every Christian is blessed with seeds of all of these gifts, but their growth depends on a number of factors—most especially the response of the individual. The gift of fortitude, for example, grows stronger in us if we act on its promptings during times
when the Spirit moves us to stand up for Christ, or perhaps simply for goodness. If we squelch the gift, we will be less sensitive to it the next time the prompting comes along. Through reading, prayer and study, the Spirit is better able to grow the gifts of wisdom, knowledge and understanding in us. This is not to diminish the gratuitous nature of the gifts, however. Some people who don’t read, pray and study very much show more evidence of wisdom, knowledge and
understanding than people who are more active in these disciplines. In fact, it seems that the more one tries to develop spiritual gifts through human effort, the less likely they are to develop. There is a paradox here, for sure: God wants us to be transformed by the Spirit, but the Spirit builds on human knowledge and experience to grow the gifts in us. Even finding the right balance between receptivity and effort seems a work of the Spirit—probably a manifestation of wisdom
and counsel.
Paperback and eBook versions
|
Please support this outreach with a tax-deductible donation. |
|
|
