Forum on Christianity and Spirituality February 6, 2025, 7:30 p.m. CST Topic: The World Religions: Similarities and Differences See https://shalomplace.com/inetmin/forum.html for more information and registration.
Message of the Day
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Give me a stout heart to bear my
own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord. - John Baillie
(How, specifically, are you being called to bear these burdens at this time in life?)
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Readings of the Day
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Hebrews 10:1-10; Psalm 40:2, 4ab, 7-8a, 10,
11 Mark 3:31-35 When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lakeside. Then one of the synagogue officials came up, Jairus by name, and seeing him, fell at his feet and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.’
Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him; they were pressing all round him. Now there was a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years; after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she spent all she had without being any the better for it, in fact, she was getting worse. She had heard about Jesus, and she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak. ‘If I can touch even his clothes,’ she had told
herself ‘I shall be well again.’ And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint. Immediately aware that power had gone out from him, Jesus turned round in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ His disciples said to him, ‘You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, “Who touched me?”’ But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling because she
knew what had happened to her, and she fell at his feet and told him the whole truth. ‘My daughter,’ he said ‘your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’ While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, ‘Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?’ But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, ‘Do not be afraid;
only have faith.’ And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. So they came to the official’s house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.’ But they laughed at him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions, he went into the place where the child
lay. And taking the child by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to
eat.
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame…” —Hebrews 12:2, RSV-CE Some translations of Hebrews 12:2 say that Jesus endured the cross, “heedless of
its shame” (NAB). Others render it as “despising its shame” (RNAB) or “disregarding the shamefulness of it” (JB). The Greek word means “to think against” or “to think down upon.”
Jesus never operated out of “human respect” (see Lk 20:21; Jn 2:25). He gave no heed to the shame, ridicule, and calumny He endured in His Passion. He “disregarded the report” that a twelve-year-old girl was dead (Mk 5:36). He “thought against” a report that Herod
wanted to kill Him (see Lk 13:31-33). Jesus “despised the shame” of the cross. His face was set like flint (Is 50:7), and He “firmly resolved to proceed toward Jerusalem” and the cross of Calvary (Lk 9:51). Can you act heedless of the shame of human contempt? Can you “despise the shame” of condemnation — in public shaming amid social media comments, ridicule in the workplace, in public, etc. Can you even disregard human praise, preferring
instead the glory of God? (see Jn 12:43) Jesus “thought against” the shame of the cross. His crucifixion was actually His hour to be glorified (Jn 12:23). His thoughts were focused on the glory to be given to His Father (Jn 12:28). In the liturgy of Holy Thursday, the Entrance Antiphon proclaims: “We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So give no heed to the shame of the cross. Instead, “look to [the crucified Christ] that
you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame” (Ps 34:6). Lift high the cross! Prayer: Father, give me “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Promise: “It is your faith that has cured you.” —Mk 5:34
Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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The Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life, by Brother Lawrence (1611 - 1691). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. https://ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice/practice Fourth Conversation The manner of going to God. * Hearty renunciation. * Prayer and praise prevent discouragement. * Sanctification in common business. * Prayer and the presence of God. * The whole substance of religion. * Self-estimation *
Further personal experience. That the whole substance of religion was faith, hope, and charity; by the practice of which we become united to the will of GOD: that all beside is indifferent and to be used as a means, that we may arrive at our end, and be swallowed up therein, by faith and charity. That all things are possible to him who believes, that they are less difficult
to him who hopes, they are more easy to him who loves, and still more easy to him who perseveres in the practice of these three virtues.
That the end we ought to propose to ourselves is to become, in this life, the most perfect worshippers of GOD we can possibly be, as we hope to be through all eternity.
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