|
I believe that God both wills and is able to bring good out of everything, even the worst. For this He needs people who are prepared to allow everything to be served for the best. I believe
that in every crisis God wants to provide us with as much power of resistance as we need. But God never gives it in advance so that we will entrust ourselves. I believe that even our mistakes and wrongdoing are not fruitless and that it is no more difficult for God to cope with them than with our presumed good deeds. I believe that God is no “timeless fate” but, rather, that he waits upon and responds to our sincere prayer and responsible deeds.
- Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
(How have you experienced God's providence in your life
lately?)
|
|
|
ACTS 9:1-20; PS 117:1BC, 2
JN 6:52-59
The Jews quarreled among
themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my Flesh is true food,
and my Blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the
living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."
These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
USCCB Lectionary
|
|
|
John 6: 52-59 (More on the Bread of Life)
These are some of the most
uncompromising words ever attributed to Jesus. The Greek word for flesh used by John refers to bodily flesh, causing us to ask, with the Jews, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" This unmistakable allusion to the importance of the Eucharist should remind us that Jesus' gift of his life is the greatest gift we can receive.
* Many people who proclaim Jesus as their lord and savior speak of him as having died for their sins. How do you understand this? How has Jesus given his life for you?
* List a few of the many changes that have come to the world because of Jesus. Spend some time thanking God for these graces which determine the social and cultural contexts of our lives. 3rd edition pocketbook, trade book, Kindle, eBook.
|
|
|
|
|
|
God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.) ____________ Chapter 7: The Journey to Belonging: The Ego-God Relationship
The Response of Faith With the act of faith, we belong to God, and discover our faith “ratified.” It is no longer simply an act that we perform, but a grace that holds and sustains us in relationship. We do not, it seems, have faith; faith has us! Again, it is like falling in love. Once we “cross the threshold,” we are in a new situation. We might have made decisions to get there, but once we’re in love, we usually cannot fall out of it by changing our minds.
Love can indeed die, however, as can faith, if neglected and taken for granted.
Faith is not always accompanied by emotional experience as is falling in love. Indeed, one might not notice anything at all if one has neglected faith, and is returning to it anew. With ongoing sustained relating in God through prayer and living as faith requires, changes will be noted. There will be
inner peace, less selfishness, and an unmistakeable sense of belonging to God. Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
|
|
|
|
|
