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If you would judge of the lawfulness or the unlawfulness of a pleasure, then take this simple rule: Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, and takes off the relish of spiritual things - that to you is sin.
- Susannah Wesley
(Using these criteria, where in your life might you be sinning?)
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1 COR 15:1-8; PS 19:2-3, 4-5
JN 14:6-14
Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to him,
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture |
"Philip," Jesus replied, "after I have been with you all this time, you still do not know Me?" —John 14:9
St. Philip asked Jesus a question to which Jesus clearly expected Philip to already know the answer. Unfortunately, I can relate all too well to St. Philip, and perhaps some of you can relate as well. Often I must hear information several times before it finally sinks into my mind. Thankfully, Philip was not too proud to offer Jesus his ignorance and lack of understanding. Philip allowed Jesus to take it away and
replace it with the Holy Spirit's gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The Lord transformed Philip into a powerful apostle, who preached in the area which is now Turkey, and was martyred for his unswerving faith in Jesus.
Jesus can use anything we offer to Him for His use. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not" (Prv 3:5). Do you feel you are too tired, too ignorant, too weak, too sinful to be of any use to Jesus? Offer your all to Him, no matter whether you consider it good or bad. Jesus is able to transform anything; nothing is impossible for Him (Lk 1:37).
Prayer: Lord, I don't have much, but what I have I will give You (see Acts 3:6).
Promise: Jesus "rose on the third day...He was seen by Cephas, then by the Twelve." —1 Cor 15:4-5
Praise: Sts. Philip and James were martyred in Phrygia and Jerusalem respectively for knowing and serving Jesus.
Presentation Ministries
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Abandonment to Divine Providence
- by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
CHAPTER II. THE DIVINE ACTION WORKS UNCEASINGLY FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF SOULS.
SECTION X.God Makes Known His Will Through Creatures.
In the present moment are made manifest the name of God, and the coming of His Kingdom.
If all that happens to a soul abandoned to God is all that is necessary for it, then we can understand that nothing can be wanting to it, and that it should never pity itself, for this would be a want of faith and living according to reason and the senses which are never satisfied, as they cannot perceive the sufficiency of grace possessed by the soul. To hallow the name of God, is according to the meaning of
the holy Scripture, to recognise His sanctity in all things and to love and adore Him in them. Things, in fact, proceed from the mouth of God like words. That which God does at each moment is a divine thought expressed by a created thing, therefore all those things by which He intimates His will to us are so many names and words by which He makes known His wishes. His will is unity and has but one name, unknown, and ineffable; but it is infinitely diverse in its effects, which are, as it were,
so many different characters which it assumes. To hallow the Name of God is to know, to adore, and to love the ineffable Being whom this name designates. It is also to know, to adore and to love His adorable will at every moment and in all its decrees, regarding them all as so many veils, shadows and names of this holy and everlasting will.
It is holy in all its works, holy in all its words, holy in all its diverse characters, holy in all the names it bears.
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