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This is our great need, to be more like Christ, that His likeness may be seen in our lives; and this is just what is promised to us as we yield ourselves in full surrender to the working of His Spirit. Then, as we draw nearer to Christ, we shall be drawn nearer to His people; and in our search for unity with the members we shall be drawn closer to the Head.
- G. T. Manley, Christian Unity
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HG 2:1-9; PS 43:1, 2, 3, 4
LK 9:18-22
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"
Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God."
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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"The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: Tell this to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people." —Haggai 2:1-2
The Lord in His perfect plan of salvation put a prophet, a governor, and a priest together to rebuild the Temple, restore God's people, and renew the world. Historically, prophets were often persecuted by government authorities and priests. Sometimes governors or kings tried to usurp the rights of the priesthood. Then prophets railed at the government for its sin, sacrilege, and idolatry. Thus, it was rare for
prophets, governors or kings, and priests to converge in solidarity and bring about renewal for God's people.
When Jesus became incarnate, these three roles, which had seldom come together, were united for the first time in the person of Jesus. He is the Prophet foretold by Moses (Dt 18:18; Acts 3:22ff). Jesus is "the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Tm 6:15). He is the eternal High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:10). Moreover, those who have been baptized into Jesus share in His prophecy, kingship,
and priesthood (Catechism, 1546). Thus, by living our Baptisms in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we can renew the face of the earth (see Ps 104:30).
Prayer: Father, may I love the Church so much that I am willing to die to renew her.
Promise: "Bring me to Your holy mountain, to Your dwelling-place. Then will I go in to the altar of God, the God of my gladness and joy." —Ps 43:3-4
Presentation Ministries
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Abandonment to Divine Providence
- by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
BOOK II,
CHAPTER I. ON THE NATURE AND EXCELLENCE OF THE STATE OF ABANDONMENT
SECTION V. The Great Merit of Pure Faith
By the state of abandonment and of pure faith the soul gains more merit than by the most eminent good works.
Whatever we find extraordinary in the lives of the saints, such as revelations, visions and interior locutions, is but a glimpse of that excellence of their state which is contained and hidden in the exercise of faith; because faith possesses all this by knowing how to see and hear God in that which happens from moment to moment. When these favours are manifested visibly it does not mean that by faith they have
not been already possessed, but in order to make the excellence of faith visible for the purpose of attracting souls to the practice of it; just as the glory of Thabor, and the miracles of Jesus Christ were not from any increase of His intrinsic excellence, but from the light which from time to time escaped from the dark cloud of His humanity to make it an object of veneration and love to others.
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