There is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice it is because someone
has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success it is because someone will succeed after.
- Adoniram Judson
(Take time to recall the sacrifices of others that have helped you have a good life.)
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Ex 32:7-14; Ps. 106:19-20, 21-22, 23; Jn 5:31-47
R. Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your
people.
Our fathers made a calf in Horeb
and adored a molten image;
They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating bullock.
They forgot the God who had saved them,
who had done great deeds in Egypt,
Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham,
terrible things at the Red Sea.
Then he spoke of exterminating them,
but Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
to turn back his destructive wrath.
Reflection on the Scriptures |
Because it is the Lenten season, I’m probably a bit more
spiritual than at some other times of year; probably a bit more prone to relenting when I really want to remain angry, to exercising a bit more humility and gratitude when I’d rather have my selfish needs met. This is good – and worth striving for more consistently. Worth DOING more consistently. I wish that God’s people, brought by Moses out of slavery, had understood the gift they had been given, and revered it. I wish that the Jews in the gospel story had believed in
the works of Jesus, trusted in his purpose as had been foretold, understood the gift they had been given, and revered it. I wish – no, I pray – that I will take the time to recognize the working of God in my life every day, breathe in gratitude for this gift I have been given, and revere it.
{Breathe In} The peace that passes all understanding and
{Breathe Out in Song!} Thanks Be To God! Amen!
- by Kimberly Grassmeyer
Revelations of Divine Love - by Julian of Norwich
Fifth Revelation, Chapter 13 “The Enemy is overcome by the
blessed Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ “
But in God there may be no wrath, as to my sight: for our good Lord endlessly hath regard to His own worship and to the profit of all that shall be saved. With might and right He withstandeth the Reproved, the which of malice and wickedness busy them to contrive and to do against God’s will. Also I saw
our Lord scorn his malice and set at nought his unmight; and He willeth that we do so. For this sight I laughed mightily, and that made them to laugh that were about me, and their laughing was a pleasure to me. I thought that I would that all mine even-Christians had seen as I saw, and then would they all laugh with me. But I saw not Christ laugh. For I understood that we may laugh in comforting of ourselves and joying in God for that the devil is overcome. And when I saw Him scorn his malice,
it was by leading of mine understanding into our Lord: that is to say, it was an inward shewing of verity, without changing of look. For, as to my sight, it is a worshipful property of God’s that [He] is ever the same. And after this I fell into a graveness, and said: I see three things: I see game, scorn, and earnest. I see [a] game, in that the Fiend is overcome; I see scorn, in that God scorneth him, and he shall be scorned; and I see earnest, in that he is overcome by the blissful
Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ that was done in full earnest and with sober travail.
When I said, he is scorned,—I meant that God scorneth him, that is to say, because He seeth him now as he shall do without end. For in this [word]
God shewed that the Fiend is condemned. And this meant I when I said: he shall be scorned: [he shall be scorned] at Doomsday, generally of all that shall be saved, to whose consolation he hath great ill-will.
For then he shall see that all
the woe and tribulation that he hath done to them shall be turned to increase of their joy, without end; and all the pain and tribulation that he would have brought them to shall endlessly go with him to hell.
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