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THE APOSTLES TRANSFORMED INTO ROCK

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SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL Acts 12:1-11; Ps 34:2-9; 2 Tim 4:6-8,17-18; Mt 16:13-19 On this Rock I will build My Church We celebrate the solemn feast of the two apostles of the Lamb, Saints Peter and Paul. We know Peter to be the head of the apostles and the chief shepherd of the Church, the flock of God. He took the place of the Son of Man after his resurrection and ascension into heaven as the Shepherd of the whole Church. His choice was not of human making, but by God Himself. As we know that nothing about the Church is of human making, for God the Father through His Only Begotten Son calls and redeems everyone and uses each to construct the heavenly Jerusalem by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and his sanctification work among us. The office of Peter, which the Church refers to as the Petrine office, plays many roles. The most important of these roles is the primacy in confession of faith in the revelation of God. Thus, it belongs to the Pope, with all the bishops wh...
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OUR MORAL COMMUNION WITH GOD

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SUNDAY, THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDERINARY TIME 2 Kings 4:8-11,13-16; Ps 89:2-3,16-19; Rom 6:3-4,8-11; Mt 10:37-42 Losing Our Lives for the Life of Christ Many of us are so enthused with the idea of Artificial Intelligence, but we know practically little to nothing about natural intelligence. We would be amazed beyond measure to understand how attuned our bodies and natural life are to changes in our environment. Many interactions between us and our environment are handled unconsciously or subconsciously. It is only when critical decisions are to be made that control is given to our conscious minds. The same intricate connection is also acknowledged in human moral living. Sin has its own structure and intricate connections that form the basis of our moral life and intelligence. Just as the natural structure and intelligence serve to perpetuate human life on earth, the sinful structure and intelligence serve to perpetuate sins, a sinful lifestyle, and evil on earth. Because the structu...
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OUR UNWORTHINES TO HOUSE GOD

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SATURDAY, TWELVETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Lamentations 2:2,10-14,18-19; Ps 74:1-7,20-21; Mt 8:5-17 Expression of Faith in Desolation Many souls think they are free to choose or not to choose God. Such an understanding of freedom or choice is really deceptive. When we think deeply about our situation as creatures of God, we will understand that there is really no real choice for each one of us. The evil one, the father of lies, deceives us by making us believe that there is a choice to be made. The only real choice is our decision to do God's will. The other option is to die. Many venture into darkness and death because they are deceived, like Adam and Eve, into believing that disobedience to God’s word is an alternative path. If it is a path, it leads to nowhere, for death is a cessation to partake in life. God is our life and our truth; to abandon God for any other creature is to know death. The knowledge or experience of death is horrible for a soul made to contain God. It i...
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IF I FORGET YOU JERUSALEM

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FRIDAY, TWELVETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 2 Kings 25:1-12; Ps 137:1-6; Mt 8:1-4 Death of a Soul without God The enemies besiege and conquer the city of God within us when we dwell in ignorance of what lies within us, the heavenly and spiritual riches with which God the Father has endowed our inner castle, which He built for the Only Begotten Son, the Eternal Word. There is nothing outside that suffices for the defence of the eternal city we carry within us; its defence lies within, in the name of the Lord our God. The interior city of God is kept safe only by the indwelling of the Eternal Word within us. Just as the Incarnation of the Son of God saved human nature objectively, his entrance into our interior, where he takes possession of his city therein, safeguarding it from enemies without. Late was the cry of Judaeans: “O how could we sing the song of the Lord on alien soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my righthand wither!” The woes befell them because they failed to sing the ...
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BUILDING ON THE SOLID ROCK

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THURSDAY, TWELVETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 2 Kings 24:8-17; Ps 79:1-5,8-9; Mt 7:21-29 Learning to build on the Solid Rock In accordance with our position that the Sermon on the Mount is our Lord’s solid foundation for Christian spirituality, he concludes his teaching by pointing out this fact. The Son of Man, as the Incarnation of the Son of God, teaches heavenly doctrines without any admixture of error; for he alone knows the Father completely. His humanity is our reception of the knowledge of God the Father in fulfilment of the purpose of our human nature. Thus, these fundamental teachings are foundational to our communion with the Triune God. He clarifies that our coming to God must originate from a deep sense of humility and simplicity, born of our knowledge of ourselves as nothing before His divine Majesty. This sentiment must also define our coming to the Son of Man as our Lord and Saviour. So, he says: “It is not those who say to me, 'Lord, Lord,' who will enter the ...
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THE BIRTH OF THE GREATEST BORN OF WOMAN

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NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST Isa 49:1-6; Ps 139:1-3,13-15; Acts 13:22-26; Lk 1:57-66,80 The Word and the Voice We celebrate the solemnity of the birth of John the Baptist. The celebration of his birth as a solemn feast is a privilege that the Church accords only to a few people, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and John the Baptist. The celebration, therefore, shows the great honour accorded to the precursor of Jesus Christ. The celebration of the birth of John the Baptist highlights the goodness of human nature, created by God. As we have very often considered, our nature is made to house God Himself, who is goodness and the ultimate good and end of our nature. So, man is at his best when he is in total submission to God, our Creator. Subsequently, our nature comes to nothing when we turn away from God to creatures, which is what sin is. Sin, which is disobedience to God, renders our nature unfit for God and for his divine purpose. As Paul reminded...
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GUARDING THE SACRED WITHIN

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TUESDAY, TWELVETH WEEK IN ORDERINARY TIME 2 Kings 19:9-11,14-21,31-36; Ps 48:2-4,10-11; Mt 7:6,12-14 Reverence for the Sacred Coming to the awareness of the sacredness of God and how that relates to your happiness and wellness in this life is not a mean achievement. Not many people seek to understand life and its meaning. Many people live like animals with eyes for sensible attractions alone. The Christian faith is a great gift we must cherish and thank God for. With the Christian faith comes the gift of self-awareness as we receive a new birth in God through Jesus Christ. The Son of Man lays the foundation of Christian spirituality in genuine self-discovery, which can only be given by the light of faith in Jesus Christ. We become aware of the holiness of God within the new and true self that Christ reveals within us. This knowledge is uncommon and must be guarded and cherished. We must make it our dwelling place and principle of our thoughts, words, and actions. The Son reveals ...
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