Jul 13 Sun - How can I begin to love my neighbor?

 

Jul 13 Sun
How can I begin to love my neighbor?
The Gospel reminds us of the twin and interrelated doctrines of complete love for God and love of neighbor as self. If you want eternal life, Jesus said to the scholar and said to us, that is what you must do.

But Luke tells us that the scholar of the law wanted to “justify himself,” so he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

The Pharisees thought that the best way for Jews to be faithful to God was to separate themselves from Gentiles and even sinful Jews. They were perplexed that Jesus associated with sinful Jews and even Samaritans.

To answer the scholar’s question, Jesus composed the story we call the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

But instead of answering the question, “Who is the neighbor I should love?” Jesus answers a different question: “Who is the man who loves his neighbor?”

The answer is the hated Samaritan, not the Levite or the Jewish priest.

To love your neighbor as yourself means to give care to anyone in need that you encounter, even if he is your enemy. To do so, you need a permanent attitude, a life of prayer, the effort to do good and to shun evil, to obey the commandments, and to love God and neighbor.

To help fulfill the Ten Commandments, the pastors of the Church have the legitimate authority to make laws that apply to all Catholics, including themselves. These laws are called the Precepts of the Church. These laws or precepts require of us something we need: the essential minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, to grow in love of God and neighbor.

The first precept requires that we participate in the Eucharistic celebration every Sunday and holy day of obligation, and rest from activities that impede sanctifying these days.

The second precept requires that we confess our sins at least once a year in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to ensure we can receive the Eucharist worthily.

The third requires that we receive the Eucharist at least once a year.

The fourth requires us to observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.

The fifth precept is the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities.

A huge area to improve in could be observing the Sunday rest by not engaging in unnecessary menial labor or activities, which might end up alienating us from resting in God.

We should confess our sins regularly, and certainly as soon as possible if we are aware of a serious sin. If we care about our spiritual lives, we should try to go at least once a month.

We should receive the Eucharist at every Mass we attend, as long as we are in the state of grace.

These practical considerations only scratch the surface of what we can do to go beyond the minimal demands that the Church places on us for our good.

Jul 12 Sat - Is a Christian ever alone?

 

Jul 12 Sat
Is a Christian ever alone?
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). And the sacred Author adds that “as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” This is the mystery of the Ascension. But what do the Bible and the Liturgy wish to tell us by saying that Jesus “was lifted up”?

The verb “to lift up” was used in the Old Testament and refers to royal enthronement. Thus, Christ’s Ascension means, in the first place, the enthronement of the Crucified and Risen Son of Man, the manifestation of God’s kingship over the world.

However, there is an even deeper meaning that is not immediately perceptible. It is said first that Jesus was “lifted up” and then it says, “taken up.” The event is not described as a journey upward but rather as God introducing Jesus into the space of the Divine.

To present the Lord wrapped in clouds calls to mind the same mystery of the phrase, “seated at the right hand of God.” If Christ ascended into Heaven, the human being has entered into intimacy with God in a new and unheard-of way; man, henceforth, finds room in God forever. 

The word “Heaven” does not indicate a place above the stars but something far more daring and sublime: it indicates Christ himself, the divine Person who welcomes humanity fully and forever, the One in whom God and man are inseparably united forever. Man’s being in God, this is Heaven.

And we enter Heaven to the extent that we draw close to Jesus in communion with him. Thus, the crucified and Risen Jesus becomes invisibly present in the life of each one of us.

After the Ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem “with great joy.” They were happy because it was not a separation; on the contrary, they were then certain that the Crucified-Risen One was alive and that, in Him, God’s gates, the gates of eternal life, had been opened to humanity forever.

The Lord’s Ascension was not a temporary absence from the world but rather the new and definitive form of his presence. It was to be up to them and now to us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to make his presence visible by our witness, preaching, and apostolic zeal.

Like them, we, too, with serenity and enthusiasm, accept the invitation to go everywhere and proclaim the saving message of Christ’s death and Resurrection. 

He accompanies and comforts us: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” The Church does not carry out the role of preparing for the return of an “absent” Jesus, but, on the contrary, lives and works to proclaim his “glorious presence” now.

Excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI

Jul 11 Fri - How bad is sin?

 

Jul 11 Fri
How bad is sin?
The ideology of liberalism proclaims the absolute autonomy of man with complete independence from God. Hence, the rejection by many of any reference to universal principles that could threaten the "freedom" of man who believes he has the right to act as he wishes, as long as it does not affect others.

However, anyone who denies his total dependence on God and rebels against His law does not free himself, but embraces the slavery of sin. The moral degradation of our society is due precisely to the rejection of the notion of sin as an absolute moral transgression. If, at all, they consider it as an error of judgment, or a defect of character that can be corrected with human forces alone, and whose consequences, in the worst case, only affect ourselves.

This vision, contrary to the perennial teaching of the Church, also shows a total ignorance of human nature. Hence, the corruption in which we have lived for decades, far from bringing true progress, has caused a large part of society to adopt sinful behaviors habitually, calmly, and without any remorse.

Thus, divorce has increased to an alarming level; many engaged couples live together before getting married and they do so without the slightest sense of guilt or shame and, not infrequently, with the approval of their parents; some married couples use contraceptives without questioning whether or not such methods are moral; the Sunday precept is not fulfilled, and then some receive communion without confessing or thinking twice; and dangerous New Age movements are fervently accepted by many Catholics as a "complement" to their spiritual life.

John Paul II warned about it: "The greatest sin in the world today consists in that men have begun to lose the sense of sin. This loss is a result of the denial of God: not only among the atheists, but also among the secularists. To sin is not only to deny God; to sin is also to live as if He did not exist; it is to erase Him from one's daily existence."

We must recognize that sin always affects society, for it is the source of all human ills and sufferings. Moreover, man's rebellion against God is the greatest of all possible evils. Hence, the saints affirm that it is better to die than to sin.

Likewise, sin weakens the will, clouds the reason, and enslaves the passions, so many saints say that if we could see the horrible effects of sin on our powers, we would sin no more.

As St. Augustine points out: "There are many who love their sins and many also who confess them. Whoever confesses them and accuses himself of them is reconciled with God. The beginning of good works is the confession of bad works."

Sin is an obstacle to salvation, so we must not only avoid sin but also every occasion of sin.

The struggle against evil is tough, and although man cannot free himself from sin by his own powers, what is impossible for man is not impossible for God, for with His grace it is possible not only to free us from sin, but to live a holy life doing His will.

Some excerpts from Angélica Barragán

Jul 10 Thu - Why do we have a penitential rite in the Mass?

 

Jul 10 Thu
Why do we have a penitential rite in the Mass?
After the initial greeting, in solemn Masses, incense is offered to God, and then the Penitential Rite follows.

We have just announced with the entrance song that Christ is with us and we are ready to unite ourselves to him, who is the Good Shepherd and King of Eternal Glory. These titles make us understand: first, the spirit of confidence with which we have to approach him, and, second, that sacred respect and reverence which pervades the heavenly liturgy. 

We feel now more than ever the need for purification, for penance. We welcome the invitation of the priest, 

To prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, 
let us call to mind our sins. 

And then silence... We seem to hear the words of Isaiah: “Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool” (Is 1:18).

The penitential rite before the Eucharist is of the greatest antiquity. One of the oldest pieces of evidence about liturgical matters we possess, the Didaché (or Teaching of the Apostles), shows us that this penitential rite was already the practice among Christians at the beginning of the second century: “On the Lord’s Day, we meet together; break the bread and give thanks, after having first confessed our sins so that our sacrifice may be pure.” These words echo what St Paul wrote one century earlier: “Let every man examine himself before he eats of this bread.”

The penitential rite makes us aware of our unworthiness. It is not an abstract reminder of guilt, but the actual realization and admission of our sins and weaknesses. We ask pardon for our sins as we say, 

I confess to almighty God, 
and to you, my brothers and sisters... 

We grovel and accuse ourselves of our sins in the sight of heaven. 

Now you realize how much you have made Jesus suffer, and you are filled with sorrow. How easy it is to ask his pardon and weep for your past betrayals! Such is your longing for atonement that you cannot contain it in your breast!
Fine. But don’t forget that the spirit of penance consists mainly in the fulfillment of the duty of each moment, however costly it may be.

We have sinned not only before heaven but also in the sight of the earth. Every sin you or I commit lets down the whole Christian community, doesn’t it? Just as you apologize to your partner when you have made a perfectly rotten stroke at tennis, so when you have sinned, you want to apologize to your fellow Christians, for you have let them all down.

There is a too common tendency to want to deny or to excuse our wrongdoing and to put the blame for it on someone else: We accuse others to excuse ourselves, and we reproach others for having incited us to do wrong. We resort to these wretched subterfuges, which deceive no one, merely to lead ourselves astray with them.

Jul 9 Wed - What should my attitude be toward the indifferent?

 

Jul 9 Wed
What should my attitude be toward the indifferent?
Like Jesus, we must have compassion for souls who are like sheep without a shepherd.
Today we watch our Lord going from village to village, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

As Christians, we too feel the same pity as Christ for the crowds of people who do not know him, but who wander through life without ever hearing that the divine Shepherd came to ransom them from their sins. “No one can rest content in God’s family without feeling troubled by the anonymous crowds: a throng, a flock, a herd, as I once called them. Under their apparent indifference, there are so many noble aspirations, so many possibilities! We must serve all of them. We must lay our hands on them one by one, as Jesus did; He laid his hands on every one of them, to bring them back to life, heal them, enlighten their minds, and strengthen their wills, so they can become useful! That is how we will turn the throng into a family, the flock into an army, and bring out of the herd those who do not want to be unclean."

Zeal for the salvation of all souls is an essential characteristic of God's children. We have to fan this zeal into a flame every day by following the example set by Jesus, who calls us to co-redeem with Him.

We may at times be tempted to dissociate ourselves from others and refuse to get involved in their lives. Against such moments, we have St. Josemaría’s warning: “If you were to fall into the temptation of wondering: ‘Who's telling me to embark on this?’ we would have to reply: 'Christ himself is telling you, is begging you.’ 

The harvest is plentiful enough, but the laborers are few. You must ask the Lord to whom the harvest belongs to send laborers out for the harvesting. Don't take the easy way out. Don't say, ‘I'm no good at this sort of thing; there are others who can do it; it isn't my line.’ No, for this sort of thing, there is no one else: if you could get away with that argument, so could everyone else. 

Christ's plea is addressed to each and every Christian. No one can consider himself excused, for whatever reason: age, health, or occupation. There are no excuses whatsoever. Either we carry out a fruitful apostolate, or our faith will prove barren."

“All of us must feel the generous urge to reactivate men's rusty, apathetic energies in the service of God. They must make whatever sacrifice is needed, devoting all their strength to the task. They should adopt as their own our Lord's cry: I have compassion on the crowd, feeling pity for the multitudes."

Mary Immaculate was found worthy to be the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She will answer our plea: she will pray for us to have a burning zeal for souls, and an abundance of harvest from God.

Jul 8 Tue - Does God want to heal me?

 

Jul 8 Tue
Does God want to heal me?
God is ready to heal us if we trust him.
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. Among the crowd, in an uncomfortable posture, was a woman who had had a sickness for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.

The woman had heard about Jesus' miracles, and perhaps the hope of being cured had begun to stir in her heart.

“This woman was aware of her sickness and was ready to apply the remedy. If you are often ill at ease, if difficulties rob you of your peace of mind, if you've had a deeper fall than usual, recently or in the past, then turn to the divine Physician. Make a deep, sincere examination of conscience to discover the root of your sickness. For the same thing that happened to this unfortunate woman can happen to you: she had a malignant spirit. And notice her plight: she was bent over! She couldn't look up; she couldn't see the stars shining in the heavens.” 

That woman's physical infirmity can be likened to some people's inability to detach their gaze from earthly possessions and pleasures. They are unable to contemplate divine realities. If they remain in this posture, closed off to God's action, they bend closer and closer towards the earth.

“I know, none of this may happen to you, though it could, for one reason or another. But if this advice isn't of use to you personally, it may at least help you if this difficulty arises for others, whom you have to enlighten with the light of Christ...” 

Do not stay bent over, because you don't want to straighten yourself. Be humble. Acknowledge your mistakes. Raise your sights to heaven. Don't look at things only from your personal, selfish point of view. Have faith, have hope, and be assured of Christ's love for you. And if ever the horizon seems to be blurring, and heaven and earth converge, keep your gaze on heaven. That way you'll do a lot of good on earth, by looking to heaven.’ 

 If you do something very foolish, be sincere about it right away and ask for help. And everything will be sorted out. This will give you a lot of peace and joy, and the certainty of victory. Put into practice the advice you have been given, and continue forward.

Our trust in God will never be deceived, for we are his children. No matter what happens in our lives, God remains our Father. He loves us without limit and counts on our wretchedness to make us holy, if we struggle. Your prayer should go like this: "My wretchedness weighs me down, but it doesn't overwhelm me because I am a son of God. I want to atone, to Love... I want to turn my weaknesses to good use, convinced that our Lord will not abandon those who place their trust in him."

Carry on like that. I assure you that - with God's grace - you will succeed, and you will overcome your wretchedness and your shortcomings.

Jul 7 Mon - Did God choose me? And for what?

 

Jul 7 Mon
Did God choose me? And for what?
“God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Eph 1:4-5).

In the original Greek text, the verb ‘to choose’ describes the election as a historical fact, fulfilled in God's eternal plan, before time had begun, emphasizing the certainty and definitiveness of this divine act from the perspective of eternity.

Indeed, the expression “before the creation of the world” further underlines the dimension of the pre-existence and eternity of God's saving plan. This phrase not only indicates temporal precedence to creation, but also points to the immutability and certainty of God's purpose in choosing us.

The word used, "to select, to choose," in the New Testament, always implies a choice for an end (e.g., choosing apostles, choosing sons for God).

In this passage, the divine action of choosing is associated with His blessing mentioned in the previous verses. The direct object "us" identifies the recipients of God’s election, while the phrase "in him" specifies the sphere of the election: in Christ.

The expression "in Christ" suggests that the election directs all believers corporately to Christ rather than individually. This phrase indicates that Christ is not merely the instrument of election, the One who chooses, but also the destination or realm toward which we are chosen. The election is not abstract, but takes place "in Christ". This underscores that the choice of all believers is intrinsically linked to the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is through their identification with Christ that believers are the object of this eternal election: to be ‘another’ christ.

The verb ‘to choose’ appears in about 22 passages and always with the nuance of "choosing people for a purpose". Underlying all of them is the divine initiative: "It was not you who chose me, but I chose you" (Jn 15:16). In Ephesians, the emphasis is on the election of believers "in Christ."

St. John Chrysostom observes that God has chosen us to "be holy and blameless before Him." That is, the divine election entails the call to live a blameless life before God. He adds that God is Holy, and therefore we must aim to holiness. This election does not exempt us from moral responsibility; on the contrary, it demands that we respond to God’s election with a holy life.

And what motivated God to choose me? My merits?
God thought of us in Christ from eternity. And "before the foundation of the world," God loved us and chose us (cf. Eph 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20), to include us in his family. This election is free grace that engenders holiness. It is God's "free and gratuitous initiative" before creation.
God chose me because He loved me. And His love remains.

Jul 6 Sun - Presently, who is the Lord sending out?

 

Jul 6 Sun
Presently, who is the Lord sending out?
Today’s Gospel recounts how Jesus sent two-man teams of disciples to every town and village He intended to visit, to prepare the people there for him. In a similar way, John the Baptist had prepared Israel for Christ. This initiative both advanced the evangelization of Israel and formed many disciples to be apostles.

The Apostles and the other disciples did exactly as Jesus told them. Later, our Lord will give them the task of going out to the whole world and preaching the Good News to all people. 

Jesus told them to pray for apostolic vocations: “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so, ask the Master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

We must pray for two kinds of evangelists. First are the missionary evangelists who fan out to the farthest corners of the world, for Jesus intends to visit every place.

Second are the apostles who must penetrate our own culture to Christianize it, without going out of their environment. We are these new evangelists! We who are out in the world are like lambs among wolves. This is why we have to be as cunning as foxes yet remain as innocent as lambs.

Each is responsible for his or her area of duty, and they each know that, as they fulfill that duty, they are working for the successful outcome of the whole project in solidarity with everyone else.
St. Josemaría: “None of you is an isolated piece. If you stop, you make everyone else stop. The apostolic activities we carry out personally, all come together day by day to form a great woven fabric that we offer to God. If we all fulfill our work, if we are faithful and dedicated, this great fabric will be beautiful and faultless."

Our specific apostolic task isn't handed to us ready-made, as if we only needed to watch over it statically to keep it going. It is divine and human activity. We each have to put ever-renewed efforts and initiatives into developing it, to reach more souls and extend our apostolate further and further. We must fulfill our tasks, for the whole Church to achieve the divine goal God has set us: that of bringing all souls to him.

We must not reject those who reject us; we must never give up on bringing them to the Catholic faith. Instead, we seek them out and accompany them into the house of our Father God.

Another conclusion is that our pastors deserve our material and spiritual support because they offer us their total dedication.

Our pastors are performing miracles, with God’s grace, they foster the miracle of holiness. Thus, they must confront evil in themselves and help others to overcome it.

Our Lady is always there, close to our Lord, reminding us lovingly of the obligation we have towards her Son: Do whatever He tells you. She will intercede for the results of each one's personal apostolic task.

Jul 5 Sat - What is the use of family traditions and Church rituals?

 

Jul 5 Sat
What is the use of family traditions and Church rituals?

Rituals do not transport us to a lost paradise. Rather, they provide a contrast that integrates us into our society. And yet, why do they keep disappearing? This gradual decline of ritual does not lead to emancipation or liberation. Instead, it is a consequence of present-day ailments, and above all, the erosion of community.

Traditions and rites are symbolic actions. They transmit and represent values and guidelines that maintain a cohesive community.

Rituals can be defined as symbolic techniques for establishing a home; they transform our 'being in the world' into 'being at home.' Rituals evoke not only periodic ceremonies or gatherings but also the simple greetings we often repeat at specific times and places, the way we wait for and board public transport, and the habit of going to the market and buying from the same vendor.

The rite expands and solidifies the concept of home, providing us with a sense of belonging that allows us to have an identity within that society. Rituals are processes of incorporation into society and material performances that are manifested in the body. Traditions are not merely ideas or words; they are actions that occur in the material dimension and leave behind traces in multiple dimensions.

What we experience when attending a religious service, a sports game, a change of command, a funeral, or a concert, for example, reveals that rituals are symbolic practices that bring us together and foster alliances and community. Certain codes are respected and executed. You don't need to be instructed to follow a behavior. For this reason, the symbolic and ritual aspects mutually reinforce each other.

Traditions are canceled or cease to hold significance when responses become automated or customs are altered. As a result, we face pressure to be authentic; closing rites are diluted, good manners are met with hostility, personal connections diminish, seduction disappears, and pornography prevails. Aspects such as birthday parties, rest, pausing, the ability to concentrate, anticipate, and wait, as well as religion and its practice, are presented as countercultural.

Society can gather itself, but it cannot keep its audience indefinitely. The demands of life do not allow it to remain in a state of gathering. Thus, we need regular alternation and distinction between sacred and profane times.

Almost all societies have created rituals and communal practices to temporarily 'elevate' people to the realm of the sacred, where the ego withdraws and collective interests take precedence. Sharing this sacredness by participating in the rite and reconnecting with societal rhythms serves as an antidote to the functioning imposed by the prevailing virtuality today. Engaging in religious, family, or civic traditions based on common rules and shared milestones can be highly effective.

By applying these interactions and customs that extend beyond the ceremonial, we may be able to counteract the effects of alienation and isolation in the digital world.

Jul 4 Fri - Is the egoist happy?

 

Jul 4 Fri
Is the egoist happy?
Recently, the Pope joked that the Jubilee of Sport coincided with the feast of the Holy Trinity; both have a similarity. He recalled that the Trinity is a relationship, and that sport, too, puts one in relation to another.

"That is why sport can help us to encounter the Trinitarian God: because it involves a movement of the self towards the other, outgoing, certainly external, but also and above all interior. Without this, it is reduced to a sterile competition of selfishness," the Pope said.

Indeed, the ego is never the way; it is the opposite of happiness. St. Augustine shows this in his Treatise on the Gospel of St. John 14:2.

Let us analyze this thought of St. Augustine in two parts:

1.- "Whoever wants to rejoice in himself and of himself, will always be sad"

Seeking joy or satisfaction only within oneself, based on one's own abilities, achievements, or even on merely personal and short-lived pleasure, inevitably leads to sadness or dissatisfaction. 

People are finite, our resources are limited, our abilities imperfect, and our lives transitory. Basing happiness on something as fragile and changing as one's own self is to build on sand. The ego often seeks more and more, and it is never completely satisfied. The constant search for approval, pleasure, or personal power can become an exhausting and empty cycle. Without transcendence -looking beyond ourselves- we lose sight of the meaning of our life, which leads to a feeling of existential emptiness.

In addition, life is always full of challenges, losses, and disappointments. If joy depends on what is short-lived, and trusting that everything will go well in our personal world, any new problem will show us that our joy is without basis.

2. "But whoever wants to rejoice in God and about God will be happy forever, because God is everlasting."

St. Augustine gives us the solution. He proposes that true and lasting joy is found in our relationship with God. "Rejoicing in God and of God" tells us that God is the inexhaustible Source of joy. God is the inexhaustible source of goodness, love, peace, and joy. He is the Fountain of Living Water that fills us with Hope. United to him, who is the Source, joy does not depend on the changing circumstances of the world or our ego. Existence ceases to be just looking at our navel and feeling empty of all meaning. God offers us the foundations of a Hope that transcends the harshness of life and death itself. In God, we find deep peace. Christ greeted the Apostles, saying: "Peace be with you", because His Peace is fullness.

This thought invites us to reorient our goal: What do I seek in life? It challenges us to look beyond ourselves and our selfish desires. It is not about finding a superficial joy based on pleasure. It invites us to find the true Source of infinite, unchangeable, and supreme fullness.
Excerpts from Néstor Mora Núñez

Jul 3 Thu - In the Mass, why do we say, “And with your spirit”?

 

Jul 3 Thu
In the Mass, why do we say, “And with your spirit”?
After the entrance song and after kissing the altar, the priest goes to the chair and makes the sign of the cross.
We have been born through baptism to the life of grace under the sign of the cross and in the name of the Three Divine Persons; we have been strengthened in that life through the sacrament of confirmation and under the same name. Now, we approach the very source of spiritual life in the name of the most Blessed Trinity.

Throughout the Mass, we pay special reverence to the name of Jesus. St Peter and St John were arrested for proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. When interrogated by the Sanhedrin, “By what power and by whose name have you men done this?” Peter answered, “By the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene.” And added, “For of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved” (Acts 4:12). 

Then, through his greeting, the priest declares to us that the Lord is present. He accompanies his words with a gesture that may be seen as a delicately initiated embrace.
Sometimes the priest will use a more elaborate formula, desiring that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. At other times, he will use a shorter greeting, “The Lord be with you.” 

This greeting and the congregation’s response express the mystery of the gathered Church. The entire Church is present, even though we may be just a few persons in the room.

St. Josemaría: “When I celebrate Mass with just one person to help me, the people are present also. I feel that there with me are all Catholics, all believers, and also those who do not believe. All God’s creatures are there—the earth and the sea and the sky, and the animals and plants—the whole of creation giving glory to the Lord." 

In this greeting, the priest’s special relationship with the Holy Spirit is acknowledged by the faithful, “And with your spirit.” 

We think of one moving reality: So many persons who have renounced clean and legitimate human love to place their lives at Christ’s service and our service. It is time now to pay our debt to them, which we too often forget about. 

We should include in our answer a vehement petition to our Lord for the sanctity of priests. Because, as St John Chrysostom points out, “When the priests are holy, the entire Church is resplendent with virtues; when they are not holy, faith weakens. When you see a tree with withered leaves, you judge that there should be some vice in the roots; likewise, when you see a rowdy people, you should understand that their priests are not holy." 

After the greeting, the priest, or other suitable minister, may prepare the faithful for the Holy Mass with some brief, simple, and well-selected words when special reason warrants it – for example, on a Solemnity or Feast of certain significance, or in a celebration for a special motive.

Jul 2 Wed - Should I try to be sober?

 

Jul 2 Wed
Should I try to be sober?
Temperance or sobriety is the cardinal virtue that regulates the pursuit of pleasure according to reason enlightened by faith.

Faith may move reason to decide quite differently than it would from merely natural considerations. Thus, in the pleasures of food, pure human reason would consider only the demands of bodily health and its effect on the intellectual and emotional life of man. Beyond that, with the light of Revelation, reason must also consider the supernatural good of man and the need for mortification and penance, and then one may decide to fast.

Sobriety is the virtue that maintains the use of food and drink at a just level, controlling our appetite. 

The Church values sobriety highly and presents food as a gift from God. She advises us to bless the table and give thanks after meals.

Besides sobriety in food and drink, a Christian needs moderation in the disordered inclinations of sensual or spiritual pleasure. Thus, one may desire to be praised in society, be attached to luxury items, have expensive lifestyles (housing, clothing, or entertainment), or have “licit” addictions, like smoking.

The conquerors are those who remain awake and vigilant, those who battle with the enemy, and regularly mortify themselves. And these people are precisely the happiest. Because you need a heart that is in love, not an easy life, to achieve happiness.

“Temperance is self-mastery. Not everything we experience in our bodies and souls should be given free rein. Neither should we do everything we can do. It is easier to let ourselves be carried away by so-called natural impulses, but this road ends up in sadness and isolation in our own misery."

St. Josemaría: “Consider the rich rewards that temperance brings. I want to see men who are really men, and not slaves to cheap glitter, as worthless as the trinkets that magpies gather. A manly person knows how to do without those things that may harm his soul, and he also comes to realize that his sacrifice is more apparent than real; for living in this way, with a spirit of sacrifice, means freeing oneself from many kinds of slavery, and savoring instead, in the depths of one's heart, the fullness of God's love.”

When the abuse of drinks leads to losing one’s use of reason (drunkenness), a mortal sin is committed (cf. 1 Cor 6:10; Is 5:11; Gal 5:21), unless this result is unforeseen and unexpected, as in the case of Noah (cf. Gn 9:20–22).

Slight drunkenness is a venial sin. Nevertheless, it can easily become mortal because of its consequences, if these could or should have been foreseen, even dimly. This is the case, for instance, of drinking before driving.

The opposite side of sobriety is gluttony, the disorderly appetite for food and drink.

The Lord doesn’t want to see us becoming rotten while we try to achieve a certain material happiness based on love of comfort, in the lack of sobriety, that will make us forget that we are pilgrims on our way to God.

In the midst of a materialistic environment, sobriety will help us to be very apostolically effective. It’s a feature of Christian life. A Christian should always make an effort to give a good example. For many, the beginning of a true encounter with the Lord will come from the example of sobriety that a Christian must give.