Virgin of Vladimir (+ image by the hand of Stephen Allison 2008)

Sunday 6 September 2015

Draw poor souls to Me

Notes of meeting on 1 September 2015

Picture of people gathered on a river bank, Jesus was beckoning them to get in the water. As every person got in the cool water refreshed and cleansed them. Then as everyone stepped out the sun seemed to shine more brightly and everyone was dry in just a few seconds. A gentle braze seemed to descend and a tongue of flame was upon each person. This flame seemed to dissipate leaving around the people a gold light in around and through each person which each person  could be seen in those around them.
The light drew people who had little or no light to them, like moths to a flame, they could see this light and felt drawn to come into the light. Jesus is the light and we his poor vessels have to try and magnify this light to draw all men to Him.
Jesus says:
Be holy My little ones, put all strife and personal slights with each other aside, forgive each other, love each other. My little ones imitate Our Mother for her humbleness, prayerfulness and service to the Kingdom are your example.
Draw poor souls to Me, I bless you.

1 Corinthians 1 v 4 - 17
4 I am continually thanking God about you, for the grace of God which you have been given in Christ Jesus;
5 in him you have been richly endowed in every kind of utterance and knowledge;
6 so firmly has witness to Christ taken root in you.
7 And so you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed;
8 he will continue to give you strength till the very end, so that you will be irreproachable on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 You can rely on God, who has called you to be partners with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
10 Brothers, I urge you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, not to have factions among yourselves but all to be in agreement in what you profess; so that you are perfectly united in your beliefs and judgements.
11 From what Chloe's people have been telling me about you, brothers, it is clear that there are serious differences among you.
12 What I mean is this: every one of you is declaring, 'I belong to Paul,' or 'I belong to Apollos,' or 'I belong to Cephas,' or 'I belong to Christ.'
13 Has Christ been split up? Was it Paul that was crucified for you, or was it in Paul's name that you were baptised?
14 I am thankful I did not baptise any of you, except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so that no one can say that you were baptised in my name.
16 Yes, I did baptise the family of Stephanas, too; but besides these I do not think I baptised anyone.
17 After all, Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel; and not by means of wisdom of language, wise words which would make the cross of Christ pointless.

Isaiah 43 v 9 -21
9 Let all the nations assemble, let the peoples gather here! Which of them has proclaimed this and revealed things to us in the past? Let them bring their witnesses to justify themselves, let others hear and say, 'It is true.'
10 You yourselves are my witnesses, declares Yahweh, and the servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that it is I. No god was formed before me, nor will be after me.
11 I, I am Yahweh, and there is no other Saviour but me.
12 I have revealed, have saved, and have proclaimed, not some foreigner among you. You are my witnesses, declares Yahweh, I am God,
13 yes, from eternity I am. No one can deliver from my hand; when I act, who can thwart me?
14 Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, I shall knock down all the prison bars, and the Chaldaeans' shouts of joy will change to lamentations.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your king.
16 Thus says Yahweh, who made a way through the sea, a path in the raging waters,
17 who led out chariot and horse together with an army of picked troops: they lay down never to rise again, they were snuffed out, put out like a wick.
18 No need to remember past events, no need to think about what was done before.
19 Look, I am doing something new, now it emerges; can you not see it? Yes, I am making a road in the desert and rivers in wastelands.
20 The wild animals will honour me, the jackals and the ostriches, for bestowing water in the desert and rivers on the wastelands for my people, my chosen one, to drink.
21 The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises.

Matthew 11 v 25 -
25 At that time Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children.
26 Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do.
27 Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.'


 


A Christian prayer in union with creation

Father, we praise you with all your creatures.

They came forth from your all-powerful hand;

they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love.

Praise be to you!

Son of God, Jesus,

through you all things were made.

You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother,

You became part of this earth,

and you gazed upon this world with human eyes.

Today you are alive in every creature

in your risen glory.

Praise be to you!

Holy Spirit, by your light

you guide this world towards the Father’s love

and accompany creation as it groans in travail.

You also dwell in our hearts

and you inspire us to do what is good.

Praise be to you!

Triune Lord,

wondrous community of infinite love,

teach us to contemplate you

in the beauty of the universe,

for all things speak of you.

Awaken our praise and thankfulness

for every being that you have made.

Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined

to everything that is.

God of love, show us our place in this world

as the channels of your love

for all creatures of this earth,

for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.

Enlighten those who possess power and money

that they may avoid the sin of indifference,

that they may love the common good,

advance the weak,

and care for this world in which we live.

The poor and the earth are crying out.

O Lord, seize us with you power and light,

help us to protect all life,

to prepare for a better future,

for the coming of your Kingdom

Of justice, peace, love and beauty.

Praise be to you!

Amen.
 
‘A Christian prayer for union with creation’ was published in Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’. It is intended for Christians to pray for inspiration to take up the commitment to creation set before us by the Gospel of Jesus.

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