Suddenly it was as though a huge force or vacuum parted the sky and came into the room at St Mary's it was as if we were in a vortex shaped like an egg timer. All our problems seemed to drain away as this light and strong wind enveloped us, went through us and filled us. It pushed along the floor and out through the windows at a mighty speed touching everything, going into all the dark places and touching all those who have hurt us and those we have hurt. All pain, bitterness, apathy, judgmentalism, revenge and hatred were replaced with contriteness, humility, peace, love, joy and fear of the Lord.
I personally felt a strange quietness of spirit a lassitude in love as though we had all encountered a new freedom in the Spirit.
Corinthians 5 v 1 -15
1 For we are well aware that when the tent that houses us on earth is folded up, there is a house for us from God, not made by human hands but everlasting, in the heavens. 2 And in this earthly state we do indeed groan, 3 longing to put on our heavenly home over the present one; if indeed we are to be found clothed rather than stripped bare. 4 Yes, indeed, in this present tent, we groan under the burden, not that we want to be stripped of our covering, but because we want to be covered with a second garment on top, so that what is mortal in us may be swallowed up by life. 5 It is God who designed us for this very purpose, and he has given us the Spirit as a pledge. 6 We are always full of confidence, then, realising that as long as we are at home in the body we are exiled from the Lord, 7 guided by faith and not yet by sight; 8 we are full of confidence, then, and long instead to be exiled from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 And so whether at home or exiled, we make it our ambition to please him. 10 For at the judgement seat of Christ we are all to be seen for what we are, so that each of us may receive what he has deserved in the body, matched to whatever he has done, good or bad. 11 And so it is with the fear of the Lord always in mind that we try to win people over. But God sees us for what we are, and I hope your consciences do too. 12 Again we are saying this not to commend ourselves to you, but simply to give you the opportunity to take pride in us, so that you may have an answer for those who take pride in appearances and not inner reality. 13 If we have been unreasonable, it was for God; if reasonable, for you. 14 For the love of Christ overwhelms us when we consider that if one man died for all, then all have died; 15 his purpose in dying for all humanity was that those who live should live not any more for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life.
We have freedom in Christ - stay free!
Invocation of the Holy Spirit
Let us invoke the Holy Spirit: praise to you Holy Spirit, artisan of God's works. May your gifts shape us! Just as the Church travels the same journey with all humanity, so too may we answer your call to exercise your gifts amidst the ups and downs of our daily life.
Empowered by you, and drawing upon faith's rich vision, may we help build a world in which God's gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished - not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed.
Help us build a new age in which hopw liberates us from the shallowness, apathy and self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships.
Help us build a new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty.
May we become prophets of this new age, messengers of your faith, hope and love, darwing people to ther Father and building a future of hope for all humanity. Amen
(Adapted from Pope Benedict's homily, World Youth Day, Sydney, 20 July 2008)
Ephesians 1 v 3-10 3
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. 4 Thus he chose us in Christ before the world was made to be holy and faultless before him in love, 5 marking us out for himself beforehand, to be adopted sons, through Jesus Christ. Such was his purpose and good pleasure, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved, 7 in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. Such is the richness of the grace 8 which he has showered on us in all wisdom and insight. 9 He has let us know the mystery of his purpose, according to his good pleasure which he determined beforehand in Christ, 10 for him to act upon when the times had run their course: that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment