Freedom in the Spirit

Notes of meeting on 18 June 2013 I was praying my daily prayers today and started to pray to the Holy Family to take my unholy family in their midst and all those I love, all those I don't love, all my enemies and I then found myself praying for different groups and lastly brought before the Lord Theotokos.

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.

He has used the power of his arm

Notes of Meeting on 13 September 2011

Picture of Jesus pulling a person out a the pit of darkness.
Jesus used not only his hand but his whole forearm which he clapsed around the arm of the person. It was as if he was using his whole strength and giving every ounce of himself to save that poor soul who so nearly lost their eternity to perdition.
How much effort and care and love Jesus took in saving this soul who looked to be so nearly lost.
The words from Luke 1 v51-52 came to mind:
51He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart.
52 He has pulled down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly.
The person pulled from the pit wasn't poor in riches but poor in spirit, lacking the Holy Spirit. The person had led a life without Jesus centered on money and position and worldly things. We have all at some stage and to some extent done the same, how wonderful that with his grace the Holy Spirit worked and continues to work in us.
Jesus gave himself body and soul to to free us from the pit. His love is so great he expends himself time and again enabling his Holy Spirit to work in our lives transforming us, making us fruitful and to be like him in all things
Jesus then raised this person up. It was as though this person was now a new creation. Their heart now mirrored that of Jesus.  Jesus says "You little child are mine. I hold you in the palm of my hand."
 
Psalm 20
1 May Yahweh answer you in time of trouble, may the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary, give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your sacrifices and delight in your burnt offerings! Pause
4 May he grant you your heart's desire and crown all your plans with success!
5 So that with joy we can hail your victory and draw up our ranks in the name of our God. May Yahweh grant all your petitions.
6 Now I know that Yahweh gives victory to his anointed. He will respond from his holy heavens with great deeds of victory from his right hand.
7 Some call on chariots, some on horses, but we on the name of Yahweh our God.
8 They will crumple and fall, while we stand upright and firm.
9 Yahweh, save the king, answer us when we call.

Dear Lord,
Fill our minds with your wisdom, knowledge and discernment.
Unblock our ears and help us to listen with compassion.
Loose our tongue to speak your words of comfort.
Melt our hearts and fill them with your love.
Anoint our hands with the power of your healing and;
May we always be willing to walk the extra mile for those in need.
Amen

The Holy Spirit is our Helper

Notes from Meeting on 6 September 2011

A picture of Jesus upon the Cross with tall grass and a thicket of thorns growing around the base so that people could no longer see Jesus' suffering or sacrifice.
Those of us trying to get through to Jesus seemed unable to do so.
People were praying, fasting and doing good works but as fast as we tried to remove the grass and thorns they returned like a barrier. The grass and the thorn represent the things of the world that Satan has sown to obscure the truth of the Cross and Jesus' suffering on our behalf.
Then everyone called on the Holy Spirit and suddenly a beam of light cut through the grass and thorns so that Jesus could be seen and known again.
The Sword of the Spirit the Word of Truth cuts through everything and lays all things bare. We need to rely and call on our friend The Holy Spirit so that things that seem impossible to us are mad possible by Him who is the Holy Teacher. We need to put on the full armour of God and do everything  in and through the Holy Spirit. With Him we cannot go wrong. We will need no strength or great acumen only the humility to call on Him in all things. He cannot fail us because the Father's love is so great for us and the Son's sacrifice on our behalf so precious and effective.


John 14 v 26
but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.
2 Corinthians 6 v 14 - 18
14 Do not harness yourselves in an uneven team with unbelievers; how can uprightness and law-breaking be partners, or what can light and darkness have in common?

15 How can Christ come to an agreement with Beliar and what sharing can there be between a believer and an unbeliever?
16 The temple of God cannot compromise with false gods, and that is what we are -- the temple of the living God. We have God's word for it: I shall fix my home among them and live among them; I will be their God and they will be my people.
17 Get away from them, purify yourselves, says the Lord. Do not touch anything unclean, and then I shall welcome you.
18 I shall be father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the almighty Lord.