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Aug292020

Ordinary Time: Twenty-Second Sunday

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Epistle of St. Paul: Ephesians chapter 1

Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised. 
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” 
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. 
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me. 
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life? 
Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

Gospel of Matthew chapter 16

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Aug272020

Enough

For many days I have sat tired and lonely, enduring alone,
No messages come, nothing new exchanged, nothing,
Nothing new under the sun, NO new normal, nothing,
World without end, breathing remains, still no change,
As it was in the beginning, it is now, and ever shall be,
Seated, sword in hand, slicing away random thoughts,
Steady candle burn, glass hurricane cylinder, set apart,
Hands enfolded, fingers pointed, bitter winds distorted,
Swirls surround, expansion protected, gracefully distended,
Witness others breathing fire, spitting blood, discord,
Chaotic reactive dancing, screaming riots, daily disease, events,
Spiritual turmoil posing as political strife, desperate demands,
You must make a choice, foolish commands, repeated warnings,
For many days I have sat tired and lonely, enduring alone,
Seated, sword in hand, slicing away random thoughts,
Abandoning into abandonment,
Detaching into a deeper detachment,
Walking slowly into unfathomable depths, icy waters lose their chill,
No desire, nowhere else to go, open arms encompassing,
Gathering those loved into a beating heart, multifold, accord,
I have been naked since I was born into blood, born into fear,
Necessary distance to be alone, quieting fears, quieting all,
Necessary distance, self-awareness in the eyes of God’s love.

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Aug262020

Theotokos

The humble man, says St Thomas, is amazed when any one speaks well of him, and there is nothing that astonishes him more than to hear himself praised. Thus the Blessed Virgin, when she heard from the Archangel Gabriel that she was to become the Mother Of God, had such a lowly opinion of herself that she marveled greatly that she should be exalted to such an eminent dignity…thus, to Mary’s saying, ‘How shall this be?’ the angel brings forward a proof, not to take away her belief but rather to dispel her wonder.” –”Humility of Heart” by Capuchin Gaetano (Cajetan) Maria da Bergamo

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.  –Gospel of Luke Chapter 1

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Aug252020

Humility Prayer

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire Of being loved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire Of being extolled, deliver me. Jesus.
From the desire of being honored. deliver me. Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me. Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear Of being humiliated, deliver me. Jesus.
From the fear Of being despised. deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me. Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me. Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me. Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear Of being wronged, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me. Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That Others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus. grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, gram me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should,
Jesus. grant me the grace to desire it.

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