THE CHRISTIAN LIGHT: MARY MOTHER OF GOD

giovedì 1 gennaio 2009

MARY MOTHER OF GOD

01 January
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MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

O marvelous exchange!

Man's Creator has become man,

born of a virgin.

We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.

Mary has given birth to a King

whose name is everlasting ;

hers the joy of motherhood,

hers the virgin's glory.

Never was the like seen before,

never shall it be seen again, alleluia.

By your miraculous birth of the Virgin

you have fulfilled the Scriptures :

like a gentle rain falling upon the earth

you have come down to save your people.

O God, we praised you.

Christian Prayer : The Liturgy of the Hours; Daughters of St. Paul * St. Paul Editions * 1976

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God our Father,

may we always profit by the prayers

of the Virgin Mother Mary,

for you bring us life and salvation

through Jesus Christ her Son

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

Amen.

http://www.dailygospel.org/www/main.php?language=AM&localTime=01/01/2009#

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Watch Unto Prayer

Watch Unto Prayer

WATCH & PRAY…
For spiritual discernment within the Church and a disposition to try the spirits and to prove all things, whether they are from God. (I John 4:1-3; I Thess. 5:21)
That Christians will look only to the Word of God as the foundation for sound doctrine and prophecy, rather than trusting in men, experiences, or their own understanding. (Prov. 3:5-7; II Tim. 3:16,17; Jer. 3:15, 23:28; II Pet. 1:20)
That pastors, teachers and other Christian leaders will not be deceived, but will warn and protect the flocks which are entrusted to their care and for which they will give an account. (I Pet. 5:2; Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:17; see also Jer. 23 and Ezek. 34)
That those who are false prophets posing as Christian leaders will be exposed, reproved, and their teachings rejected by the Church. (II John 10; Titus 3:10,11; II Tim. 3:8,9; Eph. 5:11)
That God will raise up men and women of true spiritual stature to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints in Scripture. (Jude 3; Eph. 5:11)
That God will enlist men and women of prayer to intercede for the Body of Christ in these perilous times. (Eph. 6:18; I Pet. 5:8; I John 5:16)

http://www.watch.pair.com/

Why seek ye the living among the dead?

Luke: 24,1-8
[1] Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.[2] And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.[3] And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.[4] And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:[5] And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?[6] He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,[7] Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.[8] And they remembered his words.

Saint Lazarus

St. Lazarus was born in Bethany, a small town near Jerusalem. Jesus knew his father Simon and used to visit their home every time he was in the area. He developed so a close friendship with Lazarus, who followed his teaching and ideals.
At the age of thirty Lazarus became very ill. His sisters Martha and Maria informed Jesus of the seriousness of his condition but he did not seem to be concerned. By the time Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus was dead and buried for four days. Jesus went straight to his grave, he prayed and then raised his voice: "Lazarus, come out", he shouted. And indeed, in a while Lazarus came out of the grave wrapped with his burial cloth. He was un-wrapped and returned with Jesus to his house, accompanied by the crowd. Following this miracle even more people believed in Christ and followed his teachings. This was the reason why the leaders of the Jews decided to assassinate him. When Lazarus learnt about their plans he found refused at Kition (Larnaca) of Cyprus. There he was met by the apostles Paul and Barnabas, who ordained him as the first bishop of Kition. Lazarus became an example of a Christian. His physical presence was an indication of God's love for his people while his spiritual activity symbolized the love of man for God.
Lazarus died at the age of sixty and was buried in a sarcophagus at Kition with an inscription "The four-day Lazarus, friend of Christ". In 890 AD the emperor of Byzantium Leon VI Sophos transferred Lazarus' remains to Constantinople and in return he built a church at Larnaca devoted to St. Lazarus. The church survives to this date.

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ST.JAMES THE GREATER-PRAYER

PRAYER (traditional language)O gracious God, we remember before thee this day thy servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that thou wilt pour out upon the leaders of thy Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among thy people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

PRAYER (contemporary language)O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
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JAMES THE SON OF ZEBEDEE

James the son of Zebedee and his brother John were among the twelve disciples of Our Lord. They, together with Peter, were privileged to behold the Transfiguration (M 17:1 = P 9:2 = L 9:28), to witness the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (P 1:29) and the raising of the daughter of Jairus (P 5:37 = L 8:51), and to be called aside to watch and pray with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before His death (M 26:37 = P 14:33).
James and John were apparently from a higher social level than the average fisherman. Their father could afford hired servants (P 1:20), and John (assuming him to be identical with the "beloved disciple") had connections with the high priest (J 18:15). Jesus nicknamed the two brothers "sons of thunder" (P 3:17), perhaps meaning that they were headstrong, hot-tempered, and impulsive; and so they seem to be in two incidents reported in the Gospels. On one occasion (L 9:54ff), Jesus and the disciples were refused the hospitality of a Samaritan village, and James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven on the offenders. On another occasion (M 20:20-23 = P 10:35-41), they asked Jesus for a special place of honor in the Kingdom, and were told that the place of honor is the place of suffering.
Finally, about AD 42, shortly before Passover (Acts 12), James was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (who tried to kill the infant Jesus--Matthew 2), nephew of Herod Antipas (who killed John the Baptist--Mark 6--and examined Jesus on Good Friday--Luke 23), and father of Herod Agrippa II (who heard the defence of Paul before Festus--Acts 25). James was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom, and the only one of the Twelve whose death is recorded in the New Testament.
James is often called James Major (= greater or elder) to distinguish him from other New Testament persons called James. Tradition has it that he made a missionary journey to Spain, and that after his death his body was taken to Spain and buried there. at Compostela (a town the name of which is commonly thought to be derived from the word "apostle", although a Spanish-speaking listmember reports having heard it derived from "field of stars", which in Latin would be campus stellarum). His supposed burial place there was a major site of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, and the Spaniards fighting to drive their Moorish conquerors out of Spain took "Santiago de Compostela!" as one of their chief war-cries. (The Spanish form of "James" is "Diego" or "Iago". In most languages, "James" and "Jacob" are identical. Where an English Bible has "James," a Greek Bible has IAKWBOS.)
by James Kiefer
http://satucket.com/lectionary/James.htm

JULY 29-ST.MARTHA OF BETHANY

July 29, 2008
St. Martha

Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus were evidently close friends of Jesus. He came to their home simply as a welcomed guest, rather than as one celebrating the conversion of a sinner like Zacchaeus or one unceremoniously received by a suspicious Pharisee. The sisters feel free to call on Jesus at their brother’s death, even though a return to Judea at that time seems almost certain death.
No doubt Martha was an active sort of person. On one occasion (see Luke 10:38-42) she prepares the meal for Jesus and possibly his fellow guests and forthrightly states the obvious: All hands should pitch in to help with the dinner.
Yet, as Father John McKenzie points out, she need not be rated as an “unrecollected activist.” The evangelist is emphasizing what our Lord said on several occasions about the primacy of the spiritual: “...[D]o not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear….But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:25b, 33a); “One does not live by bread alone” (Luke 4:4b); “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness…” (Matthew 5:6a).
Martha’s great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother’s death. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world’” (John 11:25-27). http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1091

JESUS IS THE TRUE LIGHT

John 1
The Word Became Flesh 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.[b]
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent,[c] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,[e][f]who is at the Father's side, has made him known.