Philippians 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice 5 and may everyone experience your gentle and understanding heart. The Lord is near: 6 do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God. 7 Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with whatever is truthful, holy, just, pure, lovely and noble. Be mindful of whatever deserves praise and admiration. 9 Put into practice what you have learned from me, what I passed on to you, what you heard from me or saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.
Beloved, here is the rule for my life. You spell it out very clearly for me in these verses. I am called to rejoice in You always -,not only when I am in a good mood and feel like it but always. I have to exercise the virtues. I must remember that You are with me always. I must pray, ask and give thanks as I make my needs known to You. I must have the same mind and heart as You and verses 8-9 say it most beautifully and simply how I must live in order for Your light to shine.
2 Samuel 12:8-9
If this were not enough, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise Yahweh by doing what displeases him?
Beloved, David was blessed abundantly and yet he was not satisfied, he wanted to have Uriah's wife Bathsheba as well and he was prepared to murder in order to gratify his desire. How often I am exactly like David. You have generously given me every thing I need for my salvation and yet I am envious of others. Help me to be content with what I have and to use it all for Your greater glory.
Galatians 2:19-21
19 As for me, the very Law brought me to die to the Law, that I may live for God. I am crucified with Christ. 20 Do I live? It is no longer me, Christ lives in me. My life in this body is life through faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 In this way I don’t ignore the gift of God, for, if justification comes through the practice of the Law, Christ would have died for nothing.
There is nothing selfish in Your love for me. You want me to love You completely - above and before all else because the simple, unvarnished truth is that only in loving You as You call me to love, can I live a happy and fulfilled life.
Beloved, I am called to identify so fully with You that I can say with St. Paul, "I am crucified with Christ. Do I live? It is no longer me, Christ lives in me. ......
Luke 7: 37-39
37 And it happened that a woman of this town, who was known as a sinner, heard that he was in the Pharisee’s house. She brought a precious jar of perfume 38 and stood behind him at his feet, weeping. She wet his feet with tears, she dried them with her hair and kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.
39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus was watching and thought, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what sort of person is touching him; isn’t this woman a sinner?”
Verse 37 - True sorrow for sin, contrition and repentance is like a jar of precious perform that we bring to You. It rises as a pleasing fragrance before the Throne of Mercy and Grace.
Verse 39 - How often we recoil at the touch of one we consider to be unclean whether physically or spiritually. Yet You my Lord do not condemn us chastise us publicly for our terrible sins. They remain hidden. We repent and confess and You forgive us. You do not humiliate us as we deserve. You look with kindness, mercy, compassion and above love and have forgiven me over and over again for the same offences - because I have been truly sorry. You know how weak I am and You strengthen me in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and help me to sin no more. You have forgiven me much too my Beloved and I love You with all the fervor of my soul.
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