Acts 20:22-24 Common English Bible
22 Now, compelled by the Spirit, I’m going to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23 What I do know is that the Holy Spirit testifies to me from city to city that prisons and troubles await me. 24 But nothing, not even my life, is more important than my completing my mission. This is nothing other than the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus: to testify about the good news of God’s grace.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Compelled to Count My Life as Nothing?
Acts 20:24 Amplified Bible
24 But I do not consider my life as something of value or dear to me, so that I may [with joy] finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify faithfully of the good news of God’s [precious, undeserved] grace [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life].
What an incredible 180 degree we are witnessing with Paul!
Earlier in Acts 9, Luke wrote that a young Pharisee named Saul had made it his only life’s mission to utterly eradicate all those who believed in Jesus as God.
Now, here in Acts 20:22-24 we read where he now counts his only life mission to be his freely going into harm’s way – not to arrest anyone, but, at all costs, up to and including his own arrest, even his own death, to be a faithful and true and overly joyful minister and preacher and a teacher of the Gospel of Christ.
As many times as I have studied this passage, for the first time I find myself as being in genuine awe of Paul’s transformation – 180 degree change is awesome.
Have you thought about what can hold people back from a deep sense of awe?
We could answer that question in a general way by saying that sin is what keeps us from enjoying a deeply compelling , full life of ministry and mission with God. But have you also wondered about how compelling, how subtle sin can be?
Sometimes we don’t realize how much our sinful tendencies can deceive us.
For example, I’ve noticed one thing that has a strong hold on many, many people, myself included: individualism. If you live in the West, you know that this frequently shows up in a phrase like “Do whatever makes you happy.”
I’m all for being happy, but what happens when that “happy” is taken too far?
We end up putting ourselves first in everything we do.
One of the hardest addictions to recover from is the selfie life.
Paul taught that he counted his life as nothing in comparison to what he had gained by following Jesus.
His deep sense of awe was grounded in setting aside his own plans, dreams, and desires so he could devote 100% of himself to God’s greater purpose for his life.
Paul was not consumed with creature comforts or conveniences, and he found contentment in focusing on the life Jesus had in store for him.
The greatest battle we might be drawn into fighting in developing, maturing our faith can be against holding back from giving Jesus everything in our life.
For Paul, this was not masochism—some strange hatred of happiness, health, or physical life.
So what, then, did Paul mean by declaring his life valueless? Simply this: that he did not regard his life as so precious a possession as to be held on to at all costs.
People will too often say, “Well, as long as you’ve got your health, that’s all that matters!”
But that is not all that matters! Our bodies are passing away.
We’re crumbling even as we live and breathe.
We may have our health today, but a day will come when we do or will not.
Unless we’re able to say with Paul, “To live is Christ,” we cannot legitimately affirm with him, “and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
The only way that death can be gain is if Christ is everything.
And if Christ is everything, as Paul says He is, then we can declare with him,
My life is not ultimate. I don’t need to protect it as the most precious thing I have. I want to spend it for the most precious person I know.
What mattered most to Paul was that he finished his life trusting Christ and carried out to the best of his abilities the ministry Christ had given him.
He felt a compelling resolve to complete the task of testifying to “the gospel of the grace of God” everywhere he could reach.
There’s a God sized task!
There’s a God sized purpose, significance, an agenda, a God sized calling!
And this is a task that has been entrusted to all of us—the Great Commission to let everyone we meet to learn, to know the good news of God’s amazing grace.
In today’s context, how are any of us, like Paul, to live a life of urgency so that you might keep going until the end?
You must run your race with all your might, with the finish line in view.
Don’t look for an opportunity to bow out or slow down before the final lap is over. Run with all of your strength and run right through the tape, gripped by Christ’s compelling love, energized by God’s Spirit, and guided by God’s word.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying,
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 
Lourdes, Candlelight procession
The feast of our Lady of Lourdes was added to our church calendar in1908, just 50 years after reports of Mary’s apparitions at the grotto of Massabielle near Lourdes in France to the young girl, Bernadette Soubirous. There Mary identified herself as the Immaculate Conception.
Originally, the feast was called the Apparitions of Mary at Lourdes.Now in our calendar it’s the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The change underlines the presence of Mary rather than her apparitions. Apparitions are momentary, rare, presence is lasting and abiding.
Mary is present in the church as an abiding witness to the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus, her Son. He was born of her and she testifies to the reality of his humanity. She witnessed his death and resurrection, so she testifies that he is God’s Son and our redeemer.
Her testimony is important for the church. In the Acts of the Apostles, (1,14) Luke places her among the key witnesses to resurrection of Jesus. In the 4th century, when the identity of Jesus as truly divine and truly human was disputed, Mary was the crucial witness church councils consulted. Many of the great churches honoring her were built at that time.
Mary is a reassuring presence in the church, especially in difficult times. Certainly, the times of Bernadette were difficult. France was experiencing hard economic times but also religious doubt caused by the Enlightenment was widespread in that country.
The apparitions to Bernadette, a young peasant girl, touched ordinary people in France and elsewhere in the world, and resulted in increased devotion to Mary, Here’s Bernadette’s account of the apparitions:
“I had gone down one day with two other girls to the bank of the river Gave when suddenly I heard a kind of rustling sound. I turned my head towards the field by the side of the river but the trees seemed quite still and the noise was evidently not from them. Then I looked up and caught sight of the cave where I saw a lady wearing a lovely white dress with a bright belt. On top of each of her feet was a pale yellow rose, the same colour as her rosary beads.
At this I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was seeing things, and I put my hands into the fold of my dress where my rosary was. I wanted to make the sign of the cross but for the life of me I couldn’t manage it and my hand just fell down. Then the lady made the sign of the cross herself and at the second attempt I managed to do the same, though my hands were trembling. Then I began to say the rosary while the lady let her beads slip through her fingers, without moving her lips. When I stopped saying the Hail Mary, she immediately vanished.
I asked my two companions if they had noticed anything, but they said no. Of course they wanted to know what I was doing and I told them that I had seen a lady wearing a nice white dress, though I didn’t know who she was. I told them not to say anything about it, and they said I was silly to have anything to do with it. I said they were wrong and I came back next Sunday, feeling myself drawn to the place….
The third time I went the lady spoke to me and asked me to come every day for fifteen days. I said I would and then she said that she wanted me to tell the priests to build a chapel there. She also told me to drink from the stream. I went to the Gave [de Pau], the only stream I could see. Then she made me realise she was not speaking of the Gave and she indicated a little trickle of water close by. When I got to it I could only find a few drops, mostly mud. I cupped my hands to catch some liquid without success and then I started to scrape the ground. I managed to find a few drops of water but only at the fourth attempt was there a sufficient amount for any kind of drink. The lady then vanished and I went back home.
I went back each day for two weeks and each time, except one Monday and one Friday, the lady appeared and told me to look for a stream and wash in it and to see that the priests build a chapel there. I must also pray, she said, for the conversion of sinners. I asked her many times what she meant by that, but she only smiled. Finally with outstretched arms and eyes looking up to heaven she told me she was the Immaculate Conception. During the two weeks she told me three secrets but I was not to speak about them to anyone and so far I have not.
Cf. Feasts of Mary
Lourdes Grotto, Jamaica, NY
Prayer to Mary (Pope Francis)
Mother, help our faith!
Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call.
Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise.
Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith.
Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature.
Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One.
Remind us that those who believe are never alone.
Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord!
UTORAK 05. NKG – Svagdan ili: Bl. Djevica Marija Lurdska BIBLIJSKA MISAO DANA Mk 7,14-23 Što se danas nalazi u tvome srcu? Zaustavi se i gledaj unutra. Ne boj se unutra pronaći malo ili puno smeća. Otkrivanje moralnog smeća u tvome srcu je milosrdno djelo Duha Svetoga, Duha istine. Neka ti Duh pomogne razvrstati otpad.?? ( dobro je ovo jer može se reći i sagledati, razvrstati, ali na kraju se baca ) razvrstavajući. Koji su to zli osjećaji koji borave u tvome srcu? Možda osjećaj nečistoće? Nečistoća je prije svega nečestita seksualnost. Dakle homoseksualnost, pornografija, incest, predbračni odnosi, pedofilija, prostitucija, pa čak i masturbacija. Tijelo je za svetost, a ne za nečistoću. Možda osjećaj ubojstva? Fizičko, psihičko i verbalno nasilje, također i suditi i osuditi brata – sve su to đavolski osjećaji. Možda osjećaj preljuba? Željeti tuđu ženu ili muža je prevara ljubavi koju se pred Bogom i Crkvom obeća svom supružniku u radosti i žalosti. Razvesti se i ponovno se vjenčati znači prevariti ljubav. Možda osjećaj škrtosti? Želja za nagomilavanjem dobara ovoga svijeta je glad i žeđ koja nikad ne jenjava i ne da ti da želiš duhovna dobra koja nikada ne prolaze. Možda osjećaj zloće? Želja za mučenjem drugoga zlim riječima i činima je dijabolična. Đavao ne želi našu radost i naše spasenje, nego našu vječnu osudu. Možda osjećaj licemjerstva? Licemjerstvo je prevara. Ustima se govore slatke riječi, ali u srcu je mržnja. Ustima se daju lijepa obećanja, ali u srcu je već odluka da ih nećeš ispuniti. Možda osjećaj zavisti? Zavist čini da čovjek bude kao Kain koji je, zaslijepljen zavišću, ubio brata. Kleveta je smrtonosno oružje zavidnika. Možda oholost? Prvo djelo oholosti je vjerovati da si moćan, jak i nepobjediv. Oholost čini da čovjek ne treba Boga i prezire brata koji nije kao on. Kakav god bio tvoj osjećaj, baci ga u užarenu peć, to jest u milosrdno srce Božje i od njega će izići jedna nova i sveta nadnaravna energija. Amen. Aleluja. (O. Lorenzo Montecalvo od Družbe Otaca od Božanskog Poziva)
This passage offers a reflective meditation on the state of one’s heart and the importance of examining and purifying it. It invites the reader to confront and discard any negative feelings and moral impurities with the help of the Holy Spirit. Here’s a summary:
Reflection on the heart: Encourages self-examination to identify and discard any negative emotions or moral impurities.
Types of negative emotions and behaviors: Lists various emotions and behaviors considered morally impure, such as unchaste sexuality (e.g., pornography, pre-marital sex), acts of violence (e.g., physical, psychological), feelings of envy, hypocrisy, and arrogance.
Spiritual guidance: Emphasizes the need for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in purifying the heart.
Hope and redemption: Suggests that any negative emotion, once discarded in the merciful heart of God, can transform into a new and holy supernatural energy.
The message highlights the idea of spiritual renewal and the potential for personal transformation through faith and divine assistance.
Would you like to delve deeper into any specific aspect or discuss something else?
12.02 Posted bysamo lucija February 11, 2025 Leave a commenton 12.02 Edit12.02 UTORAK 05. NKG – Svagdan ili: Bl. Djevica Marija Lurdska BIBLIJSKA MISAO DANA Mk 7,14-23 Što se danas nalazi u tvome srcu? Zaustavi se i gledaj unutra. Ne boj se unutra pronaći malo ili puno smeća. Otkrivanje moralnog smeća u tvome srcu je milosrdno djelo Duha Svetoga, Duha istine. Neka ti Duh pomogne razvrstati otpad.?? ( dobro je ovo jer može se reći i sagledati, razvrstati, ali na kraju se baca ) razvrstavajući. Koji su to zli osjećaji koji borave u tvome srcu? Možda osjećaj nečistoće? Nečistoća je prije svega nečestita seksualnost. Dakle homoseksualnost, pornografija, incest, predbračni odnosi, pedofilija, prostitucija, pa čak i masturbacija. Tijelo je za svetost, a ne za nečistoću. Možda osjećaj ubojstva? Fizičko, psihičko i verbalno nasilje, također i suditi i osuditi brata – sve su to đavolski osjećaji. Možda osjećaj preljuba? Željeti tuđu ženu ili muža je prevara ljubavi koju se pred Bogom i Crkvom obeća svom supružniku u radosti i žalosti. Razvesti se i ponovno se vjenčati znači prevariti ljubav. Možda osjećaj škrtosti? Želja za nagomilavanjem dobara ovoga svijeta je glad i žeđ koja nikad ne jenjava i ne da ti da želiš duhovna dobra koja nikada ne prolaze. Možda osjećaj zloće? Želja za mučenjem drugoga zlim riječima i činima je dijabolična. Đavao ne želi našu radost i naše spasenje, nego našu vječnu osudu. Možda osjećaj licemjerstva? Licemjerstvo je prevara. Ustima se govore slatke riječi, ali u srcu je mržnja. Ustima se daju lijepa obećanja, ali u srcu je već odluka da ih nećeš ispuniti. Možda osjećaj zavisti? Zavist čini da čovjek bude kao Kain koji je, zaslijepljen zavišću, ubio brata. Kleveta je smrtonosno oružje zavidnika. Možda oholost? Prvo djelo oholosti je vjerovati da si moćan, jak i nepobjediv. Oholost čini da čovjek ne treba Boga i prezire brata koji nije kao on. Kakav god bio tvoj osjećaj, baci ga u užarenu peć, to jest u milosrdno srce Božje i od njega će izići jedna nova i sveta nadnaravna energija. Amen. Aleluja. (O. Lorenzo Montecalvo od Družbe Otaca od Božanskog Poziva) https://youtu.be/wy0fpL51HFY?si=hgvzzVDCioQM7fiI svenska översättning ?
Sure, here is a translation of the passage into Swedish:
TISDAG
Veckan i vanlig tid eller: Vår Fru av Lourdes
DAGENS BIBELTANKE
Markus 7, 14-23
Vad finns i ditt hjärta idag? Stanna upp och titta inåt. Var inte rädd för att hitta lite eller mycket skräp därinne. Att upptäcka det moraliska skräpet i ditt hjärta är den Helige Andes, Sanningens Andes, barmhärtiga gärning. Låt Anden hjälpa dig att sortera skräpet. Vilka är de onda känslor som bor i ditt hjärta? Kanske känslan av orenhet? Orenhet är framför allt otuktig sexualitet. Alltså homosexualitet, pornografi, incest, föräktenskapliga relationer, pedofili, prostitution och till och med onani. Kroppen är till för helighet, inte orenhet. Kanske känslan av mord? Fysiskt, psykiskt och verbalt våld, även att döma och fördöma en bror – allt detta är djävulska känslor. Kanske känslan av äktenskapsbrott? Att vilja ha någon annans hustru eller man är ett svek mot den kärlek du lovade din make inför Gud och kyrkan i glädje och sorg. Att skilja sig och gifta om sig innebär att förråda kärleken. Kanske känslan av girighet? Lusten att samla ihop världens goda är en hunger och törst som aldrig avtar och hindrar dig från att längta efter andliga goda som aldrig försvinner. Kanske känslan av ondska? Lusten att plåga andra med onda ord och handlingar är diaboliskt. Djävulen vill inte vår glädje och vår frälsning, utan vår eviga fördömelse. Kanske känslan av hyckleri? Hyckleri är ett svek. Med munnen talar man söta ord, men i hjärtat finns hat. Med munnen ger man löften, men i hjärtat har man redan bestämt sig för att inte hålla dem. Kanske känslan av avund? Avund gör att man blir som Kain som, förblindad av avund, dödade sin bror. Förtal är den avundsjukas dödliga vapen. Kanske högmod? Den första handlingen av högmod är att tro att man är mäktig, stark och oövervinnelig. Högmod gör att man inte behöver Gud och föraktar sin bror som inte är som han. Vilken känsla du än har, kasta den i den brinnande ugnen, det vill säga Guds barmhärtiga hjärta, och från det kommer en ny och helig övernaturlig energi ut. Amen. Halleluja. (O. Lorenzo Montecalvo från Fädernas förening av det Gudomliga Kallelsen)
Gospa Lurdska molitva za bolesne
Francuski gradić Lourdes podno Pireneja prema granici Španjolske postalo je svjetsko svetište Majke Božje ima tome već malo više od 150 godina. Povezano je to sa stanovitim čudesnim događajima i ukazanjima Majke Božje jednoj siromašnoj djevojčici Bernardici Soubirous. I ta ukazanja spadaju u tzv. privatnu objavu kojom je Bog obdario pojedinu osobu i zato sama ukazanja i sadržaji tih susreta s Gospom nikada neće Crkva službeno priznati kao da to svi moraju čvrsto vjerovati, kao što vjerujemo u istine vjere sadržane u službenom Vjerovanju.
Ono što nekako spada na Crkvu i što se može onda smatrati stanovitim priznanjem Crkve to je potvrda da se priznaje nadnaravnost događaja i da u sadržajima i porukama nema ničega što bi se protivilo redovitom pokladu vjere. Crkva time ne želi nikome priječiti tko bi htio na to mjesto dolaziti radi molitve i hodočašćenja. Dapače, s vremenom je Crkva to i preporučivala, barem što se tiče Lourdesa, pokazujući to na osobit način hodočašćima kojima je blaženi papa Ivan Pavao II. počastio to hodočasničko mjesto. Ima tome već dvadeset godina kako je blaženi Ivan Pavao II. ovaj blagdan Gospe Lurdske proglasio danom bolesnika.
Nije to učinjeno površno ni slučajno. Poznato je kako su se upravo u Lourdesu događala brojna čudesna ozdravljenja onih koji su ponizno i s vjerom hodočastili u to svetište. U tom svetištu, više nego u ikojem drugom sličnom svetištu na svijetu, organizirana je služba brojnih volontera koji poslužuju bolesnike koji neprestano hodočaste u Lourdes. A svakog dana, a osobito u svečanim organiziranim hodočašćima bolesnika osiguraju se posebna bolesnička bogoslužja i mole molitve za ozdravljenje. Konačno, vjernici Majku Božju rado gledaju kao Gospu od zdravlja ili jednostavno u litanijskom zazivu kao Zdravlje bolesnih.
A ozdravljenja koja se u Lourdesu događaju na čudesan način i koja se onda kao takva i prijavljuju, nastoji se pomno i profesionalno ispitati i dokumentirano potvrditi. U Lourdesu je od samih početaka neprestano liječnička komisija koja radi na takvim slučajevima i ne rasiplju se olako priznanjima da neko poboljšanje odmah nazovu Božjim zahvatom i čudom. A svaki liječnik koji bi to htio može u Lourdesu u arhivu te komisije pogledati i sam ustanoviti vjerodostojnost tih zapisnika. Čudo je svakako pojam vezan uz ljude vjere u Boga i Božju ljubav. Svakako su to velike stvari, no one ipak ne izlaze iz okvira onoga što se može razumski doseći, pa su više uspjesi kojima se čudimo i divimo, a nisu toliko čudesa u strogom smislu riječi.
A puno puta i sami liječnici koji što su profesionalniji i stručniji, to su ponizniji, priznaju kako stoje pred mnogim nepoznanicama i kako moraju jednostavno mnogo toga prepustiti Bogu jedinome. Crkva po svojim vjernicima i službenicima moli za bolesnike. Ona moli i za zdravstveno osoblje i za sve koji se brinu za bolesne. Moli posebno i za liječnike, jer čudo je Božje i znak njegove dobrote ne samo kad nas direktno Bog ozdravi nego i kad nam podari dobrog i mudrog liječnika. Svima nam je iznad svega potrebna Božja milost i snaga.
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