5/26/12

Father, by the Spirit, may I walk by faith, not by sight


Pray:

 Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
 Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created,
 And You shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read:
Acts 28:16-20, 30-31
John 21:20-25

Be Silent

Pray:
* Father, renew my Baptism and Confirmation. Stir into flame the gifts of the Spirit in my life (see 2 Timothy 1:6-7).

*On or near Pentecost, ask your priest or another Christian to lay hands on you (see Acts 19:6) and pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit. After receiving these prayers, thank the Holy Spirit for coming to you, go to Mass as often as possible, and share your faith in Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit!
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DOWN TIME?
"Upon our entry into Rome Paul was allowed to take a lodging of his own, although a soldier was assigned to keep guard over him." -Acts 28:16

Paul was a traveling man. To take the Gospel to the nations, he had traveled almost constantly for years (2 Cor 11:26). He had plans to go to Spain to extend the outreach of the Gospel even farther (Rm 15:24). However, Paul never made it to Spain, and his traveling was abruptly stopped as he sat in jail at Caesarea for two years (Acts 24:27). Then he spent two more years under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:16, 30).

Paul must have felt frustrated by his confinement, but he continued to proclaim the Word to those who visited him in his imprisonment. Although some believed, many didn't (Acts 28:24). Paul probably felt that he was accomplishing nothing in Rome. However, he was faithful to his mission of proclaiming the Gospel in good times and in bad (2 Tm 4:2).

Eventually, Paul was martyred in Rome. Then others preached and pastored in Rome, cultivating the seeds of faith which Paul had planted. Many others were then martyred in Rome. The Roman church became the leading church in the world. Paul's frustrating work under house arrest bore great fruit for God's kingdom.
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On this last day of the Pentecost novena, pray for faith to persevere in the most frustrating ministries, marriages, families, and churches. Come, Holy Spirit!

 Father, by the Spirit, may I walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7).

 "With full assurance, and without any hindrance whatever, he preached the reign of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." -Acts 28:31

1 comment:

Ed Sousa said...

Dear children! Also today I am with you and I am looking at you and blessing you, and I am not losing hope that this world will change for the good and that peace will reign in the hearts of men. Joy will begin to reign in the world because you have opened yourselves to my call and to God’s love.
The Holy Spirit is changing a multitude of those who have said ‘yes’. Therefore I desire to say to you: thank you for having responded to my call. Medjugorje message, January 25, 2011