SPIRITUAL EXCERCISES & RSV BIBLE EXTRACTS - WEEK 112
STARTS THURSDAY 18th MARCH 2010
CONVERSION - CHANGE OF HEART IS GOD’S WORK
Weekly message No. 107 (13th March 1986).
Helping Our Lady by offering sacrifices.
“Dear children! Today I call you to live Lent by means of your little sacrifices. Thank you for every sacrifice you have brought me. Dear children, live that way continuously, and with your love help me to present the sacrifice. God will reward you for that. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
PRACTICAL:
During this week offer any sacrifice, trial or hardship for the intentions of Our Lady.
Thursday: Honesty.
Matthew 5:33-37.
33“Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’34But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”
Thursday: Cf. James 5:12.
12But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation.
Friday: Works of mercy are sacrifices pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:15-16.
15Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Saturday: Sharing in the sufferings of Christ brings blessing.
1 Peter 4:13-14.
13But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’ sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
Saturday: Cf. Romans 5:3-5.
3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.
Sunday: Enduring trials helps us to grow in holiness.
James 1:2-4.
2Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Sunday: Cf. 1 Peter 1:6-7.
6In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, 7so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Monday: A call to be like Christ by offering sacrifices to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2.
1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Tuesday: Offering one’s life as a living sacrifice - acceptable to God.
Romans 12:1-2.
1I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Wednesday: By offering the trials of life we are participating
in the redemptive work of Jesus.
Colossians 1:24.
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.