SPIRITUAL EXCERCISES & RSV BIBLE EXTRACTS - WEEK 142
STARTS THURSDAY 14th OCTOBER 2010
THE POWER OF ‘MARIAN HOLINESS OF LIFE’
(B) HOW TO GROW AS CO-WORKERS OF OUR LADY
Weekly message No. 137 (9th October 1986).
Growing in holiness through sacrifices.
“Dear children! You know that I desire to lead you on the way of holiness, but I do not want to compel you to be saints by force. I desire that each of you by your own little self-denials help yourself and me so I can lead you from day to day closer to holiness. Therefore, dear children, I do not desire to force you to observe the messages. But rather this long time that I am with you is a sign that I love you immeasurably and what I desire of each individual is to become holy. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
PRACTICAL:
This week offer all your difficulties and problems with prayers for Our Lady’s intentions.
Thursday: Jesus teaches us how to pray.
Matthew 6:7-15.
7“And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread; 12And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; 13And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. 14For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Friday: Being holy in all our activities, “after the model of the Holy One.”
1 Peter 1:14-16.
14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Saturday: We should live saintly lives while waiting for the coming of the Lord.
2 Peter 3:11-12.
11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire!
Sunday: Offering sacrifices for the good of the Church.
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.
Monday: The message of the Cross is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18.
18For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Tuesday: Christ’s power is revealed in our weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
7And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; 9but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Tuesday: Cf. Isaiah 40:29.
29He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Wednesday: Holiness of life by self-control and self-denial.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8.
3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity; 4that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor, 5not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God; 6that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned you.
7For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.