NOVENA TO DON BOSCO - DAY 3

24th January, 2017: Don Bosco - A Beloved Son of Mary 

Our Challenge: That we true sons of the Blessed Mother, who carried out God's will diligently. 

Our Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for Don Bosco, a man who identified himself as a beloved son of Mary. In every stage of his life and in every one of his endeavours he felt the maternal presence of the Blessed Mother. Grant that we may recommend ourselves totally to our Heavenly Mother, that we may be guided, protected and directed towards doing your will with utmost diligence. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. 

UNITY OCTAVE 2017 - DAY 7

The Love of Christ compels us

Reconciliation: 
Prayer for Unity in the Church, Jan18-Jan25

Reconciliation between God and human beings is the key reality of our Christian faith. Paul was convinced that the love of Christ compels us to bring God’s reconciliation to bear in all aspects of our life. Today this leads us to examine our consciences in relation to our divisions. As the story of Joseph demonstrates, God always gives the grace needed for the healing of broken relationships.

The great reformers such as Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin, as well as many who remained Catholics, such as Ignatius of Loyola, Francis de Sales and Charles Borromeo, sought to bring about renewal in the Western church. However, what should have been a story of God’s grace was also marred by human sinfulness and became a story of the rending of the unity of God’s people. Compounded by sin and warfare, mutual hostility and suspicion deepened over the centuries.

The ministry of reconciliation includes the work of overcoming divisions within Christianity. Today, many Christian churches work together in mutual trust and respect. One positive example of ecumenical reconciliation is the dialogue between the Lutheran World Federation and the Mennonite World Conference. After the dialogue results were published in the document “Healing Memories: Reconciling in Christ”, the two organizations held a penitential service together in 2010 followed by further reconciliation services throughout Germany and in many other countries.

THEME FOR DAY 7: THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION (2 Cor 5:18,19)

REFERENCES:

Genesis 50:15-21	Joseph is reconciled with his brothers
Psalm 72	God’s kingdom brings righteousness and peace
1 John 3:16b-21	God’s love compels us to love one another
John 17:20-26	Jesus prays for the unity of his church

PRAYER FOR THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH God of all, we pray as one, that we may be one, just as the Lord Jesus prayed we may be one in Him. Your son Jesus compels us to be reconciled to one another. May our spirits be joined to your Holy Spirit, that we may witness to the visible unity of the Church. May we all recognise that we are truly one with you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and grow together in peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord Amen.

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

What you call 'formalities'...

Celebrating St. Francis de Sales - 24th Jan, 2017

Heb 10: 1-10; Mk 3:31-35

I remember, quite some time back, when I got to know a new person in life... it was a strange experience. The person would apologise for even a small or simple fault. The person would endlessly go on giving explanations and justifications for some thing that happened or something that did not happen - at times to the extent of wearying me. However, I was totally aware those were 'necessary formalities' of politeness, the relationship being at the initial stages. The readings today seem to speak of a similar experience of what you call 'formalities' with God! When our relationship with God has still not set off on its way to maturity, we would weary God with our formalities of rituals, rites and legalities. But when we build a true and personal relationship with God, we would mind nothing more than a bonding - like mother-child, like brother-brother, like brother-sister, like friends and so on! 

St. Francis of Sales, is known to be a person of such material: gentle, God-loving and intimately related to God, a person of sweet and deep spirituality. He could attract people with his sweetness, direct them to the same, everything in a deep relationship with the Lord. The challenge that he poses us today is to grow out of 'formalities' with God as soon as possible and concentrate on, listening to God's words and living it everyday.