Sue O’Donnell. 20.03.21
“What a dreadful thing it would be to fall into God’s hands when He judges the ungodly!” (Hebrews 10 v 31 The Truth)
Be grateful! This need not happen.
The Lord God, our all loving Father,
Has done everything necessary for us,
To rescue us from a deadly enemy.
Our Father sent us a Brother,
Who is exceptional in His personality.
Christ Jesus personifies what it means to be holy:
His ministry, His ability to love everybody,
His determination to do the Father’s will
Up until the bitter end of His life.
A sacrifice overcoming our sins’ strife,
Is utterly exemplary, totally inspiring and uplifting.
Christ Jesus is God living amongst us,
By means of the Spirit who is nothing but holy.
We have the highest, finest example in life in Christ Jesus.
“Without Him we could not have faith, nor could we grow in faith. He gave us faith and He will perfect our faith.” (Hebrews 12 v 1 The Truth)
The example of what it means to love and honour,
To serve and delight the Lord God Almighty is His.
Jesus in the perfection of His holiness
Could not be contained by death.
Death arises from sin and He was sinless.
He rose therefore from the tomb,
Our doom overcome supernaturally, incredibly rescued.
Jesus is the first born from the dead,
That we, instead of living in fear and insecurity,
Have the assurety of holy love’s forgiveness.
A new and full life is set before us now,
And the decided hope of heaven awaits us,
All because of the perfect life of the Lord Jesus,
And His death at the † gaining forgiveness for us.
Be grateful for the power of merciful, holy love.
“Let us persevere in running the race in which God has entered us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus who is always ahead of us.” (Hebrews 12 v 1 The Truth)
“Look at the way He ran the race. He always aimed for the eternal joy that lay ahead of Him, even though along the way He had to suffer to the point of death on the cross, regardless of the shame that was attached to such a death.” (Hebrews 12 v 2 The Truth)
Lord, most precious Brother, You are our life now and beyond death, when we enter the real life in heaven.
Now is preparatory. We must understand this and live responsibly.
You are our Saviour although a Brother. What an absolutely incredible gift the Father, out of mercy, the One who cherishes us entirely, has gifted in parting with You.
You came to earth to live the life of mankind so as to be able to share in the human lot, in order to sympathise and empathise with all our difficulty, our concerns, our trials, our temptations.
In this, we understand that Your love is selfless, thank You. You always put the wellbeing of others as Your primary concern, as You fulfil the role of Saviour and Teacher, Healer and Master.
You are the Alpha and Omega of our faith and we rejoice to know You. You are the strength of our faith, our determination not to be broken by satan, not to submit to sin and the suffering it causes.
“Yes, think of Him who put up with continual opposition from sinful people. Then you will not grow tired of the opposition you have to face and become discouraged.” (Hebrews 12 v 3 The Truth)
You are our hope for a better, brighter, holier future for all of mankind, for we pray to You, through You, with You and for You. Prayer is at the heart of our faith.
In response to prayer, You send us the Holy Spirit coming directly from heaven to strengthen, support, mould and shape a life of faith. This is to be life pleasing and honouring to our Father.
Without You, beloved Brother, this does not happen. We can see the evidence as we look about us. You are the Saviour who redeems us from all that is evil, sending us Your Spirit as Sanctifier.
Why would we not be grateful! It is in knowing, valuing and honouring Your friendship that we do not lose heart in the face of life’s daily challenges and onslaughts.
The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, always there to advise us. You stand before us cheering us on in the race!
May we reach the finishing line of heaven’s gates without stumbling.
satan pushes us violently, persistently “That I might fall. But the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and song and He has become my salvation.” (Psalm 118 v 14) This is no wishful thinking, no false hope, no vague promise which may or may not happen. This is reality for all who believe in You as Saviour.
Oh, Lord, Son of God, Son of Mary, how radically You change life for us, especially at the †. “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous,” (Psalm 116 v 5) because when our Father looks at our life given over to You, we are made righteous.
I offer all thanks and praise for this status of right standing. “I was brought low” in my wilful ways, my self-centredness, my carelessness and unthinking. But You “Saved me.” (v 6, 7)
“For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD in the Land of the living.” (v 8, 9) I have realised how lovingly merciful our Father is towards all who accept You as You are, our salvation.
“The LORD my God” acting as the Almighty Trinity, one in love and mercy, You “Will enlighten my darkness.” (Psalm 18 v 28) “What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me.”? (Psalm 116 v 12)
I will pray daily. I will worship giving all thanks to my Father of steadfast loving kindness, faithful to all His promises to save and sanctify us. I will delight in the company of the Holy Trinity.
I will strive to deepen, strengthen and embolden my friendship with You, Lord Jesus. I delight to partake of Your living presence in the Sacred Mystery of the Mass, and to be able to come to You in the sacrament of
Reconciliation seeking forgiveness for my sinfulness.
I will look to You with hope in my heart and on my mind. I will try to help and encourage others to seek and find the hope, the peace and the joy Your friendship offers us.
I will look to You to continue by the Holy Spirit, to help me to defeat satan. I know this is not easy. I ask to be constantly alert to his monstrous deceit, such trickery, for he is the father of lies, to be detested.
“I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the LORD. The LORD has chastened me severely,” (Psalm 118 v 17, 18) although this was no more than I deserved and it was necessary to draw me back on
to faith’s track.
“But He has not given me over to death,” (Cont) thankfully. “Open to me the gates of righteousness,” (v 19) Lord Jesus, You are the gateway. Your heart of love has accomplished this for us. “I will go through them and I will praise the LORD” (Cont) as a Trinity.
I believe You are as You describe and I thank You for Your revelation. “ ‘I am the blood of life. (S)he who comes to Me shall never hunger, and (s)he who believes in Me, shall never thirst’.” (John 6 v 35)
You are our Father Saviour, alive in all believers by the Holy Spirit, according to our Father’s mercies.
“Blessed be God...Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man...Blessed be His most Precious Blood...Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.” (The Divine Praises)
To be blessed means to be happy. Dearest One, You make me fully happy, thank You. I hope to do similarly for the Holy Trinity. Please may the Spirit ever help me.
Holy Spirit, Lord, thank You for coming to me to introduce me in a personal way, a clearly recognisable way to my Brother who is Saviour. Together You have changed my life entirely.
Each day belongs to You and of course, to my heavenly Father. Please keep me safe from sin because I am aware of Your presence at all times. I will try to be submissive. I am sorry when I fail.
“If anyone among you has a problem, (s)he should pray. If anyone is happy, (s)he should thankfully sing praises to God! If anyone is sick, (s)he should call the church leaders to visit, so they can pray and anoint oil in the Lord’s name.” (James 5 v 13, 14 The Truth)
Yes, how important prayer is “The prayer of anyone made acceptable in God’s sight is powerful and effective.” (v 16) Lord Jesus, You are our fullest, highest, most profound offering. In You, through You, we
worship, thank You. Thank You for Your holy life, Your sacrificial death and Your miraculous resurrection, so as to remain with us as Saviour throughout this life, be it long or short. You are our Brother, our best
Friend, our Redeemer, our Saviour. We rejoice!
“Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my prayers; my apostolic efforts; my time with family and friends, my hours of relaxation; my difficulties; problems, distress, which I shall try to bear with patience.” (A Catholic Daily Prayer Offering)
“Join these my gifts” – all thanks be to the Lord Jesus for powerfully entering my life through the Holy Spirit of faith, of love, of mercy – join me please “To the unique offering which Jesus Christ, Your Son, renews today in the Eucharist.” (Cont)
“Grant, I pray, that vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and Your children and help consecrate the world to You.” (Cont)
What hope, what peace, what true joy, one that will be eternal, we experience as we turn to our Brother and claim Him as He is, our ever loving Saviour. Heaven really has come down to earth. Father, Son and Holy Spirit truly I thank You. Please keep me close to Your side, gladly influenced by Your power of holy love and mercy, that I am able to share this blessing.
I ask in the name of Christ Jesus the Saviour, my Brother, who is truly the Light of life, the way onwards and upwards, thankfully. Lord, thank You for hearing all prayer and graciously answering us. I am grateful!
Amen
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
Key Themes
DEVOTION
GRATEFUL
