Daily Meditation - Monday 28th. Jan. 2008 - NO NEED TO FEAR SATAN

[BarbaraTherese]

DAILY MASS READINGS
usccb.org/nab/012808.shtml

Further Refelction
Monday: 28 January 2008 - Mark 3,22-30

Maps: scriptures.lds.org/en/biblemaps/j

Meditation
wau.org/meditations/meditations.asp?month=01&day=28&year=2008&x=18&y=8
My Comment: “My Peace I give to you” - Peace is a great criteria of the spiritual way and life. If I have lost my Peace of mind, heart and soul…then something is amiss somewhere. We have Peace - it is a Gift we have that Jesus has given us…and if it is under threat, we need to protect that Gift.

Ifyou look at the gospels, you will see that certain members of Israel’s religious establishment made a career of uttering reproaches about Jesus.

Why? Because Jesus was challenging the status quo

, as well as their** authority**.

He attracted noisy, unruly crowds and consorted with known sinners. And not only that, he was in the habit of curing illnesses and casting out unclean spirits on the Sabbath. It’s no wonder he fell afoul of some of the Pharisees and scribes. But why did he react to their objections so directly this time?

Because they were stirring up fear and distrust among those whose fears and burdens Jesus had come to relieve.

Fear is a tool that the devil wields to keep us enslaved.

Jesus, on the other hand, came wielding love and mercy. He came to set people free from slavery to fear.

Flying on an airplane, meeting strangers, developing cancer, losing money—

inside each of us, some fear lurks, hindering our experience of the love and freedom

that are ours in Christ.

We need to be clear:

These fears come from the “strong man” (Mark 3:27). Anyone who has had to contend with the devil’s fear tactics knows that no amount of reason, logical argument, or even ardent desire to be free actually achieves freedom.

No, we need one who is stronger, one who can come in and tie up the strong man.

And that stronger one is Jesus.

You don’t have to be afraid of Satan! You don’t have to live in slavery to fear. You belong to One who is stronger!

Every day, invite him to work in your life. Open the door and ask him to tie up the strong man. Yield to the power of the Holy Spirit, don’t try to fight the enemy on your own! In your prayer, offer your heart and mind to the Lord.

Allow his Spirit to reveal where he wants to work. Then, just relax—he will set you free, gently, lovingly, completely

.

“Holy Spirit come! Search my heart and mind today. And where the strong man has encamped in me, bind him and cast him out. I want to live in the freedom of Christ.”

 

[Joysong]

It’s no wonder he fell afoul of some of the Pharisees and scribes. But why did he react to their objections so directly this time?

Because they were stirring up fear and distrust among those whose fears and burdens Jesus had come to relieve.

Ah, yes, the Pharisees, the enlightened ones, who unwittingly persecute those who do not follow the letter, the speck, to a “T”.

I was reading this morning from St. Teresa’s Interior Castle, and thought this reflection might be good to add to WAU’s.

Another sister is inspired with zeal for the greatest possible perfection. This, again, is a very good thing; but the result of it might be that she would think any little fault on the part of the sisters a serious failure, and would always be looking out for such things and running to the prioress about them; sometimes she might even be so zealous about religious observances as to be unable to see her own faults; and this the others, observing only her zeal about their misdeeds and not understanding the excellence of her intentions, might well take none too kindly.

The devil’s aim here must not be made light of, for he is trying to bring about a cooling of charity and love among the sisters, and if he could do this he would be working a great deal of harm. Let us realize, my daughters, that true perfection consists in the love of God and of our neighbour, and the more nearly perfect is our observance of these two commandments, the nearer to perfection we shall be.

Let us refrain from indiscreet zeal, which may do us great harm: let each one of you look to herself.

catholictreasury.info/InteriorCastle/ic6.htm

What is so demoralizing is that the ones who depreciate the warmth and goodness of others’ words/deeds, are the very ones who will never read this, and rarely come to self-knowledge of their perverted zeal without a great deal of interior correction from God.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Thank you for the (name removed by moderator)ut…

 

[InLight247]

In the readings of 01/26/08, 2 Tim 1:8

"For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control."

This was also talking about fear.
God did not give us a spirit of fear but power of love and a sound mind.

There is no fear in perfect love. If we believe God’s love for us is perfect, and this perfect love is to every detail of our lives, we will have more confidence in bringing our problems to the throne of divine mercy and trust everything will work out. Because:

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of hope.”(Jeremiah 29:11)

I often need to remind myself of the above.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe, plans to give you a future full of hope.”(Jeremiah 29:11)

A favourtie quote of mine of long standing…Blessings - Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Thought I would put in the full quotation from Jeremiah that means much to me. Translations can vary but the essence is always the same…and thank you for the (name removed by moderator)ut and posting it, InLight…
*

11

For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, to give you an end and patience. 12 And you shall call upon me, and you shall go: and you shall pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You shall seek me, and shall find me: when you shall seek me with all your heart.
*

 

[brigid12]

13 You shall seek me, and shall find me: when you shall seek me with all your heart.

I think this is another place “when you shall seek me with all your heart” that I need St. Therese’s elevator/lift.