Thank You, Lord for the grace to begin a good habit!

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MariaChristi

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

By God’s grace, I began a “good habit” of reading and listening to the Mass readings every morning. The Word of God is a precious gift to us, yet how easy it is for us to neglect listening to God as He speaks to us through His Sacred Words in Scripture.

This morning, listening to the Readings, and especially the First Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Church at Ephesus was a special blessing for me:
Reading 1 - Eph 3:14-21

Brothers and sisters:
I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine,
by the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ( See HERE for all of Today’s Readings)
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May God inspire many to begin this good habit – prayerfully listening to God and hearing The Truth Jesus and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to bring to the Church.

If you already do this, or if you hope to begin, I’d be happy to receive your thoughts on today’s readings.
 
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Dear tad,

Thanks for your reply. Perhaps you could share “why” you thought yesterday’s reading was good. St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is such a beautiful portion of God’s Word!

Today’s First Reading is from the next chapter in that same letter and also is one to hear with the ears of our hearts and ponder. Hope to hear from you again!
 
Thanks to the four persons who “liked” this thread! Perhaps, you have the habit of reading the Mass Readings for each day or may be considering doing so from now on – I sincerely hope so. The Word of God is a precious gift to us, but like so many gifts we can refuse it, or neglect it, or receive and treasure it by His Grace.

Today’s First Reading, is from the next chapter in St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians; I’m also including the Responsorial Psalm below , since a “pure heart” is so important:
Reading 1 Eph 4:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace;
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

Responsorial Psalm - Ps 24:1-2, 3-4AB, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
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May the Lord grant to all of us: a pure heart to hear Him and to seek and see His Face!
 
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For those who don’t know, you can subscribe to the USCCB.org site to have each day’s readings emailed to you each morning.
 
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Dear Convert3,

Thanks for your thoughtfulness. I had put a link in the original post but I had not thought of suggesting the subscription. I have a link to the site on my computer so that It is the first thing I check in the morning. Trouble with subscriptions for me was I found too many e-mails popping up every morning, and decided to limit myself to choosing those sites I felt most important.

The internet can be a “tyrant” on “absorbing time” so I’m continually praying to the Holy Spirit to activate His supernatural gifts, given at Baptism – especially Wisdom that by God’s I may choose His Will in everything and be fruitful in the Lord’s vineyard!

Do you read and ponder the Readings every day? I’d be grateful to hear your reflection on Today’s beautiful readings if you care to share any. Thanks again.
 
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I try to go to Mass every day when I’m not traveling and read the daily readings either before I go or before Mass begins. If I don’t attend a daily Mass, I like the email so I remember to read them before things get busy. Two years ago I was in RCIA, and though I was a Protestant and familiar with scripture before, I find now as a Catholic I have more understanding of what I read. Reading the scriptures before Mass also prepares me for the homily and the Eucharist.
 
Dear Convert3,

Thanks again for your reply. My husband was the Faith Formation Director at several different parishes some years ago and we were blessed in working with RCIA groups. One parish in particular stands out in my memory because of the depth of commitment we experienced among those seeking to embrace the fullness of Truth in the Catholic Faith, and those who were being baptized for the first time.

From your reply, you seem to have that deep commitment to God that He intended in calling you and all of us – called to be the praise of His Glory. May He continue to enable you to grow through His Graces moment by moment, by the power of His Holy Spirit and through the intercession of our Mother Mary. I hope your formation included a good introduction to Mary for in the world today, even some Catholics seem to be forgetting the unique place Mary has in God’s plan.

If you have never read St. Louis de Montfort’s short but powerful treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” I encourage you to read it. St. John Paul II wrote that reading “True Devotion” was a turning point in his young life. St. Teresa of Calcutta also read and encouraged her Missionaries of Charity to read St. Louid de Montort’s “True Devotion” as well. In her writings I have found many words similar to De Montfort’s. Of course, St. JPII’s papal motto, “Totus Tuus”( Latin for “All Yours”) was taken straight from “True Devotion”. I’ve linked the title to the online version of the Treatise but you can buy an inexpensive paperback also.

Thanks again for your reply; I truly appreciate it. Please let us pray for one another, for the Church, and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy.
 
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My RCIA experience was unique in that it was split between two parishes, one in Pennsylvania and one in Florida. My wife and I winter in Florida, but consider our home parish to be in PA. During RCIA I was very interested in the topic of Mary and had many questions since as a Protestant we didn’t honor her the same way. The woman who taught that week was extremely good at explaining the devotion Catholics have to Mary. The nun who taught in Florida also had a great devotion to Mary. Thank you for the link, and I will read it. I will pray for you also. God Bless!
 
Back when I converted in 2002-03 I got in the habit of going to daily mass. Our RCIA program was really mediocre, but I found a that daily mass was a great way to learn about and to experience the Catholic faith. Over the years as my life situation changed and my parish went through a big transition, I slowly drifted away from attending daily mass.

Last summer we got a new priest. Shortly after that I got a prompting from the Holy Spirit to get back to daily mass. In a way, I feel like I’m going back to the beginning. Everything is exciting and new, the liturgy still speaks exactly to where I’m at at that time and the Word takes on a certain sweetness which consoles and confirms.

I the readings from Ephesians this week have been no exception. 😀

Yesterday’s reading hearkened me back to one of favorite scripture passages,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,c who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,* (Ephesians 1:3)
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Father’s homilies have also been touching my heart. He’s constantly urging us on to holiness in a way unlike our other pastors and these readings from Ephesians strengthen us by letting us know that is God within us that is making what we’re doing possible. By the grace of God, I have been making real changes in my life.

Father also taught us about doxologies, which I find appropriate since I’ve had a thankful heart over the past couple of months. My mom just got diagnosed with cancer and I’m blown away by the love and provision He’s given my mother.

And one last note, yesterday after hearing the first reading I thought to myself, “Wow, I’m going to have to go home and read that again”. I log onto the forums, and there I find your thread. How about that? 😎

Thanks be to God!
 
A good teacher makes such a difference! God blessed you with with two good teachers!! I had good teachers too and the one who taught me to love Mary most was a Dominican nun who was my religion teacher in high school. She was the one who also introduced us to St. Louis de Montfort and invited us to consecrate ourselves to Jesus through Mary. What a grace that has been for me! I hope you will take your time in reading “True Devotion” prayerfully asking the Holy Spirit to guide you.

In some ways it is like reading and pondering Scripture because the more we listen – the more we can learn the Truth, from the Holy Spirit. Let us please continue to pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy. Thanks again for your replies!

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful; kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.
Jesus, we trust in You.
Mary, Mother and Model for the Church, pray for us.
 
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Dear tad,

How Good God is – He is our Father Who knows how to give good gifts to His children! He sends persons into our lives to help us, as he sent that priest to you to encourage you to grow in holiness, and as He sent a particular Dominican nun to be my high school religion teacher and help me to love our Blessed Mother more, through the Consecration to Jesus through Mary which St. Louis de Montfort taught in his small treatise on “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”

I had always loved daily Mass as a youngster in Catholic grade school and continued as I grew older. The Mass is an inestimable gift from God that enables us to be fed with the Bread of His Holy Word and with His Body and Blood in Holy Communion. To be at Mass is such an opportunity to give myself with Jesus and Mary to our Father and to receive Jesus – receiving Him as He came the first time, through Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Link I gave is to the online version, of “True Devotion”, it can also be purchased in paperback. I hope you will read it prayerfully and slowly – It continues to be a blessing for me, each time I read even only a few paragraphs. Thanks again for your reply, tad.

Please let us pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of God’s Mercy.
 
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Thank you for this thread, MariaChristi - the notion of embracing “good habits” is an important one! So much, so much of the journey in Christ, of sanctification, is “unlearning” bad habits in the continuing struggle to defend and protect holy grace. Bad habits are harmful to our spiritual life, if not to the gravity of mortal sinfulness, or even to the lesser harm - but harm nevertheless - of venial sinfulness, still bad habits are harmful. At their “best”, bad habits reinforce our imperfections, keeping us at a distance from the Lord, and keeping disordered self-love safe and secure in our wounded hearts.

But ahhh, the precious good habits of being with Him and in Him, intentionally, habitually, gratefully, gracefully: there, with and in Him, we find our home, and life.
 
Dear fide,

Thanks so much for your reply. How well it fits with the First Reading for Mass today, from the Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4, especially these verses:
…He gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood
to the extent of the full stature of Christ,
so that we may no longer be infants,
tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching
arising from human trickery,
from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.
Rather, living the truth in love,
we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,
from whom the whole Body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
with the proper functioning of each part,
brings about the Body’s growth and builds itself up in love.
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Not only does our own growth in holiness need to be a priority but we are “members of one another also in His Body”. If we are refusing grace to grow, and taking our call so “lightly” that we do not continue to listen prayerfully to God’s Truth in Scripture, how can we “funtion properly” or help build up the Body in Love? We need to recognize the lies of evil and do battle against bad habits in order to replace them with good habits. Venial sins are not “trivial”, but as you said, they can do great harm to our spiritual life.

Today is “Mary’s Day” - as every Saturday for centuries has been a special day to honor Mary. She who by God’s Grace remained sinless, pondered in her heart everything Jesus said and did. She shares with us her plentitude of Grace, interceding for us now and at the hour of our death, Amen!

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Jesus, we trust in You! Come, Holy Spirit, kindle in us Your Love!
 
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