Smile
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make someone smile today. Bonus points if you do it by singing to them.
Resolution Update #2
Time for a resolution update. Oh, things haven’t been going well…
1. Read through the New Testament Twice
Fail.
2. More dancing
Fail.
3. Be more gentle with people
Better.
4. No sodas/fizzy drinks
Still clean.
5. Get into the best shape of my life
Going very well. I’m on Day #9 of my ten day challenge at Boot Camp.
6. Complete reading list
On course. I’ve finished Brandon Vogt’s book and now starting on John Piper’s.
7. Keep proper track of finances
Fail.
8. Tick something off my TODO list
Very well. There’s lots to do for Daughters Of The King and Theology On Tap so there are always lots of things to cross off!
10. Fast on Wednesday and Friday
Going well.
11. Give up Facebook for 40 days
That’ll be happening next month…
12. Make an effort to dress well for Mass
Still going well.
Wise Words on Wednesday: Sum of our weaknesses
“We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his son”
– JP2
Faith and Works
A little while ago I did Bible study on the Epistle of James. One of that epistle’s most famous lines is “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). Here’s that verse in picture form by Sword of Peter:
Back on track
I recently wrote a few concluding thoughts about Jeff Bethke’s “Jesus > Religion” video. I’ve just seen a new video starting to go viral on Facebook…
Good chap, that’s much more like it.
Provisions for the journey
It is the Catholic practice to give Holy Communion to those who are about to die. This is known in Latin as viaticum, literally “provisions for the journey”.
I recently came across this story concerning viaticum from the third epistle from St. Dionysius The Great written in the early 3rd Century. This simple story gives us a deep look inside the life of Early Church. We see the serious consequences which were associated with apostasy (denying Christ) and we also see the ardent Eucharistic desire of one desiring reconciliation:
To Fabius, Bishop of Antioch.
I shall give an account of one particular case that occurred here. There was with us a certain Sarapion, an aged believer. He had spent his long life blamelessly, but had fallen in the time of trial [the persecution]. Often did he pray [for absolution], and no one listened to him, for he had sacrificed to idols.
He fell sick and, for three successive days, lay mute and senseless. Recovering a little on the fourth day, he called his grandchild, and said, “My son, how long will you detain me? Hurry, I beg you, and absolve me quickly. Summon one of the priests for me.” When he had said this, he became speechless again.
The boy ran for the priest; but it was night, and the man was sick, and was consequently unable to come. But I had issued an injunction, that persons at the point of death, if they requested absolution, and especially if they had earnestly sought it before, should be absolved, so that they might depart this life in cheerful hope. So the priest gave the boy a small portion of the Eucharist, telling him to steep it in water and drop it into the old man’s mouth.
The boy returned bearing the portion. As he came near but before he had yet entered, Sarapion again recovered and said, “You have come, my child, and the priest was unable to come; but do quickly what you were instructed to do, and so let me depart.” The boy steeped the morsel in water and immediately dropped it into the [old man’s] mouth.
After he had swallowed a little of it, he gave up his spirit. Is it not obvious that he was preserved in life just until he could be absolved; and, with the sin wiped away, he could be acknowledge for the many good works he had done?
– St. Dionysius The Great, Epistle 3