Calendar
Leader's
School
Thur June 6, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA
RE classroom #8
Ultreya-Tulsa
Fri June 7, 7:00pm
St. Mary's, Tulsa
Ultreya-BA
Fri June 21, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA
Leader's
School
Thur July 11, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA
RE classroom #8
Ultreya-Tulsa
Fri July 5, 7:00pm
St. Mary's, Tulsa
Ultreya-BA
Fri July 19, 7:00pm
St. Benedict's, BA
Men's
Weekend #31
Sept 26-29, 2002
St. John's, McAlester
Women's
Weekend #31
Oct 10-13, 2002
St. John's, McAlester
SPIRITUALITY 101
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION- 125
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.
In the 1940's, four Russian soldiers broke into a barn on a distant farm in
Siberia. There they found nearly 100 Christians surrounding a crucifix,
giving praise to their Lord. The soldiers brandished their weapons and
said; "all those who do not adore Christ must leave. All others will be
killed. Three persons left. The soldiers put down their weapons and
said, "We to adore our blessed Lord. We just wanted to make sure you were
true Christians."
How far are we from the cross? Would we have left, or would we have
stayed? We need to ask ourselves this question every time we say the Lords
name.
DEVOTION - Growth in love- 3rd stage
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-52
The Mysteries of the Rosary-10
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
Jesus dies on the cross: John 19:25-30
"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister,
Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the
disciple he loved, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold, your son.' Then he
said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother.' And from that hour the disciple
took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in
order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I thirst.' There was a
vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig
of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
"It is finished." And bowing his head, he handed over the
spirit."
Two major ideas will be considered in this reflection. The first is that
when Jesus from the cross, gave His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary into the
care of John the apostle, she was commissioned as mother of the Church.
When He gave John the apostle to His mother, He commissioned the Church to be
sons and daughters of His mother. Since the Church is the visible body of
the resurrected, glorified Christ in heaven, Mary becomes the spiritual mother
of all Christians. I am certain that Jesus was comforted by the presence of His
mother and the Apostle he loved most at the foot of the cross. As Mary suffered
a martyrdom of a mother watching her Son in the agonies of crucifixion, the
church through the ages is to live that martyrdom in its every day life.
Jesus' dying on the cross represents the death each of us must undergo in order
to be fully united with our Lord. As we journey toward perfection, we soon
realize that there is no way to avoid the cross. It is through the cross, with
Christ that we find the perfection commanded for us. We have great difficulty
approaching Christ, who is divine, the Son of God. St. Peter Chrysologus
(Office of the Readings, 4th week of Easter) suggests that we therefore approach
Jesus, the son of man, who is human. He knows we are likely to fear the
Lord, but willing to approach our Father. Just as Jesus could return to
the Father only through the cross, so we too flee to the Father through the
cross.
It is impossible for us to understand the price paid to redeem our sins.
The living God on the cross overcame
all evil caused through sin by absorbing it into His body. As He gave His
body and His life in ransom for us, we are to do the same. We are the
living sacrifice, commissioned through our baptism to continue His redeeming
work in the world. Through our love, we are willing to provide the talents
our Lord has given us through the soul He has put within us to the service of
all other people. As we, through baptism joined His crucified, resurrected
and glorified body, we continue His sacrifice in the world.
The sacrifice of our time to visit the unlovable and love them, to touch the
untouchable and love them, to bring the unholy to the Lord and love them is all
an expression of our life in Christ. Through Him, in Him and with Him, we
meet the world as a sacrificial lamb, not crying out, not hesitating, not afraid
to give our vulnerability to the salvation of souls. In living this life
there is a dying to the demands of our time, senses, hungers and securities, and
a living for the salvation of souls. A personal martyrdom is required
every time we decide to do something to bring another soul close to the Lord
instead of doing what makes us feel good.
The thirst Christ expressed from the would not be quenched with water or sour
wine. It was a thirst of the ages for the salvation of souls. Christ asks
us as living members of His Body, to have that thirst as a guide to our way of
life.
THE PURCHASE OF MERCY
Deacon Jim Breazile ocds
In the days of yore, when salvation came, the world was barbaric and cruel.
Men were enslaved, enchained and bowed by the powerful Roman rule.
The poor, the rebels and the outlaws were scourged and crucified,
Because not even little crimes would Caesar's law abide.
There came a Man who was so good that his very life was God.
His goodness did not rebel against the severity of the Roman rod.
He gave only love, which was so pure that they found it beyond their sense.
They enlisted the Roman soldiers to come to their defense.
"Too divine to live!" cried the holy court. "Too human!"
echoed the proud.
The debate was solved by the crucifix, demanded by the crowd.
Through his scourging, crown of thorns and death, he brought justice to the
lost.
He brought a promise of mercy, which he purchased with his cross.
NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM
ARTICLE NO. 1121
The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in
addition to grace, a sacramental character or "seal" by which the
Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church
according to different states and functions. The configuration to Christ and to
the Church brought about the Spirit, is indelible; it remains for ever in the
Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine
protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the
Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated.
SACRAMENTAL CHARACTER
Deacon Jim Breazile ocds
Conforming Sacraments of approbation
Baptism, Holy orders and Confirmation
Each present to the soul a conformation
To Christ through a unique actuation
Each inscribes an eternal image
So we can present His holy visage
To give the soul a proper steerage
And to establish His earthly peerage
Baptism conforms us to Christ' incarnation
Confirmed we reveal His eternal domination
Orders priestly live out His immolation
Orders diaconate exhibit His ministration
Inscribed semblance of sacramental disposition
Indelible portrait of an essential mission
Ineffaceable icon of the Lords rendition
Irrevocable union becomes a lived condition
Ó2002
DR. JAMES E. BREAZILE, deacon
JOHN PAUL EVANGELIST OCDS
