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- 127
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.
Rivers
have no peace or rest until they empty into the sea. They flow through luxuriant
valleys, beautiful lowlands, and pleasant gardens and orchards, but do not stop
in their course. They flow ceaselessly, always whispering, "to the sea, to
the sea!" Only when it reaches its destiny does it rest.
A stone falls from a mountain top, winding its way among cascading water falls,
shimmering rocks, towering cliffs and gorgeous flowers, but it doesn't stop
until it reaches the depths of the valley, and in its course it continually
whispers, "to the valley, to the valley!" Only when it reaches its
destiny does it rest
Everything goes to its center and does not rest until it reaches it. The
resurrected, ascended glorified Christ in heaven, seated at the Father is our
center. We travel this land, through great beauty and grandeaur, in
happiness and sadness, in joy and depression, but we do not stop. And in
our course, we continually whisper, "to the Christ in heaven, to the Christ
in heaven!" Only when we reach our destiny do we rest.
DEVOTION - Growth in love- 3rd stage
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-54
The Mysteries of the Rosary-12
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: The Second Glorious Mystery
The Ascension of Jesus: Acts 1:6-11
"When they had gathered together they asked him, 'Lord are you at this time
going to restore the kingdom to Israel?' he answered then, 'It is not for you to
know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.' When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a
cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as
he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They
said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus
who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you
have seen him going into heaven.'"
In our efforts toward the perfection of our lives as God commands, each of us
have experience an alienation, as though we lived in two worlds, and didn't
really belong in either. We live on earth, and know that we are destined
for heaven. We know that we have a home in heaven, but are firmly planted
on the earth. We are pulled between the earth, source of our bodies and
heaven, source of our souls. Thus we are suspended in this life between these
two tensions. It is these tensions that allows us to bring true life,
truth and love from heaven to hearth, and to being the souls of Gods people from
earth into heaven.
The concern of the disciples of Christ are the same as ours today. We are still
asking Him, "Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Israel?" Israel represents the people of God. The kingdom
represents a state in which we, the people of God rule through our personal
sharing in His divine kingdom. The Spirit has come upon us, and we are the
His witnesses to the ends of the earth. Jesus makes it clear that we are to
remain on earth until the time is right for us join Him in heaven.
The ascension of the glorified, resurrected body of Christ into heaven is not
something that happened in isolation from our lives. It has everything to
do with our lives. Paul assures us of the magnificence this event for each
of us. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for
us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with
Christ, raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heaven in Christ
Jesus" (Eph. 2:4-6).
By our Baptism, we were incorporated as a living member into the resurrected,
ascended body of Christ. When Christ rose from the dead, we rose with Him,
and through His resurrection, we began to live with assurance our eternal life.
In His ascension, we ascend with Him and share in the glory of His perfection in
the Father. This is the glory that we share in this reflection. It
is not only that Christ ascended to heaven, where He takes His seat at the right
hand of the Father. It is that heaven descends to earth, and incorporates
us into the company of angels and saints.
As indicated above, the ascension of Christ has changed our posture on earth.
Although we physically have our feet planted firmly in the soil of our origin
our heart, mind, spirit and soul are united with Him in heaven. In this
posture we live our lives suspended, as though crucified, in between heaven and
earth. Christ has sent the Holy Spirit into us, so that we can live the
life that He meant for us to live. Just as the angel promised, Christ will
return, just as He ascended. He comes to earth through each
sacrament and lives in the baptized Christian who lives their life in union with
the ascended Christ.
NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM
ARTICLE NO. 1123
The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up the Body of Christ
and, finally, to give worship to God. Because they are signs they also instruct.
They not only presuppose faith, but by words and objects they also nourish,
strengthen, and express it. This is why they are called 'sacraments of faith.' (Sancrosanctum
Concilium # 59)
SACRAMENTS
OF FAITH
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.
The purpose of sacraments is to sanctify
And our worship of God they edify
Their words and signs always express
The specific grace they each possess
Through sacramental signs we are taught
And given the specific grace we sought
By knowledge and grace we are vivified
Through sacraments faith is verified
Our faith is nourished by the munificence
And expressed by signs by word's largesse
To wonderful truths of life they testify
And give strength to our faiths credulity
Ó2002
DR. JAMES E. BREAZILE, deacon
JOHN PAUL EVANGELIST OCDS
