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- 113
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

A miner's work entailed placing dynamite in holes, light the fuse and within a few minutes get away so he would not be hurt by the explosion. One day, after putting the dynamite in a hole and lighting it, as he was about to withdraw his hand, some earth dislodged and trapped his hand and arm in the hole. Her glanced at his watch as he felt hs life tickign away. Suddenly an assistant yelled, "If you want to save your life, it will be necessary to cut off your arm. The miner immediately said, "Do it!" His assistant immediately severed his arm and both moved away as the dynamite exploded.
It is thus with sin. Sin is deadly. If we are to rid ourselves of the sins of our daily life. It may be necessary to remove it immediately, just as if we were to amputate an arm.

DEVOTION - Growth in love- 3rd stage
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-40
HAIL MARY-6

"Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with you
Blessed are thou among women
and Blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death."
Amen.

"Pray for us sinners"
The next expression of faith that the Blessed Virgin is most favored by our Lord is our request to her to pray for us sinners. Since we have been baptized and fulfill the basic requirements of our faith, why is it necessary that we ask for such a prayer? The truth is that in spite or our baptism and living our life with good intentions, we all sin, and sin separates us from our Lord. We know the Jesus has overcome sin and accomplished al that is necessary for our salivation except the free will of man. The weakness of our fallen will continues to allow us to erect barriers to His saving grace. Until we train our will through prayer, mortification and service to the point that it is in accord with His will, we cannot live in His kingdom. Sin separates us from the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is difficult to avoid sin, as our fallen nature makes us susceptible to the three lusts that we acquire from the world. John urges us (1 Jn 2:15-16) " Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement (lust) of the eyes and a pretentious (lust of) life, is not from the Father but is from the world." These three lusts may be acquired by our soul from the world, so that we lust after what makes us feel good, we lust after things of beauty in the world and lastly we lust to live our lives as though we are important in the world. Our cooperation with the three attractions of the world serves as obstacles to God's grace.

Although we may have celebrated all the sacraments available to us through the Church, and the original sin of Adam has been removed, sacramental grace does not prevent us from living in sin induced by the three lusts of John. Although Christ took all the sins we will ever commit and bore them to the cross, where in the crucible of suffering and death, he destroyed their influence in the world, because we still sin, we do not gain the full benefit of this great gift. John (1Jn 2:2-4) expresses this situation when he writes, "He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

Living in this world, with the day-to-day demands of our passions, our family, profession, labor, friends and neighbors is a grave danger to us. These demands are often not in accord with thoughts, words or behavior that are guided by God's commandments. This is particularly true of the two-in-one commandments emphasized by Jesus, to "Love the Lord above all things and to love our neighbor as He loves him." This is a two-in-one commandment because the way we live our love for God above all things is to live a life of love for our neighbor in the manner in which God loves him.

Because of the dual nature of this commandment it often divides our life as a two-edged sword. The commandment tends to bisect our thoughts, words and behavior. We may often think of loving God and proclaim detachment from all things in recognition that they are all gifts from Him, Who loves us beyond our understanding. We can hold that thought for a time, but the demands of daily life are soon upon us, and we then may turn our thoughts to our neighbors. We then may intentionally make the proclamation that we love both friend and enemy enough to accept and bear the pains their sins bring into the world and to accept crucifixion in order to live that love. Both of these thoughts are good, but until they merge into one thought, word and action, so that both hold sway throughout each minute of each hour of each day, we find ourselves divided in our efforts to serve God in holiness.

There is danger in both attitudes, when held individually, because in attempting to increase our love for the Lord, we may be so busy with piety and study of His word that we have no time or inclination to increase our love for our neighbor. On the other hand, undue attention to serving the needs of our neighbor requires a great deal of time and effort and may cause us to diminish our effort toward growth in love for God.

It is obvious that we cannot save ourselves without help. Even with the aid of the Church, we need a great deal of help. Most of us ask others to pray for us, so that we will be more open to Gods actions within us. When we pray the Hail Mary, we ask Mary, the Blessed mother of Christ to intervene for us. Christ cannot refuse her. When He came to earth as Incarnate Love, He took His flesh from her. He could not give that flesh back, so as a reward to His beloved mother, he raised her into heaven, where both He and she continuously intercede with God for us. Both Jesus and His mother are happy when their children ask for assistance, We should pray the Hail Mary frequently in order to please them.

NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM
ARTICLE NO. 1091
In the liturgy the Holy Spirit is teacher of the faith of the People of God and artisan of "God's masterpieces," the sacraments of the New Covenant. The desire and work of the Spirit in the heart of the Church is that we may live from the life of the risen Christ. When the Spirit encounters in us the response of faith, which he has aroused in us, he brings about genuine cooperation. Through it, the liturgy becomes the common work of the Holy Spirit and the Church.

ARTICLE NO. 1092
In this sacramental dispensation of Christ's mystery the Holy Spirit acts in the same way as at other times in the economy of salvation; he prepares the Church to encounter her Lord; he recalls and makes Christ manifest to the faith of the assembly. By his transforming power, he makes the mystery of Christ present here and now. Finally the Spirit of communion unites the Church of the life and mission of Christ.

The HOLY SPIRIT IN LITURGY
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

Teacher ephemeral
Sacramental master
Artisan liturgical
Union of Savior
He is the Holy Spirit

Source of vitality
Symphonic motive
Holy reality
Illuminative votive
He is the Holy Spirit

Penetrating surety
Transforming power
Present security
Certitude's flower
He is the Holy Spirit

Savior's bride
United mission
Salvation's life
One in volition
He is the Holy Spirit

Ó2002 DR. JAMES E. BREAZILE, deacon 
JOHN PAUL EVANGELIST OCDS