PERFECTION OF LOVE

Perfection of life is 
the perfection of love. 
For love is 
the life of the soul.


-- St. Francis De Sales



"I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." -- John 17:23

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18). Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:2).

"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." -- John 14:23

Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us (1 John 3:24). If anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him (1 John 2:5).

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him (1 John 4: 16-17).


"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." -- John 13:34

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7). Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves (Rom. 12:10). Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law (Rom. 13:8). The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Galatians 5:14).

No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us (1 John 4:12).

"The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father." -- John 16:27

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him (1 John 3:1). This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother (1 John 3:10).


"Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." -- Matthew 5:48

Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you (2 Cor. 13:11). And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Col. 3:14). Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10).

Pentecost Sunday (Solemnity)

The Spirit of the Lord fills the whole world, and holds all things together 

and knows every word spoken by man, Alleluia. 

Wisdom 1:7

The Church celebrates Pentecost (so called because it is fifty days after Easter Day) as the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, gathered in an upper room with Mary, mother of Jesus, "as a mighty, rushing wind", fulfilling Jesus' promise when he "breathed on them", as recorded in John's Gospel (chapter 20).

This event, which marks the beginning of the Church, is recorded in the book of Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2. The 14th century Siennese painting by Duccio illustrates the moment when the Bible says the Spirit descended upon the gathering of Christians in the form of tongues of fire. The liturgical color for Pentecost is red, a reminder of the flames that "rested on them". Another symbol for the Holy Spirit is the dove, usually emmitting golden rays of light.

The Holy Spirit gave the apostles gifts of grace through which they would undertake the evangelical mission of the Church. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were given the miraculous "gift of tongues" -- so that everyone from every country understood the Christians inspired message of salvation as if the they were hearing it in their own languages. Thousands were converted by the preaching of Peter and the other apostles.

Called Whitsunday (white Sunday) in England, for the white garments worn by confirmands (candidates for Confirmation), Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, originated as a Jewish festival fifty days (seven weeks) after Passover.

The Solemnity of Pentecost ends the Easter season. After Pentecost, the Easter candle is kept in the baptistery or near the baptismal font, and is lighted only for a baptism. For centuries, the Sundays of the Catholic Church year between Pentecost and Advent were numbered as "after Pentecost". Since the Second Vatican Council, this period is called "Ordinary Time" (the first period of Ordinary Time is that between the Epiphany and Lent). Three Solemnities are celebrated in the weeks immediately following Pentecost: Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi (The Body and Blood of Christ) and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Source: http://www.wf-f.org/Pentecost.html

LOVING GOD

Some torment themselves in seeking means to discover the art of loving God, and do not know - poor creatures.

There is no art or means of loving Him 

but to love those who love Him.

That is, to begin to practice those things which are pleasing to Him. -- St. Francis de Sales

"If you love those who love you, 

what credit is that to you? 

Even 'sinners' love those who love them."

Luke 6:32

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. -- Romans 12:9

Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. -- Psalm 97:10

The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. -- Psalm 145:20

Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. -- Psalm 31:23

Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. -- Deuteronomy 7:9


God's Promise:

"I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. -- Proverbs 8:17

To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. -- Proverbs 8:21

The descendants of His servants will inherit it, And those who love His name will dwell in it. -- Psalm 69:36


Prayer

O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, -- Nehemiah 1:5

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." -- Psalm 70:4

Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. -- Psalm 119:132

OVERCOME YOUR TEMPTATIONS

Earthly life is a pilgrimage, and as such it is full of temptations. But our spiritual growth is worked out in temptation.

By experiencing temptations, we know ourselves. By fighting them we have a chance to become winners. By overcoming them, we are crowned victors. 

Lord, you are our physician, healing the ills of all.



 Reflection

The Lord said, "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mk 14:38).

When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. -- Luke 4:13

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. -- 1 Timothy 6:9

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. -- 1 Corinthians 10:13

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, -- 2 Peter 2:9

"Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away." -- Luke 8:13

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: -- Hebrews 3:8, Psalm 95:8

And my temptation which was in my flesh you despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. -- Galatians 4:14

Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. -- Revelation 3:10

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. -- Galatians 6:1

Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.' -- Matthew 6:13