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General Theme: The call to holiness General Objective: Each one can believe and live out the call to holiness Objective of the week: To realize that the call to happiness is for all INTRODUCTION We continue in the Guidelines sheet with the theme “THE CALL TO HOLINESS.” We celebrated “All saints day” last November 1. It is a significant day to give thanks to God for the courageous faithfulness of many holy people to love God and their neighbors along the centuries. There are many saints beatified or canonized. Pope Francis affirms in Gaudete et Exsultate 5: “The processes of beatification and canonization recognize the signs of heroic virtue, the sacrifice of one’s life in martyrdom, and certain cases where a life is constantly offered for others, even until death. This shows an exemplary imitation of Christ, one worthy of the admiration of the faithful.” But the Pope also says in Gaudete et Exsultate 6-7: “Nor need we think only of those already beatified and canonized. The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance among God’s holy and faithful people. I like to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God’s people: in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the Church militant. Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbors, those who, living in our midst, reflect God’s presence.” Holiness is a call and is a task. Lumen Gentium 42: “Therefore, all the faithful are invited and obliged to holiness and the perfection of their own state of life”. Each one of us can be a saint today. It seems to be impossible for us but it is possible for God. Luke 11:13 “As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him!” We can only be holy with the help of the Holy Spirit. Do I ask the Father in heaven for the Holy Spirit? Is my mind and heart open to the active and living guidance of the Holy Spirit? Gaudete et Exsultate 19: “A Christian cannot think of his or her mission on earth without seeing it as a path of holiness, for “this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). Each saint is a mission, planned by the Father to reflect and embody, at a specific moment in history, a certain aspect of the Gospel.”. MONDAY We are all called to be holy Lumen Gentium 39: “The Church, whose mystery is set forth by this sacred Council, is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as "alone holy” (Lk 1:35; Lk 4:34; Ac 3:14; Ac 4:27.30), loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her so as to sanctify her (cf. Eph 5:25-26); he joined her to himself as his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. Therefore, all in the Church, whether they belong to the hierarchy or are cared for by it, are called to holiness, according to the apostle's saying: 'for this is the will of God, your sanctification' (1 Th. 4:3; cf. Eph. 1:4).” Gaudete et Exsultate 10: “All this is important. Yet with this Exhortation I would like to insist primarily on the call to holiness that the Lord addresses to each of us, the call that he also addresses, personally, to you: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44; cf. 1 Pet 1:16).” Lumen Gentium 11: “Strengthened by so many and such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by the Lord – each in his or her own way – to that perfect holiness by which the Father himself is perfect.” 1 Peter 1:13-16; 13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3; As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; Ephesians 1:3-5 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. The celebration of All Saints’ day just very recently reminds us that we can also be saints like them. Why? Because they are also people who were once like us, people from all walks of life, many of them had their personal goals on what they want to accomplish in their lifetime. But what makes them saints is this common denominator: they opened to the will of God above their own will. Thus, holiness is a call of obedience: so we can be holy, blameless and perfect before God. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified, “that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable” (1 Th 4:3-4). In the world that “goes with the flow”, goes with what is pleasurable, let us remember that we are called to be holy. This is a difficult call but not impossible with the help of the Holy Spirit.
TUESDAY Call to holiness rooted in our baptismal consecration Lumen Gentium 32: “There is, therefore, one chosen People of God: "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph. 4.5); there is a common dignity of members deriving from their rebirth in Christ, a common grace as sons, a common vocation to perfection, one salvation, one hope and undivided charity. In Christ and in the Church, there is, then, no inequality arising from race or nationality, social condition or sex, for "there is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor freeman; there is neither male nor female. For you are all 'one' in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3: 28; cf. Col. 3 :11).” Gaudete et Exultate 15: “Let the grace of your baptism bear fruit in a path of holiness. Let everything be open to God; turn to him in every situation. Do not be dismayed, for the power of the Holy Spirit enables you to do this, and holiness, in the end, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life (cf. Gal 5:22-23). When you feel the temptation to dwell on your own weakness, raise your eyes to Christ crucified and say: “Lord, I am a poor sinner, but you can work the miracle of making me a little bit better.” In the Church, holy yet made up of sinners, you will find everything you need to grow towards holiness. The Lord has bestowed on the Church the gifts of scripture, the sacraments, holy places, living communities, the witness of the saints and a multifaceted beauty that proceeds from God´s love “like a bride bedecked with jewels” (Is 61:10).” VDMD Regulations 104: “As baptized persons, we aspire to maturity in love, assuming our Christian identity proper to our baptismal consecration.” IMVDMFa 7: From the particular call to live out the Verbum Dei charism, all the members of the VDMFa will seek to live out in full the grace of our baptismal consecration. As members of the VDMFa, we strive to develop the common vocation to love. Ephesians 4: 1-7.12-13 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Galatians 3:27-28 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Living up to God’s call for us to be holy is not for the few chosen ones nor for those who only choose it. The call for holiness is for all of us, for through our baptism we are already dedicated to God and thus we are called to be holy. Through this one family of Christ, we are blessed and equipped to help each other through the means in the community towards holiness. We only need to draw near to the source of all the graces to find our identity as one who is with Christ. Knowing that we are one with Him, we may come to understand that all of us are the same, and strive for holiness.
WEDNESDAY A Holy Person is Constantly Searching To Love Lumen Gentium 42: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him' (1 Jn. 4:16). God has poured out his love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (cf. Rom. 5:5); therefore, the first and most necessary gift is charity, by which we love God above all things and our neighbor because of him. Lumen Gentium 40: “The Lord Jesus, divine teacher and model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and every one of his disciples without distinction: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt. 5:48). For he sent the Holy Spirit to all to move them interiorly to love God with their whole heart, with their whole soul, with their whole understanding, and with their whole strength (cf. Mk. 12:30), and to love one another as Christ loved them (cf. Jn. 13:34; 15:12)” Gaudete et Exsultate 21: “The Father’s plan is Christ, and ourselves in him. In the end, it is Christ who loves in us, for “holiness is nothing other than charity lived to the full.” As a result, “the measure of our holiness stems from the stature that Christ achieves in us, to the extent that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we model our whole life on his.” Every saint is a message which the Holy Spirit takes from the riches of Jesus Christ and gives to his people.” Gaudete et Exsultate 14: “To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.” Matthew 5:48; Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 1 John 4: 7-20; 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 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 them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 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. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. Holiness is the highest goal a man can achieve, not after death but " here and now". “Holiness is a call and is a task"(Lumen Gentium 42) In our human perspective holiness is a challenging call and seems to be a difficult task. Today we are invited to focus on a very concrete characteristic of a holy person. He or she must constantly search to love everyday the people around and in places like at home, work, school, and neighborhood. Let us be open to the Holy Spirit and allow him to help us in order that we can be united to Christ by faith. For this is the only way that we will be capacitated to abide in God's ways of loving. "God has poured out his love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. God, through the Holy Spirit, “has given the gift of charity by which we love God above all things and our neighbor because of him"( Lumen Gentium 42). Let us thank the Lord our God for giving us the gift of charity. Through this we can respond to the call to love. How? When we are not choosy in our ways of loving and we are ready to forget ourselves because of the need of others. There may be moments where we go out of our comfort zones in order to help others. How happy we can be if we constantly allow ourselves to love like Christ. For this is charity at work in our lives."For charity is by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves "( Gaudete et Exultate 14). As we pray today let us listen wholeheartedly to the prompt of the Holy Spirit leading us to where we are tasked to share Christ's love. Let us also ask the Holy Spirit to help us by giving us strength and enthusiasm so that we can constantly love others everyday. In this way we can follow the path where we can reach our ultimate goal in life, "Holiness " while we are still here on earth. How beautiful it would be if we can live our lives in a way that reflects God's glory. Let us also ask the help of our Mother Mary to accompany us always as we follow the right path to holiness.
THURSDAY To achieve holiness is a life-long process Lumen Gentium 40: “The followers of Christ, called by God not in virtue of their works but by his design and grace, and justified in the Lord Jesus, have been made sons of God in the baptism of faith and partakers of the divine nature, and so are truly sanctified. They must therefore hold on to and perfect in their lives that sanctification which they have received from God. They are told by the apostle to put on "as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience" (Col. 3:12), to have the fruits of the Spirit for their sanctification (cf. Gal. 5:22; Rom. 6:22). But since we all offend in many ways (cf. Jas. 3:2), we constantly need God's mercy and must pray every day: "And forgive us our debts" (Mt. 6:1-2).” Lumen Gentium 42: “But if charity is to grow and fructify in the soul like a good seed, each of the faithful must willingly hear the word of God and carry out his will with deeds, with the help of his grace; he must frequently partake of the sacraments, chiefly the Eucharist, and take part in the liturgy; he must constantly apply himself to prayer, self-denial, active brotherly service and the practice of all virtues. This is because love, as the bond of perfection and fullness of the law (cf. Col. 3:14; Rom. 13:10), governs, gives meaning to, and perfects all the means of sanctification. Hence the true disciple of Christ is marked by love both of God and of his neighbor.” Gaudete et Exsultate 23: “This is a powerful summons to all of us. You too need to see the entirety of your life as a mission. Try to do so by listening to God in prayer and recognizing the signs that he gives you. Always ask the Spirit what Jesus expects from you at every moment of your life and in every decision, you must make, so as to discern its place in the mission you have received. Allow the Spirit to forge in you the personal mystery that can reflect Jesus Christ in today’s world. Gaudete et Exsultate 24: “May you come to realize what that word is, the message of Jesus that God wants to speak to the world by your life. Let yourself be transformed. Let yourself be renewed by the Spirit, so that this can happen, lest you fail in your precious mission. The Lord will bring it to fulfilment despite your mistakes and missteps, provided that you do not abandon the path of love but remain ever open to his supernatural grace, which purifies and enlightens.” Galatians 5: 22-26; 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Colossians 3:12-17; 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 2 Peter 1:3-9; 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. The Lord is calling us to holiness to conform in His love to be compassionate in the service of others with humility, patience, and kindness. Living in this state is difficult, but is possible when we nurture ourselves with prayer and reflection on the life of Jesus. It takes inner transformation that needs perseverance, determination, and a lot of prayers and sacrifices. It needs opening our hearts and our will to the Holy Spirit to forge us to love and deny ourselves in order to partake in the life of Christ. We need God's grace and mercy to have the strength to change our hearts. His grace makes our heart ardently yearn to serve others with humility and compassion. Today the world needs the light of Christ so that others who live in darkness may be brought to his light.
FRIDAY We are called to be a holy people Gaudete et Exsultate 25: “Just as you cannot understand Christ apart from the kingdom he came to bring, so too your personal mission is inseparable from the building of that kingdom: “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Mt 6:33). Your identification with Christ and his will involves a commitment to build with him that kingdom of love, justice and universal peace. Christ himself wants to experience this with you, in all the efforts and sacrifices that it entails, but also in all the joy and enrichment it brings. You cannot grow in holiness without committing yourself, body and soul, to giving your best to this endeavor.” Lumen Gentium 9: “At all times and in every race, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him (cf. Acts 10:35). He has, however, willed to make men holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness.” Gaudete et Exsultate 6: In salvation history, the Lord saved one people. We are never completely ourselves unless we belong to a people. That is why no one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the complex fabric of interpersonal relationships present in a human community. God wanted to enter into the life and history of a people. Gaudete et Exsultate 4: “The saints now in God’s presence preserve their bonds of love and communion with us. Each of us can say: “Surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God… I do not have to carry alone what, in truth, I could never carry alone. All the saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me.” (Pope Benedict XVI) Matthew 6:33; 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Romans 14:17; 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5; Paul, Silas[a] and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. The ultimate project of our life is to be identified with the very person we follow, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived and showed us the way to live life to the fullest. To live a life of righteousness may be more challenging and may entail entering into the narrow gate as Jesus said but He gives us the assurance that He will be with us till the very end of our life helping us. Lastly, we have saints to prove that it is really possible to live a holy life if and only if we have Jesus with us.
SUNDAY 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: 1 Kings 17:10-16
Psalm Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 2nd Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28 Gospel: Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44
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About the Guidelines SheetThe Guidelines sheet is a prayer guide with the Word of God to help us journey together and be one in our weekly prayer as one community. This contains daily passages from scriptures together with reflections focused on a common theme and intention for the week. Archives
January 2025
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