A Lenten pledge

A Lenten Pledge
by Fr. Lawrence S. Brey

 

My crucified Jesus, my God and Savior, help me make a good Lent, root out my sins, and live in union with Thee.

With Thy help, I pledge and resolve the following Lenten efforts:

1. I will do penance for my sins, and make special sacrifices for Thee.

2. I will pray more often, more attentively, more humbly.

3. I will bend my will to Thine, by obeying Thy commandments and my superiors.

4. I will give up certain things I like, to better strengthen my will against evil allurements.

5. I will more strictly avoid occasions of sin.

6. I will control and discipline my eyes, my imagination, and my curiosity.

7. I will regard Lent as a time of war against my sins and weaknesses; a time to root out bad habits and self-love.

8. I will also use Lent as a time to grow in virtue, in Thy Love, in peace.

9. I will often think of Thee crucified for my sins, and try to have true contrition and purpose of amendment.

10. I will be cheerful amidst my penances and efforts, without becoming a cross or burden to others.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."

Why should you quit drinking ?

By Rev Fr Joseph Edattu VC

Drunkenness is a horrible affliction, currently plaguing mankind the world over. Many doubt whether it is a sin. Some misuse the Word of God to justify this deadly sin. Let us examine the Word of God on this subject and ponder over why we should avoid taking alcohol completely.

1. Alcoholism is the handiwork of the devil. (Rom 13:12-13) “...the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy”.

2. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; do not destroy it. (Cor 3:16-17) “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy and you are that temple”. The angel Gabriel, who came with the message of God, told Zechariah “For he (St. John the Baptist) will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink: even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 1:15) Jews were allowed to drink wine, and yet John was prohibited from drinking wine or strong drinks by Almighty God - because John was filled with the Holy Spirit. Those who are filled with Holy Spirit or wish to be filled with the Holy Spirit should never consume alcohol or intoxicating drinks.

3. If Jesus dwells in your heart, alcohol cannot comfort you. If Jesus is present in you, you will experience fullness of love, happiness, comfort and high spirits. You will not feel the need to go after any other intoxication or comfort. (1 Jn 3:9) “Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin, because they have been born of God”. Those who do not have Jesus in them will yearn for the comfort of alcohol and other worldly pleasures. They will never come out of these worldly sins without experiencing the intoxication of Jesus. “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit”. (Eph 5:18)

4. Those who indulge in even moderate drinking cannot maintain purity in life. God demanded that Samson should never drink alcohol so as to maintain purity of life. “Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink or to eat anything unclean”. (Judges 13:4) It shows wine is also considered as an unclean thing. Aaron was asked not to drink wine or other strong drinks so as to remain saintly. “Drink no wine or strong drinks, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting so that you may not die”. (Lev 10:9) For those who drink, spiritual death is certain and those who are spiritually dead are not saints - they are merely corpses.

5. Those who drink wine or any strong drink will never be able to guide others; their judgments and visions will be wrong. “The priest and prophet reel with strong drink, they are confused with wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. All tables are covered with filthy vomit; no place is clean”. (Is 28:7,8)(Is 22:13-14) “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. The Lord of hosts has revealed Himself in my ears: surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die, says the Lord God of hosts”.

6. The families, parishes and religious communities which serve alcohol on their dining table will perish beyond recognition and split up. "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one". (1 Corinthians 5:11) When that time comes, I shall search Jerusalem by lamplight and punish the men stagnating over the remains of their wine, who say in their hearts, 'Yahweh can do nothing, either good or bad.' Their wealth shall be plundered and the houses laid waste. Though they build houses they shall not inhabit them”. (Zeph 1:12-13) In European countries, cathedrals have been turned into liquor parlours and dance bars - because they have turned their own bodies (which were created as God’s temples) into bars. They have turned their homes also into liquor stores. Then why should churches or cathedrals be preserved as houses of God? “Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves”. (Rom 1:24)

7. To drunkards and to those who justify drinking, eternal misery is the reward (Is 5:11) “Ah, you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine”, are destined to be ruined. For those who justify drunkenness, God says, “Woe to those who call what is bad, good, and what is good, bad, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter”. (Is. 5:20)

8. Drunkards shall never inherit God’s kingdom (Gal 5:19-21)“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the things like that. I am warning you, as I warned you before, these who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God”. (1 Cor 6:10-11) “...thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be”.

9. Drunkards can never claim God’s approval. “For this reason, the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God: it does not submit to God’s law - it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom.8:7-8), and“Because the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, the pride in riches, comes not from the Father, but from the world”(1 John 2:16)

10. You may be drunk; but not from wine or any strong drink. Is 29:9, “Be drunk, but not from wine; stagger, but not from strong drink!” The Word of God asks us to be drunk with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit…”. After the Pentecostal experience, Peter and other disciples were filled with Holy Spirit and staggering. People thought they were drunk with wine. Then Peter said, “Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.” Those who experience the pleasure of the presence of the Holy Spirit will never seek any other pleasures.

So, what shall we do? (Rom.12:1) “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”.

This is what we can do:

Repent for believing that drunkenness is not a sin.

Repent over the occasions you indulged in social drinking, to show off your social standing. It is not in joining the majority, but in standing against the worldly instincts of the majority, that you prove your character.

Pray fervently for drunkards, those who manufacture alcohol, and for the families who are involved in the sale of alcoholic beverages, so that these families may not end up in total disaster and may stop this evil immediately.

Pray for those who are addicted to drinks; especially for those chosen ones of God who are set apart for Jesus.

Pray for mercy, for those who try to justify drinking by misinterpreting the word of God.

Pray for all humanity throughout the universe, to be filled with the intoxicating presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

A different prayer

Lord, thank you for this sink full of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mirrors, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.

Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; it has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today. It has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing, the lawn that needs raking; we all enjoy the yard.

Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says, You have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

Sharing

It was put in my heart to share this ...... about PEOPLE about US ! 

Matthew 6: 19 -21 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.

We live in a society that is concerned about things ,buying the biggest and best house ,driving the nicest car and acquiring the latest gadget.But that is not the primary focus of the Lord,nor should it be for any believer. The Lord does not object to us having things,but he objects to things having us. God didn't say that money was the root of all evil. He said the ***Love**** of money was.(1 Tim 6:10).That means putting money first in our lives above everything else.

The Psalmist wrote "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires. (Ps37:4).

Jesus tells us to “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matt 6:33)

OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE FURTHERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD .If our bottom-line heart motivation isn’t souls, we’re not focusing on the right thing. There is a record in heaven where we will have to give an account of everything that we do and say (Rom 14:12) Matthew 6:20 instructs us to lay up treasures in heaven. So, every time we give to the Lord out of a pure heart ,we’re laying up a heavenly bank account and increasing our balance. Giving is making another deposit for eternity. And just like an earthly bank account, we can make withdrawals. Consider giving as an opportunity to advance God’s Kingdom and enhance your heavenly bank account. Who knows you better-the teller at the bank or the recording angel of the bank of heaven?.

~~ we try to do the best we can, God Bless ~~