Day 74 – 1.5 hours   Day 75 – 4 hours                   350 to go

Ponder this warning from Hebrews from yesterday’s OOR – 12:25 See that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much more in our case if we turn away from the one who warns from heaven. 26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, "I will once more shake not only earth but heaven." 27 That phrase, "once more," points to (the) removal of shaken, created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. 28 Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.   The Good Book offers lots of instructions; the rules are right there.  James & Paul’s letter to the Ephesians gives us clear commands on how to live peacefully; this passage from Hebrews warns us that God still expects us to listen to the Father’s will, and John teaches us of love.  It’s all there, if we just listen, read, pray, and then pray some more.  St. Augustine in the second reading reminds us of the sacrifice of love – “no one has greater love than the man who lays down his life for his friends”. Then Augustine expounds on how we should “provide the same meal” as Jesus did for us.  He sacrificed and suffered out of unconditional love – we are called to do the same.  I really need to wrap my brain around this idea of suffering and sacrifice for others.  I think I suffer and sacrifice for myself sometimes, but I need to do it for God and for others.  Please pray that I change in this manner.

Tonight we celebrated the Lord’s Supper, the celebration of Holy Thursday.  On the night before He died, He gave us the ultimate gift of strength.  He knew that we would struggle, even though He gave His life for us.  God knew that we would need very special grace so He gave us the Body, Blood, Soul, & Divinity of His dearly beloved Son in the form of the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament.  I pray that we all embrace this gift forever – that we will always yearn for this gift – that we will try to live a life worthy of such a precious and holy gift.  

The beginning of the prayer from the Holy Thursday chapter in Divine Intimacy was from St. Augustine; “O Lord, how small and narrow is the house of my soul for You to enter!  Enlarge it Yourself.  It is in ruins; repair it.  I know and admit that there are things in it that are offensive in Your sight.  But who will cleanse it?  Or to whom but You shall I cry, purify me, Lord, from my hidden sins?”

My chaplet was for the very wet people of Southeastern Connecticut who lost much due to flooding and my rosary on Wednesday was for Frank Chamberland and today was for my friends and relatives who have not accepted Christ as their Savior.

Peace