The Temptation to Hopelessness : “You gave Your sons good ground for hope.” —Wisdom 12:19 Before we totally committed our lives to Jesus, we walked in the valley of hopelessness. Life in general seemed hopeless. To cope with this, we would retreat to what we thought were bastions of hope — our children, work, marriages, or a special activity. These rays of hope usually dimmed. So, we tried to constantly distract ourselves or alter our consciousness to ignore the gnawing and sometimes savage hopelessness within us. When we saw someone hopeful, we were either cynical or wanted to ask him to defend his hope (1 Pt 3:15). When we gave our lives to Jesus, we had “Christ in” us, our “hope of glory” (Col 1:27). We knew that God had planned for us “a future full of hope” (Jer 29:11). We also believed that this hope would not disappoint us (Rm 5:5). Nonetheless, we now have different types of temptation to give into hopelessness. For example, when we see weeds in the field of God’s kingdom (see Mt 13:24ff), it can lead us to discouragement and even hopelessness. Moreover, when we see that our work for God’s kingdom has miniscule effects like the tiny mustard seed and slow, imperceptible effects like the work of leaven (see Mt 13:31-33), we are easily tempted to give up hope. But the Lord continues to fill us with hope. Therefore, “rejoice in hope, be patient under trial, persevere in prayer” (Rm 12:12). PRAYER: Father, make my hope very noticeable. May I eagerly defend the reason for my hope (1 Pt 3:15). PROMISE: “The Spirit too helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings.” —Rm 8:26 / PRAISE: “The Lord God is My help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set My face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame” (Is 50:7). Lord Jesus, we praise...

Impossible Christianity : “Come to Me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.” — Matthew 11:28 The Lord has made living the Christian life humanly impossible. We must be made perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Mt 5:48). We must become holy in every aspect of our conduct (1 Pt 1:15) or we will not see God (Heb 12:14), that is, we will not see Jesus face to face in heaven (see 1 Cor 13:12). Furthermore, we must be compassionate as our Father is compassionate (Lk 6:36) and pure as Jesus is pure (1 Jn 3:3). If we fall into sin on one point of God’s law, we become guilty on all counts (Jas 2:10). Because living the Christian life is humanly impossible, many people don’t even try. Some are honest enough to admit that they don’t try. Others try to water down Christianity to make it more humanly possible, and then rationalize their lukewarmness (see Rv 3:16). Some even try to live Christianity by their own power. They eventually get frustrated and burn out. At this point, they are tempted to dismiss Christianity completely. Instead, they should come to Jesus and learn from Him (Mt 11:28-29). Jesus will teach us that Christianity is not a do-it-yourself religion, but one in which we let it be done to us (see Lk 1:38). Then the burden of Christianity, while still humanly impossible, is easy and light (Mt 11:30). PRAYER: Father, may I give up trying to do the impossible and let You do it. PROMISE: “You are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.” —Rm 8:9 PRAISE: The Lord Jesus, after He rose, was “taken up into glory” (see 1 Tm 3:16). Praise You, Jesus!  (From a reflection by Fr Al Lauer, Presentation Ministries) /////// For the full Readings please go to: https:thewordonsunday.blogspot.com John...

TLIET INVOKAZZJONIJIET ĠODDA MAL-LITANIJA : “Mater misericordiæ”, il-Latin għal “Omm tal-ħniena”; “Mater spei”, jew “Omm it-tama”; u “Solacium migrantium”, jew “Faraġ tal-migranti” huma l-invokazzjonijiet ġodda lill-Verġni Mqaddsa Marija fil-Litanija Lawretana, li spiss tingħad fi tmiem ir-Rużarju. Iż-żieda li l-Papa Franġisku għadu kemm għamel lil-Litanija Lawretana ġiet ippromulgata mill-Kongregazzjoni għall-Kult Divin u d-Dixxiplina tas-Sagramenti nhar is-Sibt 20 ta’ Ġunju 2020, fl-istess jum tal-Festa tal-Qalb bla Tebgħa ta’ Marija. F’ittra lill-Presidenti tal-Konferenzi tal-Isqfijiet mad-dinja kollha, il-Kardinal Robert Sarah, il-Prefett tal-Kongregazzjoni, u s-Segretarju tagħha, l-Arċisqof Arthur Roche, jgħidu li mal-medda tas-sekli, l-Insara ilhom jużaw għadd bla tarf ta’ invokazzjonijiet u titli biex bihom isejħu lill-Verġni Marija, “bħala t-triq ipprivileġġjata u żgura għal-laqgħa ma’ Kristu”. Tweġiba għall-ħtiġijiet ta’ żmienna Huma jgħidu li “f’rabta ma’ żminijietna, immarkati minn sentimenti ta’ inċertezza u biża’, il-Poplu ta’ Alla jirrikorri b’qima għandha, kollu mħabba u fiduċja”. “Wara li għarbel dan is-sentimenti u laqa’ x-xewqat espressi”, spjegat il-Kongregazzjoni, “il-Qdusija Tiegħu l-Papa Franġisku jixtieq jipprovdi li fil-formularju tal-Litanija tal-Verġni Mqaddsa Marija, imsejħa l-‘Litanija Lawretana’, jiddaħħlu l-invokazzjonijiet ‘Mater misericordiæ’, ‘Mater spei’ u ‘Solacium migrantium’”. Skont id-direttivi, l-invokazzjoni “Omm tal-ħniena” għandha tiddaħħal wara “Omm il-Knisja”, “Omm it-tama” wara “Omm tal-grazzja ta’ Alla”, u “Faraġ tal-migranti” wara “Kenn tal-midinbin”. F’intervista, l-Arċisqof Roche spjega li dawn l-invokazzjonijiet “iwieġbu għar-realtajiet taż-żminijiet li qed ngħixu fihom”. Ħafna nies mad-dinja kollha jħossuhom imġarrba b’ħafna modi, mhux biss minħabba l-pandemija tal-Covid-19, imma anki għax imġiegħla jħallu djarhom minħabba faqar, ġlied u raġunijiet oħra, u għalhekk jersqu jitolbu f’riġlejn il-Verġni Mbierka. L-invokazzjonijiet mhumiex ġodda L-Arċisqof Roche qal li l-Papa ried iwieġeb għal dan il-mument billi jinkludi dawn l-invokazzjonijiet. L-Arċisqof innota li dawn l-invokazzjonijiet mhumiex ġodda għax huma parti mit-tradizzjoni tal-Knisja li tmur lura sekli sħaħ, bħalma hi t-talba-innu, “Sliem għalik, Sultana, Omm tal-ħniena, tama tagħna…”. “Dawn l-invokazzjonijiet kollha”, qal, “tqiegħdu fil-Litanija Lawretana, li hi għal qalb tant nies mad-dinja kollha. Issa din qed twieġeb għal bżonn veru li d-dinja tagħna llum għandha tal-għajnuna tal-Verġni Mbierka”. X’inhi l-Litanija Lawretana? Il-Litanija Lawretana tieħu isimha mis-Santwarju Marjan ta’ Loreto fl-Italja, fejn jingħad li kienet ilha tintuża sa mill-1531. Ġiet approvata uffiċjalment fl-1587 mill-Papa Sistu V, li neħħa...