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Spiritual Resources Seven Day Rosary - The first mystery of the Public Life Jesus is tempted in the wilderness The Savior of the world experienced and overcame the temptations that all of us experience-the temptations to materialism, presumption, and the temptation to do evil in order to accomplish something good. The last temptation may have been this: to worship Satan in exchange for the souls of the rest of mankind. This would have been the greatest possible temptation since Jesus had come to save each one of us. In his answer, Jesus teaches us that we may never do what is wrong even to accomplish some good purpose. He clearly teaches us that the end does not justify the means. We pray for the grace to overcome all temptations.
1. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2. And after He fasted forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.
Hai 3. The tempter said to Him: "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."
4. But Jesus answered: "It is written, 'Not by bread alone does man live but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.' "
5. Then the devil took Him into the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.
6. He said: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will give his angels charge of you, and on their hands they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against a stone.' "
7. Jesus said to him: "It is also written, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' " 8. The devil took Him to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9. "All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me."
10. Jesus said to him: "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'The Lord thy God shall you worship and Him only shall you serve.' "
Reference: Matthew 4:1-11 The second mystery of the Public Life
In the Beatitudes, Jesus challenges us today just as He challenged his listeners some 2000 years ago. People are still inclined to think that they will be happy if they are rich and powerful. Most of us want others to speak well of us. Sometimes we think that the Beatitudes refer only to pious people living in convents and monasteries. On the contrary, Jesus teaches all of us that real happiness comes only from being detached from things, by seeking justice and peace for others, and by purity of heart. The challenge of this teaching is to apply it to ourselves. We pray to think with the mind and heart of Jesus. 1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.
3. "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
4. "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. 5. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
6. "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
7. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
8. "Blessed are they who suffer persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 9. "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and falsely utter all kinds of evil against you on my account.
10. "Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven; for so did they persecute the prophets who were before you."
References: Matthew 5: 1-12; see also Luke 6:20-26 The third mystery of the Public Life The phrase about hating your enemy is not in the Old Testament. It may have been a way of saying you had fewer obligations to love your enemy; or perhaps it meant you could be indifferent to foreigners. Jesus changes that. He teaches us that we must love our enemies. And St. John reminds us that we must love each other. Love is frequently difficult, a challenge to our inclinations. If it was easy to love as God wants us to love, our Lord would not have to command us to do so. We pray for the grace to love those who persecute us-and to work for their conversion.
1. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
2. "But I say to you: Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you. 3. "Pray for those who persecute you and tell lies about you.
4. "Do so in order to be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes his sun rise on the good and evil, and He sends rain on sinners and saints alike.
5. "If you love those who love you, what reward shall you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
6. "If you greet only your friends, what more are you doing than anyone else? Don't even unbelievers do that much?
7. "You are called to be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect."
8. [And St. John wrote:] If anyone says, "I love God" and hates his brother, he is a liar.
9. The man who does not love his brother whom he does see cannot love God whom he does not see.
10. This commandment we have from the Lord, that he who loves God should love his brother also.
References: Matthew 5:43-48; 1 John 4:20-21 The fourth mystery of the Public Life God knows that husbands and wives are subject to the temptation to take each other for granted, to feel sorry for themselves, and even to imagine occasionally that life might be better with someone else. So Jesus reaffirms the original reality that marriage is truly permanent. The Lord also knows our human weaknesses and our tendency to use other people, so he reminds us that lust is not love. Chastity is the spiritual energy that enables us to place our sexuality at the service of authentic love. Marital chastity entails self-mastery and fidelity in both thought and deed. We pray for all married couples-that they will be faithful to God and to each other.
1. Pharisees came to test Him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" 2. Jesus said to them: "From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
3. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one.
4. "So they are no longer two but one flesh. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder."
5. His disciples asked Him about this again, and He said: "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her;
6. "And if the wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
7. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'
8. "But I say to you that anyone who looks at a woman with lustful intention has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
9. "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, every form of sexual immorality, stealing, lying, and slander, and these defile you."
10. "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." References: Mark 10:2-12; Matthew 5:8, 27-28; 15:19 The fifth mystery of the Public Life In curing the paralytic, Jesus added something not found in most of his miracles. He noted that this miracle was a sign of his divine power to forgive sins, a sign that people should believe that He was sent by God and that his words were true. Mid-19th century Europe was wounded by lack of faith. Skeptics denied the reality of miracles. God answered them with the miracles at Lourdes, the same sort of unexplainable healings that Jesus worked in his public life. It is good to thank God both for his continuing signs and wonders and for the gift of faith. We thank Jesus for his works, and we pray for increased faith in all that He taught.
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1. As He preached to them, four men brought a man who was paralyzed.
2. Since they could not get near Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof and lowered the paralytic on his pallet.
3. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." 4. Some of the scribes questioned in their hearts: "Why does this man speak this way? That's blasphemy! Who can forgive sins except God alone?"
5. Jesus immediately knew in his spirit that they were questioning within themselves.
6. So He said to them: "Why are you arguing this way in your hearts?
7. "Which is easier? To say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you'? or to say, 'Arise, pick up your mat and walk'?
8. "So that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" - He said to the paralytic: "I say to you, arise, pick up your mat, and go home."
9. Immediately he arose, took up his mat, and walked out in the sight of all.
10. The people were all amazed and glorified God saying, "We have never seen anything like this." Reference: Mark 2:1-12 |
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