Monday of the 6th week in Easter

From the treatise On the Trinity by Didymus of Alexandria

The Holy Spirit renews us in baptism

The Holy Spirit renews us in baptism through his godhead, which he shares with the Father and the Son. Finding us in a state of deformity, the Spirit restores our original beauty and fills us with his grace, leaving no room for anything unworthy of our love. The Spirit frees us from sin and death, and changes us from the earthly men we were, men of dust and ashes, into spiritual men, sharers in the divine glory, sons and heirs of God the Father who bear a likeness to the Son and are his co-heirs and brothers, destined to reign with him and to share his glory. In place of earth the Spirit reopens heaven to us and gladly admits us into paradise, giving us even now greater honour than the angels, and by the holy waters of baptism extinguishing the unquenchable fires of hell.

  We men are conceived twice: to the human body we owe our first conception, to the divine Spirit, our second. John says: To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God. These were born not by human generation, not by the desire of the flesh, not by the will of man, but of God. All who believed in Christ, he says, received power to become children of God, that is, of the Holy Spirit, and to gain kinship with God. To show that their parent was God the Holy Spirit, he adds these words of Christ: I give you this solemn warning, that without being born of water and the Spirit, no one can enter the kingdom of God.

  Visibly, through the ministry of priests, the font gives symbolic birth to our visible bodies. Invisibly, through the ministry of angels, the Spirit of God, whom even the mind’s eye cannot see, baptizes into himself both our souls and bodies, giving them a new birth.

  Speaking quite literally, and also in harmony with the words of water and the Spirit, John the Baptist says of Christ: He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Since we are only vessels of clay, we must first be cleansed in water and then hardened by spiritual fire – for God is a consuming fire. We need the Holy Spirit to perfect and renew us, for spiritual fire can cleanse us, and spiritual water can recast us as in a furnace and make us into new men.

Help the sick please !

I do desperately need your help in obtaining medicines for the sick poor here in Salinding (Tanje), The Gambia. I know I am always begging but these folks are here asking for help and what can I do?
There are about 20-30 people that come to Nazareth hermitage for medical help each morning and afternoon. We are busy dressing wounds and dispensing medicines at no cost to the villagers. This time the purse is empty and we are having to turn folks away once more. This morning I had to shut the gate as we have run out of nearly every medicine. This is the second time this has happened in this year so please.
 In just another month the rainy season will begin and that means also that the Malaria season begins. Our patient load will go up drastically and we will need more and more malaria curative drugs (Coartem or Co-Arynate) Folks from this village and many other surrounding villages will come in droves. The patient load will go up to 40-50 persons per day. The sick will walk from their other villages or ride in a donkey cart or even be carried on a friends back. Some folks are able to walk into Nazareth...others are carried on backs and lay down on the floor when they arrive. It is a very rough sight to look at. When I went out the first morning to open the gate to the hermitage I was horrified to see so many sick people needing help and wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew but the Lord always comes through. This is his work, not mine.


Your donation for these and other medications will really be a blessing not just for the sick but for each one of you as well. "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy"

I am on my knees begging for your help. Ten years ago it would have never entered my mind to become a beggar but since becoming one for God's children, it  is the most blessed work I can do. Please help!  Your gift may save someone's life or make someone well.

 

All of the sick who come to Nazareth and receive help are told about your kindness and all are asked to pray for each of you. About 95 % of those coming for help are Muslim and the rest are Christians. All are praying for you.

Thank you for your help in the past and I beg you to continue.

You can assist by sending a donation to me, Brother dismas Mary,

in c/o:

Mr. Robert Shrigley*
339 Monarch Drive
Houma, Louisiana 70364

*Bob has been taken care of my account since I became a Brother Hermit. You can be sure that any donations made will reach me within a few days and also that you name will be kept absolutely private. I do not give names of anyone out to other organizations.

I am having a bit of a problem getting snapshots into this blog but will keep trying and will let you know as soon as I suceed.

May Jesus, the Divine Mercy, shed his love and grace onto you. Be assured you are in my daily prayers.

Brother dismas Mary