Tuesday of the 6th week in Easter

 First reading from the Office of Readings is included today as it is so rich in truth and meaning.

FIRST READING

1 John 2:12-17

I am writing to you, my own children,

whose sins have already been forgiven through his name;

I am writing to you, fathers,

who have come to know the one

who has existed since the beginning;

I am writing to you, young men,

who have already overcome the Evil One;

I have written to you, children,

because you already know the Father;

I have written to you, fathers,

because you have come to know the one

who has existed since the beginning;

I have written to you, young men,

because you are strong and God’s word has made its home in you,

and you have overcome the Evil One.

You must not love this passing world

or anything that is in the world.

The love of the Father cannot be

in any man who loves the world,

because nothing the world has to offer

– the sensual body,

the lustful eye,

pride in possessions –

could ever come from the Father

but only from the world;

and the world, with all it craves for,

is coming to an end;

but anyone who does the will of God

remains for ever.

From a commentary on the gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop    Second Reading

What binds us together is Christ

Paul bears witness to the fact that we achieve bodily union with Christ to the extent that we partake of his holy flesh. About this great mystery he says This that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations: it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ.

  If we are all the same body with one another in Christ – not just with one another, but with him who, through communion with his flesh, is actually within us – are we not then all of us clearly one with one another and one with Christ? For Christ is the bond that unites us, being at once God and Man.

  Following the same line of thought, we can say this about spiritual unity: we all receive one and the same Spirit, the one Holy Spirit, I mean the Holy Spirit. So in a way we are blended together with one another and with God. Even though we are many individuals and Christ, the Spirit of the Father and his own Spirit, dwells in each one of us individually, still the Spirit is really one and indivisible. And so that one Spirit binds together the separated spirits of each one of us so that we are seen to be one, together in Christ.

  Just as the power of Christ’s holy flesh makes into one body everyone in whom it exists, in the same way the Spirit of God, being indivisible, ties together the spirits in which it dwells.

  Again, Paul emphasized this point: Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all. As the one Spirit abides in us, the one God and Father will be with us through the Son, leading those who share the Spirit into unity with each other and with himself.

  There is another way to show that we are united through sharing in the Holy Spirit. If we abandon living as mere animals and surrender ourselves wholly to the laws of the Spirit, it is surely beyond question that by effectively denying our own life and taking upon ourselves the transcendent likeness of the Holy Spirit who is joined unto us, we are practically transformed into another nature. We are no longer mere men, but sons of God and citizens of Heaven, through becoming partakers of the divine nature.

  We are all, therefore, one in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; one because we have the same relationship, one because we live the same life of righteousness, and one in receiving the holy flesh of Christ and in sharing the one Holy Spirit.

Help the sick please !

Once again 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 tobe helped are told about your kindness and they 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