"The Family and Peace" at:
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Pope Benedict XVI, Shepherd of Truth is designed as a bulletin insert
which you can use at your local church to keep up to date on what the Holy
Father is saying. You are free to reproduce it for this purpose.
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008, St. Vincent
1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 89:20-22, 27-28, Mark 2:23-28
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/012208.shtml
"A LIVING SACRIFICE" (Rm 12:1)
"I have come to sacrifice to the Lord." —1 Samuel 16:5
Sacrifice is defined as "a giving up of something for the sake of
something or someone else." We Catholics are used to making sacrifices,
but do we make our whole life "a living sacrifice," as Jesus would have us
do? (Rm 12:1) We can do so by:
* participating frequently in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, fully
aware that we are sacrificially giving our all to Jesus,
* attending Mass to give back to the Lord (Ps 116:12) rather than
thinking of getting something from Him,
* offering the Lord a sacrifice of praise (Ps 50:14, 23), especially if
we don't feel like it, and
* joining our every sacrifice with that of Jesus, including sacrifices
of our income (by tithing and almsgiving), our heartfelt thanksgiving (Ps
116:17), and prayer (Ps 141:2).
God reveals that mercy (Mt 9:13), obedience (1 Sm 15:22), and love (Hos
6:6) are better than sacrifice. However, He also is pleased by holy, just,
and loving sacrifices (Heb 13:16).
Jesus sacrificed the ecstasy of heaven to come to earth and save us. Yet
He didn't sacrifice Himself for us out of duty; rather, He sacrificed for
us out of sheer, merciful love (Jn 3:16). He gave Himself for us as a
sacrifice (Eph 5:2, RNAB), yet it was a sacrifice He greatly desired to
make (see Lk 22:15).
Respond to Jesus by sacrificing your entire life to Him from a heart of
love and desire.
Prayer: Jesus, I love You so much. I will continually offer You every
moment of my life as "a sacrifice of praise" (Heb 13:15).
Promise: "Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance
but the Lord looks into the heart." —1 Sm 16:7
Praise: St. Vincent's acceptance of the torture which killed him as a
martyr led to the conversion of his jailer.
(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
December 1, 2008 through January 31, 2008
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July
30, 2007
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
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