A SENSE OF BELONGING(S) - One Bread, One Body, 9/3/2008

The August issue of My People Newspaper is now online. Articles include:

Millions Face Hunger Daily
Pope Opens Pauline Year
Jesus Is The Answer In A Confusing World
Pope Urges United Effort For Development
Food Crisis Has Many Costs
In Defense of Life: Celebration For Life

http://www.presentationministries.com/mypeople/latestMyPeople.asp
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Wednesday, September 3, 2008, Pope St. Gregory the Great

1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Psalm 33, Luke 4:38-44
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/090308.shtml

A SENSE OF BELONGING(S)

"When someone says, 'I belong to Paul,' and someone else, 'I belong to
Apollos,' is it not clear that you are still at the human level?" —1
Corinthians 3:4

Belongings and belonging are driving issues for human beings. We want to
own things. One of the first words a child learns to say is "mine." To
acquire belongings, we will do almost anything. The Lord considers this
stupid, even sinful. He assures us we already have all the belongings we
need. He says: "All things are yours, whether it be Paul, or Apollos, or
Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or the present, or the future:
all these are yours" (1 Cor 3:21-22).

Another pressing concern we human beings have is the need to belong. In
the Corinthian Church, some said they belonged to Paul. Others said they
belonged to Apollos, Cephas, or Christ (1 Cor 1:12). Everyone wanted to
belong to someone. Paul declared that these people already belonged to
Christ (1 Cor 3:23). They belonged to God in a unique way; they were a
people peculiarly God's own (see Dt 26:18). Their need to belong was
already fulfilled, although they weren't aware of it.

Once we realize that our need to belong and to have belongings are already
fulfilled, we can stop wasting our lives trying to get what we already
have. Instead, we can live for Christ in thanksgiving for providing all
our needs in His perfect love.

Prayer: Father, You have provided all I need (see Ps 145:16; Phil 4:19). I
thank and adore You.

Promise: "We are God's co-workers, while you are His cultivation, His
building." —1 Cor 3:9

Praise: Pope St. Gregory allowed God to provide for his needs by his
reliance on God to help him build six monasteries by the age of
thirty-five.

(For a related teaching, order our tape on "Divine Love" on audio AV 52-3
or video V-52.)

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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
August 1, 2008 through September 30, 2008
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, February 25, 2008

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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