CREDENTIALS - One Bread, One Body, 5/15/2009

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

Hope Is Focus of Youth Day
Economic Crisis Threatens Human Rights
In Defense of Life: F O C A
Prison to Praise: What Are You Giving Up for Lent?
Church Reaches Out To Suffering
Jesus Is The Answer To Suffering

http://www.presentationministries.com/mypeople/latestMyPeople.asp
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Friday, May 15, 2009, St. Isidore the Farmer (USA)

Acts 15:22-31, Psalm 57, John 15:12-17
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/051509.shtml

CREDENTIALS

"It is the decision of the Holy Spirit, and ours too." —Acts 15:28

Almost everyone reading this is a Gentile, that is, a non-Jew. Early
Christians had serious reservations about including us in Jesus' kingdom.
According to the Bible and tradition, we Gentiles were not the chosen
people. We did not belong. What caused the early Christians to change
their minds was the outpouring of the Spirit on us Gentiles. Peter
reasoned that, if we received the Spirit's gifts of tongues and prophecy
just as they did on Pentecost, God must want to include Gentiles also
(Acts 11:17; 15:8). In effect, the Holy Spirit was the One Who decided to
include us Gentiles in Christ's Kingdom.

Let's put ourselves back in those early days of the Church. Would we
present-day Christians have the Holy Spirit-credentials to be accepted
into the Christian community? Are the gifts and fruit of the Spirit so
manifest in our lives that we obviously belong in Christ's Body? Do we
have the way of love which surpasses all the gifts? (1 Cor 12:31) If we
do, they'll know we are Christians by our love, the fruit of the Spirit
(Jn 13:35).

Prayer: Father, may my Christianity be written all over me. Give me a new
Pentecost.

Promise: "This is My commandment: love one another as I d you. There is no
greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." —Jn
15:12-13

Praise: St. Isidore, patron of farmers and rural communities, rose early
each morning and walked to Mass before carrying out his lifelong work as a
farm laborer.

(For a related teaching, order our leaflet, "Seek the Gifts of the
Spirit", or our four series of tapes on "Gifts of the Spirit" starting
with audio AV 3A-1 or video V-3A.)

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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 April
1, 2009 through May 31, 2009
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, October 3, 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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