AN AMAZING DAY OF GRACE - One Bread, One Body, 09/08/2023

Friday, September 8, 2023, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Micah 5:1-4 or
Romans 8:28-30
Psalm 13:6
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

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AN AMAZING DAY OF GRACE
"We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His decree." —Romans 8:28

It seemed that St. Joseph would divorce Mary, and Mary would be in danger of being executed as an adulteress (see Mt 1:19). However, Joseph obeyed God’s revelation, and God made “all things work together for the good” (Rm 8:28).

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus fled in the night to Egypt (Mt 2:13ff). The Holy Family was in danger. But they escaped Herod’s massacre of the baby boys of Bethlehem, and God made “all things work together for the good” (Rm 8:28).

Mary was at the foot of Jesus’ cross (see Jn 19:25). She saw up close her Son being tortured and murdered. She was in indescribable agony. However, her Son rose from the dead and made her Queen of heaven and earth. God made “all things work together for the good” (Rm 8:28).

On this day when we celebrate Mary’s birthday, some of you are on the verge of divorce, in danger of death, or in agony. Jesus loves you infinitely and has died on the cross and risen from the dead for love of you. On this birthday celebration of Mary, expect Jesus to make “all things work together for the good” (Rm 8:28).

Prayer: Father, may I never forget this day.

Promise: "Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne." —Mi 5:2

Praise: Horace, once a non-Christian, came to know Jesus as Lord because of an interest in the prophetic messages given at Marian apparitions.

(For a related teaching on Mother Mary, view, download or order our leaflet on our website.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period August 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 4, 2023

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") 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 the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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THE RIGHT FEAR - One Bread, One Body, 09/07/2023

Thursday, September 7, 2023,

Colossians 1:9-14
Psalm 98:2-6
Luke 5:1-11

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THE RIGHT FEAR
"Do not be afraid." —Luke 5:10

Simon Peter fell at the feet of Jesus and said: “Leave me, Lord. I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8). He encountered the awesome power of Jesus in the miraculous catch of fish and, filled with “the fear of the Lord,” acknowledged Him as “Lord.”

A faithful Jew, St. Peter knew that to see the face of the Lord was to die (see Ex 33:20; Jgs 13:22). Even setting foot on the holy mountain or touching the Ark of the Covenant was to immediately die (Ex 19:12; 2 Sm 6:6-7). So Jesus had to encourage Peter to not be afraid (Lk 5:10).

The untouchable, almighty God became man in Jesus, and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14). Jesus encouraged us to love Him, touch Him, and even receive His Body into our own bodies in the Holy Eucharist. The fear of death at encountering the Lord was displaced by a newfound comfort in the Lord’s presence, encouraged by the Lord Himself, Who repeatedly told us to “not be afraid.”

The fear of the Lord is an awesome, reverential sense of God’s presence, one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Is 11:2-3). In the present day, that fear of the Lord is seemingly lacking, and yet  is a gift much needed, for “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps 111:10). Beg God for the gift of fear of the Lord.

Prayer: Father, I bow before You and give You my entire life. Use me as You will.

Promise: "By the might of His glory you will be endowed with the strength needed to stand fast, even to endure joyfully whatever may come." —Col 1:11

Praise: "By the might of His glory you will be endowed with the strength needed to stand fast, even to endure joyfully whatever may come." —Col 1:11

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
(Immerse yourself in the Life of Jesus through a study of the Gospel of Luke, Oct. 13-15. Call 513-373-2397 or see www.presentationministries.com for information or to register.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period August 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 4, 2023

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") 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 the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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THE THRICE-HOLY GOD - One Bread, One Body, 09/06/2023

Wednesday, September 6, 2023,

Colossians 1:1-8
Psalm 52:10-11
Luke 4:38-44

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THE THRICE-HOLY GOD
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy ones." —Colossians 1:1-2

Paul called Christians “saints,” that is, holy ones (see Col 1:4). He usually began his letters thanking God for the holiness of his Christian brothers and sisters. He called all the saints to grow in holiness.

We are called to be holy in every aspect of our conduct (1 Pt 1:15). We are to be holy as God the Father is holy (1 Pt 1:16). We should want to be holy even more than we want to be selfish. Moreover, we should delight with God to see people living holy lives and growing in holiness. May our heart’s desire be that God the Father’s name be hallowed (Mt 6:9), that is, recognized as holy, because of the holiness of His children. In heaven, “day and night, without pause, they sing: ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty’ ” (Rv 4:8). May our holy lives constantly sing the holiness of the thrice-holy God: “Holy, holy, holy...”

Prayer: Father, may I live and die to be holy.

Promise: "At sunset, all who had people sick with a variety of diseases took them to Him, and He laid hands on each of them and cured them." —Lk 4:40

Praise: Don has attended Mass every day for the last thirty years.He hungers and thirsts for holiness, and the Lord has filled him (Mt 5:6).

(To help grow in holiness, read the Bible daily. For encouragement, listen to, download or order Ignorance of Scriptures is Ignorance of Christ on CD 82-1 or DVD 82, How to Pray the Bible on CD 82-3 or DVD 82 or How to Read the Bible on CD 46-3 or DVD 46 on our website.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period August 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 4, 2023

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") 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 the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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ON GUARD! - One Bread, One Body, 09/05/2023

Tuesday, September 5, 2023,

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
Luke 4:31-37

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ON GUARD!
"You are not in the dark, brothers, that the day should catch you off guard, like a thief." —1 Thessalonians 5:4

How much did you think this week about the Second Coming of Christ? If you’re like many Catholics, the message of His coming again goes in one ear and out the other. However, through His Word and the Mass, Jesus constantly warns us that He is coming again. When you attend Sunday Mass, you hear the message of the Second Coming of Christ at least twice and as many as four times, depending upon the prayers and responses chosen. If you attend daily Mass, you heard about the Second Coming between nine and twenty-two times this week! In addition, numerous verses in Scripture are devoted to Jesus’ Second Coming.

A good rule of thumb is for us to think about the Second Coming of Christ at least as much as Jesus and the Church think about it. If you haven’t recently thought of the day of Jesus’ Second Coming, or at least His coming at the day of your death, you are probably “off guard” (1 Thes 5:4). If so, it’s not because the Lord and His Church haven’t been warning you constantly. “You know very well that the day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night” (1 Thes 5:2). “Therefore let us not be asleep like the rest, but awake and sober!” (1 Thes 5:6)

A good way to constantly think of the day of the Lord’s return is to regularly tell others about it (see 1 Thes 4:18). Spread the Good News of salvation (1 Thes 5:9) and “wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Prayer: Father, may I "be ready to greet Him (Jesus) when He comes again."

Promise: He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they leave." —Lk 4:36

Praise: Eleanor contracted the potentially fatal Hepatitis C virus. She was prayed over at the bishop's healing service, and was healed.

(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 the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period August 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 4, 2023

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") 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 the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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ON FIRE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT - One Bread, One Body, 09/04/2023

Monday, September 4, 2023,

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 11-13
Luke 4:16-30

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ON FIRE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me." —Luke 4:18

Father Al Lauer, founder of One Bread, One Body, considered Luke 4:18 to be his personal mission statement. As he prepared for his ordination to the priesthood, he chose this Scripture verse as his theme. The passage was quoted on his funeral Mass card. Fr. Al was on fire with the Holy Spirit and operated in the gifts of the Spirit throughout his priesthood.

Jesus said: “I have come to light a fire on the earth. How I wish the blaze were ignited!” (Lk 12:49) Jesus came to baptize us with the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:8). On Easter, He told His disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:22). After Jesus ascended, the gifts of the Spirit were poured out on us all (Eph 4:10; Acts 2:17) and the Church was born.

At Baptism, you received “the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1266). Yet the world, the devil, and our flesh constantly fight against the Holy Spirit for control of our lives (Gal 5:17). Therefore, “I remind you to stir into flame” the Holy Spirit in your lives (2 Tm 1:6).

Fr. Al once said: “The more I say ‘No’ to myself, the more I say ‘Yes’ to the Holy Spirit.” In that spirit, repent immediately of all sin. Deny yourself and take up your daily cross (Lk 9:23). Be on fire with the Holy Spirit, living so as to never stifle or sadden the Spirit (1 Thes 5:19; Eph 4:30). “Since we live by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s lead” (Gal 5:25).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, may I receive a double portion of the spirit You gave Your servant, Fr. Al Lauer (2 Kgs 2:9). May I want the Holy Spirit more than I want to take my next breath.

Promise: "Thenceforth we shall be with the Lord unceasingly." —1 Thes 4:17

Praise: Simon received God's power to stop masturbating when he heard another man witness how Jesus had set him free of it.

(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 the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period August 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 4, 2023

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") 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 the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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BODY-LANGUAGE - One Bread, One Body, 09/03/2023

Sunday, September 3, 2023, 22nd Sunday Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Romans 12:1-2
Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9
Matthew 16:21-27
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BODY-LANGUAGE
"I beg you through the mercy of God to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God." —Romans 12:1

We must offer our bodies as sacrifices to God. We are also called to offer our “bodies to God as weapons for justice” (Rm 6:13). We must know that our bodies are temples “of the Holy Spirit, Who is within” (1 Cor 6:19). Our bodies are sacrifices, weapons, and temples. Because our bodies are sacrifices, we must deny ourselves and let God consume us (see Heb 12:29). We must give God our best so as not to offer defective sacrifices (see Mal 1:7-8).

Because our bodies are weapons, we must not be “bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares” (Lk 21:34). We should fight by wielding the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6:17)and the spiritual weapons of prayer and fasting (Mt 17:21, NAB). We must be in shape to “fight the good fight” of evangelization (1 Tm 1:18).

Because our bodies are temples, they should be holy, clean, peaceful, and joyous. We need to repent of our sins, go to Confession, and enthrone Jesus as Lord of our lives and our bodies. Although our bodies are weak and fragile, they are precious in God’s eyes. If we use them to glorify Him, He will glorify our bodies and raise them from the dead (see Phil 3:21). “So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:20).

Prayer: Father, I am custom-made to please You. I offer my body to You.

Promise: "What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and destroy himself in the process?" —Mt 16:26

Praise: Praise the risen Jesus, the God of forgiveness, mercy, and love. Alleluia!

(For a related teaching on Be Holy,For I am Holy, view, download or order our leaflet on our website.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period August 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 4, 2023

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") 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 the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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A LAZY FEAR - One Bread, One Body, 09/02/2023

Saturday, September 2, 2023,

1 Thessalonians 4:9-11
Psalm 98:1, 7-9
Matthew 25:14-30

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A LAZY FEAR
"Out of fear I went off and buried your thousand silver pieces." —Matthew 25:25 "His master exclaimed: 'You worthless, lazy lout!' " —Matthew 25:26

In today’s Gospel parable, Jesus links fear and laziness. The master implies strongly that doing nothing is not “neutral”; rather, it is wicked and lazy (see Mt 25:26). According to the parable, when we give in to fear and allow it to paralyze us, we are lazy.

It takes diligence, effort, and prayer to overcome fear. Battling fear is hard work. The author of Hebrews tells us: “Do not grow lazy, but imitate those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises” (Heb 6:12). We are to actively fight wickedness, laziness, and apathy.

Often we bury our fears to protect ourselves. Yet when we bury our fears, we may also be burying our talents “out of fear” (Mt 25:25). Are we living in fear? Beg the Lord for more love, since perfect love casts out all fear (1 Jn 4:18). Repent! Place your fears at the altar during Mass and present them to God.

Jesus says: “Fear is useless; what is needed is trust” (Mk 5:36). Don’t bury your fears and thereby grow lazy. Give your fears to the Lord, and let Him fill you with the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude.

Prayer: Father, You are my refuge and strength. Therefore I shall not fear (Ps 46:2-3).

Promise: "Come, share your Master's joy!" —Mt 25:21

Praise: Warren received the call to be a priest at age seven and held that call in his heart until he was old enough to live it out.

(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 the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period August 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 4, 2023

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") 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 the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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