SAVE THE CHILDREN - One Bread, One Body, 08/16/2020

Sunday, August 16, 2020, 20th Sunday Ordinary Time

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Matthew 15:21-28

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SAVE THE CHILDREN
"Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is terribly troubled by a demon." —Matthew 15:22

Jesus delivered many people from demons. Sometimes He delivered children from demons (Mt 15:22; Mk 9:17ff). This raises the question: How can innocent children who could not have grievously sinned or been knowingly involved in the occult be possessed or troubled by demons?
Children suffer innocently for the sins of their parents and the world. This suffering seems to include even harassment from the evil one. Sins committed by any of us can result in the severest form of child abuse: exposing a child to demonic influence.  A simple reading of any of the historical books of the Old Testament will demonstrate how sins of others can harm innocent children.
Why doesn’t the Lord protect children from the effect of our sins? Why didn’t He intervene and save the Holy Innocents martyred at Bethlehem? Why doesn’t He spare the children victimized by abortion? The Lord allows us to accept the wages of our sins (Rm 6:23). He even lets us pass on a devastating inheritance to our children and to the children of the world (Ex 20:5). Our unrepented sins open the door for Satan to enter not only our lives, but also the lives of innocent children. Repent!

Prayer: In the name of Jesus, leave, Satan, never to return. Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory.

Promise: "Observe what is right, do what is just; for My salvation is about to come, My justice, about to be revealed." —Is 56:1

Praise: "If Christ was not raised, your faith is worthless" (1 Cor 15:17). Father God, thank You for Your perfect plan of redemption.



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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 from August 1, through September 30, 2020. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 1, 2019"

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 BEST DESTINY - One Bread, One Body, 08/15/2020

Saturday, August 15, 2020, Assumption

Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10
1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Psalm 45:10-12, 16
Luke 1:39-56

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THE BEST DESTINY
"A special place had been prepared for her by God."—Revelation 12:6

Why is the assumption of Mary’s body in heaven so important as to warrant a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church? One reason is because of what it says about her perfection and what it means for our perfection. ”The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 966).
By her Immaculate Conception, Mary was freed from the burden and penalty of original sin. Mary already has in her body the glory of the Resurrection. She is thus a prophetess of what our redeemed destiny will be — the joy of having glorified flesh and seeing God face-to-face in heaven (1 Cor 15:42-49; 1 Jn 3:2). Mary goes before us to intercede that we might share her destiny.
Mary brought the Child Jesus into the world. Assumed into heaven, she intercedes with her Son that we too will receive glorified bodies and see God on His holy throne in heaven. Thank You, Lord, for listening to Mary and hearing her prayers (see Jn 2:3ff). Like Mary, trust God completely with your body.

Prayer: Father, thank You for assuming Mary into heaven. Do with me whatever You must in order to do through me whatever You will.

Promise: "Christ must reign until God has put all enemies under His feet." —1 Cor 15:25

Praise: Through her purity and obedience, Mary was the perfect disciple. She is both virgin and mother, a model for all believers. In her Assumption, God took Mary body and soul into heavenly glory.

(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 from August 1, through September 30, 2020. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 1, 2019"

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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WE WALK BY FAITH (2 Cor 5:7) - One Bread, One Body, 08/14/2020

Friday, August 14, 2020 , St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe

Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63
Isaiah 12:2-6
Matthew 19:3-12
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WE WALK BY FAITH (2 Cor 5:7)
"Let him accept this teaching who can." —Matthew 19:12

God’s ways are not our ways (Is 55:9). His standards are so high above ours, yet His grace, so lavishly outpoured, is so high above our expectations as well.
Living by God’s high standards of sexual purity is like walking on water. The temptations are so strong, especially in today’s secular culture, that most don’t even try to get out of the boat and attempt to walk on the water of a lifestyle of purity. 
Some people, however, are like Peter; they leave the boat and start walking toward Jesus on the water of sexual purity, keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb 3:1). Whatever your vocation, Jesus is also calling you to be committed to living a lifestyle of sexual purity.  If you take your eyes off Him, and fix your eyes on TV, movies, online videos, and other “enticements for the eye” (1 Jn 2:16), you will start to “falter” (Mt 14:31). 
Jesus understands. He was subject to temptation. He knows our weakness, and loves us far more than we could ever understand. Instead of being permissive toward sin, He handed over His life so the Holy Spirit could be poured out on us without limit. Jesus has the highest standards of sexual purity, but He also gives the greatest grace for the greatest victory. Ask Him for the Holy Spirit (Lk 11:13) and for victory over sexual temptations.

Prayer: Lord, this is my body, which is to be given up for You. In my weakness, Your power is made perfect (see 2 Cor 12:9). I trust in You.

Promise: "God indeed is my Savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord." —Is 12:2

Praise: St. Maximilian lived the Gospel, giving up his life for a fellow inmate at Auschwitz. "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn 15:13).

(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 from August 1, through September 30, 2020. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 1, 2019"

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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YOU ARE A SIGN OF THE LIVING GOD - One Bread, One Body, 08/13/2020

Thursday, August 13, 2020, Pope St. Pontian St. Hippolytus

Ezekiel 12:1-12
Psalm 78:56-59, 61-62
Matthew 18:21—19:1
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YOU ARE A SIGN OF THE LIVING GOD
"I have made you a sign." —Ezekiel 12:6

Radical forgiveness is a sign that amazes people. God asks Ezekiel to be a sign by performing a series of bizarre activities — going about blinded, walking aimlessly, acting as an exile. These behaviors were commanded by God to attempt to shock the Israelites into examining the reality of their distance from God.
A few weeks ago in the daily Mass readings, Jeremiah buried the loincloth (his underwear) in the rock in obedience to God’s command. Weeks later, when God directed him to retrieve the loincloth, it was wormy, rotted full of holes. That rotten underwear was a sign to Jeremiah’s hearers portraying their unfaithfulness in God’s sight.
Offering radical forgiveness to those who hurt us is likewise a sign meant to shock people into considering the faithful loving-kindness of God. The proper response to such a sign from God is repentance accompanied by obedient faith.
God says to you: “I have made you a sign” (Ez 12:6). People are looking at your life, much as they look to traffic signs for direction. What message do they see in your life? Will the way you respond to God encourage others to reform their lives and trust in God?

Prayer: Father, grant that everyone who sees me may immediately turn their thoughts to Your merciful love.

Promise: "Moved with pity, the master let the official go and wrote off the debt." —Mt 18:27

Praise: Pope St. Pontian and St. Hippolytus demonstrate that rivals can reconcile — by surrendering to divine providence. The two men, often theologically antagonistic, were martyred together in Sardinia.

(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 from August 1, through September 30, 2020. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 1, 2019"

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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SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED - One Bread, One Body, 08/12/2020

Wednesday, August 12, 2020, St. Jane Frances de Chantal

Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22
Psalm 113:1-6
Matthew 18:15-20
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SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED
"Pass through the city [through Jerusalem] and mark an X on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it." —Ezekiel 9:4

The Lord destroyed the idolators of Jerusalem. Only those marked with a cross-like figure on their foreheads were spared (Ez 9:6). This was a prefigurement of the end of the world. Only those with the seal of the Lamb of God will be saved (Rv 7:3). Those with the mark of the beast (Rv 13:17) will be damned.
We can receive the seal of the Lamb of God only by being baptized into Jesus and faithfully living that immersion into Him. This entails:
• washing our robes and making them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rv 7:14),
• accepting the grace of salvation in Jesus through faith and living a life of the good works the Lord has prepared for each of us (Eph 2:8-10; cf Heb 13:21), and
• confessing with our lips that Jesus is Lord and believing in our hearts that He is risen from the dead (Rm 10:9).
These are a few ways of expressing the richness of our salvation.
When you were baptized, you were probably signed with the sign of the cross. This symbolizes the fullness of salvation. If you live the meaning of the sign of the cross, you will be saved and live in the love of Jesus forever. Live the cross.

Prayer: Father, may the central priority of my life be to accept Your Son, Jesus, as my Lord, Savior, and God.

Promise: "Again I tell you, if two of you join your voices on earth to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by My Father in heaven. Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in their midst." —Mt 18:19-20

Praise: St. Jane Frances lived an eventful life as wife and mother. As a grieving widow, she met St. Francis de Sales. Through God's providence and aided by Francis, she founded the Visitation nuns.



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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 from August 1, through September 30, 2020. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 1, 2019"

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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SPIRITUAL ANOREXIA - One Bread, One Body, 08/11/2020

Tuesday, August 11, 2020, St. Clare

Ezekiel 2:8—3:4
Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
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SPIRITUAL ANOREXIA
"Open your mouth and eat what I shall give you." —Ezekiel 2:8

The Lord commanded Ezekiel to eat a scroll covered with messages of “lamentation and wailing and woe” (Ez 2:10). This hardly sounds like a tasty treat, but Ezekiel found it “as sweet as honey” in his mouth (Ez 3:3).
“How sweet to my palate are Your promises, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps 119:103) God’s Word, including even the most difficult of His words, is sweet, nourishing, and fulfilling. God’s Word is not only like honey but also like bread, milk, and meat (Mt 4:4; Heb 5:12; 1 Cor 3:2). We should be as eager to eat God’s Word as infants are for their mothers’ milk. God’s Word is the pure milk of the Spirit to make us grow unto salvation, now that we “have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pt 2:2-3).
Although God’s Word is as sweet as honey, as necessary as bread, as nourishing as milk, and as filling as meat, many Christians rarely read the Word. We have become spiritually anorexic and have lost our appetite for the things of God. We have so stuffed ourselves with worldly concerns that we have ruined our appetite “for food that remains unto life eternal” (Jn 6:27).
Therefore, we must dramatically simplify our lifestyle. Then our spiritual appetite for God’s Word will return. We will devour God’s Word (Jer 15:16) and have the strength to be everything the Lord wants us to be.

Prayer: Father, may they know I'm a Christian by my lifestyle.

Promise: "It is no part of your heavenly Father's plan that a single one of these little ones shall ever come to grief." —Mt 18:14

Praise: Have you ever heard of an enraged father storming a Benedictine convent? This is precisely what happened when St. Clare abandoned her wealth for a life of poverty. Our Father was victorious over her father.



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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 from August 1, through September 30, 2020. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 1, 2019"

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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GIVING ALL - One Bread, One Body, 08/10/2020

Monday, August 10, 2020, St. Lawrence

2 Corinthians 9:6-10
Psalm 112:1-2, 5-9
John 12:24-26
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GIVING ALL
"Unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it produces much fruit."—John 12:24

Jesus gives us His very self — everything He has. In return, we should give Jesus everything at every moment.
The world in its wisdom teaches us to save for the future. The rich man who planned to tear down his barns to build bigger ones (see Lk 12:18) seems to practice the best of worldly “wealth management,” but Jesus calls him a “fool” (see Lk 12:20). Later in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells of a rich man who had no regard for a poor man in his neighborhood. This rich man went down to the netherworld in eternal torment (Lk 16:23ff).
We are called to give, not to invest in our own future, but to give generously, lavishly in complete self-giving.  In so doing, this becomes an act of trusting surrender to the God Who gave lavishly to us first.
God the Father gave all — His only-begotten Son. God the Son gave all — every drop of His blood poured out for our salvation, “His own Body, to be given up for you.”  God the Holy Spirit gave all — every spiritual gift in the heavens (Eph 1:3). Can we receive these gifts from Him, and do any less than giving our all in return to Him?

Prayer: Father, I am not a generous giver by nature. I choose to receive Your grace fully. Make me so in love with You that I cannot help but respond by giving from the wellspring of Your love in my life.

Promise: "God loves a cheerful giver. God can multiply His favors among you so that you may always have enough of everything and even a surplus for good works." —2 Cor 9:7-8

Praise: St. Lawrence gave all the Church's treasury to the poor, and his life for his Lord. Pious tradition tells us he was roasted to death on a gridiron for his faith. He uttered the legendary words, "It is well done, turn me over!"

(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 from August 1, through September 30, 2020. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 1, 2019"

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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