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Saturday, April 18, 2009

ALLELUIA FOREVER! - One Bread, One Body, 4/18/2009

Join us for the 23rd Annual Bible Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 24 -
August 1, 2009. The featured speakers this year include Michael Cumbie,
Dan Schneider, Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk and Archbishop Dennis Schnurr.
Much is offered during this spirit-filled event so visit the link below
for more information. Online registration is open.

http://www.presentationministries.com/bibleinst
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Saturday, April 18, 2009, Easter Week

Acts 4:13-21, Psalm 118, Mark 16:9-15
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/041809.shtml

ALLELUIA FOREVER!

"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight for us to obey
you rather than God. Surely we cannot help speaking of what we have heard
and seen." —Acts 4:19-20

The Easter season begins with an eight-day celebration. This octave sets
the tone for fifty days of celebration, which St. Athanasius called a
"fifty-day Sunday." Easter, of course, doesn't end with Pentecost, but
Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, the Easter people who will
proclaim the risen Jesus forever.

God's will is to celebrate Easter forever, but this world's powers of
death want to stop Easter forever. In less than a week, they have already
stopped the proclamation of Jesus' resurrection for most people. Now these
powers will try to silence the few voices still singing "Alleluia." Our
society will pressure us "never to mention that Man's [Jesus'] name to
anyone again" (Acts 4:17). At work or even at home, it is made "clear that
under no circumstances" are we "to speak the name of Jesus or teach about
Him" (Acts 4:18). If we break these rules of our society, we will be
ridiculed and shunned.

Even so, Jesus will back up His witnesses. Jesus will take "to task for
their disbelief and stubbornness" (Mk 16:14) those who have rejected our
witness for Him. We must not let anything — even suffering, rejection, or
persecutions — stop the celebration and proclamation of the risen Christ.
Alleluia! Jesus is risen! Alleluia forever!

Prayer: Father, by the power of the Spirit, make my witness for Jesus
bolder, my praises freer, and my love deeper.

Promise: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all
creation." —Mk 16:15

Praise: Praise Jesus, Whose victory was for now and forever! Alleluia
forever!

(Come! Adore the risen Lord at our annual "40 Hours Devotion" "Retreat and
Family Campout", May 14-16. Praise the Lord and build community with
families who love the Lord. For more information, call 937-587-5464 or
513-373-2397.)

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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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Friday, April 17, 2009

Remember God's goodness

Have you ever forgotten an important date? Maybe it was a friend's birthday
or your wedding anniversary. With our hectic schedules, sometimes we forget
the important things - including the past blessings of God.

We take for granted our relationships, our health, and the possessions that
God has entrusted to us. Almost as soon as we set foot on land, we forget
how God has guided us through the storm.

Throughout the book of Joshua, God supernaturally carried the Israelites
through one insurmountable task after the other. The Lord stopped the flow
of the Jordan River. He caused the walls of Jericho to crumble. He gave
victory to the Israelites again and again. Yet by the end of the book, the
Israelites already had forgotten God's goodness and generosity.

In Joshua 24, we see God speaking through Joshua, reminding the people of
how He had faithfully provided for them in the past. Joshua chose a special
place to remind the people of God's faithfulness: "Then Joshua assembled all
the tribes of Israel at Shechem" (Joshua 24:1). Shechem was near the same
location that 600 years earlier Abraham received God's promise of that land.
What better place to praise God's faithfulness and to pledge a response to
His blessings?

We all have our own personal Shechem - the places where God has met us in a
special way. These are the places where God has provided for us and has
fulfilled His promises. These are the places where God has answered our
prayers and has intervened on our behalf. Our Shechems are where God has
showed Himself faithful - even when we have been unfaithful.

But God has not given us these many blessings so that we may become
complacent in them. He has blessed us for a purpose, and we are called to
respond. God wants us to use our resources and circumstances to bring Him
glory and to testify to His goodness. He wants us to tell the story of how
He transformed our lives. He wants to see our willingness to share about His
love for us.

God doesn't want our half-hearted response. Joshua told the people, "But if
serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this
day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the
River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for
me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

We should not just worship God half-heartedly, or serve Him out of feelings
of obligation. God does not want us to just go through the motions while our
hearts are focused on worldly things. God wants us to serve Him alone,
regardless of what others are doing or what people will think of us.

Have you been suffering from "spiritual amnesia"? Have you forgotten God's
past mercies? Have you allowed your present troubles to blot out all memory
of God's past faithfulness and intervention? Have you neglected to praise
and thank Him for His past provision and blessings?

Don't allow your forgetfulness to distract you from God's present work for
you. If you are holding back from sharing about Christ because of spiritual
complacency, then seek God's forgiveness. If you have forgotten how God has
given you past victories and are fearful of stepping out in faith, then
repent of that today. The Lord has been faithful in your life and He will
continue to be faithful. Thank Him today for all of the ways He has shown
Himself faithful to you and take time to tell the story of His loving
faithfulness to others.

Useful link: www.leadingtheway.org

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU - One Bread, One Body, 4/17/2009

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Friday, April 17, 2009, Easter Week

Acts 4:1-12, Psalm 118, John 21:1-14
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/041709.shtml

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU

"They were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection of the
dead in the person of Jesus." —Acts 4:2

Jesus is risen from the dead, and we are His witnesses. Like Peter and
John, we should be standing up for Jesus and proclaiming, even in the
worst circumstances, that "there is no other name in the whole world given
to men by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:12).

However, some of us have already forgotten about Easter. It's "business as
usual." We're not even thinking of witnessing for the risen Christ. Jesus
is trying to get us to repent. He could make our business go bankrupt or
give us some of the dreadful wages of our sins. On the other hand, He may
decide to "kill us with kindness," to love us into repentance.

Perhaps He may do both, as He did with Peter and his fishing partners.
Peter and his crew went through the frustration of a whole night of
catching nothing (Jn 21:3). Yet later they caught more fish and made more
money than they had ever made in one day (Jn 21:11). They soon realized it
was the Lord Who was responsible for the great catch of fish (Jn 21:7).
This reminded the apostles that Jesus had previously called them to catch
people for His kingdom instead of fish (Mt 4:19). They repented and became
witnesses for Jesus.

What will it take to get us "out of business" for the world and "down to
business" for Jesus?

Prayer: Jesus, change my financial situation so as to maximize my
proclamation of Your resurrection.

Promise: "This marked the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples
after being raised from the dead." —Jn 21:14

Praise: Praise Jesus, Whose risen victory transformed Peter's fearful "no"
to a resounding "yes."

(This coming Pentecost, receive an unrationed gift of the Spirit. Order
our leaflet on "Praying for a New Pentecost" or our audio tapes AV 92A-1,
AV 92A-3, AV 92B-1 or video V-92A, V-92B.)

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS - One Bread, One Body, 4/16/2009

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Thursday, April 16, 2009, Easter Week

Acts 3:11-26, Psalm 8, Luke 24:35-48
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/041609.shtml

IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS

"Yet I know, my brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your
leaders did." —Acts 3:17

If we do not act in accord with the fact of Jesus' resurrection, we are
acting in ignorance. If we rarely mention the risen Jesus in our
conversation, we are speaking in ignorance. If we are content to watch TV
programs which ignore the risen Christ, we are living in ignorance. Jesus'
resurrection is not just another event which we may recall periodically.

The resurrection is such great news that it overshadows all other news and
all reality. We are either preoccupied with the resurrection or ignorant
of its significance. When the apostles first met the risen Christ, they
thought they were seeing a ghost (Lk 24:37). Jesus went to great lengths
to prove He had flesh and bones (Lk 24:39ff). Jesus' resurrection must not
be for us a ghostly abstraction from antiquity, but the very flesh and
bones of our everyday life.

We should buy what we buy, work where we work, and live where we live
because of our commitment to the risen Jesus. We live a lifestyle that
makes no sense except to those who believe in Jesus' resurrection. We draw
our "life from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Pt 1:3).

Prayer: Father, never let me "get over" the resurrection. Prompt people to
ask me why I'm so different and happy (see 1 Pt 3:15).

Promise: "Then He opened their minds to the understanding of the
Scriptures." —Lk 24:45

Praise: Praise Jesus, Who is proclaimed as "My Lord and My God!" (Jn
20:28) "God raised Him from the dead" (Acts 3:15). Alleluia!

(For a related teaching, order our leaflet "Risen Life" or on audio AV
4A-1, AV 4A-3, AV 4B-1, AV 4B-3 or video V-4A, V-4B.)

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

EMPOWERING THE WILLING, WEAK,AND WOUNDED - One Bread, One Body, 4/15/2009

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009, Easter Week

Acts 3:1-10, Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9, Luke 24:13-35
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/041509.shtml

EMPOWERING THE WILLING, WEAK,AND WOUNDED

"In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, walk!" —Acts 3:6

The Lord commands us to be His witnesses, but always gives us the grace to
obey His commands. He empowers us to be His witnesses by changing our
hearts through His word (Lk 24:32), opening our eyes through the Eucharist
(Lk 24:30-31), and restoring our bodies through His healing (Acts 3:7).
The risen Christ will touch us in some way with His nail-scar s to
empower us as witnesses to His resurrection. All we have to do is obey
Him.

When He gives us opportunities to get into His word, celebrate the
Eucharist, or receive prayers for healing, we must cooperate. If we
Christians would simply obey the risen Christ, the whole world would be
transformed by the good news of Jesus' resurrection. The unbelieving world
is an indictment against Christians. It indicates that most Christians are
repeatedly disobeying the risen Christ. Otherwise, He would empower us to
be His witnesses.

We must repent of our rebellion and let the Lord transform our weakness
into a dramatic proclamation of Jesus' resurrection-power. In our
disobedience, God's power is resisted but in our weakness, the risen
Lord's power can reach perfection (2 Cor 12:9).

Prayer: Father, forgive me for insisting on remaining blind, sick, and
weak. May I go to Confession as soon as possible.

Promise: "They recounted what had happened on the road and how they had
come to know Him in the breaking of bread." —Lk 24:35

Praise: Praise Jesus, Who feeds us with His Word, His Sacred Body, and
Precious Blood! Alleluia!

(Are you witnessing to the risen Lord? Is your vocation a path leading to
heaven? Attend the retreat "Living and Loving Your" "Vocation", Apr. 24-25
at PM's retreat center in Adams Co., Ohio. Call 937-587-5464 to register.)

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

BEYOND DOUBT - One Bread, One Body, 4/14/2009

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009, Easter Week

Acts 2:36-41, Psalm 33, John 20:11-18
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/041409.shtml

BEYOND DOUBT

"Mary Magdalene went to the disciples. 'I have seen the Lord!' she
announced." —John 20:18

Jesus delivered Mary Magdalene from several demons, and from that time on
she remained faithful to Jesus and faith-filled. We have no indication in
the Gospels that she ever wavered in faith. Unlike the apostles, Mary
Magdalene was always there for Jesus. She walked with Him throughout His
ministry. She stood fast even at the foot of the cross, and she was the
first person to see the risen Christ. Mary was firm, con-firmed in her
faith. This is God's will for all of us. The Father and Son have sent the
Holy Spirit to confirm us in our faith (see 2 Cor 1:21-22), including our
faith in Jesus' resurrection.

Many Christians, however, seem to give only an intellectual assent to the
resurrection. They don't believe in the risen Lord to the extent that they
radically transform their lives. Doubt can have more influence on their
lives and ours than does faith.

We must let the Spirit confirm us in our faith in Jesus' resurrection.
Then we'll live accordingly. We will be a sign of contradiction to the
world (see Lk 2:34). We will be like Mary Magdalene.

We must come out from our tomb of doubt to recognize that Jesus has come
out from the tomb of death, and that "beyond any doubt" Jesus is risen
Lord, Messiah, and God (Acts 2:36).

Prayer: Father, renew my Confirmation so that my faith will overshadow my
doubt (see 2 Tm 1:6-7).

Promise: "Those who accepted His message were baptized; some three
thousand were added that day." —Acts 2:41

Praise: Praise to the risen Jesus, Who calls us each by name! (see Jn
20:16)

(For a related teaching, order our tape "Jesus, the Redeemer" on audio AV
50-3 or video V-50.)

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Monday, April 13, 2009

YOU, YES, YOU - One Bread, One Body, 4/13/2009

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Monday, April 13, 2009, Easter Week

Acts 2:14, 22-33, Psalm 16, Matthew 28:8-15
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/041309.shtml

YOU, YES, YOU

"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem! Listen to what
I have to say." —Acts 2:14

On this second day of the fifty-day Easter season, the Lord seems to be
calling Jews to repent. In today's Gospel reading, Matthew says many Jews
have believed the lie that Jesus did not rise from the dead but that His
body was stolen (Mt 28:15). Peter in his Pentecost sermon bluntly blamed
the Jews for crucifying and killing Jesus (Acts 2:23). At first, these
Scriptures may appear anti-Semitic, but Matthew and Peter were not saying
Jews are the only ones to blame for Jesus' death. They were zeroing in on
Jews simply because they were talking to Jews.

When we hear the call to repent, we naturally think of the speck in
someone else's eye rather than the plank in our own (Mt 7:5). We need
someone to challenge us to focus on our own sinfulness. Consequently, if
Peter and Matthew were speaking to Americans today, they would not speak
primarily to Jews, but they would zero in on Americans. They would tell us
to repent or else.

If we don't come out from the tomb of sin, we will not believe Jesus has
come out from the tomb of death. That's why Jesus focused on repentance on
the first Easter evening when He said to the apostles, "If you forgive
men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held
bound" (Jn 20:23).

You, yes, you! Repent and believe in the risen Christ.

Prayer: Father, may my Easter Confession open my eyes to the risen Lord.

Promise: "Suddenly, without warning, Jesus stood before them and said,
'Peace!' " —Mt 28:9

Praise: Praise to the risen Jesus Who appeared to His cowardly disciples!
"Death has no more power over Him" (Rm 6:9).

(For a related teaching, order our tape "The Necessity of Confession for
Renewal" on audio AV 70-1 or video V-70.)

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