The men's group met again at 7am this morning to watch Father Dave giving a talk on "Baptism in the Spirit and Fire". This is the third session of a 14-week series on the understanding of the Holy Spirit (http://thewildgooseisloose.com/). The main biblical text for this session is taken from Matthew 3:11:
"I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
These words were spoken by John the Baptist, right before Jesus coming to the river Jordan to be baptized by him. But he said those words directed against the Pharisees and Sadducees who also were coming for his baptism (Matthew 3:7-10):
"But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
The words that followed Matthew 3:11 were the continuation of John the Baptist's pronouncement of judgement to those who came to his baptism only for the cleansing of their sins but had no intention to repent of them (see meaning of repentance in Note 1):
"His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12)
Notice the word "fire" which in this context was meant for judgement (verses 10 and 12), whereas the "fire" that comes with Jesus' baptism is one of purification (verse 11).
The rich setting of the river Jordan is particularly meaningful to me. For in the Old Testament, it is a river that signifies deliverance and healing. Like the Red Sea, the Israelites were able to cross it on dry ground to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3:14-17). And Naaman the Syrian was cured of his leprosy after dipping into the Jordan river 7 times at the command of the prophet Elisha, after which he gave this testimony: "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel" (2 King 5:14-15). The Ignatius Study Bible pointed out that these Old Testament events prefigure the saving power of the Sacrament of Baptism (CCC 1222).
I had a chance to read through the Catechism again on the Sacrament of Baptism (CCC 1213-1284). These two verses really speak to me:
1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."
1280 Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship. Because of the character Baptism cannot be repeated (cf. DS 1609 and DS 1624).
The discussion this morning with the men around my table concerned whether a baptized believer required another baptism (in the Holy Spirit - with all its paranormal manifestations) to have a more powerful christian experience. I don't think the church teaches it. I love my church and her teaching! And I thank the work of the Holy Spirit along with my Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus:
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every
family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to
the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in
your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may
dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who
by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more
than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in
Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Note:
(1) Meaning of repentance as defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a
return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning
away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have
committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to
change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his
grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and
sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit)
and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart). (CCC 143)
Saturday 28 January 2017
Friday 20 January 2017
The Mystery of Faith
There are still a couple of places during Mass where I have to pull out the "cheat sheet" (the New Roman Missal) to read my responses. Not that they are difficult to remember, I just haven't had the discipline to commit them to memory. The first part is after the priest saying, "Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours be acceptable to God the Father almighty." and my response is "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.". The second part is when the priest says, "The Mystery of Faith" and my response should be, "We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.". Now how difficult can that be!
There are lots of online help to understand the origin and meaning of these rites during Mass. I will focus in this post on "The Mystery of Faith" as I have been studying the Book of Ephesians this week and the word Mystery came up six times (compared with 22 times in the rest of the New Testament). For example, "In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." (Ephesians 3:5-6). The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible on Ephesians provides a Word Study on Mystery (Ephesians 3:3). It suggests that "like Jesus, who revealed the mysteries of His kingdom through parables (Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11), St Paul often taught his readers about the hidden plan of God now manifest in the reign of Christ (Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51; Ephesians 5:32; Colossians 2:2; 1 Timothy 3:16)". I was surprised to learn that "the most likely background for this notion is the Book of Daniel, where "mystery" appears eight times in a single chapter (Daniel 2:18-19,27-30,47). Here the mystery was revealed in a dream to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar" whose empire (represented by a huge statue of a human body with him the king as the head) would be destroyed and replaced by the messianic kingdom of God, which is the kingdom revealed in Ephesians - the mystery of another body, the Church, with its head, Jesus Christ.
Apparently the use of the phrase "The Mystery of Faith" is non-biblical according to this EWTN answer given by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara:
""The mystery of faith" is non-biblical and was added to the consecration formula before the sixth century. Some authors plausibly suggest that it was added by Pope St. Leo the Great (440-461) in order to combat the Manicheans who denied the goodness of material things. In this way the Pope underlined the gift of salvation itself comes through the shedding of Christ’s material blood as well as through partaking in the material elements used in the Eucharistic sacrifice that makes this sacrifice present in the here and now."
He went on to say,
"The possible historical context of Manichaeism mentioned above has little relevance for today. I believe that the best key to interpreting the present liturgical meaning of the expression comes from the texts of the people's acclamation: "We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again." or "When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again." or "Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free."
All three expressions show that the expression "The mystery of faith" is not limited to the Real Presence but rather to the entire mystery of salvation through Christ's death, resurrection and ascension which is made present in the celebration of the Eucharist. "
And he further emphasized,
"In no way do I wish to suggest that devotion to the Real Presence should be weakened. I simply propose that this great and wonderful reality be always seen in its proper perspective and inseparable relationship with the true center, that is, the celebration of Christ's eternal sacrifice. Indeed, when this is done, true devotion to Christ in the tabernacle or the monstrance is greatly enriched and enhanced."
So I find St Paul's prayer for the Ephesian believers particularly helpful for me:
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21)
That's why I love going to Mass so much!
There are lots of online help to understand the origin and meaning of these rites during Mass. I will focus in this post on "The Mystery of Faith" as I have been studying the Book of Ephesians this week and the word Mystery came up six times (compared with 22 times in the rest of the New Testament). For example, "In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." (Ephesians 3:5-6). The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible on Ephesians provides a Word Study on Mystery (Ephesians 3:3). It suggests that "like Jesus, who revealed the mysteries of His kingdom through parables (Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11), St Paul often taught his readers about the hidden plan of God now manifest in the reign of Christ (Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51; Ephesians 5:32; Colossians 2:2; 1 Timothy 3:16)". I was surprised to learn that "the most likely background for this notion is the Book of Daniel, where "mystery" appears eight times in a single chapter (Daniel 2:18-19,27-30,47). Here the mystery was revealed in a dream to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar" whose empire (represented by a huge statue of a human body with him the king as the head) would be destroyed and replaced by the messianic kingdom of God, which is the kingdom revealed in Ephesians - the mystery of another body, the Church, with its head, Jesus Christ.
Apparently the use of the phrase "The Mystery of Faith" is non-biblical according to this EWTN answer given by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara:
""The mystery of faith" is non-biblical and was added to the consecration formula before the sixth century. Some authors plausibly suggest that it was added by Pope St. Leo the Great (440-461) in order to combat the Manicheans who denied the goodness of material things. In this way the Pope underlined the gift of salvation itself comes through the shedding of Christ’s material blood as well as through partaking in the material elements used in the Eucharistic sacrifice that makes this sacrifice present in the here and now."
He went on to say,
"The possible historical context of Manichaeism mentioned above has little relevance for today. I believe that the best key to interpreting the present liturgical meaning of the expression comes from the texts of the people's acclamation: "We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again." or "When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again." or "Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free."
All three expressions show that the expression "The mystery of faith" is not limited to the Real Presence but rather to the entire mystery of salvation through Christ's death, resurrection and ascension which is made present in the celebration of the Eucharist. "
And he further emphasized,
"In no way do I wish to suggest that devotion to the Real Presence should be weakened. I simply propose that this great and wonderful reality be always seen in its proper perspective and inseparable relationship with the true center, that is, the celebration of Christ's eternal sacrifice. Indeed, when this is done, true devotion to Christ in the tabernacle or the monstrance is greatly enriched and enhanced."
So I find St Paul's prayer for the Ephesian believers particularly helpful for me:
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21)
That's why I love going to Mass so much!
Friday 13 January 2017
The Purpose of the Law
Oh what an incredible week of discovery. I just finished the first three chapters of the Book of Galatians and I am learning so much! This Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is definitely the best Study Bible/Commentary I have ever read. I love it so much that I immediately purchased two more: The Gospels of Matthew and The Gospel of Luke. I should be set for the next 5 to 6 weeks for my Scriptural Gleaning and content materials for this blog!
The most important discovery this week has been the various aspects of the "Law". I have not always been clear about the teaching of the church coming from the many different Protestant traditions. I always understood that the importance of the "Law" (see note 1) for the Christians is basically the Ten Commandments but not the other 613 commandments (note 2) scattered throughout the Torah. I had memorized it and held it in very high regard to guide my day to day action. Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught me a much deeper meaning on the Ten Commandments. For example, depending on how you count them (note 3), on the sixth commandment, Jesus taught, "“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell." (Matthew 5:27-30) Jesus is obviously more interested in the purity of our inner being than just the outward appearance only. Also He held the Ten Commandments in high regard and wanted us to do likewise.
So what have I learned?
(1) Why was the Torah even necessary?
"Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator." (Galatians 3:19) Paul explained that the reason the Torah was inserted into history between the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 22:18; Sirach 44:21) and the New Covenant (CCC 706) was to expose transgressions and heightened Israel's awareness of sin (Romans 3:20; 5:20; 7:7). The Law was given because of the rebellion of Israel during the Exodus period, particularly the golden calf transgression (note 4).
(2) So is the Torah still necessary today?
"Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, " (Galatians 3:23-25)
The word disciplinarian (or "custodian") "refers to a household slave in Hellenistic society who was charged by a father to oversee the moral formation of his son... until he reached maturity." (from the Word Study of "Custodian") I also looked up the Word Study for "Justified" (Romans 2:13) in the Study Bible. To be justified is to be acquitted, or to be pronounced righteous. Christ came and died for us, which frees us from sin (Acts 13:39; Romans 6:7) through the free gift of grace (Romans 3:24) which is received by faith (Romans 3:26; 5:1) in the liturgical context of Baptism (1 Corinthians 6:11). So because I was baptized and had believed (and continue to believe) that Jesus died for my sins on the cross, I am justified by God. This produces an inward transformation which makes me holy and righteous in His sight (Romans 5:19); (CCC 654 - note 5). So in fact, I no longer depend on the "Works of the Law" to prove my adoption into God's family - i.e. circumcision, food restrictions, observance of the Sabbath etc. However, the moral principles (as presented by the Ten Commandments and many other teachings in the Old and New Testaments, and the Church) will continue to shape my conscience and assist me in all my daily actions. For example, I continue to reflect on the Ten Commandments before I go to my confession.
I am grateful for the Law, and I am grateful for the gift of faith. The world (and the devil) is telling me to live for myself and for this life. But praise be to God, I am motivated by love, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live for God and for eternity! And praise God for the Community of Faith, Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch who wrote the Study Bible!
"for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:26-29)
Note:
(1) "Law" (or the "Mosaic Law") is translated from the Hebrew word "Torah" - which is the first five books (the "Pentateuch") of the Hebrew Bible - or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.
(2) I also just learned that the word commandment (singular) is in Hebrew Mitzvah. Bar/Bat Mitzvah literally means Son/Daughter of Commandment - the Jewish coming of age ritual! According to Wikipedia "Many of the mitzvot (pleural of mitzvah) cannot be observed now, following the destruction of the Second Temple, although they still retain religious significance... there are 77 positive and 194 negative commandments that can be observed today, of which there are 26 commands that apply only within the Land of Israel. Furthermore, there are some time-related commandments from which women are exempt ... Some depend on the special status of a person in Judaism, while others apply only to men or only to women."
(3) I have learned that the reformers have separated the first commandment into two (see picture below) to basically discredit the Catholic church for having statues and relics in their churches! I am now very happy to see them. They are what Mother Angelica called "Holy Reminders". I don't worship them but they remind me of saints in the past who I can call on to pray for me.
(5) CCC 654 - "The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life. This new life is above all justification that reinstates us in God's grace, "so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Justification consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and a new participation in grace. It brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ's brethren, as Jesus himself called his disciples after his Resurrection: "Go and tell my brethren." We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection. "
Friday 6 January 2017
The Works of the Flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit
I am turning a new leaf in 2017! After many years of reading through the entire bible each year (the Protestant's 66 books only) I am going to study in greater detail one New Testament Book every 2 weeks - which will take 54 weeks! My Scriptural Gleaning blog will highlight what I have learned each week.
To begin, I read the Introduction to the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. I was reminded of the meaning of Inspiration and Inerrancy of Holy Scripture, Biblical Authority and Criteria for Biblical Interpretation. But most important of all, I was reminded,
"Unless I am living a sustained and disciplined life of prayer, I will never have the reverence, the profound humility, or the grace I need to see the Scriptures for what they really are. I am approaching the "word of God". But for thousands of years, since before God knit me in my mother's womb, the Word of God has been approaching me!"
I base my study on the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible - Second Edition Revised Standard Version. The first book I am going to study is the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians. I received this study guide as my Christmas present from my daughters a few weeks ago. Already there are almost as many highlighted text as there are not highlighted! It's going to be a great year for studying God's word!
Biblegateway.com has the online New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE). It makes it easy to copy and paste the text into my blog. I have picked "The Works of the Flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit" as the title of this post because the first thing that strikes me about the Book of Galatians is contrasts.
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. " (Galatians 5:19-23)
The other contrasts I found:
Gospel of Christ or Not Gospel at all
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!" (Galatians 1:6-9)
Circumcised or Uncircumcised; Bondage or Freedom; Law or Faith (Galatians 2 and the rest of the book)
Going back to Galatians 5:19-23 when I looked at the list of 15+ sins my heart sank! That list pretty much described me! Well maybe I have just a little bit of each, some more so than others, and mostly in my mind and heart and not in actual action. I also noted that these are grave (mortal) sins for they can send me to hell (see also Romans 8:12-13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:5)! "The sins of the flesh include more than just sins of the body. They consist of every act of immorality and injustice that stems from a disordered love of the world (James 4:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17). These grave sins sever offenders from Christ (Galatians 5:4) and will block their entrance into heaven if repentance is neglected (CCC 1470, 1855)." (Commentary and CCC=Catechism of the Catholic Church).
By contrast, if I confess my sins regularly, recommit my life to Christ and live constantly in the Spirit, the list of 9 virtues will grow and bear fruit! "The indwelling of the Spirit produces holiness in the lives of believers (Matthew 12:33; John 15:1-6). The first fruit of this divine presence is love, the source of all that is good and the virtue upon which others are built (Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22). It may be significant that Paul says, "fruit" (singular) instead of "fruits" (plural), suggesting that life in the Spirit is integrated and whole, not fragmented or divided (CCC 736, 1695, 1832)." (Commentary)
So how do I "crucify the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24)? "Baptism unites believers with the saving death of Jesus... we die to our former way of life through the Spirit, who gives us new strength to master our passions and selfish desires (Romans 7:21-8:2; CCC 2543, 2848)" (Commentary) For me uniting with the saving death of Jesus means regular confession and partaking the Eucharist. I can't do this on my own. I receive sacramental grace each time I go to confession and attend Mass to feed on Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
Since retirement I have been able to attend Mass 3-4 times a week. I have been very blessed! I look forward to 2017 to see what God has in store for me.
To begin, I read the Introduction to the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. I was reminded of the meaning of Inspiration and Inerrancy of Holy Scripture, Biblical Authority and Criteria for Biblical Interpretation. But most important of all, I was reminded,
"Unless I am living a sustained and disciplined life of prayer, I will never have the reverence, the profound humility, or the grace I need to see the Scriptures for what they really are. I am approaching the "word of God". But for thousands of years, since before God knit me in my mother's womb, the Word of God has been approaching me!"
I base my study on the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible - Second Edition Revised Standard Version. The first book I am going to study is the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians. I received this study guide as my Christmas present from my daughters a few weeks ago. Already there are almost as many highlighted text as there are not highlighted! It's going to be a great year for studying God's word!
Biblegateway.com has the online New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE). It makes it easy to copy and paste the text into my blog. I have picked "The Works of the Flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit" as the title of this post because the first thing that strikes me about the Book of Galatians is contrasts.
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. " (Galatians 5:19-23)
The other contrasts I found:
Gospel of Christ or Not Gospel at all
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!" (Galatians 1:6-9)
Circumcised or Uncircumcised; Bondage or Freedom; Law or Faith (Galatians 2 and the rest of the book)
Going back to Galatians 5:19-23 when I looked at the list of 15+ sins my heart sank! That list pretty much described me! Well maybe I have just a little bit of each, some more so than others, and mostly in my mind and heart and not in actual action. I also noted that these are grave (mortal) sins for they can send me to hell (see also Romans 8:12-13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:5)! "The sins of the flesh include more than just sins of the body. They consist of every act of immorality and injustice that stems from a disordered love of the world (James 4:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17). These grave sins sever offenders from Christ (Galatians 5:4) and will block their entrance into heaven if repentance is neglected (CCC 1470, 1855)." (Commentary and CCC=Catechism of the Catholic Church).
By contrast, if I confess my sins regularly, recommit my life to Christ and live constantly in the Spirit, the list of 9 virtues will grow and bear fruit! "The indwelling of the Spirit produces holiness in the lives of believers (Matthew 12:33; John 15:1-6). The first fruit of this divine presence is love, the source of all that is good and the virtue upon which others are built (Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22). It may be significant that Paul says, "fruit" (singular) instead of "fruits" (plural), suggesting that life in the Spirit is integrated and whole, not fragmented or divided (CCC 736, 1695, 1832)." (Commentary)
So how do I "crucify the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24)? "Baptism unites believers with the saving death of Jesus... we die to our former way of life through the Spirit, who gives us new strength to master our passions and selfish desires (Romans 7:21-8:2; CCC 2543, 2848)" (Commentary) For me uniting with the saving death of Jesus means regular confession and partaking the Eucharist. I can't do this on my own. I receive sacramental grace each time I go to confession and attend Mass to feed on Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
Since retirement I have been able to attend Mass 3-4 times a week. I have been very blessed! I look forward to 2017 to see what God has in store for me.
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