Saturday, March 1, 2014

The Awesome, Transforming Power of Anointing


In today’s first reading, James 5: 13-20, St. James says to us: Are you suffering,…pray! Are you in good spirits, offer praise.  Are you sick, be anointed by a priest.  “The prayer of faith will save…[you], and the Lord will raise…[you] up. If…[you] have committed any sins,...[you] will be forgiven.” Reflect upon the power of the Anointing of the Sick!  Your sins are totally forgiven and you enter eternal life free of sin, blameless before God—a grace that is not cheap. It was paid for by the suffering of Jesus in his passion and death on the cross. What an awesome, gracious, and caring God.
What a gift to have been given membership in the Church. It is through that act of faith and love that I have come to know Jesus. It is through my relationship with the Church’s teachings, the liturgy, the Scriptures—and many parishes now offer courses in Scripture—daily Mass, at which Jesus comes down upon our altars and, as at the Last Supper, says to us: Take and Eat. This is my Body given up for you. Take and drink. This is my Blood poured out for you. Jesus, then, in Holy Communion, enters the Temple of my body and cleanses it, purifies it, as He did the Temple of Jerusalem prior to His Passion, Death and Resurrection. And there are so many other graces afforded us in each of the Church’s sacraments!

Oh, the greatness of my God, and yours!

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