Let your perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete…
Every morning when I pray my Rosary, I have a litany that I go through to start the Rosary. I have a list of people that I pray for everyday – those who are sick, those who have asked for prayers for whatever reason, those couples I know who are expecting a child, the dead, the conversion of sinners (as requested by our Blessed Mother), an end to Abortions and Abuse and I finish with I’ve come to refer to as the 5 “P”‘s: Peace, Perseverance, Purity of Heart, the Pope and our Church, the President and our Country. So when I see something that I pray for brought up in the Readings of the Day, I am encouraged and hope that I am praying for just intentions. I know this sounds like a long litany, but you must understand, I come from a big family and have some close friends.
Perseverance is the theme for today’s post. And the perseverance I am referring to is what we are being told in the readings from the past couple of days. Let me give some highlights…
From Sunday’s readings at Mass…
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you;
if you trust in God, you too shall live;
he has set before you fire and water
to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
No one does he command to act unjustly,
to none does he give license to sin.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
that I may exactly observe them.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
And from Today’s Readings…
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
To take words from the mouth of our Lord, those with ears ought to hear. We must accept God’s word as Law; we must live by the commandments given to us from the mouth of God. So as I’ve said in previous posts, take time to read our Ten Commandments today. When reflecting on them, change the Thou Shalt…Thou Shalt Not to I Will…I Will Not and see what a difference that makes in reading them. As I’ve said, make these YOUR 10 Commitments to God.
I have edited this – don’t try and find this version in any Bible.
The Ten Commitments.*
You are the Lord my God, 3I shall not have other gods beside You. I will love You with all my heart, all my being, all my strength.
I will not invoke the name of the LORD, My God, in vain.
I will remember the sabbath day—and keep it holy.
I will honor my father and my mother.
I will not bear false witness against my neighbor.
I will not covet my neighbor’s wife.
I will not covet my neighbor’s house, or anything that belongs to my neighbor.
Do something great for our Lord today – Persevere in your Commitment to His Commandments.
God’s will, not mine, be done.
Be not afraid; just have faith.
Jesus, I trust in You.
He must increase; I must decrease.
Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.
But you man of God chose righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness. Compete well for the faith.
St. Mary Magdalen Men of God 