One Walk

Dear Lord God, once again You come to me in through words of the Saints; to ease my conscious and quite my spirit, for I do believe that while the Sacraments, the Church and all of its traditions (good and bad) and denominations’ that worship and praise You are important and should be observed, like St. Gertrude, ‘Still to my way of thinking, Your will is more important. I believe that the best disposition I could have to die a happy death would be to submit myself to whatever You would wish in my regard. For this reason I desire whatever kind of death You will be pleased to send me.’ And like St. Gertrude I pray for those lost souls that have already passed on beyond the sun and those with still under the sun with a chance to turn to You, that they would open the door to their hearts, I pray the words You told her to pray, ‘ O Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.’

I earnestly hope and desire to have the benefit of the sacraments when death is at hand. Still to my way of thinking, the will of God is more important. I believe that the best disposition I could have to die a happy death would be to submit myself to whatever God would wish in my regard. For this reason I desire whatever kind of death God will be pleased to send me.

— St. Gertrude

St. Gertrude the Great is invoked for souls in purgatory and for living sinners. Our Lord told St. Gertrude that the following prayer would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well.

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

2 Corinthians 6:1-10

1 Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in any one’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, 7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Bible Study: [1-10] This paragraph is a single long sentence in the Greek, interrupted by the parenthesis of 2 Cor 6:2. The one main verb is "we appeal." In this paragraph Paul both exercises his ministry of reconciliation (cf 2 Cor 5:20) and describes how his ministry is exercised: the "message of reconciliation" (2 Cor 5:19) is lived existentially in his apostolic experience. [1] Not to receive . . . in vain: i.e., conform to the gift of justification and new creation. The context indicates how this can be done concretely: become God’s righteousness (2 Cor 5:21), not live for oneself (2 Cor 5:15) be reconciled with Paul (2 Cor 6:11-13; 7:2-3). [2] In an acceptable time: Paul cites the Septuagint text of Isaiah 49:8; the Hebrew reads "in a time of favor"; it is parallel to "on the day of salvation." Now: God is bestowing favor and salvation at this very moment, as Paul is addressing his letter to them. [3] Cause no one to stumble: the language echoes that of 1 Cor 8-10 as does the expression "no longer live for themselves" in 2 Cor 5:15. That no fault may be found: i.e., at the eschatological judgment (cf 1 Cor 4:2-5). [4b-5] Through much endurance: this phrase functions as a subtitle; it is followed by an enumeration of nine specific types of trials endured. [4a] This is the central assertion, the topic statement for the catalogue that follows. We commend ourselves: Paul’s self-commendation is ironical (with an eye on the charges mentioned in 2 Cor 3:1-3) and paradoxical (pointing mostly to experiences that would not normally be considered points of pride but are perceived as such by faith). Cf also the self-commendation in 2 Cor 11:23-29. As ministers of God: the same Greek word, diakonos, means "minister" and "servant"; cf 2 Cor 11:23, the central assertion in a similar context, and 1 Cor 3:5. [6-7a] A list of virtuous qualities in two groups of four, the second fuller than the first. [8b-10] A series of seven rhetorically effective antitheses, contrasting negative external impressions with positive inner reality. Paul perceives his existence as a reflection of Jesus’ own and affirms an inner reversal that escapes outward observation. The final two members illustrate two distinct kinds of paradox or apparent contradiction that are characteristic of apostolic experience.

Psalm 98:1-4

1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. 2 The LORD has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Bible Study: [Psalm 98] A hymn, similar to Psalm 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Psalm 98:1-3). All nations (Psalm 98:4-6) and even inanimate nature (Psalm 98:7-8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Psalm 98:9). [1] Marvelous deeds . . . victory: the conquest of all threats to the peaceful existence of Israel, depicted in the psalms variously as a cosmic force such as sea, or nations bent on Israel’s destruction, or evildoers seemingly triumphant. Whose right hand and holy arm: God is pictured as a powerful warrior.

Matthew 5:38-42

38 "You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; 41 and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.

Bible Study: [38-42] See Lev 24:20. The Old Testament commandment was meant to moderate vengeance; the punishment should not exceed the injury done. Jesus forbids even this proportionate retaliation. Of the five examples that follow, only the first deals directly with retaliation for evil; the others speak of liberality.

[5:1-7:29] The first of the five discourses that are a central part of the structure of this gospel. It is the discourse section of the first book and contains sayings of Jesus derived from Q and from M. The Lucan parallel is in that gospel’s "Sermon on the Plain" (Luke 6:20-49), although some of the sayings in Matthew’s "Sermon on the Mount" have their parallels in other parts of Luke. The careful topical arrangement of the sermon is probably not due only to Matthew’s editing; he seems to have had a structured discourse of Jesus as one of his sources. The form of that source may have been as follows: four beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-4, 6, 11-12), a section on the new righteousness with illustrations (Matthew 5:17, 20-24, 27-28, 33-48), a section on good works (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18), and three warnings (Matthew 7:1-2, 15-21, 24-27).