Questions for Reflection for February 8, 2023 HD

1. As we continue in the creation account, we see the love and beauty of God revealed - as well as a deeper understanding of the special relationship of communion the Lord has with man: He "...shaped man from the soil of the ground and blew the breath of life into his nostrils, and man became a living being." The very breath of God has given us our life. Again, keeping in mind the lens through which we who are Christians view this account now, in light of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Paschal Mystery, this breathing should call to our mind the post Resurrection account recorded in the Gospel of St. John: "Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’" This parallelism between the first creation account - and the recreation which comes about in and through Jesus Christ is powerful for our reflection. It should lead us to prayer. The Hebrew word used in this passage in genesis is "RUAH", which can also be translated as Spirit. The very breath, the very life of God, the Holy Spirit is within you and me - and animates us! Our God wants to be in an ongoing intimate communion with us. He has wanted that from the beginning. He placed our first parents in the Garden and invited them to be a part of His ongoing work of creation. "Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden, which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned." Do we live our life in communion with God? 2. The Psalmist David certainly understood the invitation to live in an intimate communion with God. His Psalms are hymns of praise which, when regularly read and recited, draw us in. In Psalm 104, after calling us to join with Him in praising God for the wonder and exquisite beauty of His creation, he reminds us of our utter dependence and need for God in these words: "Turn away your face and they panic; take back their breath and they die and revert to dust. "Send out your breath and life begins; you renew the face of the earth." Have we asked the Lord today to breathe His Spirit afresh into us? 3. Jesus continues His instruction on the inner meaning of the Moral Life in the Gospel of today’s Holy Mass. And, as is his pattern, he saves the fullest meaning for his teaching to the disciples, those who have freely chosen to follow Him. Those whom He would continue to work through, after He ascends to the Father. That includes you and me. We are His disciples today. In reflecting on the moral life and human choice we should note the clear moral character of the teaching compiled within the Catechism of the Catholic Church released on the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, October 11, 1992. Part Three of the Catechism, a section devoted specifically to a discussion of moral theology is entitled "Life in Christ". The section treats the vocation of man to beatitude. It articulates a clear moral theology of choice by considering the morality of human acts, the role of the passions, the proper formation of the conscience and the cultivation of the virtues accompanied by the rejection of sin. In its explanation of the morality of human acts, the Catechism offers a sobering insight concerning a wrong exercise of freedom: It properly insists that authentic Human Freedom cannot be realized in decisions made against God and against what is good because it is "patterned on God's freedom." Listen to these words, from Paragraph 1861 of the Catholic Catechism: "Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. "If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back." Do we believe this? If so, how is it affecting the choices we make and the way we live? Support Catholic Online by Subscribing to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/catholiconl... More on Daily Readings: https://www.catholic.org/bible/daily_... Catholic Online School: Free World Class Catholic Education for Anyone, Anywhere https://www.catholiconline.school/ Catholic Online: World's Catholic Library https://www.catholic.org/ We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of viewers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. https://ycvf.org/products/donate