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Saturday, July 16, 2016

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Our Lady of Mount Carmel


Micah 2:1-5
Psalm 10:1-4, 7-8, 14
Matthew 12:14-21

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the meetings of the minds

"Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches." —Micah 2:1

At this moment, groups of intelligent and gifted people are meeting to "plan iniquity and work out evil." International institutions and CEOs of mass media conglomerates are planning a "conspiracy against life." Pope St. John Paul II called this an "objective" conspiracy. It is not merely his or anyone else's opinion. He is not paranoid but facing the facts (Gospel of Life, 17).

We Christians are also called to meet and plan. Though meetings are sometimes much maligned, nonetheless, those meetings conducted to the glory of the Father, under the lordship of Jesus, and in the power of the Spirit can be used by God to transform the face of the earth (Ps 104:30).

Before the first Christian Pentecost, the Lord led His disciples not only to have a prayer meeting but a business meeting (Acts 1:15ff). Peter led the meeting. He brought up some Scriptures and applied them to the need to replace Judas. The disciples in the upper room had to decide on how the Lord wanted His Church to be structured, the criteria for being an apostle, and the process of making this decision. After the work of this meeting, the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, and the Church was born. Meet in the Spirit, and receive the Spirit in new ways.

Prayer:  Jesus, may every meeting proclaim that You are Lord (see Phil 2:11).

Promise:  "In His name, the Gentiles will find hope." —Mt 12:21

Praise:  The Carmelites purchased a seminary and prayed fervently for vocations. When enrollments dried up, they were forced to sell it to a Protestant group who used the building as a seminary. This seminary has produced over fifty Protestant ministers who have since converted to the Catholic Church.

Reference:  (For a related teaching on Calling Christian Leaders, listen to, or download at presentationministires.com our CD 60-3 or DVD 60-CH-3 or order our tape on audio AV 60-3 or video V 60.)

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 20, 2016

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