st james renewal movement magazine
March 24 Gospel, Reading and Reflection
March 19, 2009 
The angel brought me, Ezekiel,
back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the right side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the right side.
Then when he had walked off to the east
with a measuring cord in his hand,
he measured off a thousand cubits
and had me wade through the water,
which was ankle-deep.
He measured off another thousand
and once more had me wade through the water,
which was now knee-deep.
Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade;
the water was up to my waist.
Once more he measured off a thousand,
but there was now a river through which I could not wade;
for the water had risen so high it had become a river
that could not be crossed except by swimming.
He asked me, “Have you seen this, son of man?”
Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
He said to me,
“This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R. (8) The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth.
R. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/031509a.shtml
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March 21 Gospel, Reading and Reflection
“Come, let us return to the LORD,
it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.
He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.
Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD;
as certain as the dawn is his coming,
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth.”
What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab
R. (see Hosea 6:6) It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Be bountiful, O LORD, to Zion in your kindness
by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem;
Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices,
burnt offerings and holocausts.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/031509a.shtml
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Marriage Enrichment Weekend
January 10, 2009
Where are we Ten Months Later?
Joey and Arnee Villa - ME25 (from the Journey)
Our families then wondered why we are attending a marriage enrichment weekend. Were we having marital problems? Was our relationship on rocky ground? Actually, we also questioned the relevance of our attending the Marriage enrichment Weekend. It’s one weekend away from our daughter. Will this really benefit us?
Looking back, just before the ME Weekend, we didn’t think our marriage was in any sort of trouble but something was out of sync. We knew we love each other but our petty fights were starting to get to our nerves ( as they were becoming more often ) and flaring anger seems pretty much order of the day. The daily pressures of life, it seems, was taking it’s toll.
The ME weekend gave us some time to have a good look at where we are, and a wonderful journey back in time to when we walked down the aisle and said our “I dos”. But the best thing that came out of the weekend was re-discovering God. We were out of sync because we were losing sight of what mattered most - God’s handy works in our marriage!
Ten months down, we still have our petty fights, but they are few and far between because we now make a joint effort to address them and not let them escalate. By acknowledging God and His handy works in our lives, we are able to let go of stress, worry, and anger, which usually eat usup inside. We still struggle with our individual spiritual ity and spiritual maturity but now the journey is lighter because we have learned to pray together as a couple and call on God for enlightenment. We also remind ourselves of our love for each other and how important it is to keep the flame alive.
Today we are very thankful that we joined the ME weekend because we did not only re-discovered God in our daily lives and rekindle our love for each other, but we also found a new family with our Caring Circle and the SJRM community. How wonderful it is to belong to the Catholic Church and be welcomed with knowing smiles and warm embraces, to be amongst brothers and sisters as we celebrate the Eucharist, to find meaningful works as a family in Christ and recognize how lucky we are to have an extended family to our daughter Sofia.
Ten months down the track, God’s handy works are more evident in our daily lives as He leads us on our wonderful journey of coming back to him.
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The upcoming Marriage Enrichment Weekend Number 26, will be held this coming February 13-15, 2009, at the BLD Covenant House.
It’s a wonderful opportunity to share the love of Jesus and to give others a chance to experience all the blessings that we ourselves have received from the ME and from being part of the renewal.
The fee for the weekend is P3,500 per couple, inclusive of board and lodging and all meals. Please contact Cindy and Martin Fernandez, 09175290009, Eric and Ivy Amante, 09173268121 or Renewal Office, 8076001 for more details.
Marriage Enriched
by: Martin and Cindy Fernandez (from the Journey)
Joining the Marriage Enrichment 22 was the beginning of the new life for us. The magic of ME began when we realized that we care about each other enough to invest a weekend of one on one time totally focused on one another. We valued each other enough to invest in our relationship and a chance to make it better.
The second magical discovery came during the weekend , as we realized that there are struggles and challenges, as expected of every marriage, some heavier than others, but WE ARE NOT ALONE. We became aware of a third important member of our marriage, one that we tend to relegate to the background, instead of giving Him His proper place, at the center of everything. God will journey with us through every stage of our life as a couple and as a family, and that is enough to know that we can and will make it.
But the real magic of ME comes after the weekend, as we journey on, not just a couple anymore, but a couple armed with ; 1) God at the steering wheel, driving tthe car, and 2) a new family, our ME FAMILY ; a family that supports and loves us through our new life, and helps us grow spiritually. A family that listens without judging, a family that we can enjoy good times with, a family who will be there to embrace and comfort us during bad times.
Yes, its been almost five years since our ME weekend, five years of new and wonderful memories formed with our faith family, with more to come. As we now shepherd our own ME class, ME25, our family has grown, and we are blessed to witness the miracles that happen when God is at the center of a marriage.
Parting of the Red Sea
January 8, 2009
godslove
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