SPIRITUALITY 101
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION- 100
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

The famous English writer Chesterton was traveling by train. When the conductor came by he couldn't find is ticket. Chesterton became so nervous that the conductor felt sorry for him. The conductor said, " I know you are a famous man and I presume that you have it. It is not necessary that I punch it." Chesterton responded "The trouble is that I don't remember where I was going. It was written on the ticket!" Later he found his ticket gave it to the conductor and both were happy. The conductor could punch the ticket and Chesterton knew where he was going. There are many in this world who don't know where they are going. This is not true of the Christian who lives in life of grace. We know that wherever we go the Lord will be with us. Because we live with the Lord all the time, when we die this relationship will be perfected. We will simply change the state in which we enjoy His presence. 

DEVOTION - Growth in love- 3rd stage 
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-27 
OUR FATHER-3 

In the first expression of Our Lord's Prayer, we refer to Our God, "Who art in Heaven." This expression doesn't refer to an infinitely distant God, but to a God who has is present in both eternity and time. A God who chooses to maintain a personal relationship with us. He lives within us. We often however, lift our eyes to the heavens when we pray. This posture of prayer is but a simple act of reverence for a God who is so intimately close to us that we cannot find anything outside of ourselves to relate to him. The knowledge that God resides within us, is revealed by Paul in his 1st letter to the Corinthians (8:19-20), where he writes, "Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, but to God; He bought you for a price. " This is what we express what the sister had in mind when she wrote. "It's that that makes my spirit spin My bones to quake, my blood run thin My flesh to melt inside my skin My very pulse create a din It's this that makes my spirit spin That Heaven is not up, but in. "

It is the indwelling of God within our soul that causes us to avoid focusing on worldly objects in prayer. We may look up in recognition that the Spirit lifts us above our humanity toward a supernatural life or we look down and inward, recognizing that He dwells within. The inclusion of the phrase, "Who art in Heaven," reminds us to pray that we may experience the beatitude of heaven in our daily lives. The New Catholic Catechism recognizes that "it is the nature of man to desire the presence of God, because man is created by God and for God, and God never ceases to draw man to himself." (Article No. 27). In our prayer, the expression "Who art in Heaven," presents us with the knowledge that we are to live our lives in suspension between heaven and earth, as though crucified. Our mind, heart, spirit and soul live in union with Heaven and our body is firmly implanted in the soil of this earth. It is through this union of Heaven and earth that the kingdom of God is realized. 

NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM 
ARTICLE NO. 1071 

As the work of Christ liturgy is also an action of His Church. It makes the Church present and manifests her as the visible sign of the communion of Christ between God and men. It engages the faithful in the new life of the community and involves the "conscious, active and fruitful participation of everyone (Sancrosanctum concilium 11) 

ARTICLE NO. 1072 
"The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church" (Sancrosanctum concilium 9) It must be preceded by evangelization, faith and conversion. It can then produce its fruits in the lives of the faithful new life in the Spirit, involvement in the mission of the Church, and service to her unity. 

FRUITS OF LITURGY 
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

Participants in Christ's great celebration 
Cooperate in a larger transformation 
Of community, city, state and nation 
To bring God's Kingdom to realization 
Through new life of faiths laudation 
As each to the Lord conveys veneration

To fulfill church's great earthly mission 
Each member's life is divine commission 
Undergoing continuous conversion 
Through Holy Love's immersion 
New life through sins remission 
Service becomes our disposition

Ó2001 DR. JAMES E. BREAZILE, deacon 
JOHN PAUL EVANGELIST OCDS