SPIRITUALITY 101
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION- 97
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

Giovanni Papini, in a book published before his conversion, tells that one day he approached a fisherman and has this dialogue with him: "What are you fishing for?" "What a question; for fish, of course." "What do you do with the fish?" "I sell them." "Why do you sell the fish?" "For food." "Why do you need food?" "To live," "What do you live for?" The man looked at him quizically and turning to his fishing said, "To fish."

Not finding the answers satisfying Giovanni left and as he walked along he approached a farmer at work in his field. He stopped and asked the farmer: "Why do you work the soil?" "To sow." "Why do you sow?" "To be able to eat." "Why do you want to eat?" The farmer looked at him disdainfully and continued his work without replying.

Giovanni walked on and then saw a little girl gathering flowers. He stopped and asked her "Why are you picking those flowers?" "To make a bouquet" "What will you do with the bouquet?" "I will offer them to God." "Why would you do that?" " So that He will love me and bless me." "Why do you want his love and His blessing?" "So that after death He will take me to heaven."

Papini thought, "I have finally been given a reasonable answer for doing whatever we do in this life. To live our live in such as way that we can die in Gods favor, that is the beautiful goal of our life."

DEVOTION - Growth in love- 3rd stage
DEVOTIONALS- MEDITATION-SACRAMENTALS-THE ROSARY-23
THE CREED-22

As we continue our reflections on the prayers of the Rosary, we complete the Apostles creed with the expression of faith, "I believe in.....The resurrection of the body; and life everlasting." Once again, this article of faith is central to the Christian tradition. It not only expresses our faith in the completion of the mission of Christ, Who through His life, death and resurrection brought meaning to the seemingly futile end of life on this earth, but it also tells us much about what God had in mind when He created us.

The Church recognizes the unique nature of man among creatures and reveals this recognition in the Scriptures and in tradition. In its second Vatican Council (Guadium et spes, article No. 24), it emphasizes that "he (man) is the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake." Article 356 of the New Catholic Catechism adds to this statement with "and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God's own life. It was for this end that he was created, and this is the fundamental reason for his dignity."

The impact of the meaning of these expressions of faith give answer to many of the difficult questions concerning life on this earth. As the image of God the human creature is a person through union of a material corporeality with a soul. As a corporeal and spiritual being we are capable of knowing ourselves as God knows Himself and have the freedom to give ourselves in communion to other persons as God gives Himself. It is through giving of ourselves to others that we reveal the persons that we are. Each human person is endowed with an eternal glory, and It was not Gods idea that death would ever touch him. Our human person, with our roots in the soil of the earth into which God had blown His breath, were destined for eternal life, both body and soul.

Satan, however, had other plans. Just as in Chapter 1, verse 2 of the book of Genesis, we see Satan, the occupant of the "abyss," and the author of darkness, producing disorder in Gods creation. Satan was cast from heaven because of his jealous rebellion against God, Who was to raise man above the angels. He was cast to earth, where he is bent upon destroying the good of God's creation. He enticed our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden to turn away from God, and make themselves God. As punishment for this first or "original sin," of man, we see that man was cast out of the garden and no longer retained a personal relationship with God. A great barrier had been set between God and creation through the creature who was destined to be God's image and likeness.

Upon leaving the garden, the entire universe rebelled against man. The very soil from which he was created rebelled against him, and death entered the life of man. Although many very important gifts were removed from man, he remained a person, and through a free intellect and free will was still capable of giving himself he did lose his original innocence, integrity, justice, unity, and many other gifts. The important effect of this sin, however, was that death, a seemingly meaningless end to life became the lot of man.

Jesus revealed to us that He had come to restore man to everlasting life, when he declared Himself as the Life, the Truth and the Way. Many however, were not certain of what He meant by these phrases. He then promised them that He would rise from the dead, and they pondered what to rise from the dead meant. In the end, he demonstrated that the human body would rise from the dead by His resurrection. By the ascension of His glorified body into heaven Jesus gave final proof to the fact that we too will rise from the dead, and our bodies, glorified by His grace, will live forever with our Lord.

THE NEW CATHOLIC CATECHISM:
ARTICLE NO. 1042

At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the universal judgment, the righteous will reign for ever with Christ, glorified in body and soul. The universe itself will be renewed:

The Church...will receive her perfection only in the glory of heaven, when will come the time of the renewal of all things. At that time, together with the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly re-established in Christ. (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium article 48; Acts 3:21; Eph 1:10; Col 1:20; 2 Pet 3:10-13).

ARTICLE NO. 1043

Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, "new heavens and a new earth." (2 Pet 3:13; Rev. 21:1) It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head "all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth." (Eph 1:10)

HOPE FULFILLED
Deacon Jim Breazile o.c.d.s.

Oh Lord, we await renewal of the earth
When the virtuous acquire a new birth
And share your supreme righteousness
And receive your grace in great surplus

We await the day when every tear
Will be wiped away and every fear
Will be overcome and all our pain
Will through your mercy be restrained

When heaven and earth are transformed
Then we will know that we were born
To be in your presence glorified
In unity born from Jesus' side

What began as a Holy tide
That flowed from Jesus' wounded side
Will be fulfilled in unity
Of the Holy Bride when she is free

I yearn for communion of the redeemed
For the Holy City of our dreams
When Church as the Lambs glorified wife
Is raised above Adam's inherited strife

There we will see You as You are
No longer seeing just from afar
Fully joined in holy union
Celebrate your peace in full communion

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