You Are A New Creation
Easter Sunday
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”Ps. 118
Teilhard de Chardin used to say: we are not earthly/carnal beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having an earthly/carnal experience. We have certain characteristics of our human, carnal condition—this fallen nature as a consequence of sin—that are inevitable and should not take away our peace or our knowledge of our primary spiritual identity and in our eternal soul.
Even though here on earth we have “the madwoman of the house” (the locomotive of our mind) with all its foolishness—such as childishness, distractions, stupidity, ignorance, clumsiness, short-sighted human perspectives, absurd and ridiculous worries, desires and deceptions, carelessness, accidents, mistaken and clumsy thoughts and decisions, etc.—do not worry, this is your carnality; it is not you. Your main identity is spiritual.
You are a new being and a new creation in Christ, who makes you a child of God with divine life, even though you are still in the flesh with its ailments and limitations; none of this should hinder the life of your soul, for it is only the temporary shell—it does not contaminate your soul. Of course, it might grow faster without this; you might wish to live without this earthly nature that causes attachment, suffering, and so many missteps like those mentioned before, but it is inevitable to pass through this condition, which is a consequence of rebellion against God.
The soul continues to grow without you knowing how; the action of the Spirit continues to work in your soul, despite all the silliness and superficiality that also exist in your temporary condition. Do not be disturbed by all this, nor identify yourself with this passing part, for your identity is Christ: the new man, anointed by His Spirit and made a child of God.
“But to all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the power to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”John 1:12-13
You are not primarily what is carnal and passing, but what is spiritual. Tell me, how are holiness and carpentry united, glory and toil, having God’s favor and yet lacking bread? This verse dedicated to Saint Joseph expresses eloquently this mystery of the Incarnation: in Christ there is manifested this incredible and inexplicable union—the holy with the limited and fallible, the divine with the human and carnal, the eternal within the temporal, the heavenly within the earthly. We have been raised with Christ, new creations; though I now live in the flesh, it is Christ who lives in me (Gal 2:19-20).
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, all has become new.”2 Corinthians 5:17
“But our citizenship is in heaven…”Philippians 3:20
“So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”Ephesians 2:19
“Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above… Set your hearts on the things of heaven, not on the things of earth.”Colossians 3:1-2
Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, Explained!
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is an intercessory prayer invoking God’s mercy on the world, utilizing words drawn from the text of The Diary of St. Faustina Maria Kowalska. St. Faustina was a Polish nun who received visions of Christ imploring her to spread the message of his Divine Mercy, specifically through the recitation of this chaplet.
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed using an ordinary five-decade Rosary. To begin, make the Sign of the Cross, then pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed. On each of the large beads (where the Our Father is said, pray: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” On each of the 10 smaller beads (used for the Hail Mary), pray: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” This pattern is repeated for all five decades of the Rosary. To conclude the chaplet, pray three times: “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
Readings of the Week
Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23/Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/Jn 20:1-9 or Mt 28:1-10 Or Lk 24:13-35
Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33/Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11/Mt 28:8-15
Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41/Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22/Jn 20:11-18
Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10/Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9/Lk 24:13-35
Thursday: Acts 3:11-26/Ps 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9/Lk 24:35-48
Friday: Acts 4:1-12/Ps 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a/Jn 21:1-14
Saturday: Acts 4:13-21/Ps 118:1 and 14-15ab, 16-18, 19-21/Mk 16:9-15
Next Sunday: Acts 2:42-47/Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24/1 Pt 1:3-9/Jn 20:19-31
Celebrations of the Week
Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord
Monday: Monday in the Octave of Easter
Tuesday: Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
Wednesday: Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
Thursday: Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Friday: Friday in the Octave of Easter
Saturday: Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Next Sunday: Second Sunday of Easter
