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HIS Servant
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 CONSECRATED
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(made holy for the Lord)
- By Bro. Pete
Lapid
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One morning before Mass, I happened to focus my gaze at the
chalice on the altar. At that instance, I didn’t know why. But as
I kept looking and staring at the chalice, many inspirations came
to me. God really works in unexpected ways!
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Firstly, I realized that the chalice is consecrated to the
Lord, that is, set apart and made holy for the Lord. It is set
apart solely for the use of the Lord. We, too, are consecrated to
the Lord. By virtue of our Baptism, we are all consecrated to Him
– to be used for His glory. Not only the priests and the
religious, but all Christians.
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Secondly, it is set-aside for the Lord. It is focused on
only one thing – to be in the service of the Lord. After the
Mass, it is removed from the altar and kept. It is not used for
anything else. As believers and followers of Christ, we, too,
should be set apart only for the Lord’s use and purpose.
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The third attribute of the chalice is its openness to the
Lord. It is open to receive, to be filled and to be touched by the
blood of Jesus Christ. In the same way, we, too, should be open
and ready every time to receive Jesus in whatever way or in
whatever “form” He reveals Himself to us - by His Word, by His
presence or thru other people.
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Another aspect of the chalice is that it is expectant.
After it is used in the service during Mass and kept, it knows and
it expects that it will again be used the next day or even if it
meant the next Sunday. It is longing to be used by its Master
again and again. We, too, should be expectant and eager to be
used by the Lord. We should be hopeful and excited to do something
for the Lord anytime, anywhere He calls us.
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The chalice is likewise used with others. During Mass it is
used with other things on the altar. It is not used alone but in
communion, in unity with the others – in humble service of the
Lord. We, too, should be humble enough to serve and work with the
other people whom the Lord has also called, gifted and chosen to
serve Him.
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Lastly, the chalice is raised by the priest during
Mass. In a
mysterious way, I believe, it is Jesus Himself who raises the
chalice thru the hands of the priest, the “alter Christ” during
the Consecration. And, we, too, who have been consecrated to the
Lord, will be raised by Jesus Himself when the time comes.
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I am sure that there are many other inspirations that one
can draw from the chalice. But I believe that living a fully
consecrated life is what the Lord desires from each of us - a life
that is totally pleasing to Him.
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And there is only one person in all of creation who lived a
truly consecrated life to the Lord – and that is our Blessed
Mother Mary. She is a model for all of us, One whom we can truly
emulate. All throughout her life, she was consecrated to the
Lord. From the time of her birth, she was set apart by God for
His purpose - to be the vessel for His Son Jesus to come into the
world. And she lived this consecrated and dedicated life on earth
until God rewarded her when she was taken into His Kingdom to be
with her beloved Son Jesus for all eternity. Let us therefore
follow and imitate the example of Mother Mary.
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- Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me by the power of Your Holy Spirit to live the
consecrated life You meant for me when I was baptized in Your
Name. May I be like the chalice that is set apart and dedicated
for You alone; that I, too, will always be eagerly waiting for You
to use me as Your instrument again and again and humbly serving
You in communion with my other brothers and sisters. Help me to
be more open to Your call, to Your Word and to Your service.
Above all, I pray that one day, just like the chalice that is
raised on Your altar of sacrificial love, like Mother Mary whom
You raised and brought into Heaven, that You, my Lord and Savior,
will also raise me up and present me to the Father to be with You
in Your Kingdom where there is fullness of joy forever and ever.
Amen.
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TELL US
LIKE IT IS!
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something wonderful and unique happened in your life lately? Did
God answer your prayer in a very unexpected way? Did you, like
Isaiah, meet God’s whisper?
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you felt His powerful hand working in your life recently?
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Everyday, people are experiencing God’s mighty Word in their
lives and it is a pity that very few know about it. Do you have
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IN THIS ISSUE:
HIS Servant
by Bro. Pete Lapid
Our Faith
By Fr. KJ Veeger, MSC
Place of Refuge
By Philip Yuson
Surabaya Corner
By Ramon Martillano
Marian Sharing
By Ana Lee Masias
Community Life
By Armand Sol
Marian Reflection
By Leslie Freires
Straight from the Heart
By Carolle Bautista
On Focus
By Sansu Garin
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