Devotion for today: and so it ends….

Here is the final third of His Holiness Benedict XVI’s farewell address. These are beautiful words from a loving Father, who put the good of his family the Church ahead of himself, and who knew he would be mocked and ridiculed for doing so, much like Christ was for dying for us. It will always be this way. Those who choose to listen to God and follow His voice will never be understood in the world, which has chosen other voices to follow. We must always admire and imitate Benedict’s love and willingness to suffer public comment to do God’s will.

In recent months, I felt that my strength had decreased, and I asked God with insistence in prayer to enlighten me with His light to make me take the right decision – not for my sake, but for the good of the Church. I have taken this step in full awareness of its severity and also its novelty, but with a deep peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make difficult, trying choices, having ever before oneself the good of the Church and not one’s own.

Here allow me to return once again to April 19, 2005. The gravity of the decision was precisely in the fact that from that moment on I was committed always and forever by the Lord. Always – he, who assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. He belongs always and totally to everyone, to the whole Church. His life is, so to speak, totally deprived of the private sphere. I have felt, and I feel even in this very moment, that one receives one’s life precisely when he offers it as a gift. I said before that many people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are fond of him, that the Pope has truly brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world, and that he feels safe in the embrace of their communion, because he no longer belongs to himself, but he belongs to all and all are truly his own.

2 Corinthians 7: 2-7: Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

The “always” is also a “forever” - there is no returning to private life. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry, does not revoke this. I do not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. I do not abandon the cross, but remain in a new way near to the Crucified Lord. I no longer wield the power of the office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, within St. Peter’s bounds. St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, shall be a great example in this for me. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.

His Holiness Benedict the XVI never wanted to be more than a university professor at a Catholic University. He didn’t want to be made a bishop, but was obedient when asked. He didn’t want to be made a Cardinal a month later, but did so out of obedience. He could be called the “Reluctant Pope” since it was not a position he sought, yet he yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit and dedicated 8 years to the well-being of the Church. Here is why he is so similar to St. Benedict:

The life of St. Benedict is told rather simply, yet his example and writings are filled with wisdom for all ages, including the present. Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy, around the year 480, and was the son of a noble family. As a youth, he went off to Rome to study. At that time, Rome was showing signs of moral and political decay. Turning away from such Corruption, Benedict discontinued his studies and withdrew from Rome and went into solitude. For three years Benedict remained in solitude in a cave. Through a life of fasting and prayer, he sought to grow closer to God. Being such a holy person, the local people would seek him out. They desired that he pass on the message of Christ to them during a time in history that was greatly in need of the Gospel. In the year 529, after having lived these years as a monk, Benedict established a monastic foundation where men, who wanted to live a life in common and together seek out the Lord, could come to dwell. This new "school of the Lord" came to rest on a hill near Cassino in Italy. Hence, the monastery came to be known as Monte Cassino. There, Benedict established his community and wrote a rule, that is, a guide to be followed in the daily lives of his monks. Benedict guided the community as the father, also known as the abbot, until his death around the year 547. http://saintbenedict.org/stblife1.htm

I thank each and every one of you for the respect and understanding with which you have welcomed this important decision. I continue to accompany the Church on her way through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord and to His Bride, which I have hitherto tried to live daily and that I would live forever. I ask you to remember me before God, and above all to pray for the Cardinals, who are called to so important a task, and for the new Successor of Peter, that the Lord might accompany him with the light and the power of His Spirit.

Let us invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, that she might accompany each of us and the whole ecclesial community: to her we entrust ourselves, with deep trust.

Dear friends! God guides His Church, maintains her always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the way of the Church and the world. In our heart, in the heart of each of you, let there be always the joyous certainty that the Lord is near, that He does not abandon us, that He is near to us and that He surrounds us with His love. Thank you! - See more at: http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-final-general-audience-full-text#sthash.TnL54UQj.dpuf

A prayer to Mary for His Holiness Benedict XVI

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Devotion for today: Farewell, Papa, part two!

Yesterday we meditated on the first part of His Holiness Benedict XVI’s farewell audience. Today and  tomorrow we will conclude our study and bid him farewell and Godspeed.

At this time, however, it is not only God, whom I desire to thank. A Pope is not alone in guiding St. Peter’s barque, even if it is his first responsibility – and I have not ever felt myself alone in bearing either the joys or the weight of the Petrine ministry. The Lord has placed next to me many people, who, with generosity and love for God and the Church, have helped me and been close to me. First of all you, dear Brother Cardinals: your wisdom, your counsels, your friendship, were all precious to me. My collaborators, starting with my Secretary of State, who accompanied me faithfully over the years, the Secretariat of State and the whole Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in various areas, give their service to the Holy See: the many faces which never emerge, but remain in the background, in silence, in their daily commitment, with a spirit of faith and humility. They have been for me a sure and reliable support. A special thought [goes] to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I cannot forget the Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood, the consecrated persons and the entire People of God: in pastoral visits, in public encounters, at Audiences, in traveling, I have always received great care and deep affection; I also loved each and every one, without exception, with that pastoral charity which is the heart of every shepherd, especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I carried each of you in my prayers, with the father's heart.

In the final prayer of Jesus, He prays at the Last Supper for His beloved apostles. This is very similar to  the Holy Father’s final prayer:

John 17:6-10 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.  Now they know that everything you have given me is from you;  for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.  I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.  All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

I wish my greetings and my thanks to reach everyone: the heart of a Pope expands to [embrace] the whole world. I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, which makes present the great family of nations. Here I also think of all those who work for good communication, whom I thank for their important service.

At this point I would like to offer heartfelt thanks to all the many people throughout the whole world, who, in recent weeks have sent me moving tokens of concern, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone: now I experience this [truth] again in a way so great as to touch my very heart. The Pope belongs to everyone, and so many people feel very close to him. It’s true that I receive letters from the world's greatest figures - from the Heads of State, religious leaders, representatives of the world of culture and so on. I also receive many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply from their heart and let me feel their affection, which is born of our being together in Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write me as one might write, for example, to a prince or a great figure one does not know. They write as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with the sense of very affectionate family ties. Here, one can touch what the Church is – not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all. To experience the Church in this way and almost be able to touch with one’s hands the power of His truth and His love, is a source of joy, in a time in which many speak of its decline.

Ephesians 1:22-23: He has put everything under his dominion, and made him the head to which the whole Church is joined, so that the Church is his body, the completion of him who everywhere and in all things is complete.

Devotion for today: Farewell, Papa

As Pope Benedict leaves us, our Papa left behind some profound and beautiful words on which we can meditate for some time. May God bless him always, and may the Holy Spirit guide our Cardinals to elect a Pontiff who can weather the storms of the radical secularism and relativism sweeping through the world. I will present his last audience in two parts, concluding tomorrow.

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood!
Distinguished Authorities!

Dear brothers and sisters!

Thank you for coming in such large numbers to this last General Audience of my pontificate.
Like the Apostle Paul in the biblical text that we have heard, I feel in my heart the paramount duty to thank God, who guides the Church and makes her grow: who sows His Word and thus nourishes the faith in His people. At this moment my spirit reaches out to embrace the whole Church throughout the world, and I thank God for the “news” that in these years of Petrine ministry I have been able to receive regarding the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity that circulates in the body of the Church – charity that makes the Church to live in love – and of the hope that opens for us the way towards the fullness of life, and directs us towards the heavenly homeland.

I think you could say that this summarizes the basic theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate. He wrote and spoke many times on the connection between faith and charity, and charity and hope.

I feel I [ought to] carry everyone in prayer, in a present that is God’s, where I recall every meeting, every voyage, every pastoral visit. I gather everyone and everything in prayerful recollection, in order to entrust them to the Lord: in order that we might have full knowledge of His will, with every wisdom and spiritual understanding, and in order that we might comport ourselves in a manner that is worthy of Him, of His, bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).
At this time, I have within myself a great trust [in God], because I know – all of us know – that the Gospel’s word of truth is the strength of the Church: it is her life. The Gospel purifies and renews: it bears fruit wherever the community of believers hears and welcomes the grace of God in truth and lives in charity. This is my faith, this is my joy.

Here the Holy Father gives us a good basis for our own prayer as he tells us he will entrust everyone to the Lord, and that he will pray we will have knowledge of God’s will, so that all our works will bear fruit.

When, almost eight years ago, on April 19^th, [2005], I agreed to take on the Petrine ministry, I held steadfast in this certainty, which has always accompanied me. In that moment, as I have already stated several times, the words that resounded in my heart were: “Lord, what do you ask of me? It a great weight that You place on my shoulders, but, if You ask me, at your word I will throw out the nets, sure that you will guide me” – and the Lord really has guided me. He has been close to me: daily could I feel His presence. [These years] have been a stretch of the Church’s pilgrim way, which has seen moments joy and light, but also difficult moments. I have felt like St. Peter with the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of ​​Galilee: the Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze, days in which the catch has been abundant; [then] there have been times when the seas were rough and the wind against us, as in the whole history of the Church it has ever been - and the Lord seemed to sleep. Nevertheless, I always knew that the Lord is in the barque, that the barque of the Church is not mine, not ours, but His - and He shall not let her sink. It is He, who steers her: to be sure, he does so also through men of His choosing, for He desired that it be so. This was and is a certainty that nothing can tarnish. It is for this reason, that today my heart is filled with gratitude to God, for never did He leave me or the Church without His consolation, His light, His love.

Here are some Bible passages to which the Pope alludes in the above section. It would do us well to meditate on these:

 John 21:5-6: Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.

Matthew 8: 23-27: And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.  And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

John 14:23:  Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and my Father and I will come to them and live with them.

John 16:13: "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

We are in the Year of Faith, which I desired in order to strengthen our own faith in God in a context that seems to push faith more and more toward the margins of life. I would like to invite everyone to renew firm trust in the Lord. I would like that we all, entrust ourselves as children to the arms of God, and rest assured that those arms support us and us to walk every day, even in times of struggle. I would like everyone to feel loved by the God who gave His Son for us and showed us His boundless love. I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian. In a beautiful prayer to be recited daily in the morning says, “I adore you, my God, I love you with all my heart. I thank You for having created me, for having made me a Christian.” Yes, we are happy for the gift of faith: it is the most precious good, that no one can take from us! Let us thank God for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent Christian life. God loves us, but He also expects that we love Him!

Devotion for today: the Agnus Dei

“Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”

The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. Revelation 19:7

Rev. Dwight Longenecke, parish priest of Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Greenville, South Carolina, tells us: 

“Behold” carries a connotation of contemplation and wonder. We say, “That is something to behold!” when confronted with a wonder or some great beauty. “Here is” conveys no depth. Then “Behold” is repeated to bring us to wonder at the truth that the Lamb takes away the sins of the world....

Then the priest says, “Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb.” He says “Blessed” instead of “Happy.” “Happy is just, well, happy…. “Blessed” on the other hand, implies God’s involvement. A Christian person is blessed by God and therefore has a reason to be happy. Deep down happy. Existential Happy. Blessing implies a supernatural grace received.

The priest now says, “The supper of the Lamb” instead of “his supper.” “His supper” just sounds like you’ve been invited around to some guy’s house for soup and sandwiches….Not really. “The supper of the Lamb” carries much more meaning — meaning which was lost in the old translation. First of all, “the supper of the Lamb” refers to the marriage supper of the Lamb” in the Book of Revelation. (Rev.19:7)

This is the consummation of all things, and connects with the nuptial imagery in Ephesians where St Paul describes the church as the Bride of Christ. The Eucharist is therefore an eschatological wedding feast at which the whole Church and we as individuals are joined with Christ the Bridegroom. At the Eucharist we “participate fully” in the union with the Bridegroom….

 There is more: the “supper of the Lamb” is also a reference back to the Passover Feast — which was not only a type of the sacrifice of Christ, but also a pointer to the Eucharist and the final consummation of the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Jews referred to the Passover Lamb as “the Lamb of God” and so this language “the supper of the Lamb” now carries all these references and meanings…. An allusion is meant to evoke not only the original literary story or text. It is meant to evoke an entire episode or story.

The allusions to Scripture in the liturgy are actually allusions to events and images within salvation history. Here the liturgical concept of anamnesis holds hands with the literary term allusion. Anamnesis is the idea that as we remember previous events in a liturgical and ritualistic action we do not only remember them, but we re-live them. Events from the past are brought into the present moment. Liturgy makes time travelers of us all. 

Thus, when we recall the Passover we re-live and bring into the present moment that saving event. With that we gather up that dark Friday afternoon when the Lamb of God actually took away the sins of the world, and we also bring into the one present liturgical moment Christ’s words about wedding feasts and brides and bridegrooms and foolish virgins and keeping lamps lit and we look forward to that great marriage supper of the Lamb where all things shall be reconciled.

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2011/behold-the-lamb-the-triumph-of-the-new-translation

Devotion for today: they knew Him in the breaking of the bread

 "And they told about the things that had happened on the road and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread."  Luke 24:35

Catechism of the Catholic Church: 1329: The Breaking of Bread, because Jesus used this rite, part of a Jewish meat when as master of the table he blessed and distributed the bread, above all at the Last Supper. It is by this action that his disciples will recognize him after his Resurrection, and it is this expression that the first Christians will use to designate their Eucharistic assemblies; by doing so they signified that all who eat the one broken bread, Christ, enter into communion with him and form but one body in him.

Today we look at the part of the Mass known as the Fraction, where the priest breaks the host in half. This seemingly minor action is actually rich in tradition and symbolism. In a traditional Jewish home, the head of the house always broke the bread and said a blessing to begin the family meal, so that all present could share in the one bread now broken. In the New Testament, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, gave it to His disciples, and fed thousands of people (Matthew 14:19; 15:36; Mark 6:41; 8:6; Luke 9:16). Sound familiar? It should, because those are the very words the gospel writers use to explain what Jesus did at the last supper when He instituted the Eucharist. Notice it is always the same pattern: it is Jesus who blesses and breaks the bread, and then He gives it to His disciples to eat and distribute. Even after His resurrection, Jesus walked the road to Emmaus with a few disciples, then sat with them, blessed and broke bread, and gave it to them, at which moment they knew Him. Might we, too, at this point in the Mass, recall the blessing, breaking and distribution practice Jesus instituted, and prepare our hearts to receive the broken body of Christ from His priests and extraordinary ministers, knowing we are part of an ancient rite as well as a practice Jesus Himself chose to give Himself to others, to us.

Edward Sri tells us in his book “A biblical walk through the Mass, Ascension Press, 2011): The Acts of the Apostles describes how the early Church gathered for the breaking of bread – a term which we have already seen was associated with the Eucharist in the gospels… Long before the building of churches…the very first Christians in Jerusalem worshipped God by attending the Temple together and gathering for the breaking of bread in their homes (Acts 2:46)… years later and far from Jerusalem, the Christians following St. Paul in Troas gathered with Him on the first day of the week “to break bread” (Acts 20:7,11). St. Paul…also saw rich symbolism in the ritual of many people partaking of the same loaf of bread. For Paul, this points to the deep unity Christians share when we partake of the one Body of Christ: “The Bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

Prayer of the Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, by the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit, through your Death gave life to the world, free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood, from all my sins and from every evil; keep me always faithful to your commandments, and never let me be parted from you.

Devotion for today: Let us offer each other the sign of peace

This part of the Mass is not always performed. When it is expressed by the laity to each other, it must be done respectfully and soberly so as not to disrupt the solemnity of the Mass. It is an important part of the Mass, however, as we are following the Lord’s command in Matthew 5:23-24, “So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” By offering an expression of peace to our neighbors in Mass, we should remember to do so to those people in our lives who drive us crazy. God wants us to live in peace. He wants us to come to Him in the Eucharist with peace, not animosity, in our hearts.

1 Samuel 25:6:  Thus you shall salute him: ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.

1 Thessalonians 5:26: Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: 82. The Rite of Peace … by which the Church asks for peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family… the faithful, express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the Sacrament. As for the sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by Conferences of Bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. It is, however, appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner.

This is a good explanation of the Sign of Peace: The Sign of Peace was reintroduced into the Mass when the Liturgy was reformed after Vatican II. For some people, it was a wonderful opportunity to express their love and sense of community. Other people were embarrassed and uncomfortable about the idea of moving around and shaking hands or sharing a kiss of peace with other people. It may be that this single gesture summarizes much of what Liturgical reform was about. At the beginning of this series of articles, we recalled that the Vatican Council was keen that people did not come to the Liturgy as outsiders and observers. The Sign of Peace makes this teaching real!

Although we are the ones making the Sign of Peace, it is, in fact Jesus who has taken the initiative. We have prayed the Lord’s Prayer together - declaring ourselves to be children of the one Father. Then we hear Jesus’ words “I leave you peace, My peace I give you” and a prayer that, because of the Faith of the Church, we may find the peace and unity of His Kingdom. And then, we are invited to make some of that peace and unity real - Let us offer each other a sign of (His) peace... This is a telling moment! In a few moments, we will be sharing communion with those around us. We will come into communion with - we will become the Body of Christ. This Rite - the Sign of Peace - forces us to realize what that means. Our Communion is not simply a private love-affair with our Beloved Lord. It demands that we recognize Him in those around us - those with whom we have shared communion - and those who are not able to share that communion.

In his book, “How to Understand the Liturgy”, Jean Lebon lays down a challenge: “It (the Sign of Peace) is a point where one sees whether the liturgy holds together. If the congregation has not really been welded together during the course of the Mass, then it is useless and inappropriate to perform this action.”

This seems very stern -but emphasizes the importance of what we say we are doing. If we are who we say we are - the Body of Christ - a gathered community - an assembly of God - a congregation of worshipers - then this is the time to show that that means we see one another and can reach out in love and the peace of Christ to our neighbor. http://www.wellsprings.org.uk/the_mass/liturgy_eucharist_sign_of_peace.htm

St. Thomas More: PRO INIMICIS  (last prayer before his execution)

ALMIGHTY GOD, have mercy on N. and N., and on all that bear me evil will, and would me harm, and their faults and mine together, by such easy, tender, merciful means, as Thine infinite wisdom best can devise, vouch-safe to amend and redress, and make us saved souls in heaven together where we may ever live and love together with thee and thy blessed saints. O glorious Trinity, for the bitter passion of our sweet Savior Christ. Amen.

Lord, give me patience in tribulation and grace in everything to conform my will to Thine: that I may truly say: Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo et in terra. (Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven)

The things, good Lord, that I pray for, give me Thy grace to labor for. Amen.

(From English Prayers and Treatise on the Holy Eucharist, by Thomas More, edited by Philip E. Hallett London: Oates and Washbourne, 1938).

Devotion for today: Timely thoughts for all of us as many in the world face financial difficulties

AMERICA/PERU - Solidarity and sobriety: the solution to the crisis

Huancayo (Agenzia Fides) - The solution to the economic crisis is greater solidarity and greater sobriety of life style: this was said by the Catholic Archbishop of Huancayo, Archbishop Mons. Pedro Barreto Jimeno SJ, at a conference organized in Canada, by the Catholic Agency for Development Peace "Agenzia Dessarrollo y Paz", promoted by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Canada. The Agency supports various solidarity and cooperation run by the Catholic Church in Latin America, in Africa and in Asia.

The title of the Conference was: "Development and Peace: the greater the crisis, the greater the solidarity". Fides was informed by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Peru that the Archbishop said when there is talk of a crisis, at any level, we are afraid, "very often we panic and in the confusion, we forget to think about others ".

Archbishop Barreto explained: "In the face of the economic crisis, the Catholic Church in her teaching proposes a life of more sobriety and austerity. We must learn to do without the superfluous, and live with more sobriety, sharing with others who we are and what we have.

This is what Christ is calling us to do in this Season of Lent: Jesus calls us to convert ourselves, to change, and to live out Christian charity which is a witness of the authenticity of our faith". (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 23/02/2013)

 Prayer: ONE THING I NEED

Lord, I need only one thing in this world; to know myself and to love you. Give me your love and your grace; with these I am satisfied and desire nothing more.  http://faculty.cbhs.org

Psalm 27:4: One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Luke 10:42: but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

Matthew 19:21: Jesus answered, "If you desire to be perfect," replied Jesus, "go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; and come, follow me."