Waiting...

First Sunday of Advent

~~~ Isaiah 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7 ~~~ Psalm 80 ~~~
~~~1 Corinthians 1:3-9 ~~~ Mark 13:33-37 ~~~


O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

Why would God use the imagery of the potter and the clay?
Would you rather be the potter?
Are you content with being the clay?
The potter has control of the clay, but the clay is not always compliant.
The clay resists... the clay falls apart...the clay is flawed.
An master potter is skilled...accomplished at his craft.
The potter would not begin to work the clay on the wheel
without having a plan.

God does not bring us into existence
without having a plan for our lives.

The potter works the clay by the pressure of his hands
 and the turning of the wheel.

God uses the many changing aspects
of our life to mold us into who we become.

God is forming us into his special vessel.

Let this Advent be a time of preparing
 the space in your heart for the Lord to dwell.

Jesus comes to you in the silence of your heart.

Come Lord, Jesus, Come.
Take the time to get ready.

Blessed in our waiting.
~~~Peace~~~

Dazzling Beauty

~~~ Revelation 22:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 95 ~~~ Luke 21:34-36 ~~~

Just think for a moment how amazing our world would be if
we were only allowed to use words
depicting truth, beauty, and love.
That would truly be the miraculous 'new earth'
we read about this week.

The best written words bring alive in your
minds eye pictures and feelings.
If you have ever gazed upon the water as the sunlight
danced about like tiny diamonds then you can
 picture the passage from Revelation today.

An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God...

There is one significant note to make here...
this river is sparkling like a crystal, not from
the sun as we experience it;
this river is sparkling from the glorious face of Jesus.
It is the full glory of God that creates the dazzling beauty on the water.
This water is the life giving water...alive with pure redemption...
alive with resurrection...
This water gives new life to all who believe in the source.

“Behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.

Today is the final day of this liturgical year.
Let us begin to prepare our hearts
for the coming of the Lord.

Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!

The weeks of Advent remind us of just how human God became.
He comes into our world as an innocent infant.
Blessings of innocence.
~~~Peace~~~

Hidden Within the Fig

~~~ Revelation 20:1-4, 11-21:2 ~~~ Psalm 84 ~~~ Luke 21:29-33 ~~~

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away...

God will give us not only a new earth,
he will give us a new heaven too.
Scripture tells us God makes all things new...ALL things new.
It may be easy to imagine our earth to be made new;
we can visualize an earth without suffering...
a new earth without violence...
a new earth without famine...
a new earth without disease...
a new earth without child abuse...
a new earth with loving families...
a new earth with peace among all peoples...
a new earth with abundant sources of food...
a new earth with pure clean drinking water...

A new heaven poses more of a visualization challenge.
All that we know of heaven is already held
within our minds and hearts.
How could God make heaven any better?
Maybe when the last day of judgment comes
even the heavens
 will experience a greater peace.
The new heaven will be filled with people
 from every age and time.
The new heaven will be pure love joy and peace.
There will no longer be the need for repentance
or sorrow in this new heaven.
All that is not of the goodness of God will no longer plague creation.
The new heaven will be the never ending joyful
glorious celebration of the Trinity.

Jesus uses the example of the fig tree in today's gospel reading.

Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near...

The fig tree is the third tree mentioned by name in the Bible...

Genesis 3:7.

Growing to nearly 20 feet with large leaves,
the fig tree provides shade.
Minute wasps cultivate these trees,
and the fig is produced
before the leaves emerge.
The flower of the tree is never seen,
as its many tiny flowers are housed within the fruit bud.
Two crops are produced each year. The first crop is eaten fresh,
while the second crop is dried for winter. 

While the blossom of the fig tree is never seen the

the tiny wasps inside are hard at work
pollinating the fruit.
The male never leaves the fig dying there.
The tiny females emerge from the fig through a path
created for her by the male.

Later she flies to another fig enters into a similar hole,
culminating her life pollinating another fig.

The new earth and the new heaven will burst forth
as it should be when the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Blessings as we contemplate all 'new' beginnings.

Jesus makes all things new...
He prepares to make you a new creation.

~~~Peace~~~

Always on Your Account

~~~ Sirach 50:22-24 ~~~Psalm 145 ~~~ 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 ~~~
~~~ Luke 17:11-19 ~~~

The optional readings for Thanksgiving day
are saturated with words of thanks.
Any words written here would pale in comparison.

Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.

May you life be richly blessed.
May you always remember just how much you are loved.
May you cherish all that God has given to you and your loved ones.

And now, bless the God of all,
who has done wondrous things on earth...

May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you;
May his goodness toward us endure in Israel
to deliver us in our days.

May you be blessed with joy as you gather with family and friends.
May His peace abide with our country, our cities,
our communities, our families, and within our own hearts.

Let there be Peace on earth...let it begin with me.

I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way...

I give thanks for each person in my life.
I do believe you have each enriched my life.
Your presence in my life has contributed to who I am becoming.
I see the grace of God active within your hearts.
May you continue to realize just how important
 you are in our world today.

...you are not lacking in any spiritual gift...

Let your prayers of thanks and gratitude
 lift up your heart and soul.
You are his most Beloved daughters and sons.

If you are reading this know that you are
a true treasure in my life.
I thank you.
~~~Peace~~~

Perseverance...Strength

~~~ Revelation 15:1-4 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Luke 21:12-19 ~~~

The invitation to follow Jesus
includes freely taking up your cross as you walk with him.
There is not just one cross...we do not enter into a 'life cross' lottery.

Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

Our crosses take on various forms...sometimes
 they are physical diseases...
sometimes they are painful rejections by loved ones...
sometimes they are lost dreams...
sometimes they are broken hearts...
sometimes they are the death of loved ones...
sometimes they are persecutions for believing in God...
sometimes they are conflicting morals...
No stage of life is completely free of crosses to bear.

None of us wants to be hated because of how or who we worship.
Jesus calms our anxieties.
Jesus soothes our hearts.
Jesus puts our mind at rest.

...You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair 
on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Jesus keeps us from falling apart.
Jesus gives us the strength to persevere to the end.

 I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking

that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

Jesus puts the words on our lips.
Jesus puts the song in our hearts.
Jesus puts the twinkle in our eyes when we speak of him.
Jesus is all that we need.

We will play God's harps of gold...
we will be purified and proven in the fire...
we will not be consumed by the fire...

We must not shrink from our crosses, they are the
fires that purify our souls.

By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

One day we will join those who have been tested.
We will take our place...
being short please Lord let me see you face.
Reap the Blessings of perseverance...
You carry your cross with those who walk along your side.
We come together to care and support one another.
No cross is too great when you have the love
 of God to fortify your soul.

~~~Peace~~~

One More Day...

~~~ Revelation 14:14-19 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~  Luke 21:5-11 ~~~~

The Lord comes to judge the earth.

On the final day the Lord will return to the earth
 for the last judgement.
The last day has been a part of our future
since Jesus overcame the chains of death.
As long as we have the ability to consider the future
 we will continue to wonder about judgment day.

Speculation about the end time keeps our curiosity alive.
It seems that living in the end time is to be
 experienced by each generation.
Throughout history tragic events cause us to ask,
'Is this it?' Some have even professed to have knowledge
of the date and time of the end.
Of course we know they are frauds
 trying to deceive gullible souls.
Wars, diseases, civil unrest, brutality, all sorts of corruption
give us cause to wonder just how near
we are to the final judgment day.

“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, 
and plagues from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs 
will come from the sky.”

Any reference to the exact time has never been revealed by God.
If we knew the exact day and time or even
just the year of the end
imagine how different our lives would become.

As long as we do not have knowledge of the final day
 we still have time to do better.

Every year at the end of the liturgical cycle we are given end time readings.
These words create a somberness within our souls.
It is fitting that we should have this time
during the week of Thanksgiving.

Now is the time to make a note of our blessings.
Now is the time to acknowledge our intention
 to be more aware of our very life.

We are either living life to its fullest
or we are frightened by the possibilities of the end time.

As long as we have one more day to live
we have one more day to love more completely.

As long as we have one more day God 

allows us to repent for our past offenses.
As long as we have one more day

God expresses his hope that we will turn toward his ways.

Good only wants goodness and love to follow
 us all the days of our life.

“Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters
 from the earth’s vines, for its grapes are ripe.”

One day God will close this chapter of our existence.
One day life as we know it on this planet will cease to exist.
One day we will all be brought into his presence.
One day we will each be held accountable for words,
 thoughts, and actions.

One day we will either be brought into the harvest
 or we will fall to the ground to be trampled upon.

We desire to be cut from the earth's vine.
On that day the earth will no longer hold
any promise of tomorrow.

On that day everything will come
 into submission to God's justice.

The sickle of the harvester is sharp and swift.

Blessings as we contemplate the end times...
keep in mind all that we have been given.

When the mighty signs come from the heavens
 there will be no doubt as to what is happening.

This day will be unlike any other that has come before.

Held in Attentive Peace.

...Just Maybe

~~~ Revelation 14:1-3, 4B-5 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Luke 21:1-4 ~~~

One may ask why such a precise number of 144,000?
This number is  the square of twelve (the number of Israel’s tribes)
 multiplied by a thousand, symbolic of the new Israel
that embraces people from every nation, race, people, and tongue.

Just as believers surrounded Jesus while he was on Earth
so it is also found to be the case in Revelation.
The Lamb has surrounding him his beloved faithful believers.
The exact number is only symbolic in that it includes
 far more than ever before...
it is far reaching to all the ends of the world.
 The joy of those with the Lamb is evident
 through the hymns pouring forth from their spirit.
Any others present heard, but could not join in this hymn.

No one could learn this hymn 
except the hundred and forty-four thousand
who had been ransomed from the earth.

Those who had come to believe were allowed to learn the hymn.
It was the hymn of love for the Lamb who shed his blood.
It was the hymn for the unblemished Lamb of God.

No amount of money could help you learn this beautiful hymn.
The knowledge of this hymn was much deeper.
This hymn was placed into the heart
 of the believers by the one who first sang it.

This hymn was the melody of peace, joy, mercy,
forgiveness, and compassion.

This hymn could only be composed by the one
who had the greatest capacity for love.

The poor widow gave from her poverty and was
blessed with abundance of spirit.

The widow in today's gospel had no intention of trying
 to buy her way into the community;
she simply gave from her heart.

The martyrs we remember today gave their life for loving God.
They paid the ultimate price.
They have joined the group surrounding the Lamb.
They had been allowed to learn the hymn.

Perhaps this unique hymn is already within our souls.
Perhaps every time we act out of kindness...
every time we act from purity of heart...
the hymn rises closer to the surface of our heart.
Just maybe, when our last day comes,
we too will be allowed to join the others in singing
this hymn of praise and joy...just maybe.

He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,

a reward from God his savior.

Just maybe the reward from God is the grace to learn the hymn...
the Blessing to receive your heavenly voice.
This hymn is reserved for the ones who surround the Lamb.
It is different than the hymns sung by the choirs of angels.
The angels have always been filling the heavens
 with their songs of praise.

Our song is different...our song reveals just how grateful
 we are for being saved by the Blood of the Lamb.

Spend your earthly days preparing your soul
to learn the hymn.

Let the heavens be filled with our hymns of love.
~~~Peace~~~

The Unlikely King

~~~ The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King ~~~

~~~ Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ 

~~~1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 ~~~ Matthew 25:31-46 ~~~

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

How many Kings have you heard of who are also shepherds?

Probably not one, except for our Lord.

Kings sit on their thrones. Kings rule their 

kingdoms from a distance. 

Kings have servants attending to all 

of their needs and wants. 

Kings live in castles and palaces. 

Kings surround themselves 

with extravagant jewels and gold cups.

Kings are not the creators of their kingdoms.

Most often Kings inherit their kingdoms.

We celebrate Christ the King of the Universe.

We celebrate our King who is also the caring Shepherd.

Our King says...

I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

Our King says...

I will rescue...I will seek out...I will bring back...

I will heal...

Our King goes out and mingles with the people.

Our King suffers and dies for his chosen people.

Our King consistently acts with justice and mercy.

Our King loves unconditionally.

There is no other King who can compare.

Kings send out their armies to conquer distant lands.

Our King conquered all enemies....near, far, seen and unseen.

...he has put all his enemies under his feet. 

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Our King cannot be ruined...cannot be discredited...

cannot be conquered.

Our King sees any good we, his people, do for one another.

Then the king will say to those on his right,

'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. 

Inherit the kingdom prepared for you

 from the foundation of the world. 

Our King believes that even the smallest kindness

 we extend to others we also are extending to him.

Nothing is too small or insignificant.

And the king will say to them in reply,

'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did

for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

It is fitting, right, and just that we should honor and glorify our King.

It is fitting, right, and just that we give praise to our King.

Our King will raise us up on the last day 

to be with him for all of eternity.

Glory and Praise to Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

The One who Blesses us every day in so many ways.

He is the unlikely King because he is our Shepherd.

He is the unlikely King because everything about his kingship is 

historically contradictory to what we have seen. 

He is the unlikely King who loves his chosen

 ones unconditionally.

~~~Peace~~~

Are You Alive?

~~~ Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr ~~~
~~~ Revelation 11:4-12 ~~~ Psalm 144  ~~~ Luke 20:27-40 ~~~

 ...he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.

God no longer has any need for death.
Jesus died for all of us.
God sees us as alive in him and through him and with him.
There is no death for God.
Everything God does is life-giving.
It is hard for us to comprehend, but then again
we just need to believe and trust.
The God, creator of all things in the universe is the Life.
Jesus died for us...there will be no more death.
The heart of God gives life.
When we fall into the darkness of sin
his loving heart calls us to come back...
to come back to share in his life.
God sees us as alive!

 ...after the three and a half days,
a breath of life from God entered them.

The book of Revelation is very rich in symbolism.
Today we have the two witnesses, two olive trees and two lampstands.

The Bible footnotes tell us the witnesses are lamentation and repentance.
 Do they represent Moses and Elijah, or the Law and the Prophets,
 or Peter and Paul? Most probably they refer to the universal church,
especially the Christian martyrs, fulfilling the office of witness

We celebrate the feast of Saint Cecilia, virgin and martyr.
The whole story of Cecilia may be just a pious romance story
 and one of tremendous love of God.
Even though she was given in marriage
she promised to keep her virginity.
She held in her heart that an angel protected her virginity.
It is believed that she became known as the patron of musicians
 because she heard music on her wedding day.
Today it would hard to imagine a wedding ceremony without music.
Saint Cecilia was responsible for bring many souls to God.
She was martyred after surviving a bath
 of boiling water, so the story is told.

What matters here is that God brought Cecilia
up to be with him in heaven.
God is only about life...life especially
following what we consider to be death.
The breath of life first given to us at our birth
is withdrawn by God upon our death.
The true beauty of life comes next when
 the eternal breath of life fills only our soul.
This breath is actually more fully alive
since it leaves the physical body behind.

Once we 'die' here our next breath from God is fulfilling.
This breath makes us complete...united with him.
Even though we may have a fear of death...
it is largely a fear of the unknown.
This is why we are so fascinated with after death accounts.
If we really knew how incredible this eternal breath of God
 would be for our soul we would not consider
resisting the end of our life.

The breath of God gives us life at birth and again
with our entrance into eternity.
So Blessed to belong to a God who
sees all as alive in Him.
~~~Peace~~~

A Prayerful Home

~~~ Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~~~
~~~ Revelation 10:8-11 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 19:45-48

My house shall be a house of prayer,

Mary was taken to temple and presented to God
by her faithful loving parents, Joachim and Anne.
They dedicated her to God without fully
 realizing what that would mean for their daughter.
Joachim and Anne were the proud parents of a beautiful little girl
little did they know how much God loved her.
Little did they know that their daughter
was chosen to be the mother of Jesus.
God chose them to be her parents because
they already had a deep faith.
God knew they would pass on their love of the Scriptures.
Mary grew up in a loving family, a house filled with prayer.

As many parents experience, sometimes things
 happen to your children that you cannot prevent.
Sometimes the joy you had when they
were young turns sour as they make mistakes.
Happiness turns to sorrow as they experience set backs
 in their lives...their careers, their relationships, etc.

Imagine how Mary's parents must have felt when
 she shared with them her visit with the angel of God.
They were indeed going to be grandparents,
but this was no ordinary child.
Their daughter was going to be the mother
 of the Son of God...the Messiah.

“Take and swallow it.

It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.”

Mary experienced both the sweetness of giving
 birth to the child Jesus.
Mary also experienced the great sorrow of having
 to witness her child be crucified.

Throughout her life Mary would
 taste the sweetness of loving her son, Jesus.
Along with the sweetness she also had many occasions
when she felt her stomach turn sour. 

How was she able to endure all this agony?

Her parents prepared her for whatever life would bring to her.
Her parents knew if they could teach their daughter to love God...
to learn from his holy words...
she would be equipped to accept the life
God would lay before her.

The Presentation of Mary in the temple
 set the tone for the rest of her life.
Her parents presented her to God to make her
into the person he wanted her to become.

Mary's parents made it possible for her
to say 'yes' when the angel
Gabriel came to her side.

As parents, making our home a house of prayer
 might just be the most important thing
 we can give to our children.

Sometimes I wish that I would have understood
just how important praying with my
children was when they were young.

If you want your family to be more Blessed

take the steps to set aside the time
to make prayer a priority

in your home.

~Peace~

Jesus Weeps

~~~ Revelation 5:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 149 ~~~  Luke 19:41-44 ~~~

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–

Jesus is weeping because Jerusalem remained blind
 to the truth that he was the source of their peace.
He longed for Jerusalem to see him as their Messiah
but it did not happen.
...he saw the city and wept over it...

The title for this part of Luke's chapter 19 is
The Lament for Jerusalem...
Lament...a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.
Lament is to mourn a person's loss.
Jesus was mourning the loss of Jerusalem.

Jesus regrets that Jerusalem turned a deaf ear to his teachings.
It was a calamity for Jesus to contemplate the sins of Jerusalem.

While we are still in the throne room
 John weeps as he fears all will be lost.
The One on the Throne holds the sacred scroll.
This scroll is sealed in seven different places.
Then in the middle of this magnificent holy space
another animal comes forward.

One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.
The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed,
enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.”

But what appears is not a lion, but the slain lamb.
This is the one who has come to remove the seven seals.
This Lamb restores all of us back into our intended
 place with God in heaven.

There is no need for tears because the scroll has been opened.
We have been restored to God's grace.
We have indeed been redeemed by this Lamb, Jesus.

As the incense filled this holy space with the sweetest fragrance
all who were present fell to honor this Lamb of God.

All began to sing a new hymn...
Worthy are you to receive the scroll
and break open its seals,
for you were slain and with your Blood 
you purchased for God...

The scroll has been opened to all peoples in every nation.
The scroll was opened by the crucifixion and death
of God's only begotten Son, Jesus.

We have no idea what our existence would have been
had the scroll remained sealed.
We have no reason to fear what was written upon the sealed scroll. 

One thing we can be certain of is that we would probably
not be finding our joy in the love of God.

Do not weep...
for we are Blessed...tucked under the protective
wings of God's compassion.

Jesus can open whatever is sealed away
within your heart.

Let his Peace sustain your soul.

"Starter Pack"

~~~ Revelation 4:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 150 ~~~ Luke 9:11-28 ~~~

If we did not know any better one would think that the author
of the book of Revelation was on some kind of hallucinating drug.

The descriptions of his visions are so rich with imagery that
 film makers continue to find vivid theatrical material.

If you want beautiful jewels, read Revelation.
If you want a royal environment covered in gold, read Revelation.
If you want scary winged creatures, read Revelation.
If you want thrones, elders, pomp and circumstance, read Revelation.
This book has it all including the highest words of praise.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come.”

All creatures great and small
flock before the one who sits upon the throne.
For he is the Holy One...he alone is worthy.

Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.

Jesus was rejected in so many ways during his time with us.
But in heaven there is no conflict...no hesitation.
In heaven nothing is too much to give to the Lord.
In heaven no creature feels unworthy
 to come forward with their songs of praise.

In heaven beauty, precious and dazzling, is presented to the Lord.
In heaven we will be made into a new creation...
one clothed in the purity of his love.

In heaven no one will need to be coaxed
 into singing their praises of God. 

In heaven the splendor of the One who sits
 upon the throne will be brighter than even the sun.

In heaven we join the others in giving him
praise day and night.

All that God has so generously given
to us we will return to him in thanksgiving.

Our life long task is to discover the gifts we have been given,
and then to use them to their fullest.
If we only partially use our gifts we are
 ignoring their full potential.

God gives each of us our starter pack of gifts;
he does intend for us to use them.

A started pack is only the beginning it is up to you to continue...
to do more...to multiply your gifts...to expand them...
to use them in creative ways.

When we approach the One who sits upon the throne
the question will be,
"What did you do with my 'starter pack' of gifts?

The gifts we have must be used in order to increase.
The more we make use of our gifts
the more abundantly they will be developed.

The is only One God...
He alone is worthy of our unceasing praise.
The 'starter pack'  is only to get you excited for the Lord.

Blessed to be called to join
 in the unending hymns of Praise. 

 Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

~~~Peace~~~

Baby's Bath Water

~~~ Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22 ~~~ Psalm 15 ~~~ Luke 19:1-10 ~~~

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

then I will enter his house and dine with him...

Sometimes when we have everything that we need...
that is the comforts of life,
there is a danger of forgetting about our spiritual life.

This is what has God upset with the people in Laodicea.
Everything is going great...they are a wealthy
 industrial and commerce city.
They have a renowned medical school.
They exported fine woolen clothing.
Their cosmetic eye cream made them popular.

They were so well off that they were able to rebuild their city
after a devastating earthquake without outside aid.

They had life all figured out except for their relationship with God.
They were too busy to give it much attention.
Maybe they thought that God would just be there no matter what.
Maybe they thought that because life was going so great there
 was no need to bring God into the scene.
Making room for God can complicate your life.
You cannot be lukewarm when it comes to having God in your life.
Lukewarm may be good for the baby's bath water.
but not when it comes to God.

He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.

Jesus called Zacchaeus down from the tree
and invited himself for dinner.

Jesus could have just showed up at the door and knocked.
He certainly did not send a messenger ahead
to give Zacchaeus a heads up.

Zacchaeus had no idea that Jesus could
have come knocking at his door.

Little did he know that God was knocking
 at the door of his heart.
God led him to be curious enough to come
 out to see Jesus for himself.

Zacchaeus opened his heart to Jesus
and Jesus wasted no time in dining with him.

This meeting led him to hear the truth within his heart.
He was so moved that he gave half of his possessions to the poor.

It is far worse to be lukewarm then to be hot or cold.
It is all or nothing when it comes to God.
If you cannot be completely committed to him
then it may be time to ask yourself why not.

What are you most committed to in your life?

God is totally one hundred percent committed to you...
he would never be lukewarm.

Allow the Blessings of the Lord
to change the temperature setting of your heart.
~~~ Peace~~~

Is the Choice Clear?

~~~  Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious ~~~

~~~ Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5 ~~~ Psalm 1 ~~~ Luke 18:35-43 ~~~

Realize how far you have fallen.
Repent, and do the works you did at first.
Otherwise, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place,
 unless you repent.

As the liturgical year is coming to a close we are reminded to repent.
As humans are prone to do; we have gotten off the path.
We are reminded to return to our initial good works.

This is of utmost importance lest our lampstand is removed.
Why is this important?
Would we not still have our light?

The lampstand is first mentioned in Exodus.
God gives detailed instructions about the
golden lampstand to be kept in the holy place of the tabernacle.
The lamps were to tended so as their light would always be burning.

The lampstand was to radiate the light both day and night.
This lampstand was the only source of light.
Jesus is known as the light of the world.
He gives light, he is the source of our light.

We have been given the light of Christ...
we are children of the light.
If you are to shine the light of Christ
 then it is necessary for you to live holy life.

God is warning us to repent lest he takes away
 the lampstand and our light will no longer shine brightly.

The lampstand holds up the vessel of oil burning brightly.
Jesus is the support...Jesus is the lampstand.
Without him we could not be complete;
our light would not be able to burn brightly.

Jesus is the one who led his chosen people
 out of darkness into the light.

Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.

(Rev. 2:17)

The tree of life begins in the Garden of Eden
and continues into end times.
The tree of life given by God is life sustaining.
It bears fruit. It provides shelter. It is a safe place.
 It gives us hope.

God is the tree of life.
He takes care of all of our needs.
He waters the roots.
He prepares the soil. He prunes the dead branches.
He covers the branches with lush green leaves.
He ripens the fruit in the warmth of the sunshine.

He calls us to gather around this tree of life.
He is the Life.
This tree of life represents all that was, is and is to come.
This tree of life has no end...it continues to nourish
those who are faithful.

When we turn away from our sinful ways
 it is so much easier to access the tree of life.

If we want to be the light of Christ to others then
we must draw from the source, the tree of life.

Have sight; your faith has saved you.

Jesus is the light of the world high upon the lampstand
giving light to each of us.
Jesus is the life giving tree.

God is the giver of everything good
including eternal life.

The choice is clear; repent...
your light will continue to shine...
you will be fed from the tree of life.

He is waiting to feed us
 with his grace and Blessings.

~~~Peace~~~

Stored in the Attic

~~~ Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 ~~~ Psalm 128 ~~~

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 ~~~ Matthew 25:14-30 ~~~ 

'Well done, my good and faithful servant. 

Since you were faithful in small matters,

I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master's joy.’

In the Gospel we are reminded to develop our talents.

We are reminded as we use our talents they will multiply.

We are reminded that keeping our talents solely for ourselves 

is equivalent to wasting our talents.

Whether it is five, three, or one talent 

we are to make use of them.

Our talents are not given to us to be

 stored away in the attic.

Our talents are not given to us

 to be saved for a rainy day.

God wants us to understand that the more often 

we use our talents the better person we will become.

On our final day when we come before the Lord,

we hope he will approve of how well we have used 

the gifts and talents he has given to us.

When one finds a worthy wife,

her value is far beyond pearls.

Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,

has an unfailing prize.

She brings him good, and not evil,

all the days of her life.

In marriage each person must find a way

 to use their talents and gifts.

The husband must find ways to develop his talents 

to be the best husband he can be.

How does he love, care and provide for his wife and family?

The wife, in using her talents must strive

 to be the best person she can be.

A wife uses her talents in preparing a home that is filled with love.

She uses her talents to care for all members of the family.

A devoted wife will make the life of her husband more pleasant.

The more you are loved in a marriage the more 

love you will can extend to others.

The wife uses her talents to help her husband.

The loving wife supports her husband in his endeavors

 to use and develop his talents.

If there is tension and resistance within a marriage neither party 

will be able to develop their talents.

 you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come

like a thief at night.

Not even a thief can rob one of their talents.

When, how, and why you develop your talents is your choice.

During the process of using our gifts God stands ready to support us.

God is there to Bless us as we decide to use our talents.

If today you have talents packed away in the attic

bring them down...begin to use them.

The more we use our gifts the stronger they will become.

~~~Peace~~~

Weary, Sad, Happy...PRAY

~~~ 3 John 5-8 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Luke 18:1-8 ~~~

...pray always without becoming weary.

Is it possible to make our entire life one continuous prayer?

Would you have to become monk and live in the desert?

How could you get anything else done?

Prayer is amazing because there is no one right way to pray.

Prayers can be as small as a whisper.

Prayers can be as robust as a celebration.

...pray always without becoming weary.

Prayers can fill you with joy.

Prayers can bring tears rolling down your cheeks.

Prayers can soften your calloused heart.

Prayers can surprise you.

Prayers can raise your spirits.

Prayers can give you renewed hope.

Prayers can instill comfort in troubled times.

When have your prayers made all the difference in your day?

Even if we do become weary we must never fail to pray.

Prayers can be spoken aloud.

Prayers can be thoughts in your head.

Prayers can be feelings of love in your heart.

Prayers can be expressed in the clasp of hand.

...pray always without becoming weary.

Singing your prayers might be your best option;

it is said singing is praying twice.

Pray when you think you have nothing to say.

Pray when your words do make any sense.

Pray when you think you have no time.

God always hears our prayers.

God sends his grace through our prayers.

The Blessings you receive while praying

 are exactly what you need.

~~~Peace~~~

Floods...Fire...Love...

~~~ 2 John 4-9 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 17:26-37 ~~~

...not as though I were writing a new commandment
but the one we have had from the beginning:
let us love one another.

Whatever the situation God is all about love.
Nothing else really matters.
It seems so simple...
So why is it so difficult to practice every day?

God instructed Noah to build his ark out of love.
If there had been no ark God might have just let all things perish.
But God loves us too much to allow that to happen.
Had Noah not had great love for God he might have just ignored
the order from God to build a big boat.

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Everyone and everything outside the ark the day the floods
 came was swallowed up in the waters.
God saw the need to cleanse the earth...a new beginning.
 Lot was allowed to leave his city before God
found it necessary to rain down the cleansing fire.

Oddly enough God proves his love through water and fire.
Today we would call these natural disasters.
We have witnessed the massive destruction from hurricane floods.
We have seen the consuming flames of a forest fire;
reducing everything in its path to heaps of black ash.

All that matters is love.
None of our earthly possessions hold
any value beyond this world.
When we are reunited with God in heaven
 all that is will be love.

Noah could not look out and lament what had been left behind.
He built the ark as God directed...it was God's plan.
The day Lot was allowed to safely leave Sodom
God directed he and his wife to not look back.
We know that Lot's wife was so distraught over
what she was leaving behind.
She could not stop herself from taking one last glance.

This last glance cost her her life.

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it...

The day will come when it will be our turn to take our last breath.
On that day hopefully we will have the necessary grace
 to be able to release all attachments to this world.

God may not give us time to build an ark
 or to escape the burning city.

Keeping love alive in our heart now helps us to realize;
nothing we have here on earth has any true value.

Love is the golden rule
  it sums up all of our wants and desires.

The law of the Lord is only four simple letters...
L-O-V-E.
This is easy my friends...don't make it complicated.

~~~Peace~~~

Precious Morsels

~~~ Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin ~~~

~~~ Philemon 7-20 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Luke 17:20-25 ~~~

“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,

and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’

For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

What is this Kingdom of God?

It cannot be seen...its arrival will not be published 

on the cover of a popular magazine.

No one is going to post it on Facebook.

It will not be advertised on Twitter in X number of words.

Is the Kingdom of God the Garden of Eden?

In which case it has already come and gone

 and we personally have missed it.

If this Kingdom is not a place then it must be a person;

the person of Jesus himself.

Jesus is the Kingdom of God, but this is difficult to grasp.

Saint Paul was able to tap into this Kingdom of God

 even from his prison cell.

His letter today was to Philemon.

Philemon had a slave, Onesimus, who was in prison with Paul.

Paul writes of this slave as if he were his own son.

Paul has grown to love Onesimus.

Paul's love is now being passed on to Philemon.

I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,

whose father I have become in my imprisonment...

Paul brought this slave, who seemingly was of no value,

into his understanding of the Kingdom of God.

Paul, looking upon this slave, saw goodness and he loved him.

Upon his returning to Philemon Paul urges 

him to receive Onesimus back;

but as a new creation...one no longer slave...

one who is free.

This is exactly what God did for us when 

he sent Jesus down to us.

Jesus claims to be a slave...God sends

 the love whom he greatly loves.

I am sending him, that is, my own heart...

Here Paul echoes the sentiment 

of God the Father toward his Son, Jesus.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus belongs with the Father.

They are one in the same.

God sends Jesus from the Kingdom

 to be the Kingdom among us.

The Kingdom must be realized first from 

within our own heart.

If we do not find the love within 

then we will completely miss the Kingdom of God.

Every time we act from a place of love

we activate the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is indeed among us;

flip the switch...activate your heart.

If you cannot represent the Kingdom of God before others

 then you are doomed to a life of 

wandering and searching.

Until the final day when the Kingdom of God is completely

 revealed we must be content with precious morsels.

Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,

that you might have him back forever...

God has Blessed us with many of these morsels of his Kingdom.

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord...

His Kingdom satisfies every hungry heart 

one soul at a time.

Are you one of His precious morsels?

You most certainly are.

~~~Peace~~~

One Returns...

~~~ Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr ~~~

~~~ Titus 3:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ Luke 17:11-19 ~~~

And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 

Ten lepers raised their voices calling out to Jesus.
They called out to be noticed...they called out to be healed...
they called out to be released from the prison of their disease.

Jesus sent the lepers away before they were cured.
They obediently left without questioning him.

As they were going they were cleansed. 

I never noticed that detail before...
as they were following his directions...their skin was renewed.
Their life would be forever changed...they could now come out of hiding.
They would now be welcomed back into their families their community.

They must have been overwhelmed with joy.

Ten were cured...ten went home to their loved ones.

One realized he was cured by one person, Jesus.
One realized he had done nothing to deserve to be cleansed.
One stopped long enough to let his gratitude fill his whole being.
One gave his grateful heart a loud voice.
One found it worthwhile to glorify Jesus with his thanks.

One let his body express his heartfelt gratitude.

Why did only one feel their cure was something to be thankful for?
Did the other nine simply return to their life as if
it was just another day?

Were the other nine so excited that returning
 to give thanks did not even cross their mind?

If you want to be grateful identify with the one who returned.
The lepers began their journey of healing together.
They identified with the community of lepers.
They called out to Jesus because they had nothing to loose.
They called out to Jesus because they had everything to gain.
They went together obedient to the command from Jesus.
They were healed as they walked together
to present themselves to the priests.

This is where their community identification ceased...
they each went their own way.

This is when one returned to give thanks and praise
for the miracle of his healing.

If you want to be Blessed
be the one who returns in gratitude.

~~~Peace~~~

The Heart of a Servant

~~~ Saint Martin of Tours ~~~

~~~ Titus 2:1-8, 11-14 ~~~ Psalm 37 ~~~ Luke 17:7-10 ~~~

Trust in the LORD and do good,

that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.

As servants of the Lord we tend to the needs of his people.

A servant is attentive, caring, consistently serving the needs of others.

As servants we pour water, serve food, and even wash feet.

As servants we do what is required by the one we serve.

We are servants of the Lord.

We serve him with our heart, hands, and feet.

We serve him with our heart in loving what he loves.

We serve him with our hands in caring for those in need.

We serve him with our feet as we go out to his loved ones.

Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.

Young Samuel's response must also be ours.

Mary even proclaims herself to be a servant of the Lord.

To be a servant of the Lord means to surrender your will to his will.

If you are to be a servant of the Lord then 

your mindset must be that of his.

You must be of one spirit as often as possible.

A good and true servant does not question.

A good servant does not disobey.

A good servant is obedient to the master...our Lord.

The master cares for and protects a loyal servant.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

The master carefully chooses his servants.

A servant puts the desires of the master above all else.

What are the desires of God for you?

How will you fulfill these desires?

A servant lives in the house of the Lord.

The closer the servant the better he/she is to serve the master.

A servant waits upon the master...

waiting patiently to be summoned by the master.

A wise servant teaches others what it means

 to serve the master well.

A servant's heart is filled with peace and purpose.

The place for the Lord's servant is by his side.

A servant fades into the background while always making

the master look better and better.

A servant's heart can be old, worn, tattered, and torn;

committed to serving the Lord.

A servant's heart is like clay in the master's hands,

waiting to be formed into something pleasing.

At the end of my life I want to hear the words...

Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Don't you?

Blessings come to those with a servant's heart.

~~~Peace~~~

Put Forth the Effort

~~~Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church~~~

~~~ Titus 1:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Luke 17:1-6 ~~~

For a bishop as God’s steward must be...

 hospitable, a lover of goodness,

temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled,

holding fast to the true message as taught

so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine

and to refute opponents.

This description applies to those holding the title of bishop

and to the whole order of presbyters.

Three of these characteristics stand out as most necessary...

lover of goodness, holy, and self-controlled.

Pope Leo tightened the reigns of the Catholic church

 because of the numerous heresies in the Fifth Century church.

Leo was the first pope to be called 'great'.

Leo's writings focused on the person of Jesus, Christology.

Leo defended the true divinity and the true humanity

of the one Christ, Jesus.

This teaching caused a major schism within the church.

One piece of trivia...Leo was instrumental in Attila the Hun

sparing Italy from being invaded. 

Leo the Great embodied all of the characteristics

 Paul lists in his letter to Titus.

These expectations of good character are expected today as well.

Leo the Great had great faith.

What we believe about the person of Jesus 

today comes directly from his teachings.

Life is consistently filled with obstacles and often the easiest way

is to succumb to sin...to give into temptation.

Our human frailty clouds our intention to be holy.

It is by keeping our faith nourished that we have a better chance of 

'moving the mulberry tree'.

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,

you would say to this mulberry tree,

‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

Saint Leo the Great increased the faith of the entire church

through his teachings, writings, and sermons.

"The devil is always discovering something novel against the truth."

"Virtue is nothing without the trial of temptation, 

for there is no conflict without an enemy, no victory without strife." 

Pope Saint Leo the Great

We cannot just coast downhill as we make our way through life.

The trials and conflicts of our daily lives are meant for us to overcome.

We may not always claim victory, but we can always

 put forth the effort to resist.

Blessed with the teaching of Saint Leo the Great

 on the person of Jesus Christ,

both divine and human.

~~~Peace~~~