Blueprints for Life

~~~ 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 5:1-12 ~~~

He began to teach them, saying:

Blessed are...

No matter how old you are or how many times 

you have heard the Sermon on the Mount;

the Beatitudes are challenging.

How can we be Blessed if we do not manage

 to follow these ten moral guidelines?

How is it possible to be poor in spirit and meek?

How can we consistently treat others with mercy?

 How can we remain clean of heart in our world today?

How can we be peacemakers when violence permeates our world?

How can we tolerate insults and persecutions? 

Paul's letter to the Corinthians gives us reason to be joyful.

Our hope for you is firm,

for we know that as you share in the sufferings,

you also share in the encouragement.

It is our connection with Jesus that 

makes all things possible.

What is impossible is to think that without God's 

help we could realize the Beatitudes in our daily life.

Along with the Commandments the Beatitudes
are like the blueprints for our Christian life.

The process of creating a blueprint document is quite fascinating.
In 1861 a chemist found that ferro-gallate in gum is light sensitive.
Light turns this to an insoluble permanent blue.
In bright sunlight it only takes a couple minutes
for the image to stabilize.

Today the process has improved and is faster.
Even from the beginning this process of
blueprinting was permanent.

A blueprint is stable it cannot be altered.

God began his blueprint process
 by giving Moses the Commandments.

Jesus adds the details in his Sermon on the Mount.

It is all made permanent through the light of Jesus.
Jesus laid down his life for us
and in so doing he left a blueprint of love in our heart.

You can realize the Beatitudes in your life today.
You have been Blessed with the 'Blueprints'.
Unroll these blueprints and follow their guidelines.

Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.

~~~Peace~~~

It Can Be You

~~~ Solemnity of All Saints ~~~

~~~ Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ 1 John 3:1-3 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 5:1-12A ~~~

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Do you want to be a saint?
Hopefully you did not hesitate to confidently answer 'yes'.
You are not required to be canonized
 by the church officials, the Pope, to become a saint.

The prayer of a saint is for God to mold their will into his will.
A saint desires for their union with God to be seamless.
A saint stumbles, falls, gets up and begins again.
A saint faces their shortcomings with humility and grace.

A saint perseveres in the face of discouragement.

Saints walk among us each and every day.
Saints interact with us in a personal way.
Saints inspire us to reach higher...love more...see with new eyes. 

Saints show us how to look for God in hidden places.
Saints teach us to listen for God's quiet
voice above the roar of life.

Being a saint is not something that happens to you after you die...
Being a saint is the creature you become as your soul
becomes more and more filled with grace.

Saints do not shy away from sacrifice or hardships.
Saints live with boldness, conviction, and passion
 for the mysteries of God.

Keep your resume up to date.
Heaven is always accepting new Saints...
It could be you...Hopefully it will be you, when the time comes.
Until then keep on loving God as completely as you are able.
Find ways to transmit that love to your family, friends. and neighbors.

Saints are not wimps.
Saints are strong in their commitment to  serving the Lord
with their whole mind, body, heart, and soul.

Do not worry Saints are also not perfect.
Saints stand before God trusting in his merciful love.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.

Jesus gave us the Beatitudes to guide us on our way to Sainthood.
It is good that we read them from time to time.
...Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Saints are not opposed to living outside the preset margins.
Saints reach outside the box with their love.

Blessings in cooperation with the Saints
 who have gone before us and those who live among us every day.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Twelve Years Later: God Bless America

~~~ Colossians 3:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Luke 6:20-26 ~~~

 

Christ is all and in all.

Today as we remember the events of twelve years ago it is fitting
to have these beautiful readings.
Everyone old enough has a very vivid memory of where they were
 and what they were doing when the news of the attacks
 on the Twin Towers was broadcast.
Today it is another opportunity to confirm in our lives
that Christ is all and in all.

Twelve years ago, some asked where was God.
Many more revealed stories
exactly how God had been with them that morning.
Today we remember the day we witnessed great evil
and the magnificent goodness within people.

  seek what is above,
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.

Many who died that day made decisions surely motivated
by that which is beyond this earth...that which is of God...heavenly.
 

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly
  put on the new self

The new self must be one of forgiveness and peace.
Anger and fury must be removed from our hearts otherwise
there can be no peace.
Peace must begin in my heart and in your heart.
If we are ever to have Peace in this world it begins in each of our hearts.

The new self Paul speaks of is about putting on Christ.
Adorning ourselves in body, mind, and spirit with goodness.
Jesus gave us the ultimate example of forgiveness.
It is a daily struggle to follow his example even in small things
much less in something as horrifying as 9/11.

He never pretended that it would be easy.
We must daily take up our cross and follow him.

Forgiven but not Forgotten. 

 

 

The words of the Beatitudes say it all...
 

Blessed are you who are poor 

 for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.

 

The word Beatitude means blessedness, grace.
Without grace we will not make progress toward our heavenly reward.
The Sermon on the Mount was the blueprint of our home in heaven.
The master designer carefully drew up these plans for us.

It is not easy to rejoice and leap for joy when you are hungry,
sad, or feeling rejected. 

But Jesus is telling us these things have a flip side.
They will be turned into satisfaction, laughter, and validation
because of the grace given to us through him.. 

 

So here we are twelve years later...
are we in a better place...
has our faith increased....
are we more willing to forgive?
How are you doing?
Is your heart in a better place today?

Blessings today in giving thanks for those who lives were sacrificed.
It was the realization for all of us just how destructive evil can become.
There is only one path to follow for healing and that is
the path of Peace and Forgiveness.

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly
  put on the new self...

This is how we follow the heavenly path.
God Bless America...
and shed his grace down upon us.

'Poor in Spirit' Wins the Reward

~~~ 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 5:1-12 ~~~

 

Our hope for you is firm,
for we know that as you share in the sufferings,
you also share in the encouragement.

 

The Beatitudes are full of hope and encouragement.

The Beatitudes challenge many of our commonly held beliefs.

 

If you reflect on the Beatitudes from Matthew's gospel today;

here is what you will not find.

There is no blessing for the proud.

There is no blessing for those who belittle others.

There is no blessing for the one who stands in the spotlight

bragging of his accomplishments.

There is no blessing for the driver who cut you off in morning traffic.

There is no blessing for the husband who abuses his wife.

There is no blessing for those who harm children.

There is no blessing for the neighborhood drug dealer.

 

Instead, the Beatitudes speak of things that today

we might consider weaknesses.

The poor in spirit...mourners...the meek...

those seeking justice...the merciful...the clean of heart...

the peacemakers...and the persecuted.

 

In which of these categories can I find myself?

Honestly it can change from day to day.

I have been among those who mourn, but it is not where I would long to stay.

I have been among those seeking justice,

but has it always been for the right reasons...

I am not sure.

You can be very selfish in seeking justice for your own sake.

Being a peacemaker can be challenging at times too,

especially when those around you

do not want peace or when they do not value peace.

 

 

Certainly we all want to see the kingdom of heaven, to find comfort, to be satisfied,

to experience mercy, to see God and be called his child.

It seems that in order to get to heaven you must allow yourself

 to be poor in spirit and persecuted.

 

Taste and see how good the LORD is...

 

Perhaps the very first Beatitude is the key to all of the others that follow.

'Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven...'

 

If we are to enter into the kingdom of heaven it is crucial that we die to ourselves.

To enter the kingdom of heaven we must confess that we totally rely on God.

We must believe with all of our heart that we need God in our daily life.

 

Poor in Spirit means you empty your self; putting aside all that is self-centered.

Much easier said then lived from day to day.

It takes hope and encouragement to truly be 'poor in spirit'.

It requires one to look beyond one's own self.

 

Be one who becomes cloaked in the blessings of the Beatitudes.

Keep striving for the Kingdom of Heaven...

one day we hope to arrive at our destination.

See you on the other side!!

Saints of God, Pray for us

Feast of All Saints

~~~ Revelation 7:2-4, 7-14 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ 1 John 3:1-3 ~~~ Matthew 5:1-12a ~~~

 

 

Today we remember and honor all those

who have gone before us in the presence of the Lord.

All those men and women who have been canonized by the church.

All those who are in heaven and not officially named

as a saint of the church.

 

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
"Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"
I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows."
He said to me,
"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."

 

Today we honor all of those who lived a life

in testimony of what they believed.

All those fought the good fight.

All those who perseverance in the face of difficulties.

All of those who inspire us to live our lives in a better manner.

 

The saints sought the face of God until the end of their earthly life.

They loved the Lord with their whole heart, mind, body, and soul.

Young or old, rich or poor, man or woman, white, brown, black, or yellow

they loved God. They believed the words he promised of eternal life.

 

They are God's children now standing before his throne...

singing his praises of glory.

They have been made pure with the holy ones.

 

 

We cannot yet know what God has in store for us,

as his believers.

But I join the saints in believing that what the Lord has prepared

for us will be beyond comprehension.

The most glorious and luminous scene I can imagine

surely pales incomparison to the glory

surrounding our Lord and Father.

 

Heaven is populated with those who fully lived

the Beatitudes...

 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."

 

Today we join all the Saints in heaven rejoicing with

gladness at the goodness of the Lord.

Jesus came to show us the way to heaven.

He secured our entrance into heaven with each drop of his blood.

 

Someday we too will seek entrance into his glorious presence.

Saints of God, pray for us.

Evil for Evil or Good for Good?

~~~ 1 Kings 21: 1-16 ~~~ Psalm 5 ~~~ Matt. 5: 38-42 ~~~

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

This particular Gospel passage is one of the more challenging ones to follow.

at first reading is seems to be advocating us to be passive in the face of injustice.

Are we to surrender to the evil abounding in this world today or is there a better way to respond? Is it possible to support what is right?

Of course it would not be prudent to act in kind to one who has done wrong to you are your family, but we do see this happen all too often. Much of the violence in our society today would diminish if people did not feel it was their 'right' to react in kind. Evil for evil will never solve our problems. When we respond in kind we are in effect no better than the one who initially committed the offense.

Without delving into the Biblical history and their system of punishment.

I would like to purpose that we return one good deed for another.

One kindness...one act of charity...one act of compassion...one expression of love...one note of appreciation...one sincere offer of forgiveness

...one phone call of caring...one courtesy on the highway

...one gift of prayer...one smile to a stranger...one empathetic embrace

in exchange for an eye for an eye and evil for evil.

Instead return to the fifth chapter of Matthew and review the 8 Beaitudes.

Especially pray with the third Beatitude:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land...

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you

and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.

 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

 Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matt.5: 5, 11-12

It requires more grace to live a life following the Beatitudes.

It is much easier just to react to the situations which empact our self worth.

Our whole life must be lived from the point of forgiveness, not getting even.

How many times are we to forgive?

May your days here be filled with peace in spite of what erupts from

today's wounded and crippled world.