Submerged in His Words

~~~ Ephesians 2:12-22 ~~~ Psalm 85 ~~~ Luke 12:35-38 ~~~

The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Sometimes words spoken are empty and meaningless.

When the Lord speaks his words are rich and deep with meaning.

His words touch hearts with love, healing, and forgiveness.

Today his words speak of peace...a peace that can only come from him.

He has the words of peace saturated with true promise.

...now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have become near by the Blood of Christ.

When Jesus speaks his words of peace we are drawn to come closer to him.

Before we hear his words of peace we often shy away...far off.

His peace invites us to appreciate the Blood he shed for us.

...he is our peace

His words tell more than what our ears can hear. His peace is his essence.

He gives us his peace so that we will also speak words of peace.

...in him you also are being built together

into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

...ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.

There are no physical or imagined doors

 to separate us from God.

We are only closed by our own fears and questions.

It is our hearts that must be ready to open...

our ears that must be ready to open...

it is our eyes that must be ready to open

when he comes and knocks.

When he comes and knocks we must be ready

 to meet the Lord whenever he comes.

Get dressed...light your lamps...

for the Prince of Peace is coming to your door.

The dwelling place of the Lord is assembled with his peace.
If we dwell with God the Spirit will surround us with his peace.

Blessed in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives.

May the Peace of the Lord be as near as your next breath.

His Words

~~~Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great~~~

~~~Pope and Doctor of the Church~~~

 

~~~1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ Luke 4:31-37 ~~~

 

"What is there about his word?"

 

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert.

He returned after his time of prayer, fasting, and solitude
filled even more with the Spirit.

Jesus brings in his spoken words life, love, healing, compassion, truth,
justice, forgiveness, peace, abundance, happiness, correction...
The list could continue on longer.
Jesus never delivers a message of hate through his words.

I truly believe there was something very unique about even the tone
and quality of the voice of Jesus. 

Men followed him just by hearing the sound of his invitation.
Crowds gathered just to hear the words he offered them.

Demons recognized the Spirit of God cloaked in his words.
Yet there are so many today who make the choice to ignore his words...
to distort his words...to misinterpret his words.

His words are always from the source...God the Father...
Jesus, the Word made flesh.

 

 We who strive to hear his words more clearly,
 have then the responsibility to let them influence the words we speak.
 

  

...encourage one another and build one another up,
as indeed you do.

The words we speak to one another do make a difference.
Words of encouragement are much sweeter to the ears
than words of ridicule.

The words of Jesus have the power to heal and to cast out demons.
Jesus was 'the word' made flesh.
His words carry more of everything there is about God.

How are you letting the power of the words of Jesus
guide and lead you in your life?
Today allow God to bless you with his words.
His words are Spirit and Life.
May the peace of Jesus be with you.

 

Gregory the Great is known for his contributions
to the Liturgy of the Mass.

What we know as Gregorian Chant is attributed to Gregory the Great.

Saint Gregory the Great, pray for us.

Sprinkled Freely with His Words

~~~ Hebrews 10: 11-18 ~~~ Psalm 110 ~~~ Mark 4: 1-20 ~~~

 

This is the covenant I will establish with them
after those days, says the Lord:
“I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds,”
he also says:
Their sins and their evildoing
I will remember no more.

 For all those out there who think that they are such terrible sinners

that God could never forgive them

read the above words slowly one more time.

 God wants us to be repentant for our sins,

but more importantly he desires to forgive us.

God wants us to be able to dwell with him in heaven.

 

God does not hold grudges.

God does not hold on to our sins.

He is, however, a just God.

Just as a parent will reprimand their child, whom they love,

so it is with God...he will reprimand.

He will call us to be responsible for our actions. 

 

 

The gospel today is the well known parable of the seeds.

Jesus tells the parable and then goes on to explain the meaning.

He does not want us to miss the point.

Those with him that day did us a favor by questioning

him about this parable.

Jesus was a great storyteller.

 

If you do not hear the words of God and let them to take root in your heart,

you may never realize the magnitude of the forgiveness of God.

The depth of God's forgiveness surpasses any other. 

 

We can never repay Jesus for our salvation.

The best we can do is to have faith and believe

in his words of forgiveness,

mercy, and love.

 

This is where the meaning of the sower and the seeds becomes a reality.

What kind of believer are you?

Do you just hear for the moment and then return

to your unbelieving ways? 

Do you hear without taking the words personally?

His words are just for you.

Are you a rainy day believer?

Are you a sunshine believer?

 

Be a believer who lets the word of God

speak to your heart each and every day.

Just like the post office motto...

rain or shine God is here for you.

He offers all that he has.

His words are Spirit and Life for your soul.

 

Picture leaving a wedding reception where everyone is throwing rice

or tiny seeds over the new couple...

this is how freely God scatters his words upon us.

 

The disciples, the lame, crippled, blind, hungry,

and the scribes and Pharisees were all covered with his words.

They each had ears with which to hear, but they did not all understand.

 

They each responded in their own way corresponding

to the condition of their soul when he spoke to them.

 How do you respond to the words of Jesus?

 

Next time you are generously tossing seeds upon a new couple;

think of how generously God's words are falling on you.

 

You are loved and blessed.

Believe it!

Words of Spirit and Life

~~~ Feast of Saint Andrew, the Apostle ~~~

 

~~~ Romans 10:9-18 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Matthew 4:18-22 ~~~

 

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be enriched.

Jesus meets you where you are and begins to make your life more fruitful.

Paul says the Lord sends some to preach...through the preaching his words will be heard...if his words are heard then people

will come to believe...if people believe they will call on him.

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!

 

When the Lord enters into your life you will never be the same.

Faith comes from what is heard and what is heard

comes through the words of Christ.

 

Andrew heard the words from the mouth of Jesus and immediately he believed.

 

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

When you hear the words of the Lord; the life you knew before is forever changed.

Consider the Blessed Mother, Mary; when she heard the words

of the Lord her life was immediately changed.

 

The day Peter and Andrew were called by the Lord they were going about

their normal daily routine. They were working their family fishing business.

They were respected contributing members of the community.

They were loved by their families.

They were most likely happy with their productive lives.

 

 

 

Imagine if today a stranger came up to you and said these very same words...

"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

 

Would you be willing to leave all that you knew to follow a stranger?

Sitting here today I can honestly say I probably would not

immediately walk away from where I am.

 

When Jesus calls us he considers our talents and gifts;

 enriching them for his use.

We are called to leave behind our former ways.

We are called to come follow him.

We are invited to something better without knowing

what it will be or how it will manifest itself.

  

 On this last day of November and the end of this section of Ordinary Time

we are given the images of beautiful feet bringing the word of the Lord to others.

 

We are also reminded that receiving Christ into your life is accompanied by your desire to be enriched...to be brought into a new life...a new purpose for living.

 

The words of the Lord are Spirit and Life...

a new life; for he makes all things new.

The Spirit of the Lord enriches our life each and every day.

His Words Make You Worthy

1 Cor 11: 17-26, 33 ~~~ Psalm 40 ~~~ Luke 7: 1-10 ~~~

 

So often we feel as if we must have the answers.

We were educated in a school system where the single right answer

was valued and rewarded.

If we did not know the right answer we were often

made to feel ashamed.

We blamed ourselves for our lack of knowledge.

 

Perhaps in school you did have some reason to be ashamed

for not spending adequate time on your class work,

but here Paul is writing about something very different.

 

I must keep myself in check to avoid passing judgement on those less fortunate.

 I have no right to make them feel ashamed or less worthy.

Paul is pointing out to the people of Corinth the effect

of their practice of exclusion.



"...Or do you show contempt for the Church of God
and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?"

 

In defense of the people of Corinth;

were they aware of how their actions were having

a negative impact on others?

Paul was drawing their attention to the fact that the church was for everyone.

All are welcome regardless of their standing in the community...

regardless of their invisible rank.

 

The church is open to each person whether or not

they have abundance in other are

as of their life.

Believing does not automatically make you better than the person next to you.

 

Faith is a gift.

It is possible to be given a gift even if you do deserve it.

This happens in families each year.

 

God does not say you are worthy to receive my gift of faith.

Likewise, God does not say you are not worthy to receive my gift of faith.

God gives freely; he is the giver of all.

 

Whether or not you are worthy

God gives and your responsibility is to humbly accept.

 

The centurion was making a request on the behalf of his slave;

someone most would have considered 'not worthy'.

The centurion did not feel Jesus should make the effort to physically

come to the bedside of his slave.

 

"Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof."

 

The centurion was placing himself in the same position as his own slave.

Before God he was not worthy to make a request for Jesus

to change his itinerary.

 

 

When it comes to our worthiness before God it was,

is, and always will be his call.

 

Our worthiness is rooted in our willingness to humbly allow God to chose us...

to allow God to use us for his purposes.

It requires great humility to let God work in your life.

It is egotistical to argue with God on the grounds of not being worthy.

Our worthiness is not the main idea here.

When we tell God we are not worthy, abruptly ending the conversation there

we are telling God he is wrong.

 

Imagine telling God he is wrong.

It only takes his words.

His words alone create our worthiness.

We are worthy to work for the Lord because he makes it so.

 

The next time you say this verse before receiving Eucharist;

 

"...Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.

BUT only say the word and my soul will be healed."

 

God can manifest healings on many levels with his words alone.

If you are called to do his work,

do not get caught up in the 'worthiness' debate.

Can you outwit God?

It is not likely!