Scraps

~~~Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

~~~Isaiah 56:1, 6-7~~~ Psalm 67 ~~~ 

~~~ Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 ~~~ Matthew 15:21-28 ~~~

Jesus believes that what comes from your mouth

 originates first in the heart.

(Matthew 15:18)

A Canaanite woman approaches Jesus knowing

 that she would most likely be turned away 

or at least ignored.

But still she calls out to Jesus.

The apostles wanted her calls

 to fall on deaf ears, but Jesus clearly hears her. 

“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! 

My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

This brave woman came to encounter Jesus on a personal level.

This desperate woman was not seeking favor for herself.

This strong woman sought healing for her child, 

whom she loved dearly.

Imagine how surprised she was when Jesus initially tells her "No".

Has Jesus ever given you a similar answer?

Not only does Jesus deny her request

he compares her to the dogs.

How demeaning and humiliating

 to be one with the dogs.

This woman exhibited greater faith in Jesus

than did his own disciples.

She came alone to plead her case

 for the healing of her daughter.

She wasted no time being afraid or feeling unworthy.

She refused to give up...

she believed that even the scraps,

whatever they would look like,

would be more than enough

 to heal her daughter.

Oh, that we should have such faith!

Faith as small as a mustard seed 

can indeed move mountains.

Would you pass the faith test?

Pray for a deeper faith...

a faith capable of overcoming

insurmountable obstacles.

We know who Jesus is...

Do you believe he can do all things?

Soon after this encounter Jesus 

takes a few 'scraps'

and feeds the crowd of thousands.

~~~Peace~~~

Dear Lord, please increase our Faith.

Amen.

Never Doubt...

~~~ Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~1 Kings 19:9A, 11-13A ~~~ 

~~~Psalm 85 ~~~ Romans 9:1-5 ~~~ Matthew 14:22-33 ~~~

...the LORD said to him (Elijah),

"Go outside and stand on the mountain...

the LORD will be passing by."

Elijah trusted in the Lord, but he was frustrated 

because everywhere he looked the Lord was not there.

Elijah looked for the Lord in the strong 

and heavy wind crushing rocks, but he was not there.

Next the ground began to violently shake 

in an earthquake, but he was not there.

Soon Elijah sees a raging fire nearby,

but he was not there either as he had been for Moses.

Finally it was a tiny whisper that caused Elijah

to come to the entrance of the cave...

this was indeed the Lord, quietly passing by.

The Lord instructed Elijah to stand on the mountain.

Promising there he would see the Lord.

How many times we long to see the Lord, 

but we give up just before he arrives.

When the disciples saw him walking 

on the sea they were terrified. 

"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear. 

Even though Peter was afraid he quickly hops 

out of the boat heading toward Jesus.

Peter does not hesitate

 until it hits him that he was doing the impossible...

he was literally walking on liquid...water...the sea.

No one can walk on top of water 

unless...it is Jesus who calls you to "Come".

Jesus always invites us to "Come"

toward him. He will never send us away.

He will never scold us for wanting to be with him...

to be in his presence.

There is safety in his presence.

We must approach Jesus with confidence in our hearts.

Never doubt...Jesus 

invites you to be with him.

Never question...Jesus 

completely supports you.

The more often we 

get out of the boat... 

and walk towards Jesus

the deeper and stronger 

our trust in the Lord will become.

I will hear what God proclaims;

the LORD — for he proclaims peace.

Fear is squelched by trusting

 in the peace of the Lord.

~~~Profound Peace~~~

Adorned in Glory

~~~ Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord ~~~

~~ Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 ~~ Psalm 97 ~~

~~~ 2 Peter 1:16-19 ~~~ Matthew 17:1-9 ~~~

"This is my beloved Son, with whom

 I am well pleased;

listen to him."

Both times recorded in the Bible where God
 speaks words about Jesus we have witnesses.

During this mountain top transfiguration
Jesus brought three of his most trusted followers.
Peter, James, and John, they walked beside Jesus...
They were witnesses to his public ministry of healing.

They knew first hand of the power he had at his disposal...
power he shared in with God the Father.
The same God who spoke to Moses
on the mountain.

The same God who gave Moses the stone tablets.
The same God who spoke through the prophets.
The same God who called Moses to lead
his chosen people to the land of milk and honey.

God brought Moses down to stand with Jesus
on the mountain to witness the transfigured glory of Jesus.

Moses and Elijah were given the privilege
to hear God speak about his Son, Jesus.

They did not have the opportunity to witness
God's power demonstrated on earth
through Jesus like the disciples present had.

In a way God was saying to Moses and Elijah...
now you see why your work was so critical.

Simultaneously God was saying to Peter, James and John...
now you have even more proof that your work must continue.

This Transfigured Glory of Jesus
transcends all time.

"Do not tell the vision to anyone 
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

We are not first hand witnesses,
but this incredible event has been passed down
to us so that we can pass it on to others.

Seeing this Glory of Jesus
is what we believe Heaven has in store for us.

Jesus touches his disciples and dissolves their fears.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Rise, and do not be afraid."

I hope to have this experience one day
 as I lay on my death bed.

Seeing the Glory and hearing the voice of God
can indeed be frightening
unless you trust that Jesus will come to
calm you with his touch of peace.

May the Transfigured Glory of Jesus
bring peace into the depths of your soul.

~~~Peace~~~

"I Am Who Am"

~~~ Exodus 3:13-20 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 11:28-30 ~~~

Standing with shoes removed,

 before a burning bush that is not consumed,

Moses hears the voice of the Lord say...

"I am who am."

God reveals to Moses and to all generations

his very existence...an existence that is timeless.

God is the same past, present and in the future.

God speaks of himself in the present tense.

He expresses to Moses concern for his people.

I am concerned about you

and about the way you are being treated...

Lest you ever question whether or not 

God cares about you record this verse

 in your prayer journal.

Commit this verse to memory...

Take this verse to your prayer time.

What does it mean to you personally

to hear God saying those very words to you?

Can you accept that God is concerned about you?

"I am who am."

God is clearly stating I am here with you...

I am here with you in the dark times.

I am here with you in the times of joy.

I am here with you when 

fear and sorrow torment your spirit.

There is nothing hidden about God.

God cannot not exist.

God cannot contradict who he is...

not who he was when he created the world...

not who he was when he spoke from the burning bush...

not who he was when Jesus died on the cross...

not who he is today.

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

He is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob...

who always keeps his promises to care for his people.

A God who is so concerned for us 

that he is willing to carry all of our burdens for us.

He invites us to let him be more present

during our deepest struggles.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest..."

The I AM who loves you 

is present at this very moment.

You are never alone.

~~~Peace~~~

The Kingdom of Heaven

~~~ Genesis 44:18-21, 23B-29; 45:1-5 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 10:7-15 ~~~

'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Kick the dust off your feet...keep moving forward...

spreading footprints of peace.

If you have been baptized

you have been commissioned to bring

 the eternal message of peace.

Are you carrying out that mission?

There is no need to wait for those called

 to missionary work to speak on our behalf.

In order to continue to spread peace

it is necessary for us to leave the past behind...

to kick the dust off our feet.

Peace must come from the purity of heart.

It does not come up from the dust of our feet.

Have we become numb to hearing

 that the 'kingdom is at hand'?

What does it mean for something 

to be 'at hand'?

Do you have anything that you keep at hand?

Could the Kingdom already be here?

Did Jesus leave it here when he was raised from the dead?

If we are living in the Kingdom of God now

what does that mean for you?

Is there anything in your life that you need to adjust?

What if 'kingdom' is not a place, as we believe,

but rather an action as defined in the Hebrew language.

In Hebrew 'Kingdom' is active. It is action.

It is God active in the lives of men and women.

Those who have surrendered their lives to God.

'Kingdom' refers to those who are keeping God's

 word alive and living within them.

The apostles that Jesus called joined him

 in becoming the 'kingdom' and we can too.

Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

How adept are you at kicking off the dust from your feet?

Is it difficult for you to move forward?

Where do you go to restore your inner peace?

Who inspires you to seek greater 

peace in your own life?

So many times in the Bible peace 

is reached through the door of forgiveness.

Joseph forgives his brothers years after

 they sold him into slavery.

 His peace comes in being reunited with his father again.

Joseph, the Apostles, and us...

we are all the Kingdom of Heaven.

~~~Peace~~~

'Blind Spot' and Faith

~~~ Genesis 28:10-22A ~~~ Psalm 91 ~~~ Matthew 9:18-26 ~~~

"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although

 I did not know it!"

Could it be that when we question the presence of God 

he is really just obscured in our 'blind spot'?

There is a scientific explanation of our 'blind spot',

maybe it can help explain our spiritual challenge to see God.

Science tells us it is the physical structure

 of the eye that creates this precise spot 

where we cannot see.

We are not aware of this 'blind spot' because 

our brain automatically fills in the missing information.

The brain fills in with information that is known and available.

In things of the spiritual nature 

it is our faith that fills in the missing parts.

Even when we cannot 'see' the presence of God

we believe he is present by our faith.

A woman suffering 

hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him

and touched the tassel on his cloak.

This woman believed that she could seek healing

 from Jesus from behind him.

She believed that eye to eye contact

 with Jesus was not even necessary.

She believed that her cure was not dependent 

on her words...on even her verbal request.

Jesus had to stop and turn around to see

 this desperate woman.

He did not allow her to remain obscure.

Jesus wanted to see the woman

 who displayed such great faith and hope.

"Courage, daughter! 

Your faith has saved you."

Jesus fills in our spiritual 'blind spot'

with blessings of greater faith.

Allow your trust in the goodness of the Lord

fill in the missing parts.

Say to the LORD,

 "My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust."

Perhaps one day we will learn that 

heaven is near just hidden in our 

spiritual 'blind spot'.

Pay attention to what may be hidden 

within your 'blind spot'.

He is always near to you.

~~~Peace~~~

The Burdens of Life

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

~~~ Zechariah 9:9-10 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ 

~~~ Romans 8:9, 11-13 ~~~ Matthew 11:25-30 ~~~

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am meek and humble of heart;

and you will find rest for yourselves. 

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

There are a few scripture passages

 that most people either know or at least recognize; 

today we hear one of those.

What are your 'heavy burdens'...

are they physical...are they mental...emotional...

or are they spiritual?

We each have some sort of burden.

 Jesus invites us to surrender it to him.

Why is this such a difficult concept to grasp?

Are we just too hard headed and stubborn

to let go of our burdens?

Are we afraid that God will let us down?

Sometimes our burdens make us want to crumble

 to the ground in a tangled heap.

God reaches out to us.

He says you are not alone.

He says I am here to help lighten the load.

He says let me be the one who relieves your pain.

...the one who raised Christ from the dead

will give life to your mortal bodies also,

through his Spirit that dwells in you.

It is this very Spirit that comes to give us rest...

this very Spirit that will carry our burdens.

The meek and humble of heart...the little ones;

they know God will be there to carry their burdens.

The little ones admit that they cannot

carry their burdens alone.

If we trust in the Lord 

it is through grace that we can 

surrender our burdens to him.

Come to the Lord.

He will give you rest.

~~~Peace~~~