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.

Please RSVP

~~~ Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3,9a ~~~ Psalm 100 ~~~ Luke 21: 20-18 ~~~

  

Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

 

The time will come when all corruption and evil will end.

Babylon is no loner the great city it once was considered to be.

It has become a city where demons, disgusting beasts,

 and unclean spirits reside.

A city devoid of song, dance, and joyful celebrations.

No creative craftsmen, no illuminating light, and finally

no wedding ceremonies of love.

The corrupted city will rise up as smoke consumed by fire.

 

Then the angel of the Lord

 said to me, "Write this:

Blessed are those who have been called
to the wedding feast of the Lamb."

 

Through baptism we have been called to the wedding feast.

 

We will sing and serve and come before the Lord at the feast.

We will rejoice for he made us wonderfully.

We are his.

We will enter into his feast with thanksgiving for all he has done for us.

Blessed are we who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

His kindness endure forever.

His faithfulness passes from generation to generation.

 

In his goodness we are included in the wedding feast.

We are not only guests, but we are family.

We belong to him.

 

 

 

 Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

 

There shall always be a place at the table for us.

Return your RSVP card...

there is a place card containing your name.

Let us rejoice and be glad.

Sing a New Song

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

"...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."

Because of perseverance we too will be with the Lamb.
Because we persevere we will learn the new song of the Lamb
that was previously only known by the chosen few.

We will join the others standing on the sea of glass.
We will be given our very own harps to play.

We will join in the God's song playing God's harps.

"Great and wonderful are your works,
Lord God almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O king of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
or glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."

 

 

We are in the middle of the final week of ordinary time.

Advent is about to begin.

The birth of Jesus is heralded by people of all nations.

The three wise men, representing all peoples, will come to pay him homage.

A child will be born unto us...our infant who is our King.

 

The words of the song will ring out across the heavens...

Great and wonderful are your works

Lord God Almighty...

For you alone are holy.

 

Every time we join with the community and sing the Holy Holy

during Mass we are also joining with the heavenly chorus.

 

Our voices lift up to heaven giving him glory and praise.

We are rehearsing here on earth, as best we can, for the day

when we will be singing his praises for ever.

 

This Sunday sing even if you think you cannot sing.

God does not judge the quality of your voice,

but only whether or not you desire to sing his song of praise.

It is said that singing is twice praying...now you know why.

 

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Reaping the Harvest

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

 

 The picture painted in today's reading from Revelation
closely resembles something you might see on a horror movie.
A sickle weilding gold crowned man sitting on a white cloud
floating in the sky.
In the background the voice of an angel can be heard...
"Use your sickle and reap the harvest,
for the time to reap has come,
because the earth's harvest is fully ripe."

Angels come out of the temple with sharp sickles.
Another angel came out who was in charge of the fire crying
out to the one who had the sharp sickle...
"Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth's vines,
for its grapes are ripe."

It seems to be a rather extreme measure to rid the earth of ripe grapes.
All that was harvested was thrown into the great wine press of God's fury.

The Lord will come to judge the earth including each of us.
Personally I think it will be more subtle when God
comes to reap the harvest.

The danger for us lies in having the ability to identify the one
actually sent from God.
Luke is warning us with the words of Jesus not to be deceived...

"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
'I am he,' and 'The time has come.'
Do not follow them!

 

 

Now I am reminded of the many who have been fooled into believing

a false prophet needlessly ending their lives.

 

When a false prophet entices others to buy in to their lies it is a sad time.

I pray for the wisdom to follow the one true God

no matter how attractive others might appear.

It is only by grace that we can remain faithful until our death.

 

When God is ready to end life on this planet as we know it

there will not be a stone left on top of another stone.

In the end life itself may just evaporate

leaving only the glory of God himself.

When this happens what we think of as an ending

may actually be the beginning.

In dying we become what God created us to be.

We return to him.

Gather 'Round the Lamb

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

A large crowd of a hundred and forty-four thousand
gathered around the Lamb.
Each marked on their foreheads...claimed as the Father's.

The music erupted from the harpist;
 the crowd was singing a hymn known only to them.
These one hundred forty-four thousand followed
the Lamb wherever he went.
 These are the ones who sought for him.
These are the ones who longed to see his face.

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

Those with the Lamb were singing a new song given just to them.

The widow gives her last few coins
because she believes
she wants to live in the hope of being
counted among the one hundred forty-four thousand.
She wants to learn the new hymn.
She is eager to see his face.
The widow gave all that she had...
she gave all that she was...
in hopes of  something better in return.
Life everlasting! 

 

 

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

 

I am confident that you like me say...

Lord, I am the one that longs to see your face.

Robed in Majesty

~~~ Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe ~~~

 

~~~ Daniel 7:13-14 ~~~Psalm 93 ~~~ Revelation 1: 5-8 ~~~ John 18:33b-37 ~~~

 

 The prophet Daniel is having a sleepless night filled with visions
of Jesus entering into his rightful role as King.

The one like the son of man was presented to the Ancient One,
God the Father,
where he received dominion, glory, and kingship.
God the Father is the one who bestows the title of King upon Jesus.
"...His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed."

All peoples of every nation and language serve him.

He will come in splendor robed...robed in majesty.

He says to all...
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,
"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."

 

 

Pilate in his ignorance and confusion questions and doubts the kingship of Jesus.

 

Jesus tells Pilate his kingdom is not of this world further

complicating his lack of understanding.

 

Out of frustration Pilate declares Jesus to be a king?

He orders the sign made to on the top of the cross.

 

Jesus, King of the Jews. 

 

Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

 

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega...

The one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.

Jesus is the King of Kings.

 

The king born in a stable, rides in on a donkey and

wears a crown of thorns...

This is who we honor as our King today!

'Come Up Here'

~~~ Revelation 11: 4-12 ~~~ Psalm 144 ~~~ Luke 20: 27-40 ~~~

Even though we may endure severe trials and tribulations
if we keep the faith and believe
we will come into the presence of the Lord.
As believers in the promise of everlasting life
we will be raised up on the last day.

It is by the breath of life from God that we will stand up on our feet.
It is then that we hope to hear the sweet voice of God say...
"Come up here."

 

 "...But after the three and a half days,
a breath of life from God entered them.
When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, "Come up here."
So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on."

Come up here seems so easy, but until he speaks
 those words to us we cannot enter heaven.
Hearing those words from God in heaven will be sweeter than music.
 

"...those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead...
...They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise."

Once you have heard the words of invitation you can no longer die.
You will join in with the children of God.
You will be counted in with the other children of God.

 

 

 

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

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

 

We live and move and have our being through him.

He gives us life, sustains our life, and

will bring us into everlasting life with him.

Hang on His Words

~~~ Revelation 10:8-11 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 19:45-48 ~~~

 

"My house shall be a house of prayer..."

 

Coming from the Jewish background Jesus would have placed

great emphasis on prayer in the synagogue.

 He did not approve of the buying and selling of goods on the front steps.

When you come to church it should be treated as a holy place

set aside for prayer.

It is through prayer that we develop

our relationship with God.

When Jesus entered the temple it was in fulfillment

of his position within the church,

but it was more about his doing the will of the Father.

 

When Jesus was in the temple teaching the people listened...

Even the elders listened at times with their ulterior motives tucked inside.

 

"...The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words."

 

The people hung on every word Jesus spoke for one of two reasons;

they either wanted to catch him saying something

they could use against him later

or they were hoping he had come to give them the words of freedom.

 

"Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey."

 

Making our way through life with the hope of obtaining

the promised eternal reward may seem sweet at first.

As time progresses the reality sets in as we come to understand

it will be difficult,

this journey to holiness.

 

Putting into practice the great commandment of love

can become sour, not just in our stomach but in our heart.

Taking the promises and laws deep inside also implies being convicted

to put them into action.

 

How sweet to my taste is your promise!

 

 

Promises are nothing but empty words if we do not change because of them.

We routinely experience our elected officials making promises

with hollow empty words. The results can be disappointing.

Words do have power.

Whether you tell yourself words of truth or false words

you will be affected by them.

 

God's words of love, compassion, forgiveness,

and mercy creates a sweetness on my palate.

I must pass on through my words that same sweetness...

the sweetness that comes as a result of believing in the promises.

 

Keeping the words of the Lord central in our lives

safeguards us from constant sourness of heart.

First Give Thanks

~~~ Thanksgiving Day ~~~

 

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

 

"...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..."

 

Paul seems to find the right words to use in all circumstances.

He consistently expresses his thanks for his followers

in each city and village he visits.

He even expresses his gratitude from his prison cell.

 

If Paul had a blog today or a facebook page he would

assuredly have thousands of followers.

Paul not only writes well, he expresses his 

love and appreciation to those around him.

 

Since Paul grew up in a family of tent makers

he understood the importance of expressing gratitude to his customers.

If a merchant expresses thanks to his patrons

 they are more likely to return...

it is just a good business practice.

 

Their was no turkey dinner to celebrate thanksgiving,

 but the Bible is full of examples of gratitude.

The psalms contain many hymns of thanks.

 

When Paul is expressing his gratitude to the people of Corinth today

he is also expressing his thanks to God.

He is thanking God for the grace so generously given to the people.

Without the grace from God the people would not have been able

 to hear the message God sent Paul to deliver.

 

The truth is God is constantly giving us reasons

to be thankful to him...

How much do we take for granted?

 

 

 

Today the church allows us to deviate

from the apocryphal readings of the book of Revelation

because giving thanks is so important.

"Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,

which are the prayers of the holy ones..."

 

In the Book of Revelation we are presented

with harp music and bowls of incense...

prayers of praise and thanksgiving.

 

Is it even possible to give God praise

without also giving our thanks for all he has done for us?

 

"...Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you."

 

Always and in every way give thanks to the Lord.

 

The Lord bless you and keep.

Live in thanksgiving.

Holy, Holy, Holy...

~~~ Revelation 4: 1-11 ~~~ Psalm 150 ~~~ Luke 19: 11-28 ~~~

 

 

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

 

Today we proclaim the omnipotence and omnipresence of God...

A timeless God...A God who is all that time is...

A God that conceived time in its fullest.

 

Our God is the most consistent reality in existence.

God is present to us today just as he was in the times of Moses.

God is present to us today just as he will be in future generations.

God never changes.

God is constant and reliable.

 

Today as we continue reading from the book of Revelation

 I am struck by the magnificent beauty described for us.

 

Thrones, crowns, precious stones, sparkling gems, and brilliant halos

create a scene beyond comprehension.

Filling out the glorious scene is the deafening sound of praise and thanksgiving

being exclaimed throughout the heavens.

 

"Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created."

 

Praising and thanking God for all of creation;

 for out of his goodness

everything was made.

 

 

There is a celebration going on in heaven, the likes of which

we have never experienced.

 

There is singing and dancing.

Trumpets and harp fill the air with their joyous sounds.

The dancers twirl playing their tambourines.

As the music reaches a crescendo all of creation

joins in the dance of praise and song.

 

Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

 

The celebration continues for all of eternity.

For it is right to give him praise and glory.

 

As we prepare for our annual day of Thanksgiving let us rejoice

with all of creation.

The Lord God almighty is forever worthy of our praise.

Be Not Lukewarm

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

 

"...Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says..."

 

"...I wish you were either cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,
I will spit you out of my mouth."

 

Neither being cold or hot is the same as being apathetic or complacent.

God wants us to live our lives with passion.

We need to live a life convicted by our faith in God.

 

If we are neither cold or hot we just go thorough the motions of living.

Look at Paul, he was passionate about persecuting Christians but when God

entered into his life he flipped his passion to doing good.

 

Being lukewarm to God is not acceptable.

It is much more difficult to stand up for what you believe if you are tepid.

For a moment think about the temperature of water.

If the is either hot or cold it serves either to cook or to freeze something.

Extremes are noticed...given attention.

Lukewarm can be swayed either way depending on how the 'wind blows'.

 

 

'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,
and he with me.'

 

Zacchaeus was not satisfied to just hear the words of Jesus.

He climbed a tree so he could also see the person of Jesus.

He took a chance. He was not acting as someone who was lukewarm.

 

By climbing up into the tree he was not in his normal place.

Birds are in the trees not people.

Jesus noticed Zacchaeus up in the tree because it was not

the usual place for a person.

 

 

 

Jesus not only noticed him high up in the tree he also told him...

 

"Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house."

 

The very next knock on Zacchaeus' door would be

announcing the arrival of Jesus.

 

Jesus would be standing at the door;

 having already made contact with Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was ready to receive Jesus into his home.

He heard what the Spirit said that day.

 

Even though a tax collector and wealthy

 he was open to hearing what Jesus had to say.

Zacchaeus was willing to change.

Did he have any idea what seeing Jesus would do to his life?

Would he have invited Jesus to dine in his home on his own?

 

This is another example of Jesus making the first move.

Jesus reached out to the small man perched high in the tree.

 

...If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me.'

 

Neither be cold or hot...

Listen to the Spirit...

If you do hear his voice open the door...

he wants to dine with you.

Protecting the Lampstand

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

 

 

"...Yet I hold this against you:
you have lost the love you had at first.
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."

 

These rather harsh words are excerpted from the book of Revelation.

 

Lost love would indeed be a tragedy.

.In our world today it may seem like that is precisely what is happening.

We have widespread unrest throughout the globe...

hardly a prescription for love.

 

We are given a second chance by the writer today.

We are being warned to return to doing good as we have done in the past.

 

Failing to heed the warning could result in our 'lampstand'

being removed from its place.

A lampstand is placed so as to support the lamp in a position

to cast the most light to the rest of the area.

Returning to our goodness is a reminder that never goes out of style.

 

 

 

Along with this warning from Revelation

comes encouraging words from the psalm and the gospel today.

 

Blessed the man who

"...delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night."

 

The law of the Lord is love. It is love that blesses us in all circumstances.

 

Love is the greatest commandment of all.

If we live in love then we will be feed from the tree of life.

 

If we live in love we will have the necessary faith to ask God

to let us see. God can show us how to love in all ways.

God can show us how to see the possibilities of love where we are blind.

We can all benefit from more love in our lives.

We can all benefit from extending more love to others.

 

Live in a renewed disposition of Love today.

Splendor of the Light

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

 

~~~ Daniel 12: 1-3 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~ Hebrews 10:11=14,18 ~~~ Mark 13:24-32 ~~~

 

We are fascinated by light and equally fascinated

with speculation about our after life.

We believe God is light!

We find many creative ways to use light.

Not only is light useful from the stand point that it allows us to see in the dark;

we use light to decorate our environment too.

 

We are already beginning to see holiday lights adorning buildings and streets.

We light candles in our churches and on our dining room tables.

We keep flashlights on our bedside table.

 

We value light. It would stressful to even imagine our world without light.

 

Today the prophet Daniel speaks to us of how brightly

the wise will shine in the end. 

We want to be among those who will shine brightly.

We want to come into the light of God's glory.

We want our light to somehow be absorbed into the heavenly light.

 

"But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever."

 

 

The idea of shining like a star forever is awesome to contemplate.

Just as God created the sun and the moon and the stars to shine brightly

he also created us to shine.

 

Perhaps being in our human bodies we are not able to shine as fully

 as God intends for us to shine.

 

But if we let the Word of God be a light for our path we will be among those

glorifying the Lord for all of eternity.

 

"...Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away."

The words of the Lord or truth and beauty.

His promises will be fulfilled in the end.

The Light of the World will be all that is left to shine.

Our souls will join in the eternal light.

We will be united together....all of those who believe...

united in the 'slendor of the filament'.

 

The Lord bless you and hold you in his light.

Shine as you were meant to shine...

reflecting the glory of the Lord.

What the world needs today is more light from those who hope in the Lord.

That would you and me!

The Squeaky Wheel

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

 

We all are familiar with the saying...

the squeaky wheel gets the attention...

Today Jesus is giving us a parable that seems to support

this saying with one minor twist...

PRAYER

becomes the squeaky wheel.

He tells the story of the woman who repeatedly approached

the irreligious atheistic judge until at last he granted her request.

 

"...pray always without becoming weary..."

 

This example encourages us to come to God as frequently

as we can with our prayers.

The poor woman was not deterred by the judge's apparent disinterest.

She was not discouraged by his lack of consideration for her dilemma.

 

If in the end, this ordinary human judge did hear the woman;

so much more is God inclined to hear our prayers.

 

"...Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?"

 

Sending up our prayers day and night should not be like

the whining of a spoiled child.

Our unceasing prayers should be an experience

of our belief in God's love.

Our prayers should be a sign of our faith and hope

in the wisdom of God.

 

The more we pray the stronger our faith will become,

because if we do not have faith in God

then we will eventually stop praying.

 

If we do not pray in faith our prayers

are nothing more than a clanging gong.

If we are not praying in faith we are wasting precious time.

 

"...But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

 

It is up to each of us to exercise and revive our faith through our prayers.

I am not suggesting that you set aside hours every day to recite

all of the rote prayers in your head.

I am, however, suggesting that you make the intention to

make your life one of prayer.

 

If we make the intention to live in prayer then

engaging in conversation with God throughout our day will become

a natural occurance.

 Be the Squeaky Wheel.

Remain in Love

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

 

John's second letter is confirming that what they have known

 and believed from the beginning is in fact

THE greatest and most important.

Loving one another is of utmost importance.

 

"...For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;
this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,
in which you should walk..."

It is not surprising to me that we are

so often reminded in the scriptures about this

command to love one another.

Jesus wants us to love one another as he loves us.

This is much more difficult to put into practice.

We find it hard to love as Jesus loved.

He had extraordinary kindness, compassion, and mercy.

While we may covet these characteristics we rarely can apply them

to our everyday lives.

 

But rather than beating ourselves up for not loving better, we must

continue to renew our conviction to do better.

We can love better starting now...today.

The greatest love is of course when one lays down their life for another.

 

We have many examples of such great love among our military...

our fire fighters...

and our missionaries...to name just a few.

 

 

John warns this community...

"...Anyone who is so "progressive"
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God..."

 

I find it interesting that the word 'progressive' is used here.

Even during the time of this letter some were coming

forward with a different message...

a message contradictory from the message of Jesus.

He is telling them that they have the true commandment

from God and need not listen to those who speak otherwise.

 

The psalmist emphasizes holding on to what you have.

 

 "...Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you....

...Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law."

 

That which you treasure will be held close to your heart.

 

Praying to God asking him to keep us faithful to his word

is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of humility.

It is only on God that we can rely to keep us strong in our convictions.

It is only through his grace that we can weed out those who

want us to waiver from our beliefs in the commandments.

 

We are living in this troubled world but we should not be contributing

to the corruption of the world.

 

If we are to lose our life let it be given out of love...

nothing less.

If we are living a life of love then we have no worries

when the Lord comes to take us home.

So whatever you are doing right now let it be with love.

There is nothing greater.

Refreshed Hearts

~~~ Philemon 7:20 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Luke 17:20-15 ~~~

 

Paul speaks to his friend Philemon with words of inspiration.

Wouldn't you want a close friend to tell you

that because of you their heart was refreshed?

 

"...I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love,
because the hearts of the holy ones
have been refreshed by you, brother."

 

This is so much more than plugging in an air freshener

 you bought from the store.

What does it mean to have your heart refreshed?

Is it like adding a freshener sheet to the dryer?

 

Perhaps the love of a child or a grandchild is sufficient to refresh your heart.

Paul is writing about his fondness for Onesimus.

Onesimus was a slave to Philemon at one time.

Paul has the occasion to meet him while in prison

through the slave's father.

Onesimus had not been the best person while under Philemon;

in fact he had stolen from him.

His conversion takes place through his contact with Paul,

who was in prison.

 

God can use you for good no matter where you are or what you are doing.

The name Onesimus means "useful".

By sending Onesimus to Philemon he is in fact asking him

to forgive his former slave and to see him with fresh eyes.

Possibly Paul has even given this former slave

a new name reflective of his appointed mission.

He is now being sent to be 'useful' to the mission of Philemon.

 

Paul considers Onesimus to be like a son to him.

Living the gospel message should make us a better person each day.

Once Onesimus was 'useless' to Philemon,

but now by his conversion he becomes 'useful'.

 

Not only are you transformed internally through your relationship with God,

but your relationships with others

must also be evidence to this change of heart.

 

Returning to Philemon also requires a certain degree of humility

on the part of Onesimus.

He must present himself to Philemon

as one who has been changed by God.

He must have also experienced a certain amount of fear

at the idea of returning to his former master.

 

Onesimus was anxious to get Paul's letter into the hands

of his former master right away.

Paul in his old age is almost forcing Philemon

into a situation of reconciliation with this former slave.

Paul too is willing to assume whatever debt Onesimus owes to Philemon.

Paul loves Onesimus just as God loves us.

Jesus assumed the debt for our sinfulness out of his love for us.

 

 

As a sinner we can sometimes experience similar apprehension

 as we contemplate returning to God.

Repentance for previous offenses is not always

an easy proposition to entertain.

 

We should be able to put ourselves somewhere in this story.

We have all been is a situation where another has clearly wronged against us.

Today the message of God's forgiveness is being passed on to us

through Paul's letter to Philemon.

 

You may have been wronged in the past....

you may have committed offenses in the past...

but the fact remains that God forgives you...

he sent his son, Jesus, to make atonement for your offenses.

 

Forgiveness encourages change for all involved parties.

 

Forgiveness can Refresh the Heart!

 

With Thanksgiving just a week away,

now may be the perfect time to consider

who needs your forgiveness just within your family unit.

 

Forgiveness Refreshes the Heart!

Being Open to Goodness

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

 

"...be obedient...be open to every good enterprise..."

 

Paul shares his personal indiscretions prior to his conversion.

How he was living in the throes of physical pleasures.

 

The kindness and generous love of God

grabbed him all the way to his soul.

Paul acknowledges the mercy God extended to him,

admitting he was undeserving.

 

He describes his conversion as a 'bath of rebirth'

 and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

It is only through this great mercy and love

that we too become heirs in hope of eternal life.

 

It is only through being open to the goodness of God

that we can come to our salvation.

We must believe in a God who only wants good for us.

We must believe in a God who like the shepherd cares for each

and every one of his flock.

 

If the lepers in today's gospel had not opened their hearts to the

remote possibility that they could be cured then they might have

remained in the shadows.

These lepers might have never found the courage to approach

Jesus and ask for healing.

 

 

Being open to every good enterprise means you are able to

experience the green pastures and the restful waters.

It means that even when you walk in the valley of darkness

you hold on to the vision of Jesus walking beside you.

 

Being open you can see the banquet and feel the oil

as it drips from your forehead.

 

Being open to every good enterprise...

you desire to stay close to him...

you want to dwell in his house all the days of your life.

 

Have you closed off parts of your life?

Have you closed off parts of your heart?

 

Being open to the possibility of God's goodness places

us in the state to also receive it.

 

I invite you to be open today and witness

what happens.

Seamless Service

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

 

At first reading the gospel account from Luke seems harsh and selfish.

The slave in Biblical times literally had no rights.

 He was the property of his owner and would have

been given few priviledges.

Certainly the servant would not have expected or been

entitled to special allowances.

 

 

Jesus is using this slave as an example of our relationship with God.

What could God possibly owe to us?

On the other hand we owe everything to God.

He has given us all that we are and all that we have.

 

We are not is a position to bargain with God.

We are not is a position to expect special priviledges.

But at the same time we are not slaves to God.

 

When we obey God we are not doing so in hopes of sitting

with him as his honored guest.

We obey out of a desire to give something back to him.

The only thing we can give to God is ourselves.

Giving ourselves back to God is really all that we can give to him.

 

 "'...We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

 

We might like to think that we are worthy of something from God

in return for our prayers and good deeds, but it is not true.

It is out of the goodness of God that our prayers are even answered.

No matter what we do for God he does not profit from our efforts.

 

Just as the slave returns from the field with more work waiting to be done,

we too can never become complacent. We must never think that we have done enough...that we have served the Lord long enough or enough times.

There will always be more work to be done in the vineyard.

Our whole life needs to be one of serving...bringing forth the word of the Lord.

 

No matter what we are doing with our life;

the underlying mission should be about pleasing God.

 

 

I guess the question remains...

when have we ever given enough back to God?

Does your love for God compel you to give him your best?

Does your love for God help you to give yourself back to him?

 

We know that even the apostles were confused by the message of the kingdom.

They even thought that they were going to be entitled

to some special merits for being among his closest followers.

In this example Jesus may be trying to tell them to be patient;

things were not exactly as they might have thought.

 

Often our perception of things turns out not to be the reality.

Serving in the 'field' or serving at the 'table'

our work in the eyes of God is never completed.

It is by the grace of God that we continue to freely serve him.

In the end it was Jesus, himself, who assumed the servant's position

and washed the disciples feet.

Forgiveness: One Facet of Self-Control

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

 

Here Paul is speaking about the local bishops,

but we need to heed this same message

as followers of Jesus.

 

"...as God's steward...

...but hospitable, a lover of goodness,
temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled,
holding fast to the true message as taught..."

 

We are the people who long to see the face of God.

In order to come into the presence of his face it is necessary

to be convinced of the importance of living in goodness,

temperance, and holiness.

To insure that we are not a source of sin to another

we must strive for self control in all areas of our life.

If we practice self control we will have a greater chance

of maintaining our call to holiness.

 

 

Self control has many components; one being forgiveness.

Forgiveness is something we most probably will work on

for our entire life time.

 

If we actively practice forgiveness with the small offenses in our life

we will be better prepared to extend forgiveness

for the more serious situations.

Self control to forgive and not retaliate.

 

I continue to be blown away by the number of people

who forgive those who have committed a serious crime against them.

Perhaps if we heard more from these individuals

we could all learn how they manage something so difficult.

People have forgiven murders, rapists, and abusers;

 to name just a few.

 

"...If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'
you should forgive him."

If someone wrongs you seven times in the same day

you might question whether or not he was sincere about his repentance.

But Jesus is saying instead to keep forgiving the person;

to rebuke or correct him.

 

Does this attitude of forgiveness predispose you to becoming a victim?

Jesus certainly does not say that or imply victim hood.

 

Jesus taught us how to forgive even when facing unwarranted death.

He forgave his accusers and those who drove the nails into his hands and feet.

 

He gave them the benefit of the doubt right up until his final breath.

Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.

 

The other side of this equation is for us to seek forgiveness

right away if we have hurt another person.

Even if the other person does not grant us forgiveness we

must express our remorse for what we have done.

 

It is through our faith and conviction that we offer forgiveness

 to one who has harmed us.

It is by exercising great self control, through grace,

 that we can forgive.

If we do hope to ever see his face then we must

learn to forgive.

Forgiveness requires love, faith, and trust.

The Widow's Gift

~~~ Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ 1 Kings 17:10-16 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Hebrews 9: 24-28 ~~~ Mark12:38-44 ~~~

 

The first reading and the Gospel from Mark use the example of a widow.

In Biblical times a widow within the Jewish community had no status. Without her husband she had literally no one to take care of her. She was left to fend for herself which often ended in poverty.

 

In the first reading we have the desperate widow who barely has enough food to feed both herself and her young son.

 

"...there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug."

 

She is resigned herself to the fact that she and her son are in fact doomed.

They are facing imminent death from starvation.

She is scraping together what little she has left to provide for her son.

 

You can imagine how torn she must have been when the prophet, Elijah, asks her to share her last bit of food with him.

Giving water to Elijah was was enough...just go to the source scoop up a cupful and bring it to him. But he asks for more; he wanted some bread as well.

 

Certainly it would not have been unreasonable for her to have ignored his request.

Somehow Elijah's words dispel her fears and she decides to honor his request for some bread. In reality what did she have to lose? She was going to die soon from lack of food. Elijah goes on promising her that neither the flour jar or the oil jar would go empty.

Here she takes a huge leap of faith and puts her trust in his words.

As we know she has the grace to make the right decision and God blessed her with abundance. For the next year the flour and the oil remained constant.

 

God had indeed kept his promise foretold to Elijah.

Some may have accused the widow of acting in a foolish manner,

especially when she also had her son to care for.

 

Sometime trusting in God does make us appear to be foolish

in the eyes of others.

What we give to God is returned to us a hundredfold.

Our giving is never in vain.

 

 

Our second widow has come to the temple to worship. She files into the temple with the crowds and drops in her last two coins for her offering.

Some would say that she too acted foolishly; giving her last couple coins.

The scribes and Pharisees all but despised widows. They often took advantage of their poor financial state insisting that they pay their part.

 

So there she was giving her all along side of those

who were giving from their abundance and wealth.

She was giving from her poverty.

Which is the greater gift?

If we only give from our abundance...is it truly giving?

 

Give yourself fully to God.

He will use you to accomplish great things

on the condition that you believe

much more in His love than in your own weakness.
Mother Teresa

 

These wise words from Mother Teresa

give us much to contemplate in this season of thanks and giving.

 

Jesus gave all that he was for our salvation...

every last drop of blood.

We have never been expected to give at that deep level.

 

May our giving bring us greated cause to trust in God's providential care.

He will take what litle we may have and turn it into so much more.

God will provide!

The jar will never be empty if we trust in him.

Live in Gratitude

~~~ Philippians 4:10-19 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Luke 16:9-15 ~~~

 

We should never under estimate the importance of gratitude.

Today Paul is expressing his heart felt gratitude to the Philippians.

Even when it seemed that they had forgotten his plight

he was grateful for their past support.

 

"...I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that now at last you revived your concern for me..."

 

Paul is able to see benefits and blessings no matter what his conditions.

If things are going well he is grateful.

If things are less than perfect he finds reason to be grateful.

 

 

 

"...My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

 

Paul reminds us that when we are generous with our possessions,

giving to the less fortunate, God will reward us.

The word of caution here is avoiding the temptation

to give simply in response to what you will gain in return.

 

Unselfish giving is the ideal goal...

giving out of love and compassion is the benchmark.

The Philippians certainly loved Paul and wanted

him to continue spreading the good news.

 

If your basic needs are supplied then you can focus

on the higher things in life.

Paul proves himself to be trustworthy in handling what he was given.

 

Jesus is addressing the Pharisees, who love their money.

They love the perceived status symbol from acquiring wealth.

Jesus is saying just because you may have some wealth

does not mean your spiritual state is comparable. 

"...No servant can serve two masters...."

 

Is is possible to concentrate all of your attention on creating wealth

and still maintain a profound relationship with God?

Jesus seems to be saying it is unlikely you can do both simultaneously.

"...You cannot serve God and mammon."

 

I believe the challenge is to keep yourself in balance.

Balance between wealth and God.

One does not have to be exclusive of the other.

We all have seem many examples of wealthy individuals

reaching out in compassion to those who are less fortunate.

"You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts..."

 

In all circumstances we should find reasons to be grateful.

Whether we are among the wealthy or not we have many reasons to be grateful,

if we but look for them.

As we approach our annual day of thanksgiving; begin

making a list today of reasons to live in gratitude.

Paul, himself serves as a model for how this can be done.

He words reveal where to begin,

"...I have the strength for everything

through him who empowers me."

 

Live in Gratitude and Be Blessed.