Beautiful Feet

 ~~~ Feast of Saint Andrew ~~~
~~~ Romans 10:9-18 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Matthew 4:18-22 ~~~

 

...it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! 

 

Jesus walked along the seashore where he called his first apostles...
Peter and Andrew. These two brothers were fishermen.
They shared much of their time together every day.
Now Jesus is calling them both to follow him.
Jesus invites them to walk along side of him.
To walk with him as he brings the good news to the whole world.

When these two began following Jesus they probably had no idea
 that they too would be sharing the good news.
They did not realize that day the they would be left
 to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Those who have gone a mission trip
may be able to relate to this verse better than the rest of us.
 I have been told that the joy is evident on the
faces of the villagers when the missionaries arrive.

Just seeing that you have come to their little village because
you love the Lord raises them up.

A missionary walks in the footsteps of the Lord;
 their presence brings joy to the locals.

 

 

 Walking through the streets of a town brings you closer
to the people who live there.

You get a sense of who the people are who live there.
 

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

 

 There is a whole chain of events that take place to close the circle of faith.
Someone must be sent to preach...
someone must there to listen...
once they have heard they must believe...
now the new believers can turn to the Lord for their needs.

Faith becomes then the grounding factor for future needs.
For those who hear will experience a
refreshing of their soul;
 a rejoicing of their heart;
 and an enlightening of their eye.

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

 The words of the Lord keep our feet firmly planted
on the ground giving us the stability we need
 to continue bring the good news.

Dirty, smelly, calloused, tired and worn, Jesus had the most beautiful feet.
His feet carried him into places where he could heal.
His beautiful feet carried him to where he could do the most good...
to where he could bless people, often unexpectedly.
 

 Saint Andrew, pray for us.

Blessings come in bringing the good news to others...
We too can have beautiful feet.

The Kingdom is Near

 ~~~ Daniel 7:2-14 ~~~ (Psalm) Daniel 3:75 ~~~ Luke 21:29-33

 

 Daniel has a vision in reference to the four major empires...
Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Greek.
The kingdom of God by contrast, is not depicted as a grotesque beast,
but by a human person.

Just as nature has a life cycle so too is it with God.
He will return; no one can say exactly when.
There is a natural circle of life.
New life springs from the apparent ruins of death.

...the Kingdom of God is near.

 

 

 When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.

 

 When all is said and done here on earth, greater things will happen in heaven.
Everything, all of creation will pay homage to Jesus.
We will be given the vision of what our heart longs for today.
Everything will bend down to give honor and glory to the Son.

We have been promised life everlasting.
On the last day his words will come to full fruition.
The Kingdom of Heaven will be revealed like never before.

...bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
 

 Blessings as we try to praise him more perfectly.
Holy is his name and worthy of our complete praise.

Give Thanks to Our God

~~~Thanksgiving Day ~~~

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

(I am using the optional reading for today) 

Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.



 

 If you read nothing else today read these few verses
written by Paul to his beloved in Corinth.

When was the last time someone told you
that they gave thanks to God for you?
Have you ever told another person that you thank God
 for their presence in your life?
Thank your spouse or best friend for loving you.

 

Today I invite you to tell at least one person
that you thanked God for their presence in your life. 

It is always proper to express thanksgiving and gratitude.
Thank you...
two small words that can send out ripples far and wide.

Old Testament Graffiti

~~~ Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 ~~~ Daniel 3:62 ~~~ Luke 21:12-19 ~~~

 

 But the God in whose hand is your life breath
and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.
By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down.

The king summons David to interpret the 'handwriting on the wall'.
This common phrase has its origin from this passage of the prophet Daniel.
When someone sees the handwriting on the wall they see the reality.
Often the truth concerns something negative.
 

 The king was filled with alcohol and was foolishly
making his material possessions equal to God.
There is no such deity as the god of gold, silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
How small he considered God to be...how wrong he was.

Not is his wildest dreams could the king have imagined that the real God
would send him a message written on the very walls of his banquet hall.
This strange event preempted all of his celebrating.
His rejoicing was quickly replaced by visible signs of fear.
The king now shaking is overcome with terror.
There right before the eyes of all present appears graffiti written by God.

God gave the king an escape hatch...he gave him Daniel
to show him how he was going astray.

 

 

David is inspired to reveal to the king how he confused he is...
how frivolous his chosen objects of praise.

David is filled with the spirit of the Lord...he is honest in reporting to the king.

Give glory and eternal praise to him.
  

There is only one God and he alone deserves our honor,
glory, and eternal praise. 

Even today we have reason to believe that God will give us
the right words we need to speak.
David courageously spoke the words of truth to the king...
you have it all wrong, your highness.
The end of the Babylon empire is coming to an end.

I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking...
 

 If we are to be given the right words to speak we must first
ask for them to be sent to us.

If we do not ask; how will we recognize the touch of God on our lips?

We can now purchase giant decals to adhere to the walls of our own home.
We can choose what 'handwriting on the wall' we want to see.
 What message would you want to see scripted on your wall?
Yes, you can create a custom wall message.
Just search the internet and you will see.

Here is one I would love to see every day...
"Write your hurts in the sand...
carve your blessings in stone."

As we get a day closer to Thanksgiving Day make sure
you have carved your blessings for this year deep within your heart.

 
We give thanks for you, our readers.

Do You Want to Know?

~~~ Daniel 2:31-45 ~~~ (Psalm) Daniel 3:57 ~~~ Luke 21:5-11 ~~~

 

People have long speculated about the end times being near,

they base this opinion on the increase of  wide spread disasters...famines...wars...floods...earthquakes...

or comets streaking across the sky....

 

Most likely God will not be setting up billboards across the world

 foretelling of the end of civilization as we know it. 

Instead we are told that we will not know the hour in which the end will occur.

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”

 

We like to know...we even gloat about our knowledge of things.

God is not going to provide queue cards in advance of his return.
Not knowing, by design should keep us more attentive
to what is taking place around us.

  

 

Rather than concerning ourselves with the possible signs of the end
we should be focused on our relationship with God. 

 

 Yet God has given us numerous signs of his magnificent glory.
He has shown us that as he cares for the lilies and birds of the fields
 he will care for us much more.
He has shown us he will search for the one lost sheep.
He has shown us that he will cure the sick, make the lame walk,
and purge those possessed by evil spirits.
But above all he has shown us, by the cross,
 that his love for us is the greatest sign.

We do not need any signs of the end times.
We only need to live like believe in life ever after 
as we have been promised.

Blessings come in trusting
that we do not need any new special signs.

What are You Holding Back?

~~~ Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20 ~~~ Psalm...Daniel 3:52b ~~~ Luke 21:1-4 ~~~ 

 

Glory and praise for ever!

 

The lengthy reading from the prophet Daniel today seems

 to have been written just for committed vegetarians.

Not only was abstaining from meat healthy for Daniel and his three friends;

they also had really good dreams and visions.

 

All kidding aside these four men were able to stay true to their beliefs and

still they were able to serve the king well.

 

To these four young men God gave knowledge and proficiency
in all literature and science,
and to Daniel the understanding of all visions and dreams.

 

God gave them the gifts needed to best serve the king.

These four men were found worthy to serve the king without breaking

their observation of the Jewish food requirements.

These young men were able to find a way to serve God

above serving the reigning king.

 

For us the first decision must be to serve God.

If we have God first in our hearts then it is possible to be in service to others.

Daniel had a strong conviction to preserve his body for the Lord.

It is apparent that Daniel had a strong connection with God.

 

The king wanted these young men to be strong, healthy, and handsome.

He wanted them to be the picture perfect servants.

 

 

Daniel and his friends were given the same food and wine that the king

had for himself so that they would be as handsome and healthy as he was.

This certainly may have been flawed logic, but God took care.

 

Jesus, as our king, has given us something far better

than the same food and drink he had...

he gave us his own flesh and blood to consume.

 

God does not go out in search of the most handsome, the most healthy,

or for those who can interpret dreams.

God accepts all who come to him wanting to serve in his kingdom.

 

The poor widow came to serve by offering her two small coins.

God does not judge her as worthless because she has little to give;

 instead he praises her for generosity.

 

How we serve and what we contribute

 should always come from the heart that loves God.

 

If we truly want to serve God our King we should hold nothing back.

The true servant heart stands willing to give of themselves until the end.

 

God will bless us if we are dedicated to serving him

as the king and master of our heart.

We are called to serve our King to the best of our ability

with what has been given to us.

King of Kings

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

~~2 Samuel 5:1-3~~Psalm 122~~Colossians  1:12-20~~Luke 23:35-43~~

The church ends the liturgical year this weekend.
It is fitting that we are given the kingship of Jesus for the closing liturgy.
Most of the year we do not focus our attention on Jesus as a King.
His kingdom is not and never was of this world.
This is what was so confusing, disappointing, and confusing for the Jews.

The kingdom of Jesus is in heaven with his Father.
His kingdom is ruled by the hand of love and mercy.

In his final days he was mocked and dressed up in a robe and a crown.
This crown was not one of gold and precious stones,
it was fashioned from thorn branches.
This king did not sit upon his throne and rule over the land.
This king was nailed upon a cross and raised up covered in blood to be spat upon.
This king was not flanked on either side with palace guards,
he had common criminals hanging beside him.

The sign above his head read 'King of the Jews'.
No one that day took it seriously with the exception of the good
thief hanging beside Jesus.
 

 

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."

Jesus was not the king the people were expecting during Biblical times.

He had no earthly kingdom...he had no regal robes...
he had no servants or slaves to wait on him...

 

KING

 

K...knowledgeable

I...intimate, inclusive

N...never-ending, non judgmental

G...generous

Jesus had full knowledge that he came to do the will of the Father.
Jesus desires to have an intimate relationship with each of us.
Jesus is inclusive of all people. saints and sinners.
The love Jesus has for us is never ending...freely given
we are not judged whether or not we are worthy of this love.
Jesus generously gave us all that he has...he gave us every drop of blood
in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. 

 

 

Let us give thanks to the Father....

Today we have so many reasons to give thanks to the Father.
It is right and just that we should give him thanks and praise
for all that he has done for us.
What king today would lay down his life to save his subjects?
We have a king who is the King of Kings and Lord of all the Universe...
all of creation...all that is good.

He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
 

Someday we will be welcomed into his kingdom.
God sent his Son to save us so that we would be able to enter into the Kingdom of God.
The word became flesh to show us the way to the Kingdom.
I pray that the day that I die I too will hear Jesus say...

...today you will be with me in Paradise.

Begin taking an inventory of your blessings today.
Give thanks first to God for including you in his divine salvation plan.
Our King is like no other...he loves like no other...
he provides for us like no other could. 

Crawling to Soaring

~~~ 1 Maccabees  6:1-13 ~~~ Psalm 9 ~~~ Luke 20:27-40 ~~~

 

Some of the scribes said in reply,
“Teacher, you have answered well.”
And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

Here we have the religious leaders of the time congratulating

Jesus on 'answering well'.

Another example of how those who were listening were literally hanging on his words.

The officials were always trying to trip up Jesus so they were intent

on picking apart everything that came out of his mouth.

Eventually they became frustrated, as Jesus would continue to answer

in such a way they caused them to stop and think about what they had asked him.

 

The reality is that pretty much everything we think matters

 to us here on earth will not matter after we die. You know that old saying

 'you can't take it with you'; it does not just pertain to material things.

 

It is hard to believe that after we die things will be so completely change,

 that there will no longer be the need for what we have

valued so much in our earthly lives.

The bliss of heaven will fill our soul beyond what anything we have now can.

The happiness we experience here, no matter how wonderful,

 pales on comparison to what is waiting for us in heaven.

 

Whenever I try to reflect on heaven being greater and better than my happiest day

I am reminded of the life cycle of the butterfly.

 

 

When the butterfly is a caterpillar he is fat and happy eating everything in sight.

He is so satisfied with his current life. He is content with where

he is and what he is doing.

Even if somehow he knew that he would

be changed into a beautiful butterfly...

that he would be able to soar high up in the air;

he might be a little skeptical.

 

When you are crawling on the ground

the thought of flying seems utterly impossible.

As humans with our physical bodies the thought that

we will not need the closeness of our loved ones is very foreign.

Honestly, we resist the idea completely. We like to contemplate

being reunited with our loved ones for all of eternity.

 

Of course we must wait until the day

we take our final breath to discover the truth.

The caterpillar eventually receives wings and soars

into the air as a beautiful creature.

We may not be getting wings when we get to heaven,

but the change will be just as dramatic as it is for the caterpillar.

 

Just for a minute consider whether or not the butterfly

 ever longs to return to its caterpillar days.

I would guess the butterfly would never opt to be returned

 to his former caterpillar life even though it was a happy time.

 

So when we get to heaven the transformation will be dramatic.

Such that our earthly relationships will be but a fraction

 of what we will have then experienced.

 

God has given us the ability to experience love

 and physical closeness with others

while here on earth.

This love is just a tiny glimpse of what is in store for us. 

 

Blessings come in the form of our ability to love those

 God places in our life while we are here on earth. 

The more we love and are loved

 the more we will appreciate the day we too

will get our' beautiful wings' in heaven. 

 

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.

Share the Joy

Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

 

~~1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59~~ 1 Chronicles 29:10bcd, 11abc, 11d-12a, 12bcd ~~Luke 19:45-48 ~~ 

 

My house shall be a house of prayer...

Saint Cecilia is the patroness saint of musicians.

In our churches music aids in raising our hearts and minds to God.

The great composers have the ability to almost harness

 the magnitude of God with music.

Even if only for a couple measures it is glorious

to hear musicians and the congregation lifting

their voices up in praise to God.

 

Those who plotted to arrest Jesus were discouraged

by how the people responded to his teachings.

 

...all the people were hanging on his words...

 

It was if the people were being taken to another place

beyond the immediate space. 

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation?

I have been so enthralled by a speaker that I did not want their talk to end.

I am sure you have been so engaged in a movie that two hours

 later you were surprised it was ending.

If you are listening so intently that time is insignificant you are fully attentive.

You are consumed with the present...

nothing else matters at that moment in time.

 

 

There was great joy among the people... 

 

 When people are sharing a common experience

their emotions are magnified and can even be enhanced.

People in crowds laugh together, cry together,

 cheer together, and experience joy together. 

 

Singing together draws people closer to each other...

music creates an internal bond.

 Blessings come from hanging on his every word...

if we are able to hang on his every word we will find great joy.

He has the words of everlasting life.

It is good to cling to each and every one of them.

Saint Cecilia, teach us how to hang on to his joy,

and pray for us.

Given Back to God

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

~~~ 1 Maccabees 2:15-29 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~~ Luke 19:41-44 ~~~

 

The parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus, took her to the temple
when she was just a young child.
They presented her to God dedicating her into the care of the Lord.
This was their way of giving thanks for being given the gift of a child.
When Mary was conceived they were advanced in age.
It is right and just that we should give thanks
 to God for all that he has given to us.

Mary grew up in an environment that surrounded her in prayers and scriptures.
She became at home with the word of God.
It must have been much like learning a foreign language,
 as you are immersed in it.
Mary would become the living example for us
of the living presence of God's word.
For Mary to become the mother of Jesus all of the parts
 were carefully put together.
She was born to parents who were willing and open
 to cooperating with the will of the Father.

Now the readings of today paint quite a different picture.
Corruption not dedication seems to be generally accepted.
Someone had to resist the growing tendency to loose focus on the truth.

Mattathias and his family did just that; they resisted,
they left and fled to the desert instead.

More lies of tempting riches and winning the good favor of the king...

promises of wealth gold and silver...

Follow the crowd, join the others,

 abandon the religion of your ancestors and be happy.

They were tempted and haunted with the 'better' life
in exchange for walking away from the way of their fathers.

 

God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.

 

 

 This day in the temple was not a day of joy and peace;
it was instead a day of death, corruption, and violence.

 

 This father and his family left all of their possessions behind;
they fled from the city into the desert to hide.

Sometimes in our life we too can be faced with situations
that we have no power to change...
situations where confrontation is ineffective.
The only alternative may be to remove yourself from the situation.
The serenity prayer acknowledges there are times in life that we cannot change.
Our prayer is for us to receive sufficient grace and blessing
 to know the right action necessary to take...
join in...stand against...or entirely disconnect from the situation.

 

Mary has given us examples of what it means to live a life dedicated to God.
Joachim and Anne gave their daughter back to God.
Mary was presented in thanksgiving.
 

God shines forth...he gathers the faithful ones to himself...
here we will see his mother too is with him.

Faithful to the End

~~~ 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 ~~~ Psalm 17 ~~~ Luke 19:11-28 ~~~

 

“What are you waiting for?
I will not obey the king’s command.
I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.

 

Being a mother, the first reading is heart wrenching to read.

How does a mother remain strong

when each one of her seven sons is slaughtered?

Not only does this mother show extreme courage but the sons too.

How is it possible to become that convicted of your beliefs?

I am not sure.

One thing I am sure of is that this mother would have gladly

 accepted death in the place of her sons.

Yesterday Eleazar, at the age of ninety,

 was killed for remaining true to his faith.

Today we have seven young brothers with just as much faith.

Eleazar had already lived a long good faithful life,

but these seven were in the prime of their life.

These boys had their whole life ahead of them.

 

It does not matter how old or how young you are,

it is possible to have a martyr's faith. 

 

 

The Gospel also draws our attention to being faithful in a different manner.

The servants were faithful to their master.

They took his money invested it wisely and returned the profits to their master.

 

The last servant came forward with nothing more to offer his master.

He feared the reprimands of the master so greatly that he did not take any action.

 

You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?

 

What motivates you to commit? What causes you to take action?

The seven sons walked to their death remaining faithful to the end.

They were encouraged along the way by their faithful, God fearing mother.

The servants were encouraged to act out of fear of their master.

 

The evil master rewards the servant who provided the greatest return to him.

It is our faith in God that motivates us to remain faithful to the end.

 

This evil master takes away the coins from the one who took no action.

Instead he gives those coins to the one who brought

him the greatest return on his money.

 

Evil brought forth more evil.

The deception and the temptation of evil takes courage

and conviction of faith to resist.

 

As you know Jesus himself was tempted by the evil one.

The readings this week confirm that Jesus was not the first one

or the only one to have been tempted.

 

We will never be completely free from temptations.

It is how we respond that is of utmost importance...

I invite you to get into the habit of denying yourself

in small things a few times a week.

Pass up that extra cookie...refrain from the negative comment...

 

The seven sons were able to exercise their faithfulness

because it was modeled by their mother.

We never know when someone might

be inspired by our faithfulness to the Lord.

 

We may not be called to die for our faith, but we are called

to live it to its full extent.

Blessings come in remaining faithful to the end...

It has been modeled for us...we can do it.

Remain faithful!

Show Up: Receive the Lord

~~~ 2 Maccabees 6:18-31 ~~~ Psalm 3 ~~~ Luke 19:1-10 ~~~

 

We have two very different examples of faith given to us today.

First we have Eleazar, he has been faithful

to the Lord since childhood. He is now facing the temptation

to abandon his faith to save his own life. He is ninety years old.

He has the strength of character and the faith to withstand those around him.

Even his friends are coaxing him into saving himself...just this one time.

 

On the other hand we are presented with the chief

official tax collector, Zacchaeus.

He is a considered a thief, a crook, therefore a sinner. He is despised by others.

In this familiar story we know that he runs ahead and climbs the tree

to get a better view of Jesus. Climbing the tree that day changed him forever;

it brought him salvation.

 

So where do you find yourself? Are you like Eleazar?

Have you been faithful since your childhood?

Are you like Zacchaeus? Has God given you a conversion experience? 

Or are you waiting for that conversion event, while continuing

 to do your own thing?

 

God is present in both of these scenarios...he finds a way

to manifest his presence to us as needed.

 

 

Perhaps you have heard of the "7 Ups" of life...

Wake up...Dress up...Shut up...Stand up...Look up...Reach up...Lift up.

 

I would like to add one more...Show up...

Zacchaeus shows up to get a better look at Jesus.

Jesus looks up into the tree...reaches up to Zacchaeus with his invitation

to dine with him, and finally lifts him up

to enjoy the blessings of salvation.

 

“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”

If we will only 'Show Up"

Jesus will do the rest.

 

The tree of our downfall becomes the saving tree of life for Zacchaeus.

Blessings from coming to see the Lord.

Step out of the crowd and grace will lift you up.

Receive the Lord with Joy.

Speak Up in Faith

 

~~1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63~~Psalm 119~~Luke 18:35-43~~

 

The blind man hears the commotion nearby

 and wants to know who is passing by.

He is not afraid to speak up and question, since he cannot see for himself.

After being told it was Jesus his courage bursts forth and he calls out...

 “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

 

He addressed Jesus as the Messiah would be addressed,

yet this man has not been a prior follower of Jesus.

He undoubtedly heard talk about the healing powers of Jesus.

He calls out with such force and conviction

 that his voice rings out above the noise of the crowd.

His voice even interrupts Jesus

 as he is teaching and speaking to the crowd.

 

Jesus could have ignored the cry of the blind man, but

he stops and speaks to him instead.

Jesus has the man brought before him. Jesus sees the man,

but the man cannot see Jesus.

 

Jesus sees into the heart of the man...Jesus sees the faith of this man.

Jesus acknowledges his faith.

Our faith does not rely on our vision or our ability to physically see.

Faith is invisible it intangible, but real.

 

What did the blind man have to loose?

He asked and he was heard.

He cried out to Jesus for healing.

 

 

Jesus detects the presence of faith in the soul of this man.

 

Jesus could have figured out what the man wanted; to see,

but he waits for the blind man to say the words.

 

 “Lord, please let me see.”

 

It was because of his faith that Jesus promptly answers his plea.

Jesus restores this man's sight not out of pity, but because of his faith.

 

Now that the man is healed he becomes

a follower of Jesus giving him glory everywhere they went.

 

He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Sometimes we fail to ask God

for what we need because we do not believe

that he will listen to us.

When we hear these stories of faith from the Bible

 they should serve as reminders; all things are possible with God.

 

If the blind man had not raised his voice in faith above the crowd that day

 he may have remained in darkness for the remainder of his life.

 

Whatever needs to be healed in your life bring it to God.

His divine healing is not limited to the physical realm.

 

The greater blessings cannot not be seen with the naked eye.

God blesses us from within our heart.

When Will 'Ruah' Come?

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

~~Malachi 3:19-20a~~Psalm 98 ~~2 Thessalonians 3:7-12~~Luke 21:5-19~~

 

...the day is coming...

 

When the Lord comes to fulfill the promise of his return

 it will be an unforgettable day.

It will be THE DAY...

 

On that day the full extent of the power of God will be realized

 on the face of the earth.

When the Lord comes we will experience

phenomena like never before.

 

Many places in the Old Testament we find, the Hebrew ruah,

God’s power, or spirit, bestowed on chosen individuals.

This word can also mean “breath” or “wind.”

 

On this day the ruah of God will be pronounced,

although no words need be spoken.

 

 

It sounds a bit frightening, but in the midst of this perhaps chaotic event

there will also be great peace for those who have faith.

 

For as you know many times we are told in the Bible 'fear not'.

 

Many will further inflate this sense of fear with their

 individual tales of doom and gloom.

Many will appear to testify on behalf of God

 that the signs of the end are apparent.

And just as many times these self appointed

soothe sayers will be wrong.

 

God does not give us a great digital clock

high up in the sky foretelling of this last day.

Instead we are encouraged to live each day as if it could be the last day.

We are urged to be prepared...to be vigilant...stand strong in your faith.

 

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.

We will not know the hour or even the day, but we do know

on that final day the faithful will be raised up.

The Lord will gather us into himself to be with him in heaven.

We must prepare now for when 'the day' comes it may be too late to repent.

 

Blessings come in having the grace to deeply

plant hope in your heart. 

Repurpose Your Days

~~~ Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9   ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ Luke 18:1-8 ~~~

 

...pray always without becoming weary...

 

If you try to take this as literal text;

you will either abandon the idea of praying or you will

do nothing else with your time.

Neither extreme is the best decision.

 

Praying always is connected to how you purpose your daily activities.

There is currently a trend right now to 'repurpose' old belongs.

More and more people are finding creative ways

to use those items that would normally end up in a landfill.

 

I am inviting you to take this same concept and apply it to your prayer life.

God does not really need our words to hear our prayers.

He hears our heart prayers.

He hears our concerns for our loved ones before we formulate them into words.

 

 

How many times have you been in prayer but yet the words do not come.

Perhaps you do not even know what to pray for in a given situation.

Sometimes our words seem so inadequate in expressing how we feel.

Other times the words tumble from our tongue but our thoughts are elsewhere.

 

I have experienced each of these at different times in my life.

It can indeed be discouraging and frustrating

to not know 'how' you should pray.

 

It is by our faith that we believe God hears our prayers.

Make the intention each morning as you are brushing your teeth

 to let your day be the prayer.

 

If you consider your whole day a prayer to God,

perhaps your whole day will take on a different meaning.

This is one way we can 'repurpose' our days into continual prayer.

 

Blessings in making each waking moment a part of your prayer life.

God hears our prayers from our heart not just our spoken words.

You are heard!

Appreciating the Source

~~~ Wisdom 13:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Luke 17:26-37 ~~~

 

 ...know how far more excellent is the Lord...

 

How is it that some can be surrounded by the beauty

 of nature and not go any farther?

How are you moved by the colors of a magnificent sunset and stop there?

How do you admire a fragrant rose and stop there?

How do you watch intently as the hummingbird sips

from the feeder right out your kitchen window?

How do you...

not see the wonder and awe of God in all of creation?

 

 

The appreciation of beauty surrounding us must lead us to the source.

The source of course is God.

God is more powerful and beautiful

than anything he has shown us through his creations.

 

From the smallest insect to the mighty whales of the ocean

God is sharing himself with us.

We may be speechless at these wonders, but they are only

 a fraction of our God.

They are but a taste of what is possible with God.

There is so much more he can do; so much more he could show us.

In his generosity he allows us to continue to discover more about our world.

He knows that we will never be able to come to the end of discovery.

We will never be able to say, we have learned all there is to learn

 about this world he has provided for us....never

 

If you are an atheist and choose to not believe in God,

that seems to take more energy than acknowledging his. 

 

Lord, help me to never take your beauty for granted.

Help me to keep this exhilarating sense of wonderment with each dawning.

Blessings come in the joy of anticipating

what is now and what will come to be revealed by God.

 

There is always more to be seen!

There will always be more he can show us!

How exciting can it get?

I patiently wait and eagerly watch for more.

Stop Waiting for Lightning to Strike

 

~~~ Wisdom 7:22b–8:1~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 17:20-25 ~~~

 

'...behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.'

The Kingdom of God was indeed with them; he was standing before them.

The presence of Jesus brought the Kingdom of God into the present.

The Kingdom of God was among them because Jesus was with them.

 

It really is the same today, except we cannot see Jesus with our human eyes.

Yet we are told that he is with us.

Is not the meaning of Emmanuel, God with us?

 

 

We are given flashes of the Kingdom of God everyday.
We are not given a Kingdom report as we are given a weather report.

We cannot pursue these flashes because they are erratic and unpredictable,

just as flashes of lightning in the sky.
We are given his promise to be with us always.
We are given faith to reinforce
our convictions in the presence of the Kingdom of God.

 

Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes. 

 

Wisdom gives us all the tools we need to be strong in our beliefs.
I believe that I do see the goodness if the Lord revealed in our world today.
I believe that I shall see his face when I die. 

I pray that I will have the wisdom needed to be a participant
in manifesting the goodness of the Lord. 

 

If I can be Christ to just one person today it will be blessing enough.
 

 I invite you to read the words given to us
 in the book of Wisdom today.
Wis 7:22b–8:1

In Wisdom is a spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits...

 

So much to reflect on from just these few verses.
God is with us now.

Where Are the Other Nine?

Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

~~~ Wisdom 6:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 82 ~~~ Luke 17:11-19 ~~~

 

We are given one more important miracle of faith,

 as we come to the close of this year dedicated to faith.

 

 “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

Our faith is one of the vital components for miracles of healing.

The ten lepers kept their required distance from Jesus, as they were 'unclean'.

They called out to him,

“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

 

They addressed Jesus as Master, a title of respect.

In Luke the disciples address Jesus as Master seven times.

 

The only one of the ten to return in gratitude is the Samaritan, the outsider.

Luke is noted for including Samaritans in his gospel writings.

Why is it that only one returns to give thanks?

We are too often ready to gripe, complain, and criticize;

but less likely to praise, rejoice, and give thanks.

 

We shy away from giving God credit for the good in our lives,

yet are quick to blame him for the bad.

 

In a few weeks we will be setting aside an entire day precisely to give thanks.

It has to be put on our calendar...too be scheduled.

 

The other nine lepers who were healed went on with their lives.

We are never told that they returned in thanksgiving,

but does that mean they were not thankful? Probably not.

I have written here about giving thanks before and will again in the future

because it is so important.

 

 

Take the opportunity today to consider how your faith inspires you to give thanks.

Perhaps we need to begin with asking, 'does my faith spark any gratitude'?

 

The diseased Samaritan found reason to give thanks for his physical healing,

but he was also giving thanks for a much deeper healing.

Was in fact the cured Samaritan giving thanks to Jesus for his extreme kindness?

The Samaritans were not among the favored people;

they were the outcasts.

 

Even Jesus regularly gave thanks to the Father...

raising his eyes up to heaven.

 

It is fitting that today we celebrate the life of Mother Cabrini.

She dedicated her life to serving and caring for the needs of the stranger...

the immigrants of our time.

In 1946 Frances Cabrini became the first United States

citizen to be canonized.

She left her life as a model for how

we are to care for the poor.

She was inspired in her life of good works

 by what she knew of the life of Jesus.

 

Giving thanks and caring for the poor go hand and hand.

When we recognize what we have

 we should be moved to give thanks and then

 be inspired to care for the poor.

 

Blessings come in returning to give thanks.

God may not need us to thank him,

but we need to give thanks

 for the routine health and maintenance of our soul.

Lifting Up the Brokenhearted

~~~ Wisdom 2:23–3:9 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Luke 17:7-10 ~~~

 

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

 

As more and more reports are coming to us from the Philippines,

this verse from today's psalm seems appropriate.

 

The devastation is overwhelming for the people.

Their loss is monumental, not only in property but in human lives.

We may never know the exact death toll from this storm.

 

One thing we can count on is that God

 is with the Pilipino people during their time of need.

As a part of the living body of Christ,

please join me in lifting up these brokenhearted people in our prayers. 

So often when tragic events such as this storm happen

we question the providential care of our God.

Whether or not they have the chance to stop and pray,

all of their life saving actions are rising up to the Lord.

 

When we reach out to help one another that is a communion with God...

it is praying to our Father in heaven.

 

 

 I will bless the Lord at all times.

Let us pray on behalf of those today searching for food,

water, shelter, and medical care.

Wisdom is being able to see the hand of God in all situations;

not just in the good times.

I thank you God for the resiliency and strength of your people.

Please give them hope where they only see death and destruction.

Please grant them the will to carry on without many of their loved ones.

 

The Wisdom reading today is a commonly read at funerals.

...as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.

 

Please Lord give comfort to those who are grieving today...

grant them your comforting peace.

Make your presence felt through the helping hands of others

today and in the following days.

 

Blessings come from a deep belief that God is present

in the midst of every tragedy; no matter

how great or small. 

 

Lord, we give you thanks always in all ways for your great love.

The Choker Collar Option

 

~~~ Wisdom 1:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Luke 17:1-6 ~~~

 

Wisdom is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

It is the only gift that is included as a separate book in the Bible.

Wisdom...does not automatically come with grey hair;

like I used to believe.

It is more complicated than simply getting older.

Wisdom can be described as the ability to see the 'big' picture...

an understanding that things will ultimately work out.

...God is the witness of his inmost self
and the sure observer of his heart
and the listener to his tongue.
For the Spirit of the Lord fills the world,
is all-embracing, and knows what man says.

 

A recent article in Psychology Today magazine
suggests that we must discover our wisdom.
That it may already exist within us, but requires us to take action.
Perhaps as we progress in life we learn how to tap into our internal belief system.
It is this internal belief structure that nurtures the development of our wisdom.
In a nutshell wisdom is belief turned into action.

If this is true then our prayer is not to receive wisdom,
but rather to be given the ability to exercise our wisdom courageously.
 

 

Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?

 

 Psalm 139 tells us that God knows us inside and out
better than we can ever know ourselves.
All that we need he has already given to us.
We can spend the rest of our life excavating our own heart.
We will find that God has placed unbelievable treasures there for us.

  

 

We have been given the gift of faith.
But, are we content to place it on a special shelf for others to admire
or do we take it down and make use of it?

By using our faith we will have the strength
 to make the right decisions when we are tempted.

I remember taking our dog for walks.
We had one of those choker collars once. Whenever the dog went
too far away the collar would tighten and she would come back.
Too bad this same concept cannot apply to us
when we are presented with the opportunity to sin.

What if, by even the thought of committing
a sin the collar would begin to tighten around our throat?

Do you think this would motivate us to find our elusive wisdom?
Do you think this would be enough to deter
 us from making the wrong decision?

Remember your actions will always speak louder than your words;
someone is always watching ready to emulate you.

Blessings come in believing our actions are the results of what we believe.
Lord, give me wisdom without the restraint of a choker collar.

Beyond Expectations

 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
~~2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14~~Psalm 17~~2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5~~Luke 20:27-38~~

 

The readings today invite us to consider our beliefs about resurrection.

The seven brothers were committed to their belief in life after death.
They refused to eat a yummy pork dinner even when faced with their own death.
We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.

 Luke gives us the remarks from Jesus about how we should view life after death.
The husband had been wed to seven wives until each one died.
How will this be justified in death?
...those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.

We have a tendency to put everything in the context
 of what we have experienced here on earth.
By doing this we are limiting the reality of God.
We cannot begin to comprehend what God has in store
for those who make it to heaven.

It will be quite different from what we could imagine in our wildest dreams.
Could it really be possible that when we get to heaven
 our loved ones from here on earth will no longer be our main focus?

We want to believe that when we die we will be
 reunited with our loved ones who have gone before us.
We, the survivors, need this belief to help us cope
with the loss of someone we have greatly loved.
Believing we shall some day be reunited gives us comfort and hope.

Many even long to communicate with their loved ones who have died.
This desire to have some kind of communication with a deceased loved
 one may also be about our desire to gain knowledge of heaven.

 

 God has given us hints of what the after life is like,
but it usually does not match what we have envisioned.
I just keep reminding myself that whatever God has planned
for those who love him will be more magnificent than anything else.

 

 

 

 I would like to look at another section of the Maccabees reading...
...He put out his tongue at once when told to do so,
and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words:
"It was from Heaven that I received these;
for the sake of his laws I disdain them;
from him I hope to receive them again."

These words made me think of our receiving the Eucharist at Mass.
We come forward in faith to receive the Lord.
We present ourselves to the Lord in the same action.
We hold up our hands to receive.
His precious Body and Blood saturate our tongue.

 Truly this communion is from heaven.
It is our realization of the hope that we have in the love
and mercy of the Lord

Dying for believing is not something I dwell on very often.
When I receive Eucharist I believe it is a touch of heaven.
I also believe that words cannot
 adequately describe this communion with God.

 

 Blessings in believing that life after death will be so much more...

Foundation Cracks

~~~Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome~~~

~~Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12~~Psalm 46~~1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17~~John 2:13-22~~

 

Brothers and sisters:
You are God’s building.
According to the grace of God given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building upon it.
But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there,
namely, Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

We have been gifted with the foundation from God.

The foundation is the most important part of any building.

If you do not have a solid foundation the rest of the building

 will eventually have problems.

 

In our home we have experienced first hand

what happens to the rest of a structure when the foundation is compromised. 

We have a cracked foundation.

There are visible cracks in the walls of our home both inside and outside.

The doors and cabinets no longer close properly.

It was necessary for us to temporarily realign the locks on our doors.

 

 

It is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to apply this to our spiritual life.

 

If the foundation of ones faith is not solid

then eventually the cracks become larger and larger

 until they cause substantial damage. 

 The cracks in our foundation gradually happened below the surface.

We could not see what was happening.

We did not feel the damage that was damaging our home.

This what can happen with our spiritual life too.

When the walls began to show the evidence of the damage it was too late.

Too late because we could not easily fix the problem.

 Perhaps we could have been more vigilant about watering our slab,

but when the doors would not properly close it was beyond a simple fix.

 

Our spiritual foundation needs our attention.

By tending to this foundation, through our prayer life

it may just be possible to avoid future serious cracks.

 

 We can never assume that we have all that we need

to just keep building higher and higher on our foundation.

 The more pressure you apply to the foundation

 the more attention must put on the actual laying of the foundation itself.

 

One way to reinforce your spiritual foundation is to continue to seek knowledge.

When we ask questions we are strengthening our faith foundation.

 

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Blessings come as we continue to build upon the foundation of our faith.

The Spirit of God will enlighten your heart for as long as you are alive.

Each time of enlightenment can  make your 'temple' stronger and more resilient.

 

I thank God for sending his spirit to dwell within me. 

Creative Problem Solver

 

~~~ Romans 15:14-21 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Luke 16:1-8 ~~~

 

 The gospel of the unjust steward is about money, but it has some atypical twists.
It is only found in the gospel of Luke.
On the one hand the servant seems to be thinking of the masters debtors,
he decreases the amount they owe.
On the other hand we see that the servant is really thinking about himself.
Knowing that he is about to be let go from his job he attempts
 to win the good favor from the masters debtors.

This story is relevant for us today,
We hear of corporate corruption routinely on the evening news reports.
Tales of bribery, lies, and lavish vacations are common.

This employee reduces what is owed by the amount of his portion of the moneys.
He has been skimming off the top from his employer behind his back.
He deceives those who are paying their debts.
He pretends that it is the master who is reducing
their debt out of the goodness of his heart.

One must question how Jesus can be praising this unjust steward.

This man finds himself in a life or death scenario.
He is desperate to provide for his own future, somehow.

  

 

 Jesus is not praising the steward for his thievery, but his problem solving ability.
He was a creative problem solver. He had not anticipated the loss of his job.
So he had to think of some way to save himself;
and it had to be quickly.

 

 While the steward may have been resourceful, his intentions were less than stellar.

 

 As usual Paul places the focus on what is really important...

...I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me...

 

 What does Christ really accomplish through you?
Was the steward a reflection of God working through him?
When selfishness is our motivating factor is it possible to Christ to work through us?
I have serious doubts, but I do believe that God can turn all things into good.

 

We are Blessed each time we find creative ways to do the work of God
we have been called to do. 

We do have an awesome creative God!!!

To Whom Do You Belong?

  

~~~ Romans 14:7-12 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ Luke 15:1-10 ~~~

 

...whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s...

 

 It is mind boggling to think about belonging completely to God.

I must ask myself how I act according to that truth.

Or if I my actions ever do reflect my belonging to God.

 

Consider what you claim as belonging to you.

Is it an collection of material items?

Do you consider your family members as belonging to you?

Sometimes I have jokingly said that I belong to my husband...

meaning only that we have a commitment to one another.  

  

 

Truly nothing 'belongs' to us, because
we do not belong here in this earthly world.
God made us in his image and likeness
so that we can be with him in heaven for eternity. 

 

 We are here to do good and spread God's love to others.
Through our Baptism we have been commissioned to live like we belong.
To live like we belong to take our place in heaven.

Some days it is not apparent that I am living like
I believe that I belong to the Lord.
It is not that I ignore this fact,
 it's just that it gets buried in the hustle and bustle of living.

 

I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord
in the land of the living.
 

Psalm twenty seven gives us a wonderful picture of how we belong to the Lord.
He can pick us up and drape us around his neck. 

 If you pick up something in a way you are claiming it as your own.
Like claiming your luggage in the airport.
God claims us his own...he picks us up and carries us.
He claims us as his own...we are never alone or forgotten.

The Lord takes delight in having us across his shoulders.
We are safe, warm, and free from future harm.

We have been marked as belonging to the Lord.
Let the Lord pick you up.
Feel the strength in his arms as he lifts you up.
Experience the closeness and warmth of his body as rest upon his shoulders.

 

If we can be at peace with the vision of Jesus picking us up today;
then we can surely be at peace with being claimed by him in death.

Dear Lord, please give me the desire to belong more fully and completely to you.
Allow me the blessings to surrender to your will in my life.
If I can follow your will, then maybe I can believe that I belong to you...
while living now and forever in death.