?Trick or Treat?

~~~ Philippians 1:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~  Luke 14:1-6 ~~~ 

The elders were always looking for a way to trick Jesus...
...Trick or Treat....

Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law
 and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”

Jesus always responded with a treat....
He treats them to a new way of thinking.
He treats them to a chance to change.
He treats them with his compassion.
He treats them to his forgiveness.
He treats them to his unconditional love.
He treats them to his words of wisdom.
He treats them with completely surrendering his body
 to their vicious cruelty.

He treats them with the last drop of his blood.
He treats them with the promise salvation.

Jesus never tries to trick us into trusting him.
Jesus never tries to trick us into believing him.
Jesus never tries to trick us loving him.
Jesus never tries to trick us into accepting his forgiveness.
Jesus never tries to trick us with his miracles.
Jesus never tries to trick us through his healing touch.
Jesus never tries to trick us by challenging the elders.
Jesus never tries to trick us by dining with sinners.
Jesus never tries to trick us by washing the feet of his apostles.
Jesus never tries to trick us by changing water into wine.
Jesus never tries to trick us by multiplying the loaves and fishes.
Jesus never tries to trick us by calming the stormy waters.
Jesus never tries to trick us into following him.
Jesus never tries to trick us into loving him
 with our whole mind, body, and soul.

Jesus is all about treating us with his majesty and his glory.
He treats us with the beauty of creation...
the flowers, the birds, the colors of the rainbow.

He treats us with friends to stand beside.
He treats us with quiet and peace.
He treats us with the gift off the Eucharist.
He treats us with eternal
unconditional love.

 ...I hold you in my heart,
you who are all partners with me in grace...

Today our task is to treat as many people as possible 

as Jesus would treat them.
Take the time to Bless their day.
Treat them with the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ
who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
~~~Peace~~~

Empty Promises

~~~ Ephesians 6:10-20 ~~~ Psalm 144 ~~~ Luke 13:31-35 ~~~

Draw your strength from the Lord...
Put on the armor of God...

Paul speaks here of waging a great battle.
This battle is against an enemy that does not have a physical presence.
This battle is against the evil spirits.
This battle is against...
 ...the world rulers of this present darkness...

Sounds remarkably similar to the world that exists today.
There will never be a time when evil and darkness does not roam about
preying upon the human condition of weakness.
Today we have those who use the internet to propagate their evilness.
They lure innocent victims with their lies and deceit.
How often now do we hear reports of identity theft and cyber crimes.
These are examples of the battles we are waging
 today with the evil spirits.

It is precisely this persistence of evil that continues to haunt us today.
Thankfully, Paul lays out the battle plan for us...

It is the truth and righteousness of God that must be our armor.
Our feet must be grounded in peace;
our shield must be the strength of our faith.
If our faith is weak or lacking we become a prime target
 to be drafted by the empty promises of the Evil One.

Without a strong faith in God we become confused and disoriented.
We cannot wage a battle if we are not confident.
We must be confident that we have received the best training.
We must be confident that we have the best armor and weapons.

We must be confident that in the end good does win.

We have the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
It is here that we find our most reliable defense.
It is in the quiet of prayer that the battle is ultimately won.
Praying does not mean we put our heads in the ground pretending
to ignore the real and present danger.

We must persevere in our prayer.
Jesus was not deterred from his mission of healing just because
Herod placed a target on his back. 

Even though it appears that evil is gaining strength
 in our world today we must never cease
 to pray for peace and guidance.

We must remain strong for the day will come
 when we will sing a new song.
The day will come when we will join in saying...
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Paul leaves us with his timeless message...
With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.

Prayer is the most effective means we have to wage battle
 against the present day evil spirits.
Nothing has really changed since Paul
penned this letter from his prison cell.

The ultimate power against the evil spirits
has been and always will be
P R A Y E R.

Blessed...for the Lord is our Rock
 and our Salvation.

No other shall prevail.

~~~ Peace~~~

Access Granted

~~~ Ephesians 6:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Luke 13:22-30 ~~~

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate..."

If you have ever been to a ticketed event
you are well aware of the narrow gate. 

Everyone seeking access must pass
 through the turnstiles before entering the arena.
Often your personal items are inspected
or you must have them in a transparent pouch.
We have come to accept this
even as it seems like an invasion of privacy.

We have been given the ticket to enter into the Kingdom of God,
and we must pass through the narrow gate.
Why is the gate narrow?
Once we gain entry can we breathe a sigh of relief?
Is there only one path leading to this narrow gate?
At some point do all paths merge into one?

Sometimes we want to cut corners; we look for the wide open back door.
We might even volunteer to usher as our way of gaining admittance.
When it comes to getting into heaven
 Jesus made it easy and difficult at the same time.

Sometimes we might even try to smuggle things
 through the gate by hiding them in our pockets.

What are the slight imperfections you want ignored as you seek
 entry through the narrow gate?

Jesus meant it when he said take nothing for the journey.
We cannot get through this narrow gate with any extra baggage.
The gate into heaven requires 'sincerity of heart'
before it is opened...before access is granted.

We cannot fool the Lord our God.

As we make our way toward this narrow gate
we must constantly leave behind those things which weigh us down.

This journey may take years, thus there is no good reason to carry
that which does not help us gain entry.

The longer we are on this journey towards the narrow gate
 the more we come to realize that we must be
willing to do the will of God.

Not just when it suits us or meets our needs.
Conforming to the will of the Father is not
always going to be convenient.

Before we enter into this gate
we must lay down everything before the Lord.

Whatever burdens we are carrying must be flushed from our souls.
To enter through the narrow gate we must be purified by His grace.

Sometimes this purification comes in the form of fire.

Imagine getting all the way to the gate only to be turned away.
How heart rending that would be.
Would you try to talk your way inside?
How many excuses would you conjure in your mind?

Have no fear,
God does want you to enter through the narrow gate.
He is expecting us to take advantage of every little clue...
each tiny grace insuring entrance into the Kingdom Arena.

Blessed to carry only what is needed
to get through the gate.
Eager to hear "Access Granted".
~~~Peace~~~

Strangers No Longer

~~~ Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles ~~~

~~~ Ephesians 2:19-22 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Luke 6:12-16 ~~~

You are no longer strangers and sojourners...

Once we have been chosen we will never again be strangers.

A stranger is a person with whom one has no previous acquaintance.

A stranger is a new comer to a town or city.

One day on the bus a complete stranger poured out her entire life story.

It was as if she wanted to be validated or perhaps scolded.

She wanted reassurance that she was not a 'bad' person

 in spite of her poor judgments. 

We teach our children to beware of strangers...

never take candy from a stranger...never get in the car with a stranger.

Yet we find ourselves with strangers in many places we go.

Just because you live in the same city or neighborhood

 does not mean you are not a stranger.

Frank Sinatra sang a beautiful song...Strangers in the Night.

Today stranger is equivalent to danger.

Stranger has come to conjure up fear within our body.

Once we become part of the Body of Christ

 we are no longer labeled as a stranger.

Once we are part of the family of Christ 

there is no cause for fear to rise up within our body, mind, or heart.

Before you call someone a friend were they not just another stranger

whose path of life intersected with yours?

When Jesus called together his twelve apostles 

many were strangers to the others.

If Jesus had only chosen men 

from the same family or the same walk 

of life things might have turned out very differently.

Jesus put together a diverse group of strangers.

In time they not only came to know Jesus, but they 

also came to know one another.

It is curious that even animals can be afraid of strangers.

The black cat we rescued was very afraid of strangers.

She would hide immediately if anyone came into the house except for us.

Perhaps she had been abused; there was no way for us to find out.

For just a moment imagine what your life 

would be like if you had never met a stranger.

Jesus does not want us to be strangers to one another.

...you are fellow citizens with the holy ones

and members of the household of God... 

We do not live in a vacuum therefore it is inevitable 

that we will come into contact with strangers throughout our life.

We are the people of God...participants with the Communion of Saints.

We cannot afford to be strangers wandering aimlessly.

We have a purpose, we are members of the household of God.

Get to know the other members in his family.

Do not lock yourself up in your room.

The apostles were strangers until they got to know each other.

They were strangers until they began to have 

shared experiences with Jesus.

It might only take a smile or a kind word 

to change a stranger into a friend.

Jesus began his ministry by inviting strangers to follow him.

As part of this same family we are no longer strangers.

Are you a stranger to God?

He invites you to come around more often.

Do not let God become a stranger in your heart.

We are Blessed to belong with the other holy ones.

~~~ Peace ~~~

What is Around the Next Corner?

~~~ Ephesians 4:32-5:8 ~~~ Psalm 1 ~~~ Luke 13:10-17 ~~~

Live as children of light. 
Let no one deceive you with empty arguments...

The elders of the synagogue wanted to dictate
when those seeking healing would be allowed access.
Their intention was to harness the healing power of God...Jesus.
They wanted to parameters upon the powers of God,
which of course no human can do.

In their desire to be in control they attack
 Jesus for breaking the Jewish law of the Sabbath rest.

If this were to be enforced today our hospitals
 which virtually shut down every Sunday.
No one would receive care on Sundays...
not even an emergency room would be open.
Consider how many people would potentially die if they
could not receive medical care on Sunday.

Luckily this is not the case today.

Medical care is administered
twenty four hours a day seven days a week.

There is however, one thing that still lingers, cited in today's Gospel.

The crippled woman who presented herself
after eighteen years of suffering probably
 had some form of osteoporosis.
She was unable to stand upright.

This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now...

This belief that sickness is caused
 by Satan still lingers among us today.
Some continue to believe that sickness
 is even a punishment for their sins.

A woman I dearly love is actually anxious
 if her life is going too smoothly.
She is of the opinion that something bad
 is coming in the near future.

This fear actually robs her
 of relishing the blessings she has in her life.
We should not live every day trying to anticipate
 what is around the next corner.

Even illness, as you know,
has the potential to bring forth goodness.
Physical illness can bring healing within the heart.

The elders were trying to set their own boundaries
 around Jesus and that will never be possible.
There are no boundaries within which
 you can keep the power of God.

They failed to deceive Jesus with their idle empty words.
Jesus healed the woman by fulling the spirit of the word.
Jesus healed the woman because of his great capacity for compassion.
Jesus healed this woman because she asked for his healing.

Jesus brought light into our world of darkness.
We are to live as children of light.
To live as children of the light we must be open,
we must not even attempt to put fences around God's power.

If Satan curses people with afflictions here on Earth,
which we personally ignore,
 he will not prevail.

Light disperses all darkness.
Jesus is the light...he heals through the light of the Father.
Satan, who is darkness, cannot win.

We are Blessed with the Light of Christ.
Live as Children of this Light.
~~~Peace~~~

'Prickly' People

~~~ Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Exodus 22:20-26 ~~~ Psalm 18 ~~~ 1 Thessalonians 1:5C-10 ~~~
~~~ Matthew  22:34-40 ~~~

...for I am compassionate...
...model for all the believers...

 ...have no need to say anything...

Which one of the above verses best describes you?

Are you compassionate?
Are you a model of your faith?
Do your actions truly speak louder than your words?

These are all worthy to be practiced.
In the Gospel from Matthew today we hear Jesus
 'silenced' the Sadducees.

He silenced them...although they had witnessed
 his compassion toward others...
While his actions spoke much louder than his words;
they still remained hard headed.
They were determined to find some way
to justify their biased belief system.

Jesus silenced those who would resist him
 with emphasizing one thing...love.
The two greatest Commandments,
completely loving God and extending that same depth
of love to your neighbor.
We have no problem loving God
after all he is the Creator of heaven and earth.
But when it comes to loving our neighbor
with the same amount of fervor,
well that is a different story.

What needs to be 'silenced' in your heart?
Loving our neighbor happens in varying degrees.
Let's face it some people are just more loving than others.

God is challenging us to love the prickly people in our lives.
This is where we must model with compassion...
this is when our actions must overshadow
 the words we may want to speak.

 ...serve the living and true God...

If we want serve the living God with our whole heart,
our whole soul, our whole mind we must move
into the second commandment of loving our neighbor.

Jesus combined these two commandments
 so that we come to see our neighbor as he sees them.

We are surrounded with opportunities to be more compassionate...
to be better models...to live without speaking words.
We are invited to love even the 'prickly' people in our life.

Be mindful when you do not feel like loving someone
for that is precisely when you must call to mind
 the second commandment of love.

Let your actions speak above your feelings.
Who knows things may change.
Compassion  is powerful...for it targets the heart.

Blessed to be given Jesus,
 the perfect model of love and compassion.

~~~Peace~~~

Eternal Coach

~~~ Ephesians 4:7-16 ~~~ Psalm 122 ~~~ Luke 13:1-9 ~~~

But I tell you, if you do not repent,

you will all perish as they did!

Jesus was honest and sometimes considered blunt.

It reminds me of tough love...Was Jesus using "tough love"?

Tough love... is an expression used when someone treats 

another person harshly or sternly with the intent 

to help them in the long run.

It is typical after the tough love is dispensed to feel upset.

If Jesus was using 'tough love' he did not know it 

because it was first used in 1968 by the author of the book Tough Love.

Jesus was intending his words to be a warning

 for us to change our ways.

He might have been intending to scare 

his opponents into making a change.

Perhaps Jesus was giving out a warning

 to those who were not taking him seriously.

Parents and coaches are among those who make use of 'tough love'.

Jesus is almost like a coach for our soul.

Our Eternal Coach, because he wants nothing 

more than to make it to heaven.

Do you believe the words Jesus spoke in the Bible?

Do you feel those words were addressed

  just to the people who were listening that day?

It seems that Jesus delivered a very strong message of grim

 dire consequences if we do not repent.

Repentance is a change of heart that allows us to get closer to God.

Without a change of heart there is no repentance.

It is easy to see why others should repent, a little harder

 to see why we should repent.

Later in this gospel we hear about the fig tree

 being given another chance.

The poor fig tree had not been bearing fruit;

  the order was given for it to be cut down.

The fig tree was given more time for the owner

 to cultivate and fertilize the ground

Jesus gives us extra time 

to repent through the words 

of his warning.

The Eternal Coach is treating us with 'tough love' 

because he knows the rewards for getting to heaven 

are so worth whatever it takes to change.

Jesus himself is making an earthly request, repent, 

to attain our heavenly goal.

If anyone is capable of coaching us into heaven

 it can be no other than Jesus himself.

 ...living the truth in love,

we should grow in every way into him 

who is the head, Christ...

Living in truth we have the courage to repent.

It takes 'tough love' sin order for us to grow to our full potential.

Blessed with 'tough love' from the Eternal Coach.

The message is repent we want you in heaven.

~~~Peace~~~

Participant or Spectator?

~~~ Ephesians 4:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Luke 12:54-59 ~~~

....striving to preserve the unity of the spirit....

What exactly is the unity of the spirit?
The spirit has given us gifts and fruit. Each one for the sole purpose
 of setting us apart as chosen by God.
We can either participate in what the Spirit gives us
 or we can choose to go our own way.
If we choose to participate by accepting
all that the Spirit has to offer
then we are also choosing, by default,
to preserve the unity of the spirit.

In unity with the spirit we are also accepting
our part in the One Body and the One Spirit.

There is only one God and he has claimed us for his own.

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

How could we long to see the face of the Lord
 if we cannot live in a manner worthy of our call?

Even though it is a daily challenge
 we are called to function within the graces
 of humility, gentleness, patience, and love.

If we let those become our guide posts
we just might have a better chance
 of making good life decisions.

Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

These words from Jesus might make you feel uncomfortable,
but it is true we so often look to others to make our decisions for us.

If we strive to live with the above mentioned guide posts
we should have confidence in our ability to judge rightly.

All we need do is remember Jesus walks beside us.
Before you make a decision ask yourself one question...
Does this help me...
...live in a manner worthy of the call... 

If you can honestly answer 'yes' then go for it.
But if you are in doubt step back, examine your personal motivation.
Do you want to be a participant or a spectator?

Preserving the unity of the spirit
can be summed up in one four letter word...love.

Today we are reminded that if our actions reflect
our call to participate and preserve the unity of the spirit
then we will be Blessed in so many ways.

~~~Peace~~~

Drop to Your Knees

~~~ Ephesians 3:14-21 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ Luke 12:49-53 ~~~

I kneel before the Father,

Today some believe that kneeling doesn't suit our culture.
It is appropriate to use our body when praying, as Paul is doing today.
Paul assumes the posture of prayer...kneeling.

Think of how this posture of kneeling is used during the Mass.
When we kneel before the Lord we freely place
ourselves in a position of surrender.
If you are  kneeling you cannot easily get away.
What is one of the first things
a police officer will have a suspect do?
Often it is to kneel on the ground.
Kneeling places one in a vulnerable position.
We kneel before God to give him praise and to worship him.

...to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

Paul prays for his beloved followers to be strengthened;
not with strong physical muscles, but inner strength.
It is through a greater, deeper, stronger inner self
 that our faith can be nourished.
Our strong faith is the backbone for how
 we come to live out what we believe within our hearts. 

Having strong faith is not an emotional feel good attitude.
Rather it is a gift rooted and grounded in the love God has for us.
The Spirit gives us this inner knowledge to understand
the existence of God's love.

...that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend...

We can never fully understand God
 because then he would no longer be God.
The comprehension of God does not permeate down
through our head to our heart.
The understanding of God begins in our heart
and radiates out to the rest of our body.
What the heart knows is sometimes
 never fully understood by the head.

...to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Accept and believe by way of your
 strengthened faith that the love God has for you
 is incomprehensible.
The fullness of God is his capacity for love.
God is love and this love cannot be measured.
His love can only be realized through
 faith deep within our heart...soul.

The more we love God the more of him we come to know.
The more we know of God's love the more of it we can give away.
Blessed because Paul dropped to his knees
and prayed for us to have greater inner strength.
~~~Peace~~~

Boldness of Spirit

~~~ Ephesians 3:2-12 ~~~ (Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6 ~~~
~~~ Luke 12:39-48 ~~~

Boldness means taking action no matter what the circumstances.
If you have God in your life there will be nothing
 that can stop you from acting with boldness.
This is what Paul is talking about...God doused him in grace.
 With this grace he was unstoppable...
he was unstoppable because of the gift of grace.

...the stewardship of God’s grace...

I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace...
The only way you can become a minister for the Lord
 is to take his gifts and act with boldness.
Paul realizes this and steps up to the plate...his whole
 life was lived with boldness.
...in whom we have boldness of speech...
If you want to convert others or evangelize
learn to speak with boldness.

Boldness in speech is speaking with conviction.
The best way to speak with boldness is to get yourself well
educated about which you are to speak.
The more you learn the more boldly you will be able to speak.

Later Paul writes in this same letter to the Ephesians.

...also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
...to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.
...that I may have the courage to speak as I must.
Ephesians 6:19-20

If you want to tell people about the God you love be bold.
If you want to love God more be bold.
If you want to make a difference be bold.
If you want people to know what you believe speak with boldness.

Be as bold as the Wooly Bear Caterpillar...
Living in the harsh Arctic climate north of Canada this caterpillar
survives as many as seven winters before he has eaten enough
 to pupate, emerging in its moth stage.

Each winter season this bold little caterpillar is frozen until
 the spring thaw allows him to begin eating once again.

This tiny creature should inspire us to live with boldness.
We can look at the Saints and think...
they are wonderful examples of how to live with boldness.
But do not think you must first be a saint before
you can live with boldness; just the opposite is true.

They were elevated to sainthood because they lived their lives
with boldness, courage, and conviction.
Each of us has been given the grace to live in the same manner.

Let's support one another as we go forth
boldly spreading the gospel message.

We are Blessed with more grace than we know how to use.
Share your grace with boldness today.
~~~Peace~~~

Submerged in His Words

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

The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Sometimes words spoken are empty and meaningless.

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

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

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

He has the words of peace saturated with true promise.

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

have become near by the Blood of Christ.

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

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

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

...he is our peace

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

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

...in him you also are being built together

into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

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

There are no physical or imagined doors

 to separate us from God.

We are only closed by our own fears and questions.

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

our ears that must be ready to open...

it is our eyes that must be ready to open

when he comes and knocks.

When he comes and knocks we must be ready

 to meet the Lord whenever he comes.

Get dressed...light your lamps...

for the Prince of Peace is coming to your door.

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

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

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

The Handiwork of the Lord

~~~ Epheians 2:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 100 ~~~ Luke 12:13-21 ~~~

The Lord made us, we belong to him.

Every day I create a kaleidoscope for this blog.
Today, as you can see, it is filled with pinks with a touch of gold.
Being Breast Cancer Awareness month I decided to dedicate this one
to my friends and family who have bravely faced cancer.
Some are thankfully survivors others have gone
 to heaven, each one precious to us.
Then I looked at the readings for today and was nearly brought to tears.

God did indeed make us, He has claimed us as his own....
we do belong to him. Our life is a gift from the Lord.

For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast.

Each person who has been affected by cancer is,
by definition, the handiwork of God.
He created each of us for good works
made possible through his generous gift of grace.

For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them.

Jesus gives us many examples of good works
our task is to figure out how to apply
them in our life in today's world.

....one’s life does not consist of possessions.

When cancer smacks you up the side of the head
 you quickly realize that your material possessions are of no real value.
It is then that some come to the realization that the ones they love
 and care about are what matters the most.

We belong to God because of his great love for us.
The treasures we store up pale in comparison
 to the love we experience in our life.

When cancer strikes the last thing on your mind
 is how much stuff you have in your closet.

When cancer is present what matters most is surrounding
yourself with love, peace, and joy.

These are among the prized possessions that give you
 the grace to get up the next morning.

I have not personally had cancer, but I have been close
 to many within my own family who are valiant survivors.
I have accompanied my dearest friend on her journey through
the extreme circumstances of this dreaded disease.

The Lord made us, we belong to him.

The Lord did indeed make us, even when our cells
become distorted and riddled with cancer.

He even allows some to become better persons because of their cancer.
It does not matter if you are two months old or
if you are ninety-two years old
when you get the cancer diagnosis,
 you still belong to the Lord.

Give thanks to him; bless his name, for he is good

Blessed by loved ones who know the struggle with cancer.
God brought us to life with Christ...
God will raise us up on the last day.

God will some day seat us in heaven with him.

May God Bless everyone I know and love
 who has ever had to face cancer.

May they believe without a doubt the God made them for himself.
May they trust in his abundant love for them.
May we be instruments of compassion and peace for them.
For those whom I have loved and lost, I remember today.
May they rest peacefully in the arms of the Lord who made them.
~~~Amen.~~~

Echoes

~~~ Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Isiah 45:1, 4-6 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5B ~~~

~~~ Matthew 22:15-21 ~~~

Today the we have so many wonderful texts to draw from so here goes...

I have called you by your name... I am the LORD, there is no other.

We hear this verse so often, but do you really believe
 that you were actually called by name by God himself?
Some people have a conversion experience maybe they feel
that they have actually been called by name.
What about those who are called but choose to ignore the call,
what happens to them?
What about those who know they have been called
but choose to toss his invitation aside...
believing they have better things to do with their life.
And then we have those for whatever reason who are embarrassed
for being called lest they be ridiculed or made fun of by their friends.

Jesus understands all of our excuses...he's heard it all.
He still keeps calling us by name.

 ...you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.

God sees us in our stripped down bare bones existence.
This is who he is calling...he is not concerned with the facade
we have created for ourselves.
You know the person we present to others...
the one who others want to know.
It happens even if we do not realize it at the time.

Because we have been called by name...because we know this to be true;
we are in a position to believe that those around us
have also been called by name.
If I can look at you and know in my heart that you
 have been called by name,
why would I not want to pray for you?

We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,

I have written here before just about this beautiful verse by Paul.
There is always a reason to give thanks...
remember giving thanks is good for everyone.
We all benefit from feeling appreciated.
No one likes to be taken for granted.

For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.

The call of your name by God continues like the echo in a canyon.
It gets softer as time goes on but if you listen it can still be heard.

The inspired word contained in the Bible
 are constantly reverberating out to each of us.

As the echo becomes faint it is repeated again and again.
Echo...the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener.
The call comes again, he knows your name...

You are Blessed...the call of your name never ceases.

With thanks for each of my readers.
You are in my prayers.
~~~ Peace~~~

Saint Luke, Pray for Us!

~~~ Saint Luke, Evangelist ~~~

~~~ 2 Timothy 4:10-17B ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Luke 10:1-9 ~~~

But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

It believed that Saint Luke is the author of the Acts of the Apostles.
Luke was born a Greek and a Gentile.
His writings reflect sensitivity to evangelizing Gentiles.
Luke was close friends with Saint Paul.
Even though Luke was a physician he traveled with his pen and paper.
He was a traveling writer. His writings, like the Good Samaritan,
feature the goodness and compassion of those 'lowly' non Jews.

Luke desired to write an orderly account of what has been fulfilled...
 which was handed down by those who were with Jesus.

Luke supported Paul in determination to spread the message to all of the Gentiles.

Luke's Gospel is focused on the women in the life of Jesus.
He also writes about the poor and of social justice.

The Gospel of Saint Luke gives us six miracles and eighteen parables
not found in the other three gospels.

We have Saint Luke to thank for the beautiful accounting
of the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation
and the Prodigal Son.

Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs ahead of him
 to every town and place he intended to visit.

They went ahead to prime the people.
They went ahead to prepare the way for Jesus.
They were like living billboards.

They went out with one agenda; peace.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, ‘Peace to this household.’

They were not sent to judge or to choose
who would be granted this peace.

They came to make the offer of peace; if it was well
received great if not they moved on.

Whatever peace they extended to those they met
 along the way came back to them.
There was always more to give.

If there is one thing I have learned from Saint Luke is not only
to tell the story, but to live the story every day of my life.

It is up to each one of us to live the peace of Christ.
It is up to each one of us the care for the poor.
It is up to each one of us to advocate justice for all.

‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’

It is as close as your heart.
You and I make it visible to others.
Blessed through the writings of Saint Luke.
May his writings continue to enrich our lives
 and encourage us in living our faith.

~~~Peace~~~

He Looks Down

~~~ Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr ~~~

~~~ Ephesians 1:11-14 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ Luke 12:1-7 ~~~

There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.

There is no way to keep something hidden forever.
You may be familiar with the saying...
you can fool some of the people all of the time,
but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

Unfortunately our media is caught up in reporting that is less
 than accurate or too biased thus leading to mis-information.
We have instant social media that spews
out stuff without getting all of the facts clear.

The word of God is truly living word.
Who could have guessed when the Gospel for today was chosen
 that we would be in the midst of a health crisis with a deadly virus.

Too many of the entities involved may have not been
 as forth coming with the facts as might have believed.

Things that were said in private are now coming into the public domain.

Why did the nurses not have the best protective
covering when they did their job?

The concerns and fears spoken behind closed doors
are being proclaimed on the rooftops...the numerous
news reports from those closest to the situation.

Do not be afraid.

Really tough words to fully embrace depending
 on where you are in the country today.

This may sound crazy but I believe it was a hidden blessing
for us to have had our first case of Ebola here,
because in light of all that has happened our health care system
 has had a giant wake up call.

this wake up call will certainly make a huge difference going forward.
I join others in praying for the full recovery of those
health care workers who have been infected.

From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.

God sees all, knows all, and cares for each of us.
He has counted all the hairs on our head...
he loves...he knows what is best for us.

I invite you to read Psalm 63 today.

http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/63

This psalm expresses the intimate relationship between God and us.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me. Ps. 63:9

The Lord is with us we shall not want...
Be not afraid...

In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit...

God is with us, he is watching over us.
Not even the best mother has knowledge
of the number of hairs on the head of their child.
But God does know.
Put your trust in the Lord and be not afraid.

Stand in the light...proclaim from the rooftops...
The kindness of the Lord fills the Earth.
We continue to be Blessed even when
 we have questions that trouble our hearts.

Place complete trust in the Lord...
there are no coincidences only opportunities
 to view God's hand at work.

~~~Peace of Christ be with you.~~~

All is Lavish...

~~~ Ephesians 1:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Luke 11:47-54 ~~~

In Christ we have redemption by his Blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.

There is nothing that Christ has not or would not do for us.

He saved us, he forgives us, and he lavishes us with grace.
Is it possible for him to do any more for us?
What more could we even ask?
He gives of himself completely out of love.
His own blood wiped away every one of our transgressions.
Daily we find ourselves struggling with forgiveness.

Whatever Christ passes down to us
was first granted to him from the Father.

All that comes from the Father is lavish, abundant, and rich.
All that comes through Christ from the Father
is overflowing with grace.

Lavish...using or giving in great amounts...extravagant.
One can be lavish with their time, their affection,
 their praise, their money.

You see God the Father has so rich in grace
 that he gladly pours it lavishly into our hearts and lives.

God lovingly gives to us all that he has...all that he is...
completely wrapped in love. 

How lavish are you?
Where can you improve?
We must not selfishly keep to ourselves what
God has so lavishly given to us.

God gives us more than what is necessary.
Certainly way more than we deserve,
which of course would be very little if any.

The IRS does not allow one to deduct
what they consider to be a 'lavish' expense.
God would not fair well when it comes to how
lavish he is with those he loves.

On the other hand, God would not consider
 his lavishness to be extravagant.
God would never consider
what he so generously gives to us as a 'deduction'.

Clearly there is no way to qualify what is given to us through grace.
The well of grace is never to run dry.

A word of warning here;
 we can sometime be too lavish and find ourselves stressed.
We can put too much in our schedule...being lavish with our time.
We can over extend our finances being too financially
lavish finding ourselves in debt.

There are opportunities for us to be lavish.
The grace of God makes it possible for us to share
 with Christ in love and forgiveness.

His lavish grace makes it possible for us
to be a better person today than we were yesterday.

Lavish his gifts on others through grace.

Lavishly Blessed.
~~~Peace~~~

Soul Vitamins

~~~Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church~~~

~~~ Galatians 5:18-25 ~~~ Psalm 1 ~~~ Luke 11:42-46 ~~~

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

It would be amazing if the Spirit had a living tree
 where we could harvest its fruit.
I can imagine walking out into the orchard and
picking the plump ripe fruit of love or joy or peace.
How wonderful would it be just to consume the fruit of patience
 and after several servings to become more patient.

What if the fruit of kindness was so juicy that you had to hold a napkin
right up to your lips with each bite.
Perhaps the fruit of generosity was difficult to peel...
requiring a particular shaped knife.
Imagine the fruit of faithfulness is bitter and sweet
at the same time depending on when it is picked from the tree.
Could the fruit of gentleness hang like a cluster of grapes
fragile needing to be pick with great care?
What if the fruit of self-control was covered with spikes like a porcupine
and could only be handled with protective gloves?

I am indeed creating my own fantasy 'Spirit' orchard,
but it might provide a concrete image.

I would choose to live as close to this 'Spirit' orchard as possible.
I would carefully maintain each of these fruit trees.
The surrounding air would be so fragrant as to attract people from afar.
The colors of the blossoms would literally be a living visual painting.
Those who come to harvest would find the trees heavily laden with fruit...
ready to be picked...never having a shortage.

There would be great joy among those in the orchard.
The whole orchard would prosper year round.
The yield would not be daunted by normal supply and demand.

If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

If you consume the fruit from the 'Spirit' orchard
 you will be living the kingdom of God.

These nine types of fruit are different yet each,
by design, is intended to make us spiritually healthy.

They are the vitamins for our soul.

While the above scenario was fictitious
 the fruit of the Spirit is very real.

The fruit of the Spirit was the balanced diet of the Saints.
By consuming this particular fruit we will be much
closer to our goal of holiness.

For the next nine days I will randomly pick one fruit.
I challenge you...
 Commit to making a conscious effort to incorporate that fruit 

in as many ways as you can for that day.
Each day I will place the fruit for the day
 in the comment section of this post.

Let's begin with kindness...grab your napkin.
Kindness is a virtue exhibited in how you treat others.

What do you think?
Is kindness learned or the result of
an innate disposition?
Make the world a better place;
practice kindness.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Aesop.
The fruit of kindness is sure to bring great
 blessings into your heart.
Saint Teresa, teach us to be more kind.
~~~Peace~~~

Inside...Who Are You?

~~~ Galatians 5:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 11:37-41 ~~~

....neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything...

...the prescribed washing before the meal.

Both Paul and Luke are speaking in the same
 tone about what is important.

Paul says it does not matter whether you are circumcised or not.

Luke writes Jesus saying whether or
not I washed before eating is not important here.

It is so easy to miss the point.

It is never about working our way through
all of the prescribed ritual laws...

it is about our relationship with God.

This is where you should be focusing your attention.

There may be good reasons for circumcision. 

There may be good reasons for washing of hands before eating, 

but this is not THE focus here.

We are invited to go deeper...to go one more step toward the Lord.

The real focus should be on your personal relationship with God.

Nothing about the external rituals is as worthwhile 

as to the condition of one's heart and soul.

 ...through the Spirit, by faith, 
we await the hope of righteousness.

What benefit is it to our eternal salvation if we follow to the letter
 the prescribed laws and rituals if we go about
trampling on our brothers and sisters.

Faith helps us to act justly out of love.
To treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated.

If we become too preoccupied with laws and rituals
it may be at the expense of own destruction.

When we become too occupied with the laws
 we can become calloused to the needs of real people.

Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.

Jesus is very blunt.
Meticulously following the laws and rituals are equivalent
 to polishing up the outside of the cup.
But the outside often holds the reflection
of what should be given closer consideration within our heart.

If you despise those who are less fortunate
by holding them only as a reflection on the outside of the cup
you have missed the entire message of Jesus.

External appearances can be deceiving...just so you know.
When you raise the cup, look inside. Who do you see?
Is that who you truly are...
The person who looks back at you in the mirror each morning;
is that a good replica of what is on the inside?

Follow all of the rules and rituals meticulously,
but do not stop there...
For what is inside is far more important in the end.

Blessed to look inside and face the real you.
~~~Peace~~~

The Greatest Proof

~~~ Galatians  4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1 ~~~ Psalm 113 ~~~ Luke 11:29-32 ~~~

How could anyone who was born free chose to become a slave?
Paul is asking the people why they would want
 to return to the slavery of the law.
Paul is pleading with his followers, the Galatians...
I have become as you followers of Christ.
Paul is urging the people to look forward,
not to regress to what was of old.

The promise of God was passed down through Abraham
by his child Isaac, born of Sarah a free woman.

Therefore, brothers and sisters,

we are children not of the slave woman

but of the freeborn woman.

As human beings we are constantly looking for proof.
We want proof that what we are told and/or
what we believe is real and true.

Sometimes we must allow our faith to supersede proof.

We are not always going to get a sign of validation.

The Jews had Jesus, the Messiah...the greatest proof
standing right before their eyes and they still demanded more proof.

They were used to having God himself give the stamp of approval...
Abraham...Solomon...Jonah.
They could not recognize proof in the person of Jesus himself.
Jesus must have been frustrated and disappointed by their ignorance.
They were rigid and narrow minded in their beliefs.

The proof that Jesus was representing was greater
than their heads could comprehend.
There in lies the problem, they were caught up in their heads.
They wanted to have a reason for everything.
They wanted to find their proof in the laws that they
themselves had created in the past.

Jesus was the living sign of the Redemption for all people.
Jesus stood before the people as a message for them to repent.
Just as Jonah had proclaimed to the people of Nineveh. 

Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

Jesus is saying....I am the sign.
Jesus is the sign for us today as well,
one major difference...
we have the crucifix...
we have the proof of his body hanging from the cross.

Sadly there are still many who do not accept
 this image of reality as enough proof.

I pray that we see clearly the immense proof of our salvation
 by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

We are Blessed beyond any means of proof.
Any proof of our salvation that we could seek
would be inadequate compared to the reality of the love it is.

Remember...
God so loved the world.
God so loved you.
~~~Peace~~~

'No-Shows'

~~~ Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 25:6-10A ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~  Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 22:1-14 ~~~ 

The king has prepared a lavish banquet.
There is just one problem the invited guests are no shows.
For whatever reason those who had received a personal invitation
 to the party decided they had better things to do that day.

They did not even have the courtesy to let the king
know they were not attending.

The king does not become discouraged
 he sends word that the feast has already
been prepared to honor his son.
What is he to do with all of the rich food?

Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come. 

The king was determined to have the palace filled
with guests to celebrate with his son.
Finally he sends out his servants
to bring into the palace anyone they can find.

They went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike...
Everyone came, the king was pleased, the hall
was filled with guests for the feast.

If this parable is about the kingdom of heaven
then we see the extravagant measures God will go to.
He invites all to the banquet of his love.
Some ignore, some refuse, but here the least likely
are the ones who respond to the invitation.

We are never worthy and we might not even be prepared
when the invitation from the Lord comes to us.
Many did respond even some who entered
with wrong attitudes or intentions.

The wedding garment might not be limited
 to specific items of clothing...
the wedding garment
 might be deep within our soul.
God sees our possibilities
not just our previously proven abilities.

In Paul's letter to the Philippians he writes of his reliance upon God.

I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

The guests came to the feast from the streets...they were
 relying on the generosity of the king. 

They could come to this special feast because of the king.

We can enter into the kingdom of heaven because of God.
Those who chose to ignore the invitation did not believe
 they needed the generosity of the king...
perhaps they were mistaken.

The king found cause to have one guest removed...
Jesus found one who was to betray him right
within his intimate circle of disciples.

The Lord prepares a banquet for us.
He sends out the invitation over and over again.
Those who rely on him for his grace and guidance
are the ones who enjoy the rich food.
They are the ones who are welcomed at the table
 to eat and drink with the king.
They are the ones who follow the shepherd.

There is nothing we can do without the blessings
 of the hand of the Lord.
Come to the feast with humility;
 you will see the goodness of the Lord.

~~~Believe~~~

I can do all things in him who strengthens me.

~~~Peace~~~

Baptized into Christ

~~~ Galatians 3:22-29 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ Luke 11:27-28 ~~~ 

For all of you who were baptized into Christ

have clothed yourselves with Christ.

When I think of Baptism I think of water.

I do not think of being clothed.

To be clothed with Christ is something that happens to our soul.

Baptized into Christ...

If we dwell on just this part of the verse we might 

overlook the deeper implication.

To be Baptized into Christ includes his death, burial, and resurrection.

In Baptism we are submerged into the water.

We must hold our breath at least for a few moments.

Without breath we would have no life.

We need air to breathe.

Being submerged into water 

even for a few moments symbolizes our dying.

We cannot have a resurrection without first having a death.

When we emerge from the waters of Baptism we are changed...

we are now claimed as belonging to Christ.

Baptism becomes our identification card; we are marked for God.

Emerging from the waters we put on Christ...

we take upon ourselves all that is of Christ.

The desire for God is fulfilled through our Baptism.

When we clothe ourselves with Christ 

we are set on our life long journey.

At first, clothing ourselves with Christ seems too daunting.

Perhaps this new garment is too large for us.

We feel overwhelmed by the meaning.

Baptism is about accepting God's love in a special way.

When you love you want to imitate.

We imitate Christ by uniting ourselves

 with him through the refreshing waters of Baptism. 

In Baptism we cannot deny that we are also

 participating in his death and resurrection.

There is no need to baptized more than once because we can only

 emerge as united with Christ one time.

Multiple Baptisms would  seem to be questioning whether 

or not we were really claimed by Christ the first time.

Even if we are Baptized as an infant we come out clothed with Christ

 symbolized by the white garment...the baptismal gown. 

When we die we are again clothed in the white garment 

which is draped over the casket.

When we experience resurrection for the final time 

God will bring us up to himself.

The symbols of our earthly life 

will give way to the eternal realities...

Emerging from the waters of Baptism

 foreshadows our final resurrection.

Baptism sets the stage for the rest of our life...

a life in Christ.

We give thanks for our Baptism today.

The Blessings of Baptism last throughout our entire life.

Do you know when you were Baptized?

Look it up if you do not know.

That is the day to celebrate your belonging to Christ.

~~~Peace~~~