Prepare for the Journey

~~~ Wisdom 2:1A, 12-22 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 ~~~

...no one laid a hand upon him,
because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus is now being pursued by the officials
especially in his hometown of Judea.
For special feast days, as a faithful Jew would observe,
he travels back to Jerusalem with his friends.
Even though he tries to remain obscure,
word spreads throughout the region and he is recognized.

The rumors about Jesus continue
like an under toe just below the surface.
Perhaps even then the people were into sensational events.
In the temple Jesus cries out in his own defense,

You know me and also know where I come from...
Yet I did not come on my own...but (from) the one who sent me...

Have you ever not been recognized by someone
whom you thought knew you?

Jesus came home because he was a good Jew...
he followed the prescribed laws.

Jesus lived each day on earth in preparation for his journey.
The journey to his crucifixion and death.
We too can live each day in preparation for our final days.
I think Lent is a time when we can make an assessment
of how we are doing at our own death preparation.
A somber but important consideration...our own death.

What needs to change in your life?
How do you wish to spend your final days?

Blessed to have this time of Lent to reflect
on my own death.

Prepare for your final day.
Now is the time to prepare.

~~~Peace~~~

Faithful Obedience

~~~ Solemnity of Saint Joseph ~~~

~~~ 2 Samuel 7:4-5A, 12-14A, 16 ~~~ Psalm 89 ~~~

~~~ Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 ~~~ Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24A ~~~~

Faith is about holding on when you cannot see
where the path is leading you.

Joseph is one of the central figures in the Bible...a key player,
yet his words are not recorded on those pages.

The actions of Joseph make up for his lack of words.
Joseph allowed his faith in the unknown take him into a greater life.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham...

According to the law Joseph had every right
to abandon Mary once he had knowledge of her pregnancy.
No one would have questioned his decision
to terminate his relationship with her.

God spoke to Joseph in a dream.
Messages in dreams are as real as if you were awake.
This is what must have happened with Joseph;
he did not waiver from what he was told in his sleep.

The faith of Joseph was somehow strengthened.
Any doubts he might have entertained were removed from his heart.
He let God use him in spite of what the laws were dictating.

We have many examples of faith through out the Bible.
The faith and obedience of Joseph made it possible
for Mary and Jesus to be protected by God.

Reflecting on Saint Joseph today
let your own faith be renewed.

Joseph had no reason to stay with Mary...
other than his faith.
He was true to his calling,
even in his apparent silence.

Joseph loved Jesus as his own child;
we must always remember.
Joseph provided and protected Mary and Jesus

being faithful to God.

We pray today for all fathers.
We pray that they will take their vocation of father seriously.
It is a great honor to be a father.

Blessed to be inspired by the faith of St. Joseph.
~~~Peace~~~ 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

The Tenderness of God

~~~ Isaiah 49:8-15 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ John 5:17-30 ~~~

Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

These words from the prophet Isaiah are so very comforting to me.
We tend to put God in a male gender box.
Today we are presented with the possibility that God
 may also have the disposition of a female...a mother.

We look at God as only a powerful father figure,
 this is what we mostly hear.

An expectant mother is intimately connected with her child.

We are being invited to consider this same connection
between us and God.

God's love goes beyond the expectant mother connection...
it remains all the way into eternity.
Even should she forget, I will never forget you.

Make this personal...Use your own name...
God will never forget me.
This is so humbling; why would I be that important to God?

God breathed our first breath into our nostrils...
now that is true long lasting love.

God sent Jesus to flesh out love
so that we would have a reason to believe.

The tenderness of God just might be
 a more telltale sign of his great love.

Do not keep God in the 'male gender box'.

Jesus came to do the will of the Father...
Jesus came to be the expression of tenderness.

We are Blessed through the tenderness of God...
a mother's sweet tenderness.

Let God hold you tenderly in his arms.
~~~Peace~~~

Do You Want to be Healed?

~~~ Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 ~~~ Psalm 46 ~~~ John 5:1-16 ~~~

An angel brought Ezekiel to witness the rising waters.
The waters became deeper and deeper until
swimming was the only way to cross.

He sat on the edge of the water and saw life
 bursting forth all around him.

These rising waters birthed life...

Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature 
that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes 
the sea shall be made fresh.

...shall be made fresh...
in Baptism we too are made fresh in the pouring of the water.

Jesus speaks to the crippled man who has been sitting
on the edge of the bubbling pool of water for many years.

The sick would congregate around this pool of water.
The water had healed others but today Jesus calls
out to the man.

“Do you want to be well?”

What a silly question to ask a man who has
been crippled for so many years.

Maybe, for some reason the man was resigned to his infirmity.
He had lost all hope of reaching the waters in time.

“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up;
while I am on my way, someone else 
gets down there before me.”

If we wait for someone else to help us we may
trap ourselves into a place where we do not want to remain.

This man looked up into the eyes of Jesus
as if to say 'will you put me into the water' since you are here.

Jesus demonstrates to the man his own hidden energy...

 “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”

Jesus saw the desire for healing in his heart.
Jesus is the fresh healing water.
Jesus is the Living Water.

This healing took place on the Sabbath.
The Jews observed strict rules for keeping holy the Sabbath
and 'work' was not allowed.

Jesus should not have healed.
The healed man should not have carried his mat.

Where should our priority lie?
When is it better to break a law than
 to blindly adhere to one?

Is it more important to help another than
to follow the letter of the law?

Jesus makes it very clear...
loving your neighbor is above strict observance of the law.

Jesus acts from a level much deeper than the law.
Jesus sees beyond the law.
The law keeps one from seeing the bigger picture.

If Ezekiel had been fearful of the rising waters
he may never have seen the resulting life and beauty.

Today ask yourself...
Do you want to be healed?
Create in me a clean heart, O Lord.

Blessings of healing.
~~~Peace~~~
Saint Patrick, pray for us.

Prayer of Joy

~~~ Isaiah 65:17-21  ~~~ Psalm 30 ~~~ John 4:43-54 ~~~

...there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight...

All of creation is God's expression of joy;
how is it that we so often miss this evidence?
We take the joy of creation for granted.

God creates all new life and in life there is joy.
New life holds the hopes and dreams of a better future.
All of nature sings for the joy of life.
The trees bud...the birds sing...wild flowers painted the landscape...
the spring rains bring renewal to the lakes and rivers.

It is no accident that we celebrate Easter in the Springtime...
it makes the most sense because all of creation
supports the promise of new life.

“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.

Jesus turned the official's mourning into dancing...into joy.
Jesus chose a wedding feast for his first miracle.
A wedding is a time of great joy.
The new wine averted the disappointment
of running out of wine for the guests.

O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

For all the times, Lord, we have missed your message
of joy let me see it today.
For all the times, Lord, I have not given you
 enough thanks for turning my mourning into joy...
I give you thinks now.

Lord, even when I have failed and disappointed you
you still create joy all around me.

Lord, fill my heart with your joy...
teach me to treasure all the beams of joy
that radiate from your loving heart.

Today let your 'prayer of joy'
fill your soul.

You have been created to be Joy.
His Blessings are true Joy.
Return to him his joy is so worth the effort.
You are more than loved...you are made for joy.
~~~Peace~~~

The Grace Challenge

~~~ Fourth Sunday of Lent ~~~

~~~ 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23 ~~~ Psalm 137 ~~~ 

~~~ Ephesians 2:4-10 ~~~ John 3:14-21 ~~~ 

 ...by grace you have been saved...

Jesus came filled with grace;
it is this very same grace that is given to us.

A few months ago the ice bucket craze swept across the country.
The purpose of this activity was to raise funds
 by creating awareness for ALS disease. 

This fourth Sunday of Lent is designed to create a greater awareness
 of just how much grace God has poured down upon us.

He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace 
in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

God sent his only Son...the word made flesh...
to make visible to us grace through his light.

 ...whoever lives the truth comes to the light, 

so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Temptations are constantly swirling around us...

the darkness offers us anonymity...

no one need know what happens in the dark.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, 
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; 

It is through grace that you are able to live in the light.
When you die there is no place to hide from the light...
it completely surrounds you.

Grace comes from God freely given to us...
leading us ever closer to the light...
keeping us on the right path.

Your challenge is to use this gift of grace;
 to be a source of light to others.
Light brings joy with it...
the more grace the more joy you will experience.

Blessed to be God's handiwork...
to live in the His grace.
~~~Peace~~~

The Treasure of Mercy

~~~ Hosea 6:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Luke 18:9-14 ~~~

 It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

It does not matter how much you sacrifice for the Lord;
if you still let prejudice and hatred linger in your heart
 you are not returning to the Lord with your whole heart.
Is it not mercy we want from God?
We are made in his likeness
therefore we must learn how to extend his mercy.

...let us strive to know the LORD...

How can we strive to know the Lord if we refuse
 to show his mercy toward others?
Maybe this is the message of Lent...mercy...
not just mercy from God for yourself, but to let his mercy
emerge from within your own heart.

O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

His mercy is given freely to you.
His mercy is not for you to walk away
smugly with the knowledge of his mercy.

You have been given the treasure of mercy,
what will you do with it?

If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts.

Some treasures are not meant to be kept to yourself.
It takes a humble pouring out of oneself
 to show compassion and mercy.

His Blessings are more than enough to share.
~~~ Peace ~~~

Free Love

~~~ Hosea 14:2-10 ~~~ Psalm 81 ~~~ Mark 12:28-34 ~~~

Take with you words,
and return to the LORD...

Drag out the suitcases. Get ready for the trip of a lifetime.
Make room in your suitcase for words;
words of repentance...words of forgiveness...words of love...
words of a humble and contrite heart.
The Lord is waiting for you to join him on the path.
He has made the perfect route for you.
No matter what you encounter along the path
 he is there walking beside you.

Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.

When we are walking with the Lord
no matter how the path may appear to others
 you can only see a path that is straight.

I will love them freely...

Who can speak those words to another?
Can a wife love her husband freely?
Can a husband love his wife freely?
Can parents love their children freely?

Can you even love God freely?
Loving with no expectations or conditions...
Pause and think about that for just a minute.

Can you love your enemies freely?
This is where it begins to get very sticky.
If you are my enemy I may be able to love you
 if you meet my requirements.
OOOPS!

Is this what God requires of us?

Take the words of God into your heart.
I will love them freely...

Put you name in the word them.
I will love you freely.

As you pray today use this short verse, replace
 'them' with the names of those you have promised
 to include in your prayers.

When you feel strong enough
 include the names those who you feel
 less inclined to include in your prayers.

Loving freely will bear fruit in your heart.
You will be Blessed through the love that you share.

~~~Peace~~~

Conditioned to the Shadow

~~~ Jeremiah 7:23-28 ~~~ Psalm 95 ~~~ Luke 11:14-23 ~~~

They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.

Living a life of sin we eventually
become conditioned to the shadows.
Eventually we can no longer recognize that we
have turned our backs on God.
We wonder why we can no longer
 love others as we should...
eventually we cease to love ourselves.

The evil one, Beelzebul, speaks
to our hearts with his split tongue.
This split tongue speaks words
of enticement followed with words of despair.
His words originate from the hardness of his evil heart.

Since the evil one turned from God
 he is no longer free to see the face of God.

He can only pretend to have a relationship with God.
All that he tells you is under the false pretense
 that he knows what you need better than God knows.

Especially during Lent, we are continuously invited to turn around.
It is never too late for you to turn around...
to once again seek the face of God...to see his light...
to bask in his love once again.

 ...harden not your hearts.

Jesus never speaks to us with forked tongue.
Jesus only speaks words of wisdom...
words of spirit and life.

If you let sin take up a permanent residence in your heart
it will become calloused and hardened.
It will be incapable of feeling just as the callous on your foot.
Sin is the cause of atrophy of the heart.

Jesus invokes his power from the "finger of God"
The mere touch of the finger of God
 is sufficient to crack your heart open.
Once your hardened heart is cracked open
the healing power of God can begin to work.

Cracking open your heart to receive
God's Blessings can be a daunting task.

No matter how long or how hard your heart has been calloused
it can be changed with just the touch of God's finger tip.

Allow the finger of God
to turn your heart away from the shadows.
~~~Peace~~~

Coupling Law and Love

~~~ Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 ~~~ Psalm 147 ~~~ Matthew 5:17-19 ~~~

“However, take care and be earnestly on your guard
not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live,
but teach them to your children and to your children’s children.”

Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.
IF Jesus had come to abolish the law
 there would be no need for the Old Testament.
IF abolishing the law was the intent of God
 then everything previously spoken and promised by him
would fall into a giant sink hole.

But, we see Jesus coming to reroute our trip plan.
He did not eliminate the laws given to Moses.
He added to them...emphasizing great love over fear of God's wrath.

It right for us to teach our children and our
grandchildren these Ten laws of God. 

Laws sustain our society and provide a framework for order. 

Jesus came for something far greater than sustaining order.

...whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.

 ...whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.

Jesus urges us to keep the commandments given to Moses.
He goes so far as to say if you obey them
 and teach them to your children
you will be rewarded.

The elders of the time really had less to fear
 from Jesus than they thought.

He wanted them to see more,
to be more than they he witnessed.
If we do no more than follow the letter
 of the law we are doomed.
Following the law is to be coupled
with the greatest commandment of love.

Jesus did not come to push us
 into the sink hole of the old ways.
Jesus came to instruct us to be faithful
to teaching our children the many wonders of God.

Blessings in keeping and teaching the law
 from the vantage point of love.

~~~ Peace ~~~

How Many Times is Enough?

~~~ Daniel 3:25, 34-43 ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~  Matthew 18:21-35 ~~~

“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”

Peter is seeking guidance
for an issue we experience throughout our life.
When have we forgiven enough times.

The problem is that God does not count...he is ready
 to forgive as many times as it takes.

God has the capacity to unconditional love;
we pick and chose who is to receive our love.

The Lord knows that is is much more difficult for us
 to forgive those we do love.
Why do you suppose that is the case?

In my own experience I have found it harder
 to forgive someone I love because they do not seem
 to reciprocate the same intensity of love.

Forgiving a family member for instance is very difficult.
You do not expect them to say or do hurtful things against you.

When this does happen it hurts even more deeply.
You hold them to a different standard of love...
we are family...best friends.

I have found it much easier to forgive those who are not close to me.
It is easier to make allowances for their words and actions.

Imagine how God must feel when we do not
 return love to him with equal intensity.

For God it is his love for us that makes it possible
 to forgive us over and over again.

Forgiveness for God is equivalent to our taking the next breath.
Some people struggle with forgiveness an entire lifetime.
Some even carry it with them to their grave.

Who do you still need to forgive in your life?
Place the intention to at least make the first step in your
 heart towards forgiving them today.

Consider that what we may need to forgive another for
 is simply our own perception of the situation.

Could it be that we see harm where none was intended?

Be patient with me...

Lord as I learn forgive as you have forgiven me.
Bless me with your mercy.

~~~Peace~~~

The 'Holy' River

~~~ 2 Kings 5:1-15AB ~~~ Psalm 42 ~~~ Luke 4:24-30 ~~~

But Naaman went away angry, saying,
“I thought that he would surely come out and stand there
to invoke the LORD his God,
and would move his hand over the spot,
and thus cure the leprosy.

Naaman was angry because God did not meet his expectations.
How often we have the very same mind set.
Why does God not act as we envision in our own small mind?

Sometime I think God just wants to pull us by the ears saying...
I've got this under control. Trust me.

Naaman wanted to witness his healing on his terms.
He wanted to be physically touched by God...
he wanted to feel something.

Elisha was confident in his ability to heal Naaman.
He gave precise directions as to washing in the Jordan River.

What was so special about the Jordan River?
The Jordan River is mentioned about 175 times just in the Old Testament.
The Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee,
where Jesus would call his first disciples.
The Jordan River is where John would Baptize Jesus.

This river was destined to be a vital part of our salvation story.

Why the Jordan River?

Earlier in 2 Kings 2:8-9
Elisha witnessed Elijah using his rolled up cloak to part the waters
 of the Jordan so that could safely cross to the other side. 

Elisha remained faithful to Elijah until his time of death.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, 
“Request whatever I might do for you, before I am taken from you.” 
Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”

Elisha has a connection with the river Jordan.
He has faith that the spirit he had received from Elijah's
 passing was active within himself.

He believed and thus told Naaman to bathe seven times in the river.
Seven, the number representing wholeness.

Being healed meant being restored to wholeness,,,
physically, mentally, and spitiually.

The River Jordan was the source of 'Holy Water'.

These waters did indeed heal Naaman that day
even though he had many doubts...
even though he questioned the prophet.

Come to Jesus in your doubts...
he will bless you anyway.
Why not?
He has nothing to lose by Blessing you.
~~~Peace~~~

Only Ten

~~~ Third Sunday of Lent ~~~

~~~ Exodus 20:1-17 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ 

~~~ 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 ~~~ John 2:13-25 ~~~

Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

God gave Moses his commandments his law.
Can you imagine only having ten laws in our society today.
What if your whole life was based solely
on just ten things you had to do to succeed in life?

Only one God no others...
not using God's name when we are frustrated and angry...
keeping the Lord's day holy, set apart from the rest of the week...
caring for your parents especially into their senior years
 when it becomes more of a challenge...

These are the first of the laws of the Lord.
Then we come to the ones we often warp into our own interpretations.

We would all agree that taking the life of another is morally wrong.
But when it comes the death penalty we feel it is
our right to condemn another to death.

God says vengeance is mine says the Lord.
We must 'play' the part of God.
It is God alone who gives life and has the power to take life.

I have never heard one homily about how we have
 a responsibility to preserve our own life.
How can we keep this commandment
if we smoke, drink in excess, daily over eat,
or become couch potatoes?

I know this is the commandment I must keep vigilant in my life.

The next laws deal with adultery, stealing, and lying...
These sins are often connected in many ways...
If you are guilty of adultery you are stealing
 from your marriage commitment...
and always hiding under the cover of lies upon lies. 

Perhaps all of these sins lead us to the point where everything
 on the other side of the fence looks better...
whether it is material objects or even the neighbors spouse.

For the foolishness of God is wiser 
than human wisdom, 
and the weakness of God is stronger 
than human strength.

Maybe God only had room on the tablets of stone
 for ten commandments,
but they contain more wisdom and deeper wisdom
than any human could dream up on their own.

Jesus understands our human behavior.
It is precisely because of this understanding that he forgives
 us as many times as we seek it from him.

Come to Jesus with a contrite heart...
He will Bless you.
~~~Peace~~~

More Than Clemency

~~~ Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 ~~~

The Lord is kind and merciful.

Nothing is too horrible for God to forgive.
No matter what we have done he remains true to his word.
He does not condemn, but rather we condemn ourselves
in the light of our offenses.

Now is the time of repentance.
Now is the time to return your heart to God.
Now is the time to put aside all feelings of guilt and shame.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

Truly there is no God like our God.
He leads us to clear waters...he shepherds us
 beyond our wants and needs.

He removes guilt, pardons sins...he continues to love us.

...does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency...

How long have you held on to anger?
Who in your life do you need to forgive?

Clemency...

 a policy made famous by Julius Caesar,
 means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation
(in whole or in part) of the penalty associated with it.
It is a general concept that encompasses several related
procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves.

(As published by Wikipedia.)

God removes the penalty we might deserve for our sins.
The clemency extended to us by God is so much greater
than that which the President extends to the turkey
every November or one given to a prisoner.

Many of our authority figures today have clemency powers
used at their discretion.
God does not carefully weigh the circumstances
 by which he shows clemency.

His clemency is always available to us...
because he is a kind and merciful God...
slow to anger...rich in kindness and compassion.

We can only begin to extend the same
 to others and only on certain occasions.

Sinners flocked to Jesus because they were able
to be accepted for who they were;
they were healed and forgiven.
They were not judged and tossed
 aside like the daily trash.

The gospel of the Prodigal Son is used time after time
 to remind you just how much God loves you.

Even if you squander all that he has given to you...
if you return to him there will be rejoicing and celebration.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

We are Blessed and comforted through these words today.
Test him, come back into his loving arms.
~~~Peace~~~

The New Tunic

~~~ Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 ~~~

Three treasures...three sons...three lives thrown out like trash.

Joseph's brothers were jealous and wanted him out of their lives.
So they plotted to kill him in spite of knowing
 how much he was loved by their father.

The workers in the vineyard plotted to kill the landlord's son
with full knowledge that his father was their boss.

These stories are given to us so that we could make
 the natural conclusion about the death of Jesus.

He was the Father's only Son...loved by the Father.
It was the religious leaders of the time
who plotted to get rid of Jesus.

In each story the one who was plotted against posed a threat
 to those who would end their life.

Those with evil in their hearts could not see clearly.
They could not see beyond their own selfishness.

The brothers could not stand that their father had a favorite son.
Why weren't they just as favored?
Why didn't they get new tunics?
They had no need for their youngest brother...
at least not at that point in time.

The tenants in the vineyard worked hard every day...
why should they always give up the fruits they had labored to harvest?

This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.

Greed and jealousy choked their hearts
breaking down all sense of right and wrong.
What breaks down our barriers between right and wrong?
How did their hearts become so filled with hatred?

When Jesus comes on the scene it is a familiar situation.
He was sent down by the Father.
He came to do the will of the Father.
Those who plotted against him were gripped by fear and jealousy.
They were sure he was going to take over
 their position of authority among the people.

He was going to undermine all that they held important.
Of course we know they were very wrong, but
none the less they succeeded in carrying out their plan.

They, however, were very clever and conniving;
They did not actually commit the murder
themselves they just set the wheels in motion.

Joseph is the one who later saves his family from starvation.
The landlord hires all new workers for his vineyard.
Jesus becomes the savior for us all.

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone...

Today let pray for clear vision.
Ask God to purify your heart of any ill will towards others.
The Lord Blesses us in his own way...in his own time.
There is a 'new tunic' ready; just your size.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Do You Walk on By?

~~~ Jeremiah 17:5-10 ~~~ Psalm 1 ~~~ Luke 16:19-31 ~~~

Jesus tells the parable of the two men;
one from wealth the other from poverty.

The wealthy man is described in great detail.
...a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.

His clothing is royal, his fabrics the finest linen;
his table is filled with all sorts of foods.

The poor man, named Lazarus, is also described in detail.
...covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.

Jesus gives us both ends of the spectrum today.
A non judgmental contrast between wealth and poverty.

The wealthy man is not mentioned by name.
He passes by the poor man right outside his door
 in his comings and his goings.

The poor man sees the wealthy man...
they know each other in a very passive way.

The wealthy man is caught up in his finery and grandeur.
He appears to have no time to notice the poverty at his doorstep.
It is easier for him to step over this poor man
 than to offer him even the scraps from his table. 

The wealthy man is presented to us as insensitive
 oblivious to the needs of an other.

Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.

Lazarus was so transparent that even the dogs recognized his needs.
In their crude way they tended to his bleeding sores.
Lazarus lay there on the ground for all to see his nothingness.

How many times to do we ignore those we see on a regular basis?

The wealthy man who had no name was not
even giving his scraps to the dogs.

How much do we waste on a regular basis
 without giving it one thought?

Later when both men are dead
 the wealthy man finally takes notice of Lazarus.

Now he seeks to be noticed by the poor man.
The tables have turned, but is it too late?

 ... a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.

Blessed are the poor for theirs shall be the kingdom of heaven...
The wealthy man is coming face to face with reality.
The reality...how you live your life does
 follow you into eternity.

This parable is a reminder to allow God
 to change our hearts before it is too late.

The wealthy man did not take seriously the cry of the poor.
He turned and walked the other way pretending not to notice.

We have been given the grace to change...
God Blesses our hearts with compassion.

~~~Peace~~~

A Teachable Moment

~~~ Jeremiah 18:18-20 ~~~ Psalm 31 ~~~ Matthew 20:17-28 ~~~

In the middle of Jesus giving his monologue

 revealing his passion and death,

a well-meaning mother approaches

him with requests for her sons. 

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,

he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,

A monologue and a soliloquy are similar but very different. 

A Soliloquy is an utterance or discourse by a person

 who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of 

or oblivious to any listeners present.

Jesus delivers his words as a monologue,

he is directing his words to his disciples walking with him.

Jesus knew who was listening to his telling words.

The woman approaches Jesus as if she has not heard 

one word he just spoke aloud.

This mother sought honor and glory for her two sons

with no regard for the words Jesus had just spoken.
She was a strong Jewish mother.

Did this mother really believe that her sons 

could be seated on either side of Jesus

 without suffering right along with him?

Jesus was not talking to himself, as in a soliloquy.

Jesus was speaking aloud to his disciples

 to prepare them for what was coming.

Was he trying to scare them?

Was he  giving them the chance to back away?

Was he testing their loyalty?

Was he drawing on their compassion and love for him?

...whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;

whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.

Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve

and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus uses this mother's request as a teachable moment.

His disciples loved Jesus there is no question about that,

but maybe they too were quarreling among themselves.

Did Jesus have a favorite?

Was there jealousy among these twelve ordinary men?

Did they trust one another?

Did they fear rejection by one another?

Jesus had just shared with them a very intense future.

A future filled with pain, suffering, true horror.

In the secrecy of their own hearts 

they had to admit relief at not being asked

 to make the same crucial journey.

The mother of  the sons Zebedee did not know

 what she was asking when she made her request known to Jesus.

She did not yet understand that Jesus came to surrender

 his life by dying on the cross for all.

Blessed with personal teachable moments

 offered out of love.

~~Peace~~~

Much Ado About Nothing

~~~ Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~~ Matthew 23:1-12 ~~~

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;

but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

It is not possible to have a new heart and a new spirit

unless you admit your need and desire.

If we do not admit to our own sinfulness 

we will not see the need for anything to change.

The scribes and Pharisees were quite proud 

of their position in the community and their accomplishments.

They wanted to be given proper recognition.

They expected special seating in places of honor.

They expected to be greeted as Rabbi.

They paraded in their fine robes and long tassels to be seen by all. 

Jesus came on the scene and said all of this is just
much ado about nothing.

How you look is not what matters.

What people call you is insignificant.

Where you sit is inconsequential.

Is it your actions that speak volumes of who you really are?

How you treat others, not what you say about them?
Rather you must search your heart for the
real intention for your actions.

All their works are performed to be seen.

Jesus poked holes in everything about them...

in how they presented themselves...
how they dressed...their position of authority.

Do you hide behind external actions under
the guise of being more pious?
Is God going to love me more if I do...?

The truth is there is nothing
we can 'do' to make God love us more.
Honestly, how much more love
do you think God could give you?

He sacrificed all out of love for you.
Every Lent we are reminded in a very clear way
just how deep his love for us runs.

Jesus accepted his mission to love us unconditionally.
Are there people in your life that you love unconditionally?

If you have children it may very well be in that love
 that you can find meaning as just how much God's love is for you.

Perhaps it is the love you have for your pet.
We love our pets with unconditional love.
Truly what can a pet give back to you?

Consider today how God's love for you
is represented in how you love.

Blessings from God
 must emerge from within your heart.

The heart that loves in any capacity
cannot be a stony heart.

~~~Peace~~~

The Infinity Pool

~~~ Daniel 9:4B-10 ~~~ Psalm 79 ~~~ Luke 6:36-38 ~~~

But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!

Day after day, Lord, we are sinners.

We do not listen as we should, Lord.

We do not follow your commands, Lord, as we should.

We judge others...we are quick to condemn.

We are slow to forgive...reluctant to love our enemies...

Yet, Lord, we beg for your kindness.

Look upon us with eyes of love.

...may your compassion quickly come to us,

We are a bit liked spoiled children...creating mischief,

 disobeying, expecting to have everything our way...and yes, 

believing that God will love us just the same.

While it is true God does love us in spite of how we misbehave,

He does have his limits.

He gives us the invitation to repent and turn away 

from our sinful ways.

How long do you think he should wait for you?

A month, a year, five years, ten years, fifty years, 

until you are on your deathbed?

How long will you keep him waiting?

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Stop judging...stop condemning...forgive...

give and gifts will be given to you.

All leads back to the single commandment...

Love you neighbor as yourself...

treat others as you would want them to treat you.

Is that really such a hard concept to grasp?

God's ways are compassion and forgiveness.

God replaces condemnation with compassion.

God replaces hatred with forgiveness.

Without His love would we know true compassion?

Without His mercy would we know true forgiveness?

Whatever mercy and compassion we think we have

 there is always more to be given to us.

We need to look deep within our hearts and see the infinity pool.

Infinity edge pools are often seen at exotic resorts or exclusive estates.

God is the perfect infinity pool of love and mercy.

There are no limits...no boundaries.

God wants to be seamless, exclusive in our hearts...

no artificial boundaries to contain Him.

Lent is about striving to be the better person 

God knows you can become.

He sends his Blessings to help us along the way.

Make sure you are paying attention.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Steps in Obedience

~~~Second Sunday of Lent~~~

~~~ Genesis 22:1-2, 9A, 10-13, 15-18 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ 

~~~Romans 8:31B-34 ~~~ Mark 9:2-10 ~~~

 I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

Abraham was a good, faithful, God fearing man.

He walked before the Lord almost to a fault, in our eyes.

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his flesh and blood, 

his own son, if it was God's will.

I know I would not have been able to commit 

such an act of obedience.

The Lord put Abraham to the ultimate test.

Abraham loved his son and he loved his God.

How was he able to discern the right action to take?

Abraham believed with his whole being

 that God needed for him to sacrifice his son,

God waited until he was about to make the final act 

of obedience until he stopped him.

I have this picture of Abraham's hand raised ready to come down 

with the ax when he heard the voice of God.

God was greatly impressed with Abraham.

I will bless you abundantly 

and make your descendants as countless... 

as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore...

This is a promise that we stand as witnesses to in the present time.

We are among those who are the descendants of Abraham.

God the Father sent his only Son whom he loved greatly to die for us.

During the Transfiguration we see the shadow cast by the cloud 

and then we hear the voice of God.

Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; 

from the cloud came a voice, 

“This is my beloved Son.

Abraham was not in the shadow of any cloud;

 he was walking with his God.

Jesus was obedient to the Father

 just as Abraham was obedient to God.

Abraham gained for all his future generations favor with God.

Jesus gained for us through his obedience eternal 

salvation for all future generations.

God calls each of us his Beloved...

during Lent it is especially humbling

 to consider oneself to be one of God's Beloved.

Returning to God with our whole being...

allowing God to love us...

this is the message of Lent each and every year.

Allow God to Bless you as his 

Beloved Daughter or Beloved Son.

We belong to him...we are his.

~~~Peace~~~