Easy to Criticize

~~~ Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola ~~~

~~~ Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34B-37 ~~~ Psalm 81 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 13:54-58 ~~~

Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?

If  you are honest, who do you find yourself criticizing the most?

Is it not those you know the best?

It is much easier to criticize what you know

 than what is foreign or unfamiliar.

Jesus had returned to his home town.

These people knew who he was.

They knew his father and mother.

They knew the family business in which he had apprenticed.

None of what they knew about Jesus gave him 

any authority to speak of such holy topics.

None of what they knew about Jesus gave him any more

 insight into scripture than the temple high priest.

So why should they listen to him?

You may have found yourself in a similar situation.

Even if you are trying to give a family member

 information for their benefit they are resistant.

They ask who you think you are

 trying to tell them what they should be doing.

They do not want to believe you.

In most cases you will stop sharing with these people.

You come to realize that whatever you say will just be dismissed.

Jesus finds himself in the exact situation.

He was doing the will of the Father, 

but even that did not protect him from criticism and rejection.

 ...he did not work many mighty deeds there

because of their lack of faith.

Jesus does not try to argue with those who were critical,

those who rejected him.

Jesus simply does not work 

any more miracles among them.

Jesus basically had to control himself ;

his natural instinct was to teach 

and heal as many people as possible.

Jesus never forces faith upon anyone...not even those he loves.

Jesus may have been excited when he began to teach

 in the synagogue where he grew up,

but this was replaced with criticism.

His extended family would have the chance

 to come and hear teach in their official place of worship.

His mother and father could come listen tho their son.

It would have brought them great joy.

This open rejection of Jesus hurt them too.

The next time you catch yourself criticizing pause for a moment...

ask yourself, Why am I critical of this person.

The better you know someone the easier it is to be critical of them.

Jesus criticized their lack of faith.

But was it really a criticism or was he pointing out the truth?

The people of his town were resistant 

to listening to who they thought they knew.

He was one of them.

Why was he speaking in such a radical way?

They wanted Jesus to be just like them.

Jesus came to bring about change...big change.

Jesus came to turn the old beliefs into something better.

Are you stuck with the old?

Are you quick to criticize those you know best?

Are you being criticized by those who know you best?

We are Blessed to have Jesus who understands...

he has been criticized by those in his own hometown.

Saint Ignatius, pray for us.

"Act as if everything depended on you; trust 

as if everything depended on God."

~~~Peace~~~ 

The Rising Cloud

~~~ Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38 ~~~ Psalm 84 ~~~ Matthew 13:47-53 ~~~

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

There is a hymn from the Taize community that came

 to me from the readings today...

I am sure I shall see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Moses was granted the joy of experiencing the goodness of God.

Moses did not need a device to plan his journey.

He need only to watch for the rising of the cloud of God.

Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,

the children of Israel would set out on their journey.

The dwelling place itself was filled with the radiance of God.

The brilliance of God is so bright one would cover their face.

The light streaming forth was more intense than the sun.

The dwelling place of the Lord was the most sacred and holy places.

God chose to reveal himself as light...pure light.

When Moses exited the holy dwelling place his face was changed...

it was sunburned with God's holiness.

All who looked upon Moses knew he had been with the Lord.

God wants to change us as well.

We too can radiate the light of God 

which shines within our soul.

We too must exit the dwelling place

 of the Lord a changed person.

The goodness of the Lord is made visible to us through others.

Are you making his goodness visible to others?

...at night, fire was seen in the cloud

by the whole house of Israel

in all the stages of their journey.

God used fire in the cloud 

to lead Moses in the darkness of night.

These signs from God were not to be ignored 

or mistaken as foolishness.

How lovely the dwelling place of the Lord...

for now he resides within you and me.

The more often we receive him in Eucharist

the brighter our light will become.

Blessings from the rising cloud of the Lord, God

Follow the rising cloud...

~~~Peace~~~

Dusting and Chopping in Prayer

~~~ Memorial of Saint Martha ~~~

~~~ 1 John 4:7-16 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Luke 10: 38-42 ~~~

We all know the familiar story of Martha and Mary...

one preferred using her time for prayer

the other, Martha, preferred honing her culinary skills.

Even though Martha got great satisfaction

 from preparing delicious meals,

she thought her sister, Mary, should be helping her.

She failed to see that her choices pertained to her, not to Mary.

She also failed to see that her time in the kitchen

 could also be considered prayer.

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 

Martha was worried about many things

causing her to miss her opportunity to pray as she prepared their meal.

Jesus says...

Mary has chosen the better part

and it will not be taken from her.

Mary has chosen the best part...

is it because of her position at the feet of Jesus

or is it because of the disposition of her soul?

Mary was open...listening to Jesus.

Martha was in the kitchen grumbling and complaining.

It is much harder to listen to Jesus when you 

are grumbling and complaining.

There is a time for balance in your life

 between spending time with Jesus in prayer 

and taking care of household chores such as meal preparation.

Both are important...

neither is better in extreme.

One may not take precedence over the other in most cases.

We cannot all be cloistered nuns or monks

dedicated to praying for hours upon hours.

Allow the Lord to bring greater balance into your life.

All that you do can be in the spirit of prayer.

Jesus speaks to you whether you are chopping onions, dusting, 

cleaning toilets or sitting at his feet in Adoration or Mass.

Blessings when you need to be 'Martha'

later you can also be 'Mary'.

~~~Peace~~~

Harvested by Angels

~~~ Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5B-9, 28 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 13:36-43 ~~~

 The Lord is kind and merciful.

God described himself to Moses

 as being a merciful and gracious God...

slow to anger, rich in kindness.

Precisely because of who God is he is constantly

 reaching out to us...

waiting patiently 

for us to seek forgiveness.

He knows we are frail...he knows that sometimes 

we fail to be that person he created.

God never created us to be perfect,

but it does not mean we should not keep trying.

In the end when we come before the Lord the angels 

will have already separated us from the others.

God has appointed his angels to be his harvesters.

Both the weeds and the grain are allowed

 to grow up together in the same field.

Of course this translates into 

the meaning of good and evil people existing side by side.

The evil ones pretend to blend in with the good ones,

but on judgement day the angels,

given power by God,

will take away the good from the evil.

Both will be taken before the Lord

to be judged...

The Lord is kind and merciful,

while also being just.

Blessed to be given the time now

 to come before the Lord to seek his forgiveness.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun

in the Kingdom of their Father.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.

As long as you still have one more breath to take

 there is time to return to the Lord.

The gamble is yours as to whether 

you should wait or do it now.

I encourage you to do it now.

~~~Peace~~~

Chiseled Words

~~~ Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ Matthew 13:31-35 ~~~

I really love this time of the year because 

the school supplies are on every store shelf.

Pens of all colors and sizes and notebooks...I love notebooks.

When a particular notebook catches my attention

 I do not even need to have a particular purpose for it.

I have notebooks for journaling...notebooks for inspirational quotes...

notebooks for prayer cards....and most recently

 a notebook to record my food intake.

But at the end of the day none of these are permanent;

someday they will all find their way to the trash.

Over time pencil entries get smudged...

ink fades from the pages...

What was once valued disappears or is forgotten over time.

Moses turned and came down the mountain

with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,

tablets that were written on both sides, front and back;

tablets that were made by God,

having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself.

God was taking no chances that his

 Ten Commandments would survive.

He wrote them on tablets of stone, 

to withstand the passing of time.

Even if they get broken the message 

engraved into their surface would survive.

I know of nothing today to even come close to writing on stone.

We would not even have the stamina

 to chisel out a single word on a slab of stone

much less ten separate points.

Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of heaven being

 like a small mustard seed or a small handful of yeast.

Yet he still needed to explain the meanings.

Jesus often spoke in parables.

God writes his message on tablets of stone.

The permanence of stone is an indication 

of the importance of these commandments.

Today we follow Jesus by keeping the same 

commandments

 written in stone by his Father.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Jesus came to do the will of the Father...

to glorify the Father.

When we keep the commandments

 we too are doing the will of the Father...

we too are bringing glory to the Father.

Today I invite you to find one of your notebooks,

dust it off, pick up your pen...

write a note to God.

Let it bring you comfort and strength.

Writing can bring clarity to your thoughts...

it can release pent up emotions.

It might even be time to search through those shelves of

school supplies for a beautiful new notebook.

Blessings in your written words to the Lord.

~~~Peace~~~

Infinite Supply

~~~ Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~
~~~ 2 Kings 4:42-44 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Ephesians 4:1-6 ~~~
~~~ John 6:1-15 ~~~

In those days if you were a true prophet
you were able to work miracles.
This is one way God drew attention to the message
 he was sending out for the people.

If a messenger has no audience
then who will hear the message?

In the Old Testament there were prophets
who did perform miracles...
Elisha is one such person.

The people were hungry, one person had twenty loaves of bread.
This was hardly enough to feed the hungry crowd.
But Elisha had faith in God.

“Give it to the people to eat.” 
“For thus says the LORD,
‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” 

Just as in the Gospel of the loaves and the fishes;
there was plenty of food left over.
Everyone was feed out of the abundance of God.

Jesus takes care of our physical needs
 as he ministers to our spiritual needs.

Each time Jesus heals or feeds it allows that person
 to live their life in a better more fulfilling manner.

Ideally with their improved life they
 will want to give God the proper credit.

Jesus does not put stipulations on those he feeds.

When your physical hunger is satisfied
your mind is ready to learn...
it is possible to think more clearly...
to better process what the ears are hearing.

Jesus, in feeding the crowds this day, was reinforcing
 his rightful place among the known prophets.

Jesus is different because he is the Bread of Life.
He gives up his own body and blood to be our eternal food.

Just as our bodies need food for a journey so does our soul.
The food which is given to us from Jesus is the
main source of soul nourishment.

The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Take a seat on the grassy hill...
Jesus is sending his blessed basket of food to you.
Do not worry there will still be plenty left in the basket.

Now you are ready to learn more.

~~~Peace~~~

The Seating List

~~~ Feast of Saint James, Apostle ~~~

~~~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 ~~~ Psalm 126 ~~~ Matthew 20:20-28 ~~~

Maybe the mother of James and John had some kind of motherly

 instinct when she approached Jesus requesting 

special favors for her sons.

“Command that these two sons of mine sit,

one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.”

James was one of three of his apostles 

that he took with him on occasion.

We often read that Jesus took with him

 Peter, James, and John.

Perhaps their mother did not want Peter to get one 

of the places of honor instead of one of her sons.

Jesus realizes that she does not understand

 what she is asking so he says...

“You do not know what you are asking.

Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”

Physically they could pick up the cup and drink from it,

but neither of those brothers had been sent by God

 to atone for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus deferred the seating list back to his Father.

“My chalice you will indeed drink,

but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give

but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

In choosing James to be one of the twelve apostles he

bestows upon him the powers of healing and forgiving sins.

Jesus trusted James enough to call him from his 

fishing boat to be one of his chosen.

James was hand picked by Jesus he was 

not just one of the crowd.

These two brothers saw that they were treated different by Jesus 

thus it seemed acceptable for their mother to make

 special requests on their behalf.

I can almost picture the scene...

James and John standing on either side of their mother 

encouraging her to speak to Jesus for them.

Maybe the boys did not want to embarrass 

themselves before Jesus.

Among the other apostles this request could have caused great unrest,

but Jesus was careful in handling it so this did not happen.

James witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus along Peter and John.

Jesus also took these three with him to the Garden of Gethsemane 

on the night before he died.

There is no question about the love and devotion 

James had for Jesus.

Later he too would give his life 

because of his faith in the message of Jesus.

Saint Paul tells us that we too carry the death of Jesus within ourselves.

He tells us we hold the truth of Jesus in earthen vessels.

All that we have...all that we are comes from God.

Everything indeed is for you,

so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people

may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

We give thanks today for all of the apostles

 but especially for James.

James is the patron saint of laborers.

God continues to do great things for us.

He Blesses us when we do not see the whole path.

He Blesses us when we do not completely hear his message.

He Blesses us when we struggle to believe.

Saint James, the Apostle,

pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~

First Three First

~~~ Exodus 20:1-17 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Matthew 13:18-23 ~~~ 

In those days:
God delivered all these commandments:

I believe that if you are reading this blog you
 are familiar with the Ten Commandments.
This will not be about keeping all ten;
instead more about our relationship with God.

God gives careful details to his people in the first three commandments.
They emphasize our personal relationship with him.
First we must have the right relationship with God...
it is primary...it is the foundation.

If our relationship with God is flimsy and whimsical
how can we possibly keep the other seven commandments?
God is the only God.
He forbids us to make idols of other Gods in place of him.

For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God...

We think of jealousy as a sin, but when it comes to God
he is to be the one and only.

Because of this he also wants to abstain from taking his name in vain.
God is the creator of all; why do we think it is acceptable
 to take his name in vain?

I have never heard anyone take the name of another person in vain.
No. We snatch the name of the one who made us...
the one who loves more than we can know.
We take the precious name of God and blame everything
 that we do not like on him.

It results in so much wasted energy.
Energy that we could be using to give God
the glory and praise he deserves.

The third commandment is giving us
an excuse to take it easy on Sunday.

God wants us to set aside only one day for him.
What if God decided to only take care of you for one day a week?
What if you could only take your next breath if you
had kept the Sabbath holy?

It does seem pretty childish and simplistic,
but how often do we wait for Sunday just to get more done.

Oftentimes just going to church for the hour seems an annoyance.
We can think of a million other things we could be doing.
I know because I myself have been there.

The rest of the commandments are much easier to keep
if we are focused on the first three first.

Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

You know the commandments;
what are you going to do with their seeds?

You have the choice...
path...rocky ground...thorns...rich soil.

The only way to cultivate the rich soil
 is to cultivate the rich relationship with God...

Putting God first above all idols...refraining
from using his name in vain...
and finally keeping holy the Sabbath.

The rest of the commandments will not seem
so challenging if concentrate on the first three first.

Blessings through keeping holy the Sabbath.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Are You Ready...

~~~ Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20B ~~~ (Psalm)Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 13:10-17 ~~~

But blessed are your eyes, because they see,

and your ears, because they hear.

God came to Moses in a 'dense cloud'

so that the people were able to see and hear Moses.

God remained hidden by the cloud.

God wanted the people to have confidence in Moses.

God knew the people needed consistency...

this was accomplished through the leadership of Moses.

When Jesus came; the concept of God 

remaining hidden was abolished.

Jesus came to reveal the mysteries of the Father to us.

Many were not ready to see or to hear the message.

Even today we those who for whatever reason 

do not see and do not hear.

Some are themselves are lost in the cloud of their own ego.

Blessed are those who have allowed God to open their eyes...

to open their ears.

What follows next is just as important.

What do you do with what you have seen and heard?

See...hear and be changed.

Live your life as one who does see and one who dies hear.

Treat others by the measure with which you

see and hear what Jesus reveals.

It is always possible to see more.

It is always possible to hear better.

It is always possible to be Blessed with 

deeper understanding.

May the God of Moses

and Our Lord, Jesus Christ

continue to open our eyes and ears.

~~~Peace~~~

The Heart of the Tomb

~~~ Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene ~~~

~~~ Song of Songs 3:1-4b ~~~ Psalm 63 ~~~

~~~ John 20:1-2, 11-18 ~~~

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Amidst the fierce battles and flight of the Exodus

we have the beautiful story of Mary Magdalene.

She comes to the tomb looking for Jesus.

Her heart is heavy...she is filled with grief

...she holds onto the thread of hope.

Was Jesus telling the truth? 

Was he really raised from the dead?

Where is his body? 

She is the first one to come to the tomb.

It is very early in the morning perhaps she could not 

sleep after the crucifixion.

Does she come to the tomb for some kind of proof?

Did Jesus leave some sort of prearranged sign?

Had he told her something during his final days

 that would give her closure?

As she sees the stone rolled back and the empty tomb;

she begins to weep...for the one she loved.

Her tears are interrupted by a vision and a question.

“Woman, why are you weeping?”

Jesus calls out to Mary by name.

Immediately her mourning is turned into a joy

 that she cannot contain.

Just as she reaches out to embrace Jesus,

he stops her sending her to report her findings to the others.

He is Alive...

she sings in her heart as she races to tell the others.

Mary comes to the tomb with a heart laden in grief.

She leaves the tomb with a heart over flowing with joy and gladness.

This joy far surpasses the heaviness she carried 

in her heart to the tomb.

Jesus tells us to come to him.

He promises to give us rest for our weary souls.

He does turn mourning into rejoicing.

Mary needed to hear the voice of Jesus.

He desires to call our name too if we but listen.

The tomb was not the end for Jesus it was the beginning.

The beginning of the salvation of our souls.

Mary Magdalene was the first to see and hear the Risen Jesus.

For she loved him beyond measure.

We are Blessed today with the beauty

 and strength of Mary Magdalene.

May her love for Jesus be a model for you.

~~~Peace~~~

You are Family

~~~ EX 14:21—15:1 ~~~ Psalm (Exodus 15) ~~~

~~~ Matthew 12:46-50 ~~~

The story of how God saved his people from the Egyptians

 is recounted in the book of Exodus in great detail.

Over the years many film makers have taken such scenes as this one

and made grand movies for us.

We love to see all of the graphic details.

Even without the silver screen we get the picture.

God rendered his justice upon the wicked followers of Pharaoh.

At the same time God saved his chosen ones in a magnificent fashion.

Parents will do most anything to protect their children

even if it requires sacrifice on their part.

Parents will come to their children in times of need.

It is our natural instinct.

The Blessed Mother was no different...

She was concerned for the well being of her son, Jesus.

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,

his mother and his brothers appeared outside,

wishing to speak with him.

Some of the followers of Jesus 

have told Mary that Jesus is in danger.

He has been quite critical of the rulers and others.

It is becoming obvious that his life may be in jeopardy.

When Mary, along with other family members,

arrive to the place where Jesus is preaching

they send word to Jesus.

They want him to come out to speak with them.

If my child was in danger I too would try to intervene...

to talk some sense into him.

Jesus' reaction was not expected...

Jesus responded in such a manner

as to challenge and expand Mary's heart.

He does not send the message that he would be right out.

Instead he looks at the crowd and labels 

them as part of his family.

 ...stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,

“Here are my mother and my brothers.

For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father

is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Jesus stretches out his hand as if to bless the crowd...

he stretches out his hand and gathers them to himself as family.

You too are gathered to Jesus...

You too are part of his family...

You too stand beneath his outstretched hand.

God protected the people with Moses...

Mary came to Jesus because she was concerned for his safety...

Jesus claimed those who do the will of the Father

as his brothers, sisters, and even mother.

You are Blessed...part of the family...

adopted and chosen...

loved, and protected from harm.

~~~Peace~~~

Directions...Google or God?

~~~ Exodus 14:5-18 ~~~ (Psalm) Exodus 15:1BC-2, 3-4, 5-6 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 12:38-42 ~~~

“Fear not! Stand your ground,

and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.

These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.

The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still.”

Moses was very confident that he was doing exactly

 as God had commanded him.

The people of Israel followed Moses but they were ravaged with doubts.

They needed a leader who was not easily intimidated.

Moses had his directions directly from the presence of God.

No matter what the people said Moses 

was given the words to speak from God.

Moses knew without a doubt that God would protect his people.

God chose Moses to lead them to the promised land.

God, however, did not tell Moses how long this journey would be. 

Moses could not just use Google maps to plan his trip.

He could not enter the final destination 

to get the estimated time of arrival.

God parted the sea just long enough to allow 

Moses to lead all the people across

before the surged back together.

The parting of the seas was evidence of God's extreme protection.

God takes care of his chosen ones in times of dire need.

Sometimes we need to experience this kind of overt protection

 from God before we come to completely trust him.

It is similar to Thomas wanting to put his own fingers

 into the wounds of Jesus.

We are not suggesting that God will always 

make his presence known in such a robust manner.

For most of the time we trust God just because

 it is what we have been taught.

That day all of Pharaoh's soldiers drowned...

the people with Moses gave glory and praise to God.

This was just one such incident of God's protection over his people.

You are one of God's chosen.

It is reasonable to believe that he protects you as well.

You may not witness the parting of the seas in your personal life,

but you are protected with the same might and power.

An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,

but no sign will be given it

except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Today is a reminder of God's unseen protection over you.

Blessings in those hidden times of danger.

Rest in the Lord...bring him your fears...trust in his loving care for you.

~~~Peace~~~

You Are One of the Flock

~~~Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

~~~ Jeremiah 23:1-6 ~~ Psalm 23 ~~ Ephesians 2:13-18 ~~~ 

~~~ Mark 6:30-34 ~~~

...they were like sheep without a shepherd;

and he began to teach them many things.

Jesus is the model shepherd because he recognizes the sheep 

even before the sheep recognize him.

Jesus goes off in the boat for some much needed rest.

The crowd, witnessing his action, quickly proceeds

 to the other side of the lake ahead of him.

Jesus could have reclined in the bottom of the boat for some rest,

but he does not. Instead he sees the vast crowd

 with mercy and love in his heart.

A shepherd would never leave his sheep unattended,

especially those in most need of him.

Jesus saw this crowd as his very own sheep.

How could he turn them away?

How could he ignore them?

How could he not use their hunger to teach them?

The crowd had needs, wants...desires...

they were searching for a shepherd to lead them.

They were looking for the one who could heal and forgive.

They were the lost sheep being drawn toward the shepherd.

In the past they had been fooled and mislead by those

 who appointed themselves as shepherd.

This time something was different.

This time Jesus was the true shepherd...

the one shepherd who cared for them more than anyone.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Jesus stands before this crowd gathering them to himself.

Deep within their hearts this shepherd

 would give them peace and rest.

Even as the crowd stood together

 their hearts were being touched individually. 

They experienced the goodness and the kindness

 of this Divine Shepherd.

That day all present heard the message of peace.

Jesus brought to them the 'Spirit of the Father'.

Some left that day changed forever,

while others continued to search for many years in vain.

Hearing the shepherd does not always mean the sheep

 will respond with the initial call.

Shepherd me, O God,

beyond my wants beyond my fears

to everlasting life.

The Shepherd speaks to you amidst the crowd.

One by one he calls his sheep to himself.

Fear no evil; for He is at your side...

Blessing you.

~~~Peace~~~

Mass Evacuation

~~~ Exodus 12:37-42 ~~~ Psalm 136 ~~~ Matthew 12:14-21 ~~~

They had rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity

even to prepare food for the journey.

The Israelites were driven out of Egypt.

They had no time to prepare for their journey.

When wild fires or flood waters are threatening your home

you are facing similar circumstances.

All you can do when feeling is grab a few essentials and leave.

The Israelites were not facing a natural disaster,

they were facing hateful people.

A natural disaster passes with time leaving destruction behind.

Eventually you can return, salvaging what you can.

The destruction the Israelites were fleeing was their own death. 

There was no chance of returning to their home.

Not only Israelites left Egypt,

A crowd of mixed ancestry also went up with them,

besides their livestock, very numerous flocks and herds.

Imagine your entire city evacuating

 in the same direction at the same time.

Men, women, children, all races, 

along with all of the pets and live stock.

It would be like one of our modern day disaster movies.

But the exodus was not created for the big screen 

it was real life with real people.

Hopefully you will never find yourself in such a disaster.

They had no opportunity to prepare food...

Being prepared for disasters is widely

 accepted as a wise thing to do.

During hurricane season we are urged 

to have water, batteries, canned food, flashlights etc.

It is good to be prepared for our untimely death as well.

When there is time to prepare for the journey of death,

it is the Eucharist that is our food for the journey.

Everyday we strengthen our relationship with God

 we are, in essence, preparing for our final journey.

Blessed with time to prepare

for our final journey.

~~~Peace~~~

Marked with the Blood

~~~ Exodus 11:10—12:14 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ Matthew 12:1-8 ~~~

How shall I make a return to the LORD

for all the good he has done for me?

The common thread in the readings today is food.

Food is one of our basic needs as a human being.

We cannot exist for long without some type of food and water.

God instructed Moses to follow the prescription 

for the Passover celebration;

but he made one addition.

After choosing and preparing the whole lamb or goat for roasting,

the animal's blood was to be used to mark their doorways.

When God came to judge the town

those with the sacrificial blood were to be spared.

The blood of the slain animal was the sign of saving from harm.

God does keep to his plan and passes over those houses.

Without the whole sacrificial animal salvation would not be realized...

the inhabitants of the household would perish.

Later the body and blood of Jesus

would become the sacrificial offering.

The need for our body and soul to be fed would

now be more than just grains picked from a field.

The food which we use to nourish our body

 isn't sufficient to also nourish our soul.

It is the whole, unbroken body of our crucified Jesus,

which satisfies our hunger.

It is the pouring out of the Blood of Jesus

which satisfies our thirst.

In the upper room the night before Jesus was to die

he took bread and wine into his hands.

He offered these as himself.

He is the new sacrifice.

It is his Body and Blood which is given up for us...

He gives himself up for the atonement of our sins.

He feeds and blesses us in the middle of forgiving and saving us.

Or is it, In the middle of forgiving and saving us he feeds and blesses us?

These four things are brought to completion

in Jesus himself.

There is no longer the need or

 requirement to sacrifice the lambs and the goats.

Their blood will not save you now.

Only the Blood of Jesus Christ has the power to save.

When we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist

we are participating in our own salvation.

When we do not receive Holy Communion

it is equivalent to preparing the Passover meal

without placing the blood above your portal.

This the way to keep holy the Lord's day...

Come to the table...Be fed...

in flesh and blood.

May the Blood of Jesus keep you

 safe and free from all distress.

Blessed with the Sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the one who feeds us for eternal life.

~~~Peace~~~

Accept the Invitation

Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

~~~Exodus 3:13-20 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ Matthew 11:28-30 ~~~

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

and I will give you rest.

This verse is frequently used as a retreat theme.

It is a verse that offers us great comfort.

Jesus invites us to come to him when we are worn down...

heavily laden with our problems.

He promises to give rest to all who come to him.

It is an invitation from the lips of Jesus directed to your heart.

The words of Jesus are pure, sincere and true.

During the conversation Moses had with God

God identified himself as...

 “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel:

I AM sent me to you.”

God uses the pronoun 'I' and the present tense 'AM'.

Normally this is the beginning of a sentence 

that one completes telling more about oneself.

God simply states it as who he is...

nothing more need be added.

God is the present...

when we bring our weary spirit to him he takes it 

upon himself each time we come to him.

There is no past or future in God...

there is only the present.

God is the "I AM"

for all ages far all peoples.

Jesus also speaks in 'I Am' statements.

I Am...

you can easily finish this sentence.

Later Jesus will ask Peter...

who do you say that 'I Am?'

Jesus invites you to bring your burdens to him.

He is with you now.

His presence is as real today as it was 

when he spoke to Moses from the burning bush. 

Come to Him

and let Him give you rest.

Blessings in resting with God.

~~~Peace~~~

Our Lady of Mount Carmel,

pray for us.

Proof in the Fire

Saint Bonaventure, 

Bishop and Doctor of the Church

~~~ Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Matthew 11:25-27 ~~~

 I will be with you;

and this shall be your proof that it is I who have sent you...

Moses grows in age and wisdom and comes 

face to face with God in a burning bush.

A  burning bush of fire that does not consume...

a burning bush emanating the very voice of God.

Who is this God who speaks from flames that do not consume?

Moses removes his shoes as he approaches and listens to God's voice.

He is being told by God to lead the people out of Egypt.

Moses questions his daunting task only to be assured

 by God that he would not leave him alone.

God tells Moses, I will be with you...

Maybe I am just selfish, but I would love

 to hear the voice of God say those very words to me.

"I will be with you".

Moses does not know at this time just how very long

 it would take for him to lead the people out of Egypt.

He had no reason not to trust God, not now.

...no one knows the Father except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

Moses did not have the knowledge of the Son, Jesus,

but God did reveal his plan to Moses.

God led Moses to a deserted place to reveal himself.

He revealed himself in seclusion, in the living bush...

and in the heat and light of the fire.

The God of all ages got the attention of Moses.

So many people want proof of the existence of God.

Moses was given proof without his asking.

God wanted to make sure that there was no possible

 doubt lingering in the mind or heart of Moses.

Moses saw the fire and heard the voice of God.

God is with you, he will not leave you alone.

In good times and in times of tribulation,

one thing remains...God's presence.

Your proof is also in the presence of God.

He walks beside you each moment of your day...

every day of your life.

May God Bless you with fire in your heart

as proof of his presence.

A heart on fire for Jesus will never

 be turned into ashes.

~~~Peace~~~

If you learn everything except Christ,

 you learn nothing,

if you learn nothing except Christ,

you learn everything.

St. Bonaventure, pray for us.

A Tempered Joy

~~~Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin~~~

~~~ Exodus 2:1-15A ~~~ Psalm 69 ~~~ Matthew 11:20-24 ~~~

Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

It took several women to save Moses.

Moses had great plans for Moses for our salvation.

God did not send a messenger...

he did not speak to these women in a dream...

he did not use anything miraculous.

God did use the female intuition.

God had the mother of Moses realize while 

he was a baby how special he was.

Her purpose in life was to keep him safe.

Her love was so great for Moses that she was willing to place

 him in a basket alone in the river.

Today that would be consider abandonment...

the mother could be prosecuted in the courts.

God did not let Moses die alone in his little basket.

It is a wonderful story that unfolds here.

The little basket was found among the grasses by Pharaoh's daughter.

This young girl was already developing her motherly instinct.

She was moved with pity for him and said,

“It is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

Even though she recognizes who Moses belongs to,

she does not let that stop her from wanting to save his life.

Shortly they seek one of the female servants

 to nurse the found child.

I can only imagine the mother's joy when the mother 

of Moses was summoned to care for him.

Her sorrow at having left her son alone in a basket

was turned into a tempered joy.

It was a tempered joy. because as she could love and nurse

 her own child she could not let the Pharaoh's

 daughter know the truth.

Pharaoh’s daughter,

who adopted him as her son and called him Moses;

for she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

God actively protected Moses until his natural death.

There was no way that the mother and sister of Moses 

could have known how important he was to God's plan.

It was not necessary for them to know God's plan.

They might have made different choices had they been told.

It was better for them to let their female instinct to prevail.

It was the hearts of each of these women

 who brought about the protection of Moses.

Moses needed to be nurtured by his birth mother

 in the house of the Pharaoh.

As the story is written it appears to be a seamless process.

God was overseeing all that occurred then just

 as he continues to do in our lives.

It may be true that we do not need another Moses,

God knows who and what we need.

God is quietly putting his plan into action.

What part will you play?

Are you to prepare the basket, making it water proof?

Are you to lift the basket?

Are you to care for the infant child?

God's plan came to fruition as Moses grew older and wiser.

Soon he came to understand that he was chosen 

by God for something important.

We may never know until we stand before God

 just how important our role was while here on earth.

A touch, a smile, a caring word...

maybe that is vital in God's plan for you.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

freely gave herself up for God's plan.

May she Bless us in her prayers for us.

Feeling Blessed to be a woman.

A mother's instinct can be the saving grace.

~~~ Peace ~~~