Be Ready to Dance

~~~ Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~1 KGS 17:17-24 ~~~ Psalm 30 ~~~

~~~ Galatians 1:11-14A, 15AC, 16A, 17, 19 ~~~ Luke 7:11-17 ~~~

You changed my mourning into dancing;

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

On the surface the readings today seem to be about death.

The widow's son dies while she is hosting

 the prophet Elijah.

Even Elijah is scratching his head; 

questioning God's timing.

We know that God's plan is bigger than ours.

We know that sometimes we do not understand 

God's plan to take a loved one. 

We struggle so many times with the death of a loved one.

The loss of her son for this widow was devastating.

He was literally her last hope.

She was dependent on her only son 

for her future.

For this widow it is literally life and death.

Elijah feels her pain.

Elijah has great compassion for his hostess.

He takes it upon himself to plead 

on her behalf to God.

God responded to Elijah...

he turned the widow's mourning into dancing.

 I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

God worked through Elijah...

God breathed life back into the child.

Miracle? Yes. God is the one who gets the credit.

Elijah surrendered himself to God.

God used Elijah as his representative.

God worked through Elijah.

 I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Jesus, followed by a great crowd, 

encounters another widow mourning the loss of her son.

Both Jesus and the widow come face to face, 

along with their respective crowds.

The two crowds had no idea what they 

were about to witness.

The funeral procession is halted 

through the compassion of Jesus.

Jesus touches the coffin and calls for 

the young man to rise.

Then Jesus carries him, 

as he was talking, to his mother.

These two crowds witnessed the power 

of God over death.

Yes, they were all filled with fear.

Even in their fear they were compelled to glorify God.

“A great prophet has arisen in our midst, “

and “God has visited his people.”

We know God is with us.

God is with us in our darkest times.

God is with us when it seems our mourning will 

never turn to dancing.

We have been promised that on the last day 

we will be raised from the dead.

We will have eternal life in heaven.

Our mourning will be turned into dancing.

We too can experience the joy of the two widows.

Blessing as God teaches us to dance.

~~~Peace~~~

Bread...Broken and Shared

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 8:1B-8 ~~~ Psalm 66 ~~~ 

~~~ John 6:35-40 ~~~ 

I am the bread of life;

whoever comes to me will never hunger...

Did you ever wonder why 

Jesus chose bread to become his body?

He could have any available food, but

 he chose bread and wine.

Bread was shared at meals. 

Bread was broken apart...torn apart.

Bread nourishes our body.

Bread is a complement to every meal.

Jesus nourishes our body.

He is the Bread of Life because without 

him we would perish.

Every culture has some form of bread.

Every occasion we have to consume bread 

can be a reminder of the One who also

 nourishes our spiritual life.

How could God have known that bread

 would be around for thousands of years?

Many people can not imagine a meal without bread.

Bread is the foundation upon which a whole meal can be built.

Imagine the best sandwich you have ever eaten.

Jesus, the Bread of Life, is so much better.

I will not reject anyone who comes to me,

because I came down from heaven not to do my own will

but the will of the one who sent me.

In the Old Testament bread was a symbol of hospitality.

It was often shared with strangers.

If you broke bread with someone it was assumed

 that you had a relationship with him.

So to betray one with whom you

 had broken bread was a serious insult.

Jesus broke bread many times with the apostles before

 speaking the words of his being the bread of life.

Jesus gives us himself as the Bread of Life

we will not be rejected.

No one who comes to the table of the Lord 

will be refused or turned away.

God invites each one of us to come to him.

When we come to him he will feed our soul

 with the Body and Blood of his only

 begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus left us visible signs to remind us of his presence.

Things we can see make a greater impression

 on our memory than written or spoken words.

Our brain likes to be able to picture things 

we want to remember.

Jesus gave us himself in bread...

something every culture can visualize.

Jesus is not a loaf of bread,

but he uses bread to give us himself.

Moses and those in the desert 

were given manna from heaven.

We have been given Jesus himself...

he is the bread of life.

During the consecration of the Mass

Jesus is Present...

he invites us to receive

 his body and blood.

Blessed to receive the Bread of Life

as we journey to our eternal destination of heaven.

~~~Peace~~~

Betrayed...Denied

~~~ Isaiah 49:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ John 13:21-33, 36-38 ~~~ 

For now the LORD has spoken

who formed me as his servant from the womb...

I will make you a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

The prophet Isaiah speaks beautifully

 of Jesus being 

formed in the womb, 

as we know the womb of Mary.

We also are known by God 

while we are yet in our mother's womb.

Because God has this intimate connection with our soul;

we are wonderfully made.

God made Jesus the light for all generations.

Since we are united with Jesus

we too must be a light to others.

Holy Week is not a time for us to walk 

around in sadness,

but rather for us to accept 

how much we are loved by God.

Jesus, knowing his time is drawing near,

begins his good byes.

He loves these twelve men very much.

It must cause him much heartache

to acknowledge that one of them would

 betray him that very evening.

In addition to betrayal he also knows

 that his most trusted follower, Peter, 

would deny him three times.

Not once or twice, but three times.

Peter said to him,

“Master, why can I not follow you now? 

I will lay down my life for you.”

Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?

Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow

before you deny me three times.”

Peter wants to immediately go with Jesus.

He loves Jesus so much that he 

is willing to die for him.

The words of Jesus pierce the heart of Peter.

His words penetrate into the essence of Peter.

He has no concept of how he could 

possibly deny the one he loves and 

admires above everyone else.

There is no way we can predict how we 

would respond in specific situations.

Jesus is the light of the world.

We must keep his light shining within our hearts.

Jesus did not cease to love Peter or Judas.

We know Peter laments his denials.

We do not know if Judas did repent in the end as well.

One thing we can be confident of

is that there is nothing we could do that

 God would not forgive.

Neither betrayal or denial can keep

 us from being blessed with God's love.

You have been loved since you were formed 

in your mother's womb.

~~~Peace~~~

Mary, Mother of God

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 

the Mother of God

~~~ Numbers 6:22-27 ~~~ Psalm 67 ~~~ Galatians 4:4-7 ~~~ 

~~~ Luke 2:16-21 ~~~

We begin this new year with one of the most beautiful 

Old Testament blessings...

The LORD bless you and keep you!

The LORD let his face shine upon

you, and be gracious to you!

The LORD look upon you kindly and

give you peace!

The Blessed Mother was Blessed with motherhood.

She was Blessed to be the Mother of God.

God keeps Mary forever close to himself...

She is the handmaid of the Lord.

God shed the grace from his face shining upon her...

that she is forever called Blessed.

The peace of God is also the peace Mary has to offer us.

God became one of us so that we can share in his divinity.

Jesus came so that we might be one with him

 just as he was one with Mary.

The closest we can be to Jesus is in receiving the Holy Eucharist.

Mary carried Jesus within her womb.

We can carry him into every cell of our body

 by consuming the consecrated bread and wine.

We receive Jesus, soul and divinity.

He has claimed us to be his own.

We are his in life and in death.

God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts...

As a mother does so often,

Mary kept in her heart all that had been revealed to her.

The heart of Mary holds our prayers 

silently within ready to intercede on our behalf.

May the Lord Bless you and keep you

as we begin another new year...

May 2016 be a year filled with kindness, mercy,

peace, and above all love.

Jesus became one of us.

JOY

to the World!

It's All About Jesus

~~~ Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle ~~~

~~~Ephesians 2:19-22 ~~~ Psalm 117 ~~~  John 20:24-29 ~~~

Then he said to Thomas,

 “Put your finger here and see my hands,

and bring your hand and put it into my side,

and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Saint Thomas often gets labeled here as 'doubting Thomas'.

The spotlight and focus belongs on Jesus in this scene.

Jesus could have taken the attitude that the

others could tell Thomas about his previous 

visit to them in the upper room.

The others could tell him how Jesus 

appeared to them passing through the locked doors.

This story has never been about Thomas.

This story has always been about Jesus.

Substitute your name for the name of Thomas in this story.

This story tells you exactly what Jesus 

would do to help you have greater faith.

We relate with Thomas because he represents us.

We are always looking for proof...

Proof that we are loved...

Proof that Jesus cares about us.

Today we are given the proof we are looking for.

God loved us first that is why there is nothing 

that he would not do to draw us closer to his heart.

Saint Thomas, be a model for us to believe

that Jesus meets us where we are.

Jesus comes to us even though 

we cannot see him as Thomas saw him.

Whether or not we see Jesus 

does not limit the reality of his presence.

May you continue to grow in faith 

as you accept the fact that Jesus comes to you.

Saint Thomas, pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~

Given and Received

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 22:30; 23:6-11 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~

~~~ John 17:20-26 ~~~

Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me...

Have you ever considered yourself as a gift to another person?
The first year my husband and I celebrated Christmas
as a married couple I wrapped up a big box
put a big bow in my hair
and put my chin on top of the back of the box.
I joyfully announced that I was his Christmas gift.
We were poor newly weds spending
 the holidays away from our families.

We still laugh about that time today some
forty years after the fact.

Jesus is telling the Father, with much joy,
that we are his gift.
He is so excited with his gift
 that he does not want to leave us behind.

We often hear people speak about not being able
 to take this or that with them when they die.

These things are mostly referring to our material
worldly possessions.

Here Jesus is speaking about taking us with him.
When you truly love another separation is painful.
Jesus knows that we belong with him
just as all gifts are for the recipient.

Gifts are chosen specifically for the intended receiver.
It is no different when it comes to the gift
 the Father chose for the Son.

You and I were chosen to be given to the Son...
we are his gifts.
We were not chosen haphazardly.
We were chosen by Divine intention.

This time of year we have many occasions to give
 a gift to someone...weddings, graduation, birthdays...

As you are shopping for the next gift consider,
 for just a moment the very gift that person
 is not just to you but for Jesus.

The Father gave all of us as gift to Jesus...
even those who we would not consider as gift.

Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me..

I can only imagine how Jesus spoke of us
with great enthusiasm and joy.

God the Father could not have chosen
a better gift for Jesus than to give him you.

Blessed to be given and received in love.
~~~Peace~~~

Samson...John...Jesus...

~~~ Judges 13:2-7, 24-25A ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ Luke 1:5-25 ~~~   

Samson and John...
Both born of barren parents...
Both visited by an angel of the Lord.

Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard... 

When you want something as much as these
 two couples wanted to have a child
each passing day increases the tension.

It would have been understandable
for them to have gotten very frustrated.

God senses their feeling of loss.
Of course when the angel appears to deliver the good news
of their conception they react with fear.

Fear masks joy and smothers happiness.
The angel quickly wipes away their anxieties with
words of answered prayers.
We all want to hear words of answered prayers.

The angel visited Samson's mother giving
 her the glad tidings of her pregnancy.

With John's parents the angel came to his father, Zechariah.

Zechariah spent much of his time inside the temple,
his job was to keep the incense burning.
...he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.  

Chosen to enter the sanctuary...a great honor...
but to remain childless was an equally great disappointment.
Two barren wives loved by their husbands
with or without a child.

Samson... 
...grew up and the LORD blessed him;
the Spirit of the LORD stirred him.

When the time is right God comes into our life
 and works miracles beyond our imagination.

Two couples blessed just when they
 had reason to believe their age was against them.

Be not afraid your prayer has been answered.
Blessings overcoming all fears.
~~~Peace~~~

The Hope for Something Greater

~~~ Romans 1:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Luke 11:29-32 ~~~

 

This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.

 

We are so filled with doubt that we too want visible proof.

'Seeing is believing' may just be our crutch.

Too often we are lacking in faith, trust and hope.

In life there seems to always be something better

whether it is in our imagination or actual.

We seem to never be satisfied.

 

Jesus is telling the crowd...

I am not going to give you another sign.

You have Jonah.

Jonah emerged after three days.

 His preaching saved the entire city of Nineveh.

The people heeded his words, took the appropriate action

and God spared them from destruction.

 

Jesus goes on...what Jonah did was great and wonderful.

but there is something far better, much greater.

 

 ...there is something greater than Jonah...

 

 

The people all knew the story of Jonah.

How could anything be greater?

An entire city was spared the wrath of God.

 

Jesus was giving them a preview of what was to come.

He was speaking about himself as the one

who would bring about something greater

 than the saving of one city.

 

Jesus was sent by the Father to secure salvation for all peoples.

Jesus was not only the greater he was the greatest.

Through his death all generations would be able to be granted salvation.

 

Our salvation is a gift from God.

The people of Nineveh showed their willingness to repent

 in a very visible way...

sackcloth....ashes...fasting.

What are we doing so many years later?

Are we willing to show visible signs of our repentance?

Is Ash Wednesday sufficient?

 

Jesus called the people he was speaking to

an evil generation.

I wonder what he would say to us today?

If you tune into the evening news regularly

you may begin to think that we are the evil generation.

We are inundated with images of our culture of death, yet we have

the greatest gift of eternal life.

 

Blessings come in believing something greater

is a reality in our world today.

The Lord has made known his salvation.

Complete...Whole...Perfect

~~~ 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Matthew 5:43-48 ~~~

 

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

Matthew just sort of throws in this little verse for good measure.

If you are a believer then you might as well go all the way...

that is you might as well strive to be perfect.

Actually this is not what the writer meant.

 

In the ancient text perfect meant to be whole...to be complete.

It is only in Christ that we can come close to being perfect.

We can only reach this state of wholeness

when we are united with Jesus in heaven.

For now it is our daily task.

It is compounded by the fact that most of us do not realize

ourselves as being less than complete.

 

We do not view ourselves in the deficit column.

Most of the time we are half of what we could be;

certainly not perfect.

We have been offered something great to strive toward.

 

We do not love completely.

We do not give completely.

We do not forgive completely.

 

What is whole and complete in our lives?

The truth is nothing.

What a disappointment...to not have one whole thing in our life.

 

 

The closest we can come in this world to perfection

 is when we remove the focus from our self.

When we are no longer infatuated with ourselves;

then we come closer to being whole...perfect.

It sounds like a contradiction but it is the truth.

We cannot be complete until we go outside of ourselves...

until we look to those around us who are in need.

 

Every person we come in contact with

is in need of something that we can offer.

You are in each others life for a reason...to bring one another

 closer to wholeness; that is perfection.

 

Jesus came down to live among us

...he became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.

 

Jesus shows us what it means to be complete...whole...perfect.

He clothed himself with our fragile human form.

Through this supreme sacrifice he brought to perfection the will of the Father.

He made it possible for us to once again be whole and complete...

to enter into everlasting life with him in heaven.

 

The depth of our relationship with God

will be fleshed out in the wholeness of who we become.

Unless we have this God relationship

we can never be complete,

whole or perfect.

 

Work on this relationship with God and you will be

on your way to becoming perfect.

The more we come to realize how much God loves us

the more we will be able to love others.

Blessings of wholeness

stream down from the perfection of God.

It is Our Time...

 

~~~ Tobit 1:3; 2:1a-8 ~~~Psalm 112 ~~~ Mark 12:1-12 ~~~

 

“All your festivals shall be turned into mourning,
and all your songs into lamentation.”

In the Gospel reading we see Jesus delegating his authority.

The landlord leaves the care of his vineyard to his tenants.

The landlord has prepared the vineyard with great care.

He has provided everything necessary for a thriving prosperous vineyard.

He was looking forward to reaping the benefits.

He was trusting the tenant to take good care of the vines.

He was trusting the tenant to be honest.

Imagine how shocked he was when his expectations were dashed by the greediness

and dishonesty of the his tenant.

 

Clearly the owner had high expectations for his vineyard.

Having a rental property, I can identify with the problems associated

with having someone else taking advantage of you.

 

In this case the crime of murder is carried out by the tenant.

This act of the taking of someone's life seems so extreme for a few grape vines.

But it is more about what this property represents than its potential.

 

The landlord eventually sends his own son to face death

in order to communicate with the tenant.

 

 

Of course the whole point of the story is to grab our attention

and perhaps give us a jolt of reality.

 

Didn't we do the very same thing to Jesus?

 

This gospel story is directly connected to God the Father sending his Son

down to us. We are now the tenants of the vineyard.

Have you ever paused to reflect

on how well we are caring for what has been entrusted to us?

From the beginning of Genesis we see how the good 'landlord' provides for us.

We squandered it all away.

We crumbled in the face of temptation...we bit into the apple.

One small bite changed everything.

That one morsel, sweet as it was,

set into motion the corrupted disposition of the heart.

Humans, God's creation, were now capable of murder...

including killing the Son of the Landlord.

 

It is now up to us; we must care for the vineyard.

Keep working in the vineyard for the juice of the harvest is so sweet.

Persevere when times are bleak and terror surrounds you.

Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.

 

On this day in 1963 Blessed John Paul XXIII died.

He was proclaimed 'Blessed' in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

We eagerly await his canonization to be finalized in the near future.

 

No matter the cost preserve the vineyard.

The Landlord is generous and lavishes grace on his trustworthy tenants.

It is our time to care for the vineyard.

Profess Your Love Now

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 25:13b-21 ~~~ Psalm103 ~~~ John 21:15-19 ~~~

 

“Do you love me?”

 

Peter's reaction makes you think the question was almost frivolous.

Peter is saying Jesus, you already know the answer, so why are you asking the question?

Sometimes we ask a question when we know the answer

just so we can get the other person to say the words. 

In Peter's case, this was after he had denied knowing Jesus three times.

If you love someone why would you deny knowing them?

 

First Peter surrenders to Jesus as all knowing;

then he gives his affirmative answer.

Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.

 

As a parent or a spouse we still like to hear the words...

'I love you'.

When an angry child screams, "I hate you"

 that can really hurt your heart for a minute.

 

But then you realize the child was just angry

 and really does not mean what they said.

 

So I truly believe that Jesus knew Peter loved him

in spite of the previous statements of denial.

 

 Jesus knew that Peter spoke out of fear and not out of love.

 

Jesus invites us to 'follow him' in the good times and in the bad times.

When the chips are down.

When the easy way out is looking more attractive.

When everyone else is taking an easier path.

 

Jesus says, "Follow me".

He will be the light for the path.

He will lead the way; as a shepherd leads his flock.

 

 

Paul follows Jesus and finds himself being wrongfully accused;

facing the official leaders.

 

'...lead you where you do not want to go.'

 

Paul like Jesus was led where they did not want to go...

ultimately to their own death.

 

We too are susceptible to being led where we do not want to go...

more often then not due to our own selfishness...

or in response to peer pressure.

Yes, even adults can make poor decisions when in the company of others.

Paul and Jesus were physically being led.

Paul and Jesus submitted to their accusers.

We, however, are in control of our own actions...

we do not have to allow other to lead us astray.

 

 The old saying

'the devil made me do it'

is really nothing more than an excuse.

 

Following Jesus because he loves us gives us reason

to make good decisions.

Our actions reflect the attitude of our heart.

The Easter Blessings close with the greatest gift we have from Jesus;

and that is love.

 

“Do you love me?

When was the last time you told Jesus that you loved him?

Tell him right now, please!

Come, O Wisdom, Come

~~~ Fourth Sunday of Advent ~~~

~~~Micah 1:1-4a~~Psalm 80~~Hebrews 10:5-10~~Luke 1: 39-45~~~

Greatness will come forth from the small and lowly.

One too small to have its own clan will be the birthing place

of one who's origin is ancient.

 

I have visited the giant ancient redwoods of the West coast and they are very impressive. The tower so high into the sky that you cannot see the tops.

Their trunks are so massive that a road can be carved out of the middle.

 

Ancient has to do with the passage of time, but in this scenario

ancient is referring to an infant.

 

"...his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace..."

 

The infant Christ child.

The Ancient One embodies the wisdom of the ages.

Even as a child Jesus carried with him great wisdom.

Wisdom brought with him from the Father.

 

 

Jesus came first to do the will of the Father.

 

"...And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"

 

Let this question echo in our hearts

as the words were spoken by Elizabeth.

 

Mary not only brought forth Love and Mercy into our world

she also brought the ancient Wisdom of God.

Jesus is the complete gift.

He satisfies every need.

He, Jesus, should be all we want for Christmas...

a greater intimacy with the Ancient One

born into this world as an infant...

The Word made flesh.

 

Blessed is She among women...

filled with Grace...

She gave birth to a Son.

Come, O Wisdom, Come!

Dwell among us.

Live with us!

The Lineage of Wholeness

~~~ Genesis 49:2, 8-10 ~~~ Psalm 72 ~~~ Matthew 1:1-17 ~~~

 

Today in the gospel from Matthew we are given seventeen verses

listing the genealogy of Jesus.

The older I get the more my ancestral history has come to be valued.

When you are young you don't think too much farther back

 than your grandparents.

It is difficult for children to grasp the concept

that their parents were once little children just like them.

 

In an effort to teach the value of ancestors teachers often

give the family tree assignment.

I remember one of my younger sisters getting in trouble

with her teacher for not placing

any aunts and uncles on her family tree illustration.

When in reality my sister was correct.

Our parents are both only children

so we do not have any aunts and uncles.

An entire section of our family tree has no branches.

Really strange when you think about it...

are the branches bare or do they just not exist at all?

 

Establishing the lineage of Jesus fulfills the prophecies,

but it gives us a human connection to him.

We can identify with and understand the importance

of family connections.

Listing, as in a litany, the lineage of Jesus

gives it a formality worthy

of who he is...the Son of God.

 

Life has a rhythm and reciting the ancestors of Jesus

also sustains a rhythm

all of its own.

 

This passage proclaims Jesus as one of us even before the

angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.

The lineage of Jesus was evolving with the passage of time.

 

I do not believe in numerology, but I think you would agree

that some numbers have

specific meaning in the Bible.

That is another whole blog post for the future.

 

I began to explore the number fourteen in the Bible.

Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.

 

We know that the number seven implies perfection or completeness.

To the Jews the number seven or its multiples was significant.

The seventh day was the Sabbath.

The seventh month was holy and had three feast days.

At Passover fourteen lambs were offered.

 

Thus the lineage of Jesus is connected

for us to perfection and completeness.

When Jesus was born the Old Testament prophecies were finally complete.

From Abraham to the Nativity many generations passed,

 before the coming of the Christ child.

 

 

If one looks closely at this lineage of Jesus you see that there are several

individuals that you would not care to have in your family tree.

 

But here they are in the family tree of Jesus.

Jesus comes into our midst no matter what.

We cannot make the excuse of not being worthy.

We cannot be boastful about being worthy either.

 

Jesus enters into the good times of our life,

as well as the bad times.

 

So I guess one could say that there is some darkness

even in the lineage of the Christ.

What matters the most is that when was born all darkness was dispelled.

His light broke into the darkness making it possible for us

to inherit the grace to live a holy life.

 

This Christmas as your family comes together remember that you

have the light of Christ;

it is up to you to let it shine out to your family.

 

As part of the Body of Christ we are continuing the lineage of

the baby in the manger lying in the hay.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

~~~ Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11 ~~~ Psalm 80 ~~~ Matthew 17: 9a, 10-13 ~~~

One of the oldest children's games is Rock Paper Scissors.

It is popular because it requires nothing but a friend and yourself.

Here are the rules:

Rock...make a fist with your hand

Paper....lay your hand out flat

Scissors...make a cutting motion

by opening your pointer and middle fingers

Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock...

The objective is to select a gesture which defeats that of the opponent.

It is a fun game to select a 'winner'.

 

In the scriptures today we have Elijah, John the Baptist, and Jesus.

"In those days,
like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace..."

 

Elijah came before John the Baptist.

John the Baptist came before Jesus.

The coming of Jesus brings more than any of the prophets

or even John the Baptist could offer.

 

John the Baptist confirms what the prophets had been proclaiming

 for many previous years including Elijah.

 

Elijah could call down fire from the sky.

John the Baptist scooped up water from the Jordan River,

poured it over the head of Jesus parting the sky for

the voice of God to proclaim...

this is my beloved Son...

Jesus broke the chains of sin and opened the gates of heaven

so that we may enter into eternal life with him in heaven.

 

Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

 

 

We do not need the play the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors

to see the face of God.

The birth of Jesus in a humble stable 'beats' everything else.

We can see the face of God in the face of the child Jesus.

 

None of the prophets; not Moses or Elijah not even John the Baptist

can compare to what this child Jesus does for us.

He comes with the power given to him from the Father.

He has power over earth, wind, fire, and water.

 

We are in the middle of Advent

the birth of our salvation draws nearer with each passing day.

It is good for us to reflect now on how much

we appreciate what has been done for us.

God sent his only beloved son to live among us.

The Word becomes flesh...

and he lives among us.

Let us rejoice and be glad!

Compassionate God

~~~ Isaiah 25:6-10a ~~~ Psalm 23 ~~~ Matthew 15:29-37 ~~~

 

The Lord is my shepherd...psalm 23

one of the most well known

and often quoted scripture verses.

Not because we know much about sheep and shepherds,

but because we find comfort in trusting that God will take care of us.

None of have had the experience of tending for a herd of sheep, but

we believe that the shepherd only wants what is good for his sheep.

It is an analogy that gives us comfort when we consider

our relationship with God.

A shepherd watches over his flock night and day.

He does not allow the dangers of darkness access to his sheep.

When we contemplate God as our shepherd we somehow know

 that even in our darkness he is there watching over us.

 

God will provide for all of our needs.

We must keep admit that our 'needs' may not always be what we think.

We have the human tendency to be selfish.

Often our 'needs' are nothing more than 'wants'.

 

 

~~ Compassionate God ~~

 

Great crowds followed Jesus.

They were attracted to him for many reasons;

one being his compassion for others.

You cannot be selfish and compassionate at the same time.

 

The last few weeks I have been listening to a series on compassion and our brain.

It was produced by Sounds True titled The Compassionate Brain.

I invite you to check it out on their site.

 

The latest research confirms the positive effect compassion has on our brain.

When we step away from ourselves and think of others

we are actually improving our mental and spiritual welbeing.

 

Jesus exhibits his compassion through most of his miracles and

interactions with those around them.

"...Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others.
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them."

 

Up on the mountain the sick and the lame were carried to him for healing.

He could have just extended his compassion in healing to those before him,

but he went a step farther.

 

Jeus was also concerned about all of the people present...

even those who dod not come to be healed.

Jesus was sensitive to their real physical hunger.

 

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way."

 

 

Climbing up the hill in the heat to see and hear Jesus

was exhausing, especially if you are now also very hungry.

 

Coming to Jesus may require sacrifice, but not starvation.

Jesus healed the lame and he nourished all those present.

 

Today food trucks would have swarmed to the area

hoping to sell a few thousand tacos.

Hoping to make their monthly quota in a couple hours.

 

There were no such luxuries during the time of Jesus.

He took it upon himself to provide for the needs of the crowd

because of his compassion for others.

 

Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over--seven baskets full.

 

Jesus used what was gathered from the people...

through his blessing the meager amount of food

was more than enough to feed the large crowd.

 

Jesus took the time to be mindful of his surroundings.

He was aware of more then just those who had come for healing.

We miss the fact that God is always aware of our needs.

He is the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock day and night.

He is the Good Sheperd who protects his little sheep

from the attack of the wolf.

 

I invite you to find ways during the Advent time to reach out

to those around you who are less fortunate.

Now is the time to put aside selfishness.

Now is the time to put compassion into practice.

You may even need to begin with compassion for yourself...

this is not being selfish, by the way.

All that Jesus gave he already had within...

given to him from the Father.

We have a Compassionate God

who loves us.

Forgiveness: One Facet of Self-Control

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

 

Here Paul is speaking about the local bishops,

but we need to heed this same message

as followers of Jesus.

 

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

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

 

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

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

to be convinced of the importance of living in goodness,

temperance, and holiness.

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

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

If we practice self control we will have a greater chance

of maintaining our call to holiness.

 

 

Self control has many components; one being forgiveness.

Forgiveness is something we most probably will work on

for our entire life time.

 

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

we will be better prepared to extend forgiveness

for the more serious situations.

Self control to forgive and not retaliate.

 

I continue to be blown away by the number of people

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

Perhaps if we heard more from these individuals

we could all learn how they manage something so difficult.

People have forgiven murders, rapists, and abusers;

 to name just a few.

 

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

If someone wrongs you seven times in the same day

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

But Jesus is saying instead to keep forgiving the person;

to rebuke or correct him.

 

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

Jesus certainly does not say that or imply victim hood.

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

right away if we have hurt another person.

Even if the other person does not grant us forgiveness we

must express our remorse for what we have done.

 

It is through our faith and conviction that we offer forgiveness

 to one who has harmed us.

It is by exercising great self control, through grace,

 that we can forgive.

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

learn to forgive.

Forgiveness requires love, faith, and trust.

The Perfect Planned Community

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

~~~ John 2:13-22 ~~~

Today's readings sound more like the city planners describing their vision.

Water will be abundant and easily accessible no matter what part of the city you inhabit. The available water will insure good produce.

Wildlife will flourish along with the people near the water.

All living creatures need water to survive.

 

This water running through the middle of the city will also be a source of medicine.

Everything has been provided for the people to thrive not just to survive.

They are destined to have the 'good life', in today terms.

 

It reminds me of our 'planned communities' that developers

have become so fond of more recently.

These meticulously designed communities include almost

everything that you would need making

it more attractive to the busy families.

 

 

Of course God was way ahead of us with these ideas...

I think the original Garden of Eden was the first

'planned community'...

the inhabitants just misused it for their own glory.

 

The waters of the river gladden the city of God,

the holy dwelling of the Most High!

 

We are reaping the benefits of what the Master Builder planned for us.

A planned community for eternal life.

Jesus Christ laid the foundation with his life.

The Holy Spirit continuously makes all things new.

We are so blessed.

Let us give thanks for all the Lord has done for us...

especially during this Thanksgiving time.

The Finger of God

~~~ Galatians 3:7-14 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ Luke 11: 15-26 ~~~

 

Brothers and sisters:
Realize that it is those who have faith
who are children of Abraham.

 

Jesus dies on the cross so that we might inherit

"...the blessing of Abraham..."

 

"...so that we (the Gentiles) might receive the promise

of the Spirit through faith."

 

Even today in our families certain beliefs and customs

are passed down from generation to generation.

So it is with faith.

 

Abraham had faith in God so unwavering

that he was willing to sacrifice his son, Issac.

The great faith of Abraham serves as a model for us.

I would encourage you to spend some time this year getting to know

what the Bible says about Abraham.

Without his great faith we might be a very different people.

 

Throughout our life we are shown examples of faith

from those who have gone before us.

These models of faith serve as the building blocks of our own faith.

We are encouraged to believe when we hear or read

of how others relied on their faith.

To learn how God was there for them.

 

Jesus gives another example of faith in the gospel today.

Yes he is one with the Father, but his actions while here on earth

came directly from his Father.

Do you think for one moment Jesus ever had any doubts?

Do you think he was surprised that he could drive out demons?

 

"...But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you."

 

The finger of God...

It only takes a small amount of faith to experience the power of God.

 

 

The finger of God has been at work within humanity throughout all of eternity.

It is the finger of God that touches causes faith to take root in our hearts.

It is the finger of God that touches our brokenness.

It is the finger of God that heals our wounds.

It is the finger of God that covers us with his mercy.

It is the finger of God spreads his love throughout the land.

 

Jesus became the visible extension of the finger of God.

Jesus touched, blessed, changed, multiplied, wrote in the sand,

and cast out demons with the power of the finger of God.

 

"...the Kingdom of God has come upon you..."

 

You have inherited the Kingdom of God

through the promises made to Abraham.

You have inherited the Kingdom of God

through the extreme faith of Abraham.

You are granted access to the Kingdom of God

by the touch of the 'finger of God'.

 

Michelangelo has a magnificent painting in the Sistine chapel

of the finger of God;

I am sure you have seen pictures of it many times.

 

The finger of God may be subtle and may even go unnoticed, but

it almost always touches the heart.

Lord, my heart is longing for your touch.

The Timeless Story of M&M

~~~ Galatians 1:13-24 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Luke 10: 38-42 ~~~

 

We are so familiar with the story of Martha and Mary

 that we may be tempted to let it quickly pass by.

 

Many scripture scholars have written about this gospel story

so there is really not any new perspective I can offer you.

Having several sisters I can totally identify with the complaining

about one or the other.

 

In my family I would more likely be the one sitting at the feet of Jesus

not really worrying about the food.

After all this was Jesus. He was their close friend.

They knew he had done wonderful things as he traveled

from town to town.

As far as that goes he could have taken a small portion of the food

they had on hand and made sure it was enough to feed them all.

 

Of course Martha felt it was her duty

to make sure everything was perfect...the floor swept...

the dishes cleaned and stored away...the meal prepared...the table set...

the water brought up to the house...etc.

 

Mary on the other hand was in love with what Jesus had to say.

Mary wanted to absorb all she could from the words of Jesus

without the distractions of serving at the same time.

 

Martha seems to be not only distracted, but irritated as well.

She hopes to get Jesus to correct the situation.

Martha obviously considered Jesus to be a person of authority.

"Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me."

 

She did not call for Mary to help her from another room.

No, instead she wanted Jesus to intervene on her behalf.

After all Martha was friends with Jesus too.

 

This is typical of the way we often pray intercessory prayers

on behalf of our loved ones.

We ask Jesus to act on our behalf.

We value his words.

We have the advantage in that we now have many stories

referencing the power of Jesus.

Today we know that his words are spirit and life.

 

Martha on the other hand just wanted Jesus to make

her sister get up and help her.

Martha was pulling rank on Mary in hopes that Jesus

would be on her side.

 

But we should not be surprised when Jesus

turns the tables on Martha saying...

 

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her."
 

I would not say that Jesus did not care about Martha's request.

 Quite the contrary, he wanted her to see the situation

from a different perspective.

 

How many times in our lives are we so consumed with being 'Martha'

 that we too miss the point.

The point being, what you do for others

should never take the place of being in the presence of the Lord.

 

 

It is good that we can take the time to slip away from our daily chores;

to come and sit at the feet of the Lord.

Serving others is certainly a good thing, but listening to the word of God

is the better option.

 

It is only by truly hearing the word of the Lord

that we can then begin to serve those around us with the right attitude.

Listening and learning the words of the Lord

lay the foundation for serving others.

This timeless story of Martha and Mary provides us a model of

our pray life and our desire to serve others.

It parallels our spiritual and secular worlds.

Jesus was present to both Martha and Mary.

He was in their home...he was with them both.

 

Perhaps our challenge today is that of being able to balance our lives.

Being able to be both a Martha and a Mary.

Spiritual and secular together yet separate.

No matter where we are we are always in the presence of the Lord.

 

As psalm 139 so beautifully states...

"(Lord) you know when I sit and when I stand..."

 

Have a Blessed day no matter what you are doing.