In the Company of Joy

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 13:44-52 Psalm 98 ~~~ John 14:7-14 ~~~

The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

What do you think?

Does the Holy Spirit come because of our joy or

does joy come in response to the presence of the Holy Spirit?

Is the Holy Spirit always in the company of joy?

Can joy exist without the Spirit?

Sometimes you miss an opportunity at the time it is offered.

This is what happened to the Jewish people;

they had Jesus and his teachings right in their midst.

But they rejected and resisted to the point that 

the disciples moved on to the Gentiles...us.

The Gentiles were hungry to hear the words of salvation.

They rejoiced at being offered the chance to become followers of Jesus.

They had been waiting not knowing that God had them in his plan.

Even if the Jews had not rejected Jesus,

he would have reached out to them eventually.

For so the Lord has commanded us,

I have made you a light to the Gentiles,

that you may be an instrument of salvation

to the ends of the earth.

God's plan was always to include all peoples even though,

in fulfillment of the prophecies, he initially went to the Jewish people.

The disciples were beginning to experience some disillusionment.

Were they really doing the right thing?

Were they even capable of delivering the words 

of salvation promised by Jesus himself?

I can just imagine some of the Gentiles

 expressing relief at finally being allowed

 to openly confirm their beliefs.

The enthusiasm of the Gentiles

 rejuvenated the disciples, giving them new hope in their mission.

They shrugged off their rejection and moved forward.

They had to change the way they looked at the Gentiles.

They had to accept them for who they were...non-Jew.

Being filled with joy and the Spirit the disciples had renewed energy.

They once again had purpose...they had an attentive audience...

they had the commitment of the Gentiles. 

We are Blessed that the disciples did not quit.

They listened to God and reached out to the eager Gentiles.

The Love of God is great enough  to include 

all peoples who chose to believe...

all he calls by name.

~~~ Peace~~~

New Relatives

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest 

and Doctor of the Church

~~~ 2 Samuel 6:12b-15, 17-19 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Mark 3:31-35 ~~~

“Who are my mother and my brothers?”

I used to be shocked by these words
until I learned to see them differently.

Jesus' family did not really fully understand that he
had to go out to the people.
Inside Jesus was teaching those
who would become his disciples...his new family.

Jesus could not rely on his immediate family to be his disciples.
He had to go out to the people. He had to make his mission known.
Those who came to listen to him teach were usually
the ones who then became his disciples.

His family came because they loves him and wanted him to be safe.
Jesus knew that being safe was not going to be
the way of his life.

...For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.

Doing the will of God is what is required to become a true disciple.

Knowing the will of God is not enough;
one must do the will of God.

We must go forth practicing
and spreading the message of salvation.
Once we have become a disciple we will also
be a part of the family...
the family of Jesus.

Would you have been sitting in that group
 around Jesus that day?

Through his blessings we are in His family too.

Is God in Your Boat?

 

~~~ Genesis 19:15-29 ~~~ Psalm 26 ~~~ Matthew 8:23-27 ~~~

 

The disciples followed Jesus into the boat...a boat that belonged to one of them.

They followed him into a familiar space which is often not the case.

 

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

 

Jesus was with them in this familiar place when a violent storm arose.

So many times I heard asked, 'Why would God allow ___ or ___ to happen?'

But here he is leading the way into the boat...

into the waters they had fished in many times.

Is God in your boat of life?

Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;

 

Jesus was there with them but still the storm descended upon them.

Why did he not wake up immediately?

but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

 

Jesus waited for them to come to him.

He was awakened by their desperate cries for help.

Their cries rose above the stormy winds.

“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

 

Perishing is a strong word...this was a violent storm...

they were in a fragile vessel on the open waters.

Perish...to suffer death in a violent, sudden way...

complete and utter destruction.

He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

 

Jesus calmly responds to their terror with questions about their faith.

He was by their side...in their boat...

a place they had been together many times before,

but they were still afraid for their life.

Trust the Lord in all things great and small, good and bad.

Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.

 

Have you ever seen the waters completely still?

A 'great calm' on the water reflects the surrounding beauty and the blue sky above.

It is during the violent storms in life that we are faced

with the depth of our faith and the trust we have in God.

Is your faith strong enough?

How will you know if it is never put to the test?

 

 

He heard their cries for help and got up.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

 

What sort of man calms the seas they ask;

a man who is also God.

There is no storm too great that he can not calm it.

He is all powerful, but we must exercise our belief in this truth.

 

Whatever violent storms are raging in your life today;

ask God to give you his peace.  Ask him to calm all of your fears.

 

Blessings come amidst the raging waters as well as the subsequent calm.

It is only after the rain that we are able to see the colors in the sky.

Nighttime Fears

~~~ Acts 6: 1-7 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ John 6: 16-21 ~~~

The numbers grew to the point where assistants were recruited to take over the daily distribution...these new recruits took over the outreach ministry. This structural change would free up the apostles to concentrate more on prayer and teaching. Seven men deemed holy and wise were chosen. The apostles laid hands on them and prayed over them. The deaconate begins.

Whenever we embark on a new adventure it is normal I think to experience feelings of fear. Sometimes a new adventure is life taking a leap in the dark. You are not sure of where you will land or on what you might be landing.

Are you a risk taker?

I keep a night light on in the living room. I am not comfortable in complete darkness. It makes me feel so uneasy. When I was a little girl I used to be afraid of the man in the moon. My daddy would laugh at me because I was afraid of something he thought was silly. But it was not a silly fear to me at the time.

Sometimes we do not even know what we might be afraid of until we a smack dab in the middle of the fear. Wow, then what!

So the disciples were fishing, surprise, but this night they were out late. A sudden storm forms bring high winds. They are being tossed around in their fishing boat. They are trying to make it back to the shore rowing as best they can in the stormy winds. Their focus is obviously on keeping the boat afloat in the rough waters.

For a moment their fear intensifies when they see Jesus walking on the sea, but his calming words, ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ Put them at ease.

They were eager to take him safely aboard; when he delivers them safely to the shore. When you are facing troubled waters in your life, are you able to trust that God will deliver you safely to the shore?

Even as I write these words, I am not sure of my own level of trust in God.

It is easy to write words;

it is something far different to put them into practice.

"Who Do YOU Say that I Am?"

~~~ James 2: 1-9 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Mark 8: 27-33 ~~~

Every year in my classroom I would have the student who was so eager to answer a question that he could not stay in his chair. Waving his hand in the air frenetically, bouncing up as if his seat was somehow scorching his bottom. It was a sight to behold and usually not how I wanted the student to respond. Even if they did know the correct answer that was certainly not the acceptable way to get the teachers' attention.

This is what I see happening today in the gospel. Jesus is walking along with his disciples, as he did every day,  having a casual conversation when he poses a question to them. "Who do people say that I am?" Jesus knew that the disciples often mingled with the local people and would have overheard their conversations. He was gathering information. He was curious about what people were saying.

Just like a bunch of kids wanting to be heard; they begin to call out answers...John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. But then he stops, turns to them, gets more personal and asks, "But who do you say that I am?" It is here where I see the enthusiastic student...Peter could hardly wait to give the answer. "You are the Christ." Like duh, of course I know who you are.

If you recall just a few verses earlier Jesus was frustrated with the disciples because they did not seem to be catching on. They seemed to be confused as to who Jesus really was and why his actions were important. On this occassion he was just checking to see if anything had improved. Was any progress being made?

Peter confidently gave the answer that alarmed Jesus, "You are the Christ." Jesus knew if the disciples freely announced that he was indeed the Christ more trouble and unrest would be stirred among the Pharisees and others. Peter loved Jesus and did not want to see him suffer. Jesus began to teach them about his fate that was on the horizon. This further disturbed Peter, who tried to convince Jesus to stop revealing these events.

Frustrated with them once again, Jesus scolds them for not thinking on a higher level. He wants them to believe that he has come to save us all. He wants them to start thinking as God does.

The question asked by Jesus that day is also the question we must answer for ourselves. Jesus used the pronoun you, he was directing his question to each individual. It is important for you to answer this same question because God wants to have a personal relationship with you. He wants you to be honest with yourself. You must speak for yourself no one else can determine what your personal relationship is with God.

Your answer to this question must come from within; it must be stated with conviction. It must be stated without doubt or hesitation. It must be stated in humility.

In some situations we give answers we think we should give or answers we think are expected of us. The question today can only be answered by you to God, for he already knows what is in your heart. You cannot fool him. You cannot let another respond for you.

I invite you to take some time today to answer Jesus. He is talking to you.

Who do You say that he is?

If you are not sure of your answer today...pray.

If you are hesitant or fearful to commit to an answer...pray.

If you feel your answer is not good enough...pray.

Jesus desires to have a personal relationship with you.

Jesus wants you to know who he is.

Jesus wants you to believe that he is here for you.

I chose this picture of hot air balloons because once you lift off into the air you are on your own. You are in your own little basket.

This kaleidoscope image reminds me that no matter what is happening around me I must be mindful of my personal relationship with God. Jesus would have taken the form of a human just to save me. How can I deny him an intimate relationship?