Your Full Potential

~~~ Romans 12:5-16AB ~~~ Psalm 131 ~~~ Luke 14:15-24 ~~~

...we have gifts that differ

 according to the grace given to us...

We though many, are one Body in Christ.

Each of us is an important part 

of the living functional Body of Christ.

God did not just randomly give you a special gift or talent.

He fashioned your gift exactly for you.

Then along with that gift he infused 

you with his grace.

It is this grace that allows you to succeed best 

when you are exercising your gift.

It is the grace that drives you to be 

convinced of your gifts.

It is the grace that encourages you to be 

the best that you can be in your field.

It is the grace that gives you the courage to give 

one hundred percent to your career.

Be the best that you can be;

it is possible through his grace.

Let love be sincere;

hate what is evil,

hold on to what is good;

love one another with mutual affection;

anticipate one another in showing honor.

Use your gifts to make the world a better place.

Use you gifts to spread the joy of salvation.

Use your gifts where it is difficult...when 

you would rather be passive.

Rejoice in hope...

Persevere in prayer...

Do not grow slack in zeal.

You cannot be part of the Body of Christ

if you are like a hang nail.

The Body of Christ is to be the source of all grace

The source of all spiritual energy.

The Body of Christ is where we learn

 to love one another with mutual affection.

Since we are all part of the Body of Christ 

it is there where we can find true rest and peace.

God's grace reflects among all of us 

when we exercise our gifts.

When we exercise our gifts the Body

 becomes more brilliant.

The more brilliant the better 

we can hold on to what is good.

Blessings of grace to develop

 your gifts to their full potential,

~~~Peace~~~

Led By a Star

~~~ The Epiphany of the Lord ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 60:1-6 ~~~Psalm 72 ~~~ Ephesians 3:2-3A, 5-6 ~~~

~~~ Mathew 2:1-12 ~~~

Led by a star three wise men began the journey of a lifetime.
They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh;
gifts fit for any earthly king.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

They shared their enthusiasm for the quest with King Herod,
who shared in their enthusiasm with ulterior motives.

All kings shall pay him homage,

all nations shall serve him.

King Herod supported their journey because
 he planned to annihilate the infant king threat.
Herod never intended to pay homage to this infant king.

The three magi had no idea that when they came
 into the presence of this child they would be changed.

They were touched deep within their hearts
 by the sheer love and peace of this child.

They were led by a star into the presence of the true light of the world.
They came into contact with The Light of the World.
Laying their gifts at the foot of the crib they fell
 to their knees to pay him homage.

In a dream, from God, these three did not return to King Herod.
They went home by an alternate route.
They took a route that would bypass the King.

They could have ignored the dream, but they didn't.
They could have returned to Herod with the whereabouts
 of Jesus, but they didn't.

Some say it was the gift of gold that made it possible
 for the Holy Family to flee in the days ahead.

I wonder, what did happen to these three magi?
Did they go their separate ways?
Did they ever speak of their experience at the crib that night?

This story, true or not, gives us reason to pause
 and ask ourselves a question.

Have we changed because of this tiny infant?
What gifts can we offer?
When we walk away what do we carry away?
How has the peace of the Holy Family
impacted us as we go forward?

We too are led to the Child Jesus.
Blessings to be changed by his peace.
~~~Peace~~~

The Grace Factor

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

 

~~~ Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Matthew 9:9-13 ~~~

 

...live in a manner worthy of the call you have received...

Jesus invited his first twelve from different walks of life and occupations.
They were not all fishermen; Jesus wanted diversity.
He chooses Matthew called Levi, the tax collector.
Yesterday we looked at the issue of money and here
we see Jesus choosing a man who deals with money
every day....it is his  job.

Tax collectors were not known for their honesty.
They routinely took advantage of the people because they could.
They had a position of authority
and no one wanted to associate with the tax collectors.

As soon as Jesus calls out to Matthew to follow him,
 he leaves behind his love of money.
Somehow he knew following Jesus was the right thing for his future.
In accepting his call he began to change his life.
Following Jesus meant he began to live a life worthy of the call.
He had knowledge of money and finances but now
he could see something higher.
Now he would experience the better way to live life.
He would see, as he accompanied Jesus, how
to treat others with love and mercy.
 

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

 

 Matthew was given grace by God, but first
he had to accept the invitation.
Jesus is always extending the invitation to us to follow him.
Some respond quickly as Matthew did
others take a little more time like Paul.
 

 

Jesus surrounded himself with people who had different gifts.
For some Jesus needed to assure them that he would provide
the necessary grace for them to realize their gifts.  

Those who knew Matthew were surprised when they saw him with Jesus.
Jesus dined and socialized with those who were considered
sinners and outcasts;
for this he was judged and criticized. 

 

 Jesus told his critics...
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.

 That would be us...Jesus came to call us, we are all sinners.

He calls us and redeems us making us able to live worthy of his call.
We are only worthy of his call if we humbly accept his abundant grace.

His grace is pouring down upon us, open your heart and let it overflow.
Never under estimate the power of his grace.

Jesus Blesses those he calls with his Grace.
It is only by this grace that we can
begin to live in a manner worthy of his call.

You are called. You are given grace.
Now it is up to you.
Will you live in a manner worthy of your call? 

Three Profound Gifts

~~~ Solemnity of the Epiphany ~~~

 

~~~Isaiah 60:1-6~~~Psalm 72~~~Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6~~~Matthew 2:1-12~~~

 

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

 

Today's Gospel gives us one of the most intriguing Biblical stories.

Who are these three men from afar?

And did a star really lead them to the manger? Really?

Matthew gives us the only gospel accounting of the three wise men.

 

These three brought gifts of great treasure.

The gifts symbolically represented all of who Jesus is...

King, Prophet, and Savior.

Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh,

the three gifts offered to pay homage to the infant Jesus.

 

The glory of the Lord was shining brightly over all the nations.

The heavens and the earth shall adore the Lord.

 

The prophet Isaiah foretold that great gifts would be brought before the Messiah.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

 

The three wise men traveled miles across the desert.

The primary mode of transportation would have been on camels.

Camels were created to survive in the desert.

The Arabic meaning of camel means 'beauty'.

Contrary to popular beliefs, it is the shape of the camel's blood cells

that allows them to survive

long periods without water, not their humps.

 

Sheba was representative of royalty and wealth.

Due to the notoriety of the Queen of Sheba it would have been very significant

for those from Sheba would travel to the manger.

 

 

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

 

The first gift of Gold

represents the kingship of the infant Jesus.

His kingdom, as we now know, was not of this world.

The kingdom of Jesus would be the eternal kingdom of God.

 

The second gift of Frankincense

represents the position of Jesus as priest.

Incense was part of the rituals preformed in the temple.

It also represents the Divinity of Jesus.

Today we still use incense during our special liturgies or high Masses.

Incense also represents our prayers rising up to God.

In many ways rising incense is mysterious.

 

The third gift of Myrrh

represents the death and crucifixion of Jesus.

Myrrh comes from a thorny tree.

When the tree is deeply wounded the resin drips out and is harvested.

Jesus would be crowned with thorns.

Jesus would be deeply wounded.

His blood would drip down.

Saving us one drop at a time.

Myrrh was often used in embalming by the ancient Egyptians.

 

The three gifts brought by the Magi are prophetic by their very nature.

The wise men could have brought other gifts of beauty and wealth,

but they chose Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

 

'...upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory...'

 

We too can bring a gift to the infant Jesus.

The best gift we can give is the gift of ourselves.

Give back to God what he has given you...

Restored...Adorned...Rejected

~~~ Ez 16:1-15, 60,63 ~~~ Psalm(Is 12) ~~~Matthew 19: 3-12~~~

Most likely the shorter version from the prophet Ezekiel

will be heard today, but I would encourage you to get the Bible

and read Chapter 16. It is a beautiful poetic writing

reflecting honesty and great love. It describes how the daughter,

Jerusalem, was born.

What is most evident is that the usual birth rituals

were not performed.

The navel cord was not cut,

the ritual washing and anointing were not done.

The child was not even swaddled, but instead

thrown out on the ground.

This child was passed by and told to live in its blood and

grow like a plant in the field.

The child grew and developed, but was stark naked.

In old age God came and used his cloak to cover the child's nakedness.

At this point God entered into a covenant with the child, Jerusalem,

claiming her for his own.

Once God extended his care and his covenant

everything changed.

Jerusalem was transformed into a beautiful princess.

Dressed in the finest of textiles and adorned with fine jewelry.

This transformation by God to an entity of beauty was squandered.

Jerusalem was

"...captivated by your own beauty,
you used your renown to make yourself a harlot..."

Everything that had been gifted by God was misused and wasted.

The beauty evolved into a source of corruption.

God gives us gifts free to use.

God gives us gifts with no strings attached.

God gives us gifts to use wisely.

God gives us gifts; it should follow that we want to return

praise back to him in thanksgiving.

Once we break relationship with God he is not required to repair it,

but if we let him he will.

Repairing a broken relationship does not mean that the consequences

of your actions are also erased.

God did just that with Jerusalem...

he restored the relationship, but it was not the same as before.

"I will re-establish my covenant with you,
that you may know that I am the LORD,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD."

Sometimes restoration requires accepting the associated loss too.

All things can be restored by God, but the harm done is just that

harm done.

If a drunk driver accidentally kills someone while driving

nothing will bring that person back to life,

but the driver can be restored

to living a life of sobriety.

"Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth."

Give appropriate credit to the One who is deserving of it, God.

God chose Jerusalem to be his and then God was ignored.

It is not a good practice to ignore God.

Every Breath You Take

~~~ Acts 17: 15, 22- 18: 1~~~ Psalm 148 ~~~ John 16: 12-15 ~~~

Today the reading form the Acts of the Apostles

gives one of the most beautiful verses...

"For 'In him we live and move and have our being'..."

How can you read those few words and not rejoice?

How can you read those words and not be filled with gratitude?

He sustains us each and every day through his love for us.

I am truly sad for those who try to deny God in their lives.

I am sad for those who want to condemn even God

 instead of giving him praise and thanksgiving

for their very breath.

He, our Lord and God gives life to each and every living thing.

He created us in his image, 'we are the offspring of God'.

As Pentecost approaches let us be aware of the Wonder and Awe of God.

Wonder and Awe is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

More on those in future posts.

Also in Acts today a word of caution...

"We would like to hear you on this some other time"

it might not be such a wise decision to put God on the side until later.

When the Holy Spirit is acting in your life and stirring up your heart

it is time to listen.

It may also be time to take action.

We do have a patient and polite God...

I would invite you to think twice before asking him

to wait until 'some other time'.

Do not put of until tomorrow what God is asking of you today.

He may only make the offer one time...Who knows?

Be open to the Holy Spirit...sent by the Father to be with us

after the Son returned to him.

The Father just keeps on giving us priceless gifts...

first his Son and then the Holy Spirit.

"For 'In him we live and move and have our being'..."

What more could we possibly ask of him?

"Everything that the Father has is mine;

for this reason I told you that he will take

from what is mine and declare it to you."

We humbly stand before the Lord unworthy as we are

to receive his many gifts.

To him we give praise and glory.

Let each breath you take be a reminder that we do indeed

live and move and have our being

in Him.

The Guiding Star

In 1953 Disney released the animated film Peter Pan.  In the movie Tinkerbell, sometimes portrayed as a spot of light, accompanies Peter Pan on his journeys. She is well known for sprinkling her pixie dust.

So for some odd reason the image of Tinkerbell comes to mind as I am reflecting on the Magi following the star of Bethlehem. The Maji came from the East, visited King Herod, who was clueless as to what was happening until their visit. The Magi had been studying the heavens, they had their eyes fixed to the sky. They were scholars, learned men. They were on a journey.

These three wise men were looking up into the night sky. This bright star became their GPS guiding them on their journey to the Christ child whom they were seeking. Seek the Lord and he will be found.

Deut.4:29, "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Is 55:6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near."

The Three Kings were actively seeking the Lord to bring him their gifts. They are our models for what it means to seek the Lord. It means you must take action. 

Some might say this story of star gazing sounds a little new age...oops we are in the Bible here. And once again a dream is used as the vehicle to deliver a message to God's chosen ones. In this case the dream reveals to the wise men to return home a different way; not to advise Herod of the location of the 'baby'.

When you find the Lord you will be a changed person; you will be convicted to live a different life. A life dedicated to spreading the good news...the saving grace has come down to us.

Another interesting point about this Magi story is what they do when they enter into the presence of Jesus...they prostrate themselves before him. They do not just kneel to give him honor and praise, they lay face down on the ground before him.

It must have surprised Mary and Joseph that these well dressed strangers, who had been led to them by a star would fall to the ground before them without hesitation.

Stars are only visible to us when darkness has covered the sky. How appropriate that this  bright star leads the way to the one who is the Light of the World. In a world covered with so much darkness today we have Jesus to be our bright star. We have Jesus to lead and guide us through his light. Out of darkness light shines brightly.

This original image was a reflection of moonlight on the sea.

This kaleidoscope image captures the light from above shining brightly for us to see.



When you notice the stars of the nighttime sky remember as you seek the Lord; he is your light. Give him your all as the Magi did...lay yourself before him. You too can have your very own Epiphany!