Feast of Mary Magdalene, Apostle

~~~ Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene ~~~

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:

the old things have passed away;

behold, new things have come.

Mary Magdalene was the first one to witness 

Christ as the new creation.

The Resurrection put an end to the old things.

The Resurrection gives us evidence of the new things.

Mary Magdalene was the messenger commissioned, 

by Jesus himself, to carry the 'new creation' 

news to the apostles.

Mary Magdalene emerged out of the old ways.

She encountered Jesus and from then on she 

believed that he the one true Messiah.

She saw in Jesus the hope for a better future.

Jesus saw in Mary a woman of great potential

 in spite her demonic possession...so he cured her.

Jesus cured Mary and she too became a new creation.

She became a devout believer and follower of Jesus.

She loved Jesus for the person he was...both divine and human.

She had no way of knowing the human Jesus 

she so loved and honored was also the divine person

 who would die to save the whole world.

...go to my brothers and tell them,

‘I am going to my Father and your Father,

to my God and your God.’

Easter morning it was Mary Magdalene

who first saw the Risen Jesus.

He called her be name and her heart

 leaped with joy.

I can only imagine her 

surprise to hear him call her by name.

She came alone expecting to find 

everything as it had been left.

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,

“I have seen the Lord,”

and then reported what he told her.

St. Thomas Aquinas, referred to St. Mary Magdalene

 as “Apostle of the Apostles,” because she was the one 

who announced Jesus’ resurrection to them and the world.

This woman should be an inspiration to all women.

She was given the most important role 

in proclaiming the Resurrection.

She was entrusted to deliver the news accurately 

in a timely manner.

Pope Benedict XVI’s reflection on Mary Magdalene in 2006:

 “A disciple of Christ is one who, in the experience of human weakness, 

has had the humility to ask for his help, has been healed 

by him and has set out following closely after him, 

becoming a witness of the power of his merciful 

love that is stronger than sin and death,”

 the emeritus pope wrote.

Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for us.

Blessings for all the faithful followers of Christ.

~~~Peace~~~

He Creates Joy

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

We are at the mid point of our Lenten journey;
 the readings are filled with joy.
Jesus came so that we might have eternal life...
that we might be saved from our own weaknesses.
He indeed came to make all things new.
The old ways were no longer sufficient; he gave us more.
God the Father wanted more for us because he loves us.

Thus says the LORD:
Lo, I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
The things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create...

Wow! There will always be rejoicing and happiness
 in what I create.
Notice he said always,
 not sometimes or occasionally, but always.
In our world today we lose sight of joy.
Happiness is often too hard to grasp, or so we feel.

Jesus is about to be crucified and he wants us
 to find joy in his dying for us.
He wants our laughter and joyful singing rather than our tears.

No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there,
or the sound of crying...

He makes all things new in heaven and on earth.
He wants us to look forward to his new creations...
the things of the past remember no more.
His new creation...eternal life...
washes away our past sins.

You changed my mourning into dancing;

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

It is in dying that he secured for us our heavenly home.
In heaven there is only the glory and joy of God.
There will be no more sadness...no more weeping,
but dancing and singing his praises.

Jesus returns to Cana, where he performed his first miracle
changing water into wine.
This visit would be different;
he was able to grant the healing of the soldier's son.
At the very moment he spoke the words of healing
 the child was given new life.

The father realized that just at that time 
Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”

There was nothing but joy and happiness;
that was the only possible response.

Jesus restored the child's life.
Jesus is our Life.
We are his new creation.
We are constantly given the opportunity to become his new creation .
There is no end to what God can create in our lives.

I invite you to pray that God will open your heart
to become his new creation.
All things are possible with God.
There is still time to have a good Lent.
A Lent where you are changed into a new creation.
It is possible to live in joy.
Blessing come in sharing the joy of the Lord.

Do it today...rejoice in his new creation.

It is you!

Can You Let Go?

~~~ 2 Corinthians 5:14-21~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ Matthew 5:33-37 ~~~

 

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away...

Perhaps this is why some refer to becoming Christian as being born again.

If we live our life in and for Christ we are putting aside our old selfish ways.

If we are to be a part of this 'new creation' then we too must be changed.

 

What are the old things that must pass away?

How do we identify the old things?

How do we slough them off?

How can we leave them behind; they represent our areas of comfort.

 

Do you really want to be a new creation?

There is something soothing about the tried and true...the old.

 

...given us the ministry of reconciliation...

Part of the new creation is our ministry of reconciliation.

Reconciling our differences with another person

removes the burrs from your heart.

Reconciling differences with another does not mean that you are the patsy

 who caves in to confrontation.

Reconciling promotes progress and good will. toward others.

When we do not reconcile our differences

we cannot possibly be included in the new creation.

Instead we are part of the stagnant waters of creation.

 

Reconciliation encourages spiritual growth and development.

Christ gave us this ministry of reconciliation

because it goes against human nature.

We are firmly attached to our feelings and beliefs

about things in our life.

Reconciliation must come from a firm desire deep within our heart.

 

 

So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.

 

One of the best ways that we can be genuine ambassadors for Christ

may be precisely through our ability to practice

 the ministry of reconciliation.

I say practice because it does take practice

before it comes part of who we are.

 

We have a merciful God who sent his beloved son,

Jesus, to prove the importance of reconciliation.

Jesus was a living example of reconciliation right up until his last breath

hanging on the cross.

 

In our society today we give too little emphasis on reconciling our differences...

just consider our high rate of crimes and our divorce rate.

It is much easier to walk away rather than come to an agreement

on neutral or middle ground.

 

You are called to be an Ambassador for Christ.

The blessings in return are abundant.

All Life Comes from God

~~~ Holy Saturday ~~~

 

The readings today take us through all of creation.

They are designed to remind us of God's magnificence.

He creates and renews in one breath.

He breathes new life into existence.

He brings restored life out of death.

God is life itself.

The evidence of his breath of life is revealed in a most spectacular way

especially during Springtime.

Plants and animals burst forth with new life.

The trees and flowers give their brilliant colors to the landscape.

The birds sing their new songs.

All of creation rejoices in delight of the Creator.

 

 Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

 

~~~ Genesis 1:1—2:2 ~~~ Psalm 104 ~~~

 

In the beginning God created light, water, the heavens, vegetation, animals.

He created everything to be in balance.

Imagine all of this creation happening in high speed...

because for God there is no time...but there is order.

All that he created reveals his own beauty and splendor.

 

~~~ Genesis 22:1-18 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

 

God tested Abraham, having him take his only son

 up to the mountain to be sacrificed.

They carried with them their own wood to build the altar of offering.

Just as he was ready to do the will of God;

God saw how devoted Abraham was and prevented him from harming Isaac.

“Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”

 

~~~Exodus 14:15—15:1 ~~~

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

 

God leads Moses so that Moses can lead God's chosen people.

He parts the seas long enough for all of the Israelites to cross.

He releases the water when the soldiers foolishly follow in pursuit.

'...As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army...'

 

~~~Isaiah 54:5-14 ~~~ Psalm 30~~~

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

 

We hear of God's resolve to take us back to himself.

The people will never again need to build an ark as Noah had done.

'...my love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.'

God gives us reassurance of his relentless love.

 

~~~Isaiah 55:1-11 ~~~

You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

God extends to his people the greatest invitation to come to him.

Come to the Lord...Seek him with all your heart.

Come to our God who is generous in mercy and forgiveness.

We are reminded of a very important fact...

'...For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.'

 

~~~Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 ~~~Psalm 19 ~~~ 

 Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

'...Had you walked in the way of God,
you would have dwelt in enduring peace.'

 

We are blessed because we do indeed know what pleases the Lord.

We have his words to illuminate the path.

 

~~~ Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28 ~~~ Psalm 42 ~~~

Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.

The warning to stay away from false idols...there is but one God.

Do not be fooled by the counterfeit imitation want to be gods.

Only the one true God can cleanse you and give you a new heart.

Only this God can place a new spirit in you...for we are his people.

 

~~~ Romans 6:3-11~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Christ has conquered death.

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
 Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

 

 

~~~Luke 24:1-12 ~~~

 

At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.

 

The women were the first to go to the tomb.

They quickly went very early in the morning to perform the burial anointing.

But Jesus was already raised from death.

His body was no longer in the tomb.

He had already been anointed with the most expensive oils

at a dinner party just a few nights prior to his death.

 

Two men, perhaps angels, frightened them 

reminding them of the words that on the third day Jesus would rise.

 

Of course when they reported this to the apostles, who were still

in the state of shock at all that had happened,

they were not believed.

 

Peter, himself, rushes to the site of the tomb.

He too sees only the burial cloths remain inside the empty tomb.

Now they begin to understand and appreciate who had really been with them...

 walking and teaching them over the last few years.

 

On this Holy Night the entire history of God's love

 for us is spelled out; we have no doubt that in death

he brought forth new life...

Life Eternal.

We are souls in waiting,

waiting for the day when we too enter into Life with the Lord.

Created for Joy

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

 

In this fourth week of Lent the readings are building to a crescendo.

They are ultimately leading up to the Resurrection of our Lord.

The passion, crucifixion, and death of Jesus made possible

the most unique new creation. 

The creation of our eternal salvation gives us much to

celebrate with joy.

"...there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create..."

 

We were actually created for joy.

Have you ever thought about what brings joy into your life?

Some think having joy means you are in party mode much of the time,

but living in joy can be very quiet and peaceful.

The creation of the new heaven is filled with unsurpassed joy and happiness...

no more sadness, no more sickness, no more scarcity.

Heaven is the land of milk and honey where all desired are satisfied.

When we reside in heaven with Jesus he will be all that we need or want.

Those things that today seem so important will be nothing more

 than something we left behind.

There will not even be a memory of those previous wants and needs.

Complete joy and happiness will replace all anxiety.

 

There will be no way we can praise and thank God enough

for all he has done for us.

 

As humans we want signs and wonders, but Jesus wants us to rely more on our faith.

He wants us to believe that what we ask for will be granted.

Every prayer is answered...

God never turns a deaf ear. He always knows what is best for us...

although we may sometimes initially disagree.

 

In today's Gospel the royal official exercises his faith.

He allows himself the grace of believing that Jesus

could heal his child from a distance.

'...The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe...'

 

Jesus did perform signs and wonders when he walked this earth.

Today we have these same signs and wonders to help

strengthen our faith.

 

Believe that what you ask for in prayer will be done.

Persevere in your prayers and trust in the Lord.

In prayer you will find true joy in the Lord.