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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Luke 4:31-37, Psalm 145:8-14

All through Christ,
All in Christ,
All for Christ,
Always.

1 Corinthias 2:10-16
10 God has revealed it to us, through his Spirit, because the Spirit probes everything, even the depth of God.
11 Who but his own spirit knows the secrets of a person? Similarly, no one but the Spirit of God knows the secrets of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God and, through him, we understand what God in his goodness has given us.
13 So we speak of this, not in terms inspired by human wisdom, but in a language taught by the Spirit, explaining a spiritual wisdom to spiritual persons. 14 The one who remains on the psychological level does not understand the things of the Spirit. They are foolishness for him and he does not understand because they require a spiritual experience. 15 On the other hand, the spiritual person judges everything but no one judges him. 16 Who has known the mind of God so as to teach him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Beloved, because You have poured Your own Holy Spirit so generously upon us, it is easy to understand what many in the world do not.  For example, we see suffering as a way to enter more deeply into Your own passion and therefore it is fruitful and meaningful.  You entered into the human experience in order that we might more readilyh accept the difficulties we face and we become more sensitive to the pain of others.
 
Luke 4:31-37
31 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and began teaching the people at the sabbath meetings. 32 They were astonished at the way he taught them, for his word was spoken with authority.
33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by an evil spirit who shouted in a loud voice, 34 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God.” 35 Then Jesus said to him sharply, “Be silent and leave this man!” The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him harm.
36 Amazement seized all these people and they said to one another, “What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!” 37 And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.

Beloved, the world is in the grip of evil in every nation and culture.  Their vitriol and hatred is directed in full, undiluted strength first towards Your One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and next to all things Christian. 
Your Church speaks clearly, faithfully and unapolgetically on matters pertaining to faith and morals because she speaks with Your authority and she is viciously hated for it.  Yes, she does hang her head in shame for the terrible sins committed  by a few of her anointed and consecrated  who have defiled their vocation by sinning against the weak and innocent whom they were bound to protect.  The Church knows that all her members are sinners but she is kept unblemished by the merits of Christ Himself who is her Bridegroom.  As the CCC explaions so beautifully,
 
827 "Christ, 'holy, innocent, and undefiled,' knew nothing of sin, but came only to expiate the sins of the people. The Church, however, clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal."299 All members of the Church, including her ministers, must acknowledge that they are sinners.300 In everyone, the weeds of sin will still be mixed with the good wheat of the Gospel until the end of time.301 Hence the Church gathers sinners already caught up in Christ's salvation but still on the way to holiness:
The Church is therefore holy, though having sinners in her midst, because she herself has no other life but the life of grace. If they live her life, her members are sanctified; if they move away from her life, they fall into sins and disorders that prevent the radiation of her sanctity. This is why she suffers and does penance for those offenses, of which she has the power to free her children through the blood of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Church will never be silenced. She will speak boldly, truthfully, unequivocally calling sin by its name anytime and every time.

Psalm 145:8-14
8 Compassionate and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in love.

9 The Lord is good to everyone; his mercy embraces all his creation.
10 All your works will give you thanks; all your saints, O Lord, will praise you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your power, 12 that all may know of your mighty deeds, your reign and its glorious splendor.
13 Your reign is from age to age; your dominion endures from generation to generation.
The Lord is true to his promises and lets his mercy show in all he does.
14 The Lord lifts up those who are falling and raises those who are beaten down.

Peter and his successors will always strive to imitate Christ and radiate His Light to the world.  The Church is a beacon that calls sinners always and everywhere to come home.

Monday, August 30, 2010

1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Luke 4:18-19, 21-22 & 28-30

THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE


1 Corinthians 2:1-5
1 When I came to reveal to you the mystery of God’s plan I did not count on eloquence or on a show of learning. 2 I was determined not to know anything among you but Jesus, the Messiah, and a crucified Messiah. 3 I myself came weak, fearful and trembling; 4 my words and preaching were not brilliant or clever to win listeners. 5 It was, rather, a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might be a matter, not of human wisdom, but of God’s power.

Beloved, I have often gone on and on about how I wish I had the gift of words to write eloquently and here St. Paul reminds me that eloquence and learning mean nothing apart from knowing You and Your life, passion, death and glorious resurrection.  In this alone lies the power and wisdom of the Triune God, all the rest is meaningless.

Luke 4:18-19, 21-22 & 28-30
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed 19 and announce the Lord’s year of mercy.”
21 Then he said to them, “Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen.”
22 All agreed with him and were lost in wonder, while he kept on speaking of the grace of God.
28 On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant. 29 They rose up and brought him out of the town, 30 to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went His way.

All we need to remember Beloved, when witnessing to You is that You have passed Your misison of salvation to us. You gave us the same Spirit.  If we keep You as the focus of our witness than all eyes will be drawn to us as well.  Everyday these prophetic verses become a reality tonew believers.  We often get carried away by the power of t he Word and it can makes us feel good as we are swayed by its beauty, but when our many sins are brought to light, we become angry.  We do not want to face the truth of our iniquity and we are prepared to kill.  But the Truth cannot be destroyed as You  have so magnificently proved.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Psalm 45:11, Psalm 48:4, 9 & 10, Sirach 3:17-18, 20 28-29, Hebrews 12:22-24, Luke 14:1, 10-14

Psalm 45:11
Be still and know that I am God.

Beloved, Just as only waters that are still can reflect sky, the sun moon and the beauty around it, so also in serenity, stillness, silence and expectant faith can I experience and reflect You. 
Psalm 48:4, 9 & 10

Here within her line of defence, God has shown Himself to be a sure fortress.
As we have heard so have we seen.
Let us recall Your unfailing love O God, inside Your temple.

You are my sure fortress nothing can prevail, overcome or overpower me when You live in the temple of my being.  And yes Beloved, all I have heard of You I have also experienced. Your word is true.  All day long and in my waking moments at night I recall the beauty and joy of Your constant love in Your holy temple which is my body. 

Sirach 3:17-18, 20 28-29
17 My son, conduct your affairs with discretion and you will be loved by those who are acceptable to God.Psalm 68:6-7, 10-11
18 The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself and thus you will find favor with God.
20 For great is the power of the Lord and it is the humble who give him glory.
 28 For the sufferings of the proud man there is no remedy, the roots of evil are implanted in him. 29 The wise man reflects on proverbs. What the wise man desires is an attentive ear.
 
A boastful person in an annoyance, like cymbals.  Like Mary, Joseph and all the saints the hallmark of true greatness is humility in imitation of God who for our sakes became like us in all things save sin.  It is the humble who are pleasing to both God and man.
 
Hebrews 12:22-24
22 But you came near to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem with its innumerable angels. You have come to the solemn feast, 23 the assembly of the firstborn of God, whose names are written in heaven. There is God, Judge of all, with the spirits of the upright brought to perfection. 24 There is Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, with the sprinkled blood that cries out more effectively than Abel’s.

We eat at the Lord's table and feast at His banquet for we have become brothers and sisters of the First Born of God and co-heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Luke 14:1, 10-14
 14 1 One Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and he was carefully watched.
10 Whenever you are invited, go rather to the lowest seat, so that your host may come and say to you: ‘Friend, you must come up higher.’ And this will be a great honor for you in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.”
• 12 Jesus also addressed the man who had invited him and said, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, or your brothers and relatives and wealthy neighbors. For surely they will also invite you in return and you will be repaid. 13 When you give a feast, invite instead the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. 14 Fortunate are you then, because they can’t repay you; you will be repaid at the Resurrection of the upright.”

The theme of the Liturgy of the Word is humility.  It is a virtue most pleasing to God.  The people of the world push and shove to get to the top, to the place of honor,  without any concern about who they claw and bring down in the process.  They are unmindful of the means they use to get to the top.  But for the Christian who genuinely loves God, we have a blueprint of the values required - we are to be Christlike if we are to be the truly  beloved of God.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Sirach 19:4, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Psalm 33:18-20, Matthew 25:14-30


Sirach 19:4
He who is too quick to trust others reveals a shallow mind.


One must show a childlike trust in God alone.  But prudence and wisdom is required when dealing with the people of the world.


1 Corinthians 1:26-31
26 Brothers and sisters, look and see whom God has called. Few among you can be said to be cultured or wealthy, and few belong to noble families. 27 Yet God has chosen what the world considers foolish, to shame the wise; he has chosen what the world considers weak to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen common and unimportant people, making use of what is nothing to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no mortal may boast before God. 30 But, by God’s grace you are in Christ Jesus, who has become our wisdom from God, and who makes us just and holy and free. 31 Scripture says: Let the one who boasts boast of the Lord.

It is a fact my Beloved, that we often take credit for what is purely a work of grace.  As St. Paul succintly puts it, if we look around we will see that those who are truly living the Gospel, are the simple and humble of heart.  Their sweetness, kindness, gentless, purity and patience shines from their souls through their eyes and demeanor.  This is Your way Beloved.  You have no use for those who are filled with worldly knowledge and whose entire life is focused on amassing what the world offers - they build on a foundation of straw. Their way of life, their way of thinking which they believe to be extremely clever, is based on liberalism and relativism.  The truth they profess is flaccid and spineless and stinks with the stench of satan.  Verse 29 tells us very clearly that no mortal can boast before You.

Psalm 33:18-19
18 But the Lord’s eyes are upon those who fear him,
upon those who trust in his loving-kindness
19 to deliver them from death
and preserve them from famine.
20 In hope we wait for the Lord,
for he is our help and our shield.

Thank You for Beloved for the loving assurance of Your care and protection in these verses.
 
Matthew 25:14-30
• 14 Imagine someone who, before going abroad, summoned his servants to entrust his property to them. 15 He gave five talents of silver to one, then two to another, and one to a third, each one according to his ability; and he went away.
16 He who received five talents went at once to do business with the money and gained another five. 17 The one who received two did the same and gained another two.18 But the one with one talent dug a hole and hid his master’s money.
19 After a long time, the master of those servants returned and asked for a reckoning. 20 The one who received five talents came with another five talents, saying: ‘Lord, you entrusted me with five talents, but see I have gained five more with them.’ 21 The master answered: ‘Very well, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in a few things, I will entrust you with much more. Come and share the joy of your master.’
22 Then the one who had two talents came and said: ‘Lord, you entrusted me with two talents; I have two more which I gained with them.’ 23 The master said: ‘Well, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in little things, I will entrust you with much more. Come and share the joy of your master.’
24 Finally, the one who had received one talent came and said: ‘Master, I know that you are an exacting man. You reap what you have not sown and gather what you have not invested. 25 I was afraid, so I hid your money in the ground. Here, take what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied: ‘Wicked and worthless servant, you know that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not invested. 27 Then you should have deposited my money in the bank, and you would have given it back to me with interest on my return.
28 Therefore, take the talent from him, and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who are unproductive, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 As for that useless servant, throw him out into the dark where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Beloved, You have left in the keeping of Your Church wealth and treasure which we are asked to increase.  You will demand a strict account of our stewardship.  Every baptised Christian has received gifts according to the work and mission entrusted to each.  There are those blessed ones who recognise these gifts and do all in their power to use them powerfully for the growth of Your Kingdom.  They are a shining light and we admire them and we wish we could be like them, ignoring our own gifts, even if they are not so brilliant. 
Those of us who are given two talents are required to live our vocation in whatever state of life we may be - wives, mothers, fathers, secretaries, clerks, laborers, teachers, nurses etc.  We are to be faithful in all the many mundane duties we are called upon to do hour after hour, day after day.  We carry the torch and we pass it on quietly.  There are so many like these who give silent but powerful witness to all around them.



And then there is this lot who are legion, who fool themselves into believing that they are doing the best they can - but they know they lie.  They are lazy, self-indulgent, wasteful.  They are an anathema in the sight of God and  man.  The Gospel tells us very clearly what will be their end.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Isaiah 2:22, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 21-25, Psalm 33:4 & 11, Matthew 25:1-13

Isaiah 2:22
Rely not on man who has but a breath in his nostrils .  What is his worth?

Beloved it is often very tempting to be seduced into relying on people with power and influence instead of trusting wholly in You, the Supreme, all powerful almighty God.
1 Corinthians 18, 21-25
And not with beautiful words! That would be like getting rid of the cross of Christ. 18 The language of the cross remains nonsense for those who are lost. Yet for us who are saved, it is the power of God.
21 At first God spoke the language of wisdom, and the world did not know God through wisdom. Then God thought of saving the believers through the foolishness that we preach. 
22 The Jews ask for miracles and the Greeks for a higher knowledge, 23 while we proclaim a crucified Messiah. For the Jews, what a great scandal! And for the Greeks, what nonsense! 24 But he is Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God for those called by God among both Jews and Greeks.
25 In reality, the “foolishness” of God is wiser than humans, and the “weakness” of God is stronger than humans.

Beloved, St. Paul could write - how beautiful and lucid are his words.  They stir the soul and give believers a greater grasp on eternal truths.

Psalm 33:4 & 11
4 For upright is the Lord’s word

and worthy of trust is his work.
11 But his plan stands forever,

and his heart’s design through all generations.

Your Eternal Word is spirit, life and truth and can always be trusted.  Your plan of salvation stands forever and the merit of Your Passion, death and resurrection is available to all generations.
Matthew 25:1-13
1 This story throws light on what will happen in the kingdom of heaven. Ten bridesmaids went out with their lamps to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were careless while the others were sensible.
3 The careless bridesmaids took their lamps as they were and did not bring extra oil. 4 But those who were sensible, brought with their lamps flasks of oil. 5 As the bridegroom delayed, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.

6 But at midnight, a cry rang out: ‘The bridegroom is here, come out and meet him!’ 7 All the maidens woke up at once and trimmed their lamps. 8 Then the careless ones said to the sensible ones: ‘Give us some oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 The sensible ones answered: ‘There may not be enough for both you and us. You had better go to those who sell and buy for yourselves.’

10 They were out buying oil when the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the doors were shut.

11 Later the rest of the bridesmaids arrived and called out: ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered: ‘Truly, I do not know you.’

13 So, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
How easy it is to think that we have plenty of time to get our house in order.  We live for the day and squander the grace in our soul chasing after the things of the world.  We are rebellious and greedy and fall repeatedly into sin and often grave sin.  We convince ourselves that we are doing the best we can and we think that striving for heroic virtue, purity, chastity and holiness are only for saints.  We forget that Christ has called each of us to be a saint and to imitate our Heavenly Father in holiness and perfection.  He knows that we could never come close to the perfection and holiness of God but we ought to be be bruised and bloody from trying. 

Thursday, August 26, 2010

1 Macabees 6:8, Ephesian 2:10, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 7-9, Matthew 24:42-51


1 Maccabees 6:8
He fell sick and became greatly depressed because things had not turned out the way he had planned.

Ephesians 2:10
10 What we are is God’s work. He has created us in Christ Jesus for the good works he has prepared that we should devote ourselves to them.

When we are hell bent on having things our way, it always leads to disappointment and sadness.  But if we remember why God created us and seek to know His will and do only what He wants us to do, we will experience the peace that the world cannot give nor understand.


1 Corinthians 1:2, 7-9
2 to God’s Church which is in Corinth; to you whom God has sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with those who everywhere call upon the name of our Lord Christ Jesus, their Lord and ours.
7 You do not lack any spiritual gift and only await the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord. 8 He will keep you steadfast to the end, and you will be with¬out reproach on the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus. 9 The faithful God will not fail you after calling you to this fellowship with his Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.


How very encouraging and heartening these words of St. Paul are.  Our Father has sanctified us in Christ Jesus in Baptism and I am called to personal holiness.  God makes available to me every spiritual gift as He does to all His children who are baptised into Christ's Body through baptism.  He will keep us steadfast and faithful to the end.

Matthew 24:42-51
42 Stay awake, then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 Just think about this: if the owner of the house knew that the thief would come by night around a certain hour, he would stay awake to prevent his house to be broken into. 44 So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.
45 Imagine a capable servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time. 46 Fortunate indeed is that servant whom his master will find at work when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, his lord will entrust that one with everything he has.
48 Not so with the bad servant who thinks: My master is delayed. 49 And he begins ill-treating his fellow servants while eating and drinking with drunkards. 50 But his master will come on the day he does not know and at the hour he least expects. 51 He will dismiss that servant and deal with him as with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Once again You remind me to stay awake and alert doing the work that You have been assigned to me and no other. You must find me faithful to the end.




Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Matthew 23:27-32, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, Psalm 128:1-2



Beloved, while I act like I am faithless sometimes, You are always faithful.  I am a sinner and a worm and my desire to serve You is hampered by selfishness and self-indulgence.  You give me everything and You leave my response to Your goodness, generosity and love entirely up to me.  I am free to choose to love and serve You or not.  I am fickle and often I rely on my feelings and emotions which are as ephemeral as dew and mist in the morning sun, instead of trying to gain mastery over them.

M--- mine, don't be so  hard on yourself.  To love in spirit and in truth is far more difficult than to love in fantasy.  How can you measure love?  It can be measured by the degree that you are willing to sacrifice.  A small, puny, weak love sacrifices little.  But great love is willing to lay down his life.  Love reveals itself in action.

Matthew 23:27-32
27 Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs beautiful in appearance, but inside there are only dead bones and uncleanness. 28 In the same way you appear as religious to others, but you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness within.
• 29 Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. 30 You say: Had we lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in the blood of prophets. 31 So, you yourselves confess to be kins of those who murdered the prophets. 32 And now, finish off what your ancestors began!

Beloved, You are very stern and very clear in Your condemnation of hypocrites who appear to be one thing but in reality are an abomination. But to those who are faithful You are wonderfully kind, generous and loving.  To the weak who approach You, You supply all that is required. 

2Thessalonians 3:6
6 We command you, beloved, to stay away from believers who are living in idleness contrary to the traditions we passed on to you.

Psalm 128:1-2
1 Blessed are you who fear the Lord

and walk in his ways.
2 You will eat the fruit of your toil;
you will be blessed and favored.

Beloved I am struggling right  now in making a decision.  What I ought to do is very clear and my spirit is willing but my flesh is so very, very weak. Help me!!!!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Acts 1:8, Revelations 21:9-10, Psalm 145:10-13, John 1:45

Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the earth.”

All of us who are baptised in You my Lord are called to be witnesses not only in the place where we live and work but even to the ends of the earth.  This mission that You have entrusted to Your faithful is not optional.  It is a sacred duty that we must fulfill for Your glory.

Revelations 21:9-10
“Come, I am going to show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 He took me up in a spiritual vision to a very high mountain and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shines with the glory of God, 11 like a precious jewel with the color of crystal-clear jasper.

Heaven is a place and with the help of grace, You will take me there when my journey here has ended.

Psalm 145:10-13
10 All your works will give you thanks; all your saints, O Lord, will praise you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your power, 12 that all may know of your mighty deeds, your reign and its glorious splendor.
13 Your reign is from age to age; your dominion endures from generation to generation.
The Lord is true to his promises and lets his mercy show in all he does.

I am the work of Your hands and I am called to praise You, to tell of Your glory and Your love, to proclaim Your might deeds of goodness and the splendor of Your reign.  This is my mission and my calling.
 
John 1:45
"We have found the One that Moses wrote about in the Law and the prophets as well:  He is Jesus, Son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
 
Each of the baptised is on a personal journey of discovery of who You are.  The more we increase in our knowledge of You the stronger will our faith, hope and love for You grow.  No adventure is more exciting than discovering who You are and plumbing the depths of Your unfathomable, infinite love for sinners like me.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Sirach 17:22, Sirach 18:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, Matthew 23:13

Sirach 17:22
22 He holds a man’s almsgiving dear as a priceless signet ring; he cherishes a good deed like the apple of his eye.
Sirach 18:16-17
16 Does not dew temper the heat? So, too, a kind word is much better than a gift.
17 The gift is not as valuable as the words which accompany it, but a generous man brings both.

Every good deed I do is seen and will not go unrewarded by You my Lord..  It is You who have given me a kind and generous disposition but it is I who has to choose to make the acts of love and generously every time.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
11 This is why we constantly pray for you; may our God make you worthy of his calling. May he, by his power, fulfill your good purposes and your work prompt¬ed by faith. 12 In that way, the name of Jesus our Lord will be glorified through you, and you through him, according to the loving plan of God and of Christ Jesus the Lord.

My Beloved, many have prayed for me in the past, they have since gone to their reward and many pray for me now.  All these prayers continue to be a blessing

Matthew 23:13
• 13 Therefore, woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow others to do so.

Help me Beloved to do the good You have planned for me to do with an open and generous heart.  I have received freely, I am called to give as freely as I have received.  What a wonderful thing it is indeed my Lord to open the door of the Kingdom of Heaven so that not only I but those I help too can enter.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Isaiah 66:18-21, Hebrews 12:5-7 & 11-13, Luke 13:24-30, Psalm 117:1-2

Isaiah 66:18-21
18 Now I am going to gather the nations of every tongue, and they will witness my glory, 19 for I will perform a wonderful thing among them. Then I will send some of their survivors to the nations – Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moscheck, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan – to the distant islands where no one has ever heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 They will bring your kindred from all the nations as an offering to Yahweh on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, on camels to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, says Yahweh, just as the Israelites bring oblations in clean vessels to the house of Yahweh. 21 Then I will choose priests and Levites even from them, says Yahweh.

In this reading from the Old Testament we are reminded of how in the New Testament too the new Christians together with Your Apostles and disciples wnet out into the world to preach the Good News of salvation.  You  have called to the priesthood people from every culture, tribe, nation, race and creed as You have promised.   

Hebrews 12:5-7 & 11-13
5 Do not forget the comforting words that Wisdom addresses to you as children: My son, pay attention when the Lord corrects you and do not be discouraged when he punishes you. 6 For the Lord corrects those he loves and chastises everyone he accepts as a son.
7 What you endure is in order to correct you. God treats you like sons and what son is not corrected by his father?
11 All correction is painful at the moment, rather than pleasant; later it brings the fruit of peace, that is, holiness to those who have been trained by it.
12 Lift up, then, your drooping hands, and strengthen your trembling knees; 13 make level the ways for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but healed.



It is in difficult times O Lord that we learn to be courageous, strong and we can be of greater help to those who suffer as we have.


Luke 13:24-30
24 “Do your best to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you will stand outside; then you will knock at the door calling: ‘Lord, open to us.’ But he will say to you: ‘I do not know where you come from.’
26 Then you will say: We ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets! 27 But he will reply: ‘I don’t know where you come from. Away from me all you workers of evil.’
28 You will weep and grind your teeth when you see Abraham and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves left outside. 29 Others will sit at table in the kingdom of God, people coming from east and west, from north and south. 30 Some who are among the last will be the first, and others who were first will be last!”

In the Gospel of today we are reminded once again that this world is not our home.  We are only pilgrims on a journey too the eternal home prepared for us.  It is so tempting to be self-indulgent and pamper ourselves to the point of stupidity in matters of food, drink and pleasure.  Self-control and self-denial in material things can help us to gain mastery over our selves in spiritual things. 
Once again Jesus reminds us that His Way is one of paradox and contradiction, so different from the world and the worldly.

Psalm 117:1-2
1 Alleluia!

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
all you peoples, praise him.
2 How great is his love for us!
His faithfulness lasts forever.

In the end this Psalm will be heard from the mouth of God's people in every part of the globe as He gathers His own to Himself.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Zechariah 2:9 & 14, Ezekiel 43:5-7, Matthew 23:11-12, Psalm 85:12,

Zechariah 2:9
This is the word of Yahweh: I myself will be around her like a wall of fire, and also within her in Glory.
14 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says Yahweh.

What a wonderful promise my Lord.  Stay around me.  Abide in me and I shall be glad always.

Ezekiel 43:5-7
5 The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court: the Glory of Yahweh was filling the House. 6 And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside me. 7 The voice said, “Son of man, you have seen the place of my throne, where I will place the soles of my feet, and live among the Israelites forever; and the people of Israel, they and their kings, will no longer defile my holy name with their prostitutions and the kings.

My Beloved, make my heart Your throne and place there the soles of Your feet as You reign over me.

Matthew 23:11-12
"Let the greatest among you be the servant of all.  For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great."

In Your Kingdom the law of love alone rules. The great shall serve the least.  The last shall be first.  Your kingdom is one of paradox and contradiction.  It is the one who is willing to turn the other cheek and is meek and humble of heart who will triumph and inherit the Kingdom.  This principle is difficult for the world to undertand and even the Christian finds it hard to fully grasp as well as practice. You call us to live lives of  heroic virtue - You would not ask this of us if it were impossible.  You supply all that is necessary if only we desire it and ask.

Psalm 85:12
12 Faithfulness will reach up from the earth
while justice bends down from heaven.

God always comes in haste to meet His own and grasp the hands of those who reach out to Him.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Wisdom 1:13-15, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 107:9, Matthew 22:37-40

Wisdom 1:13-15
13 God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. 14 Since he has created everything, all creatures of the universe are for our good; there is no deadly poison in them and the netherworld has no dominion over the earth, 15 because immortal is not submitted to death.

How reassuring these verses are.  In times when the tears of grief and loss flow it is consoling to know that You are the God of life.  Our soul is immortal and will not die but will live on in You eternally.  My Sandy lives and You my Beloved assure me that we will be united in You some day.

Ezekiel 37:1-14
• 1 The hand of Yahweh was upon me. He brought me out and led me in spirit to the middle of the valley which was full of bones. 2 He made me walk to and fro among them and I could see there was a great number of them on the ground all along the valley and that they were very dry.
3 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live again?” I said, “Lord Yahweh, only you know that.” 4 He then said, “Speak on my behalf concerning these bones; say to them:
Dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh! 5 Yahweh says: I am going to put spirit in you and make you live. 6 I shall put sinews on you and make flesh grow on you; I shall cover you with skin and give you my spirit, that you may live. And you will know that I am Yahweh.”
7 I prophesied as I had been commanded and then there was a noise and commotion; the bones joined together. 8 I looked and saw that they had sinews, that flesh was growing on them and that he was covering them with skin. But there was no spirit in them.
9 So Yahweh said to me, “Speak on my behalf and call on the Spirit, son of man! Say to the Spirit: This is the word of Yahweh: Spirit, come from the four winds. Breathe into these dead bones and let them live!”
10 I prophesied as he had commanded me and breath entered them; they came alive, standing on their feet – a great, immense army!
11 He then said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all Israel. They keep saying: ‘Our bones are dry, hope has gone, it is the end of us.’ 12 So prophesy! Say to them: This is what Yahweh says: I am going to open your tombs, I shall bring you out of your tombs, my people, and lead you back to the land of Israel. 13 You will know that I am Yahweh, O my people! when I open your graves and bring you out of your graves, 14 when I put my spirit in you and you live. I shall settle you in your land and you will know that I, Yahweh, have done what I said I would do.”

My Beloved, over and over again in today's Liturgy You confirm the Word that You gave me during the beginning of my quiet time with You.  You know how much I need my spirit to be lifted and Your Word of truth set it aglo with Your merciful, loving kindness.
Psalm 107:9
9 He quenches the thirst of the soul and satisfies the hunger of the heart.

This is what You have done for me today my gracious God.

Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and the most important of the commandments. 39 But after this there is another one very similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments.”

My Beloved if I am truly Yours as I keep saying, then this commandment will be etched on my heart and my soul and will be the rule by which I live my life every day.  May it be so my own true God.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Isaiah 28:16-17, Ezekiel 36:23-28, Psalm 51:12-14, 19, Matthew 22:1-14


Isaiah 28:16-17
16 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this:
See, I lay in Zion a granite stone,
a precious stone,
sure foundation;
he who relies on it shall not be put to shame.
17 I will make justice the measure
and righteousness the plumb line.

Beloved, You are the sure, the precious, rock-solid foundation upon which God has built His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Ezekiel 36:23-28
23 I will make known the holiness of my great Name, profaned among the nations because of you, and they will know that I am Yahweh when I show them my holiness among you.
24 For I will gather you from all the nations and bring you back to your own land. 25 Then I shall pour pure water over you and you shall be made clean – cleansed from the defilement of all your idols. 26 I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I shall remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of  flesh. 27 I shall put my spirit within you and move you to follow my decrees and keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you shall be my people and I will be your God.

What wonderful promises You make my Lord to those whom You have called and chosen by Name to be Your oown.  Thank You.
Psalm 51:12-14  & 19
12 Create in me, O God, a pure heart;
give me a new and steadfast spirit.
13 Do not cast me out of your presence
nor take your holy spirit from me.
14 Give me again the joy of your salvation
and sustain me with a willing spirit.
19 O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit;
a contrite heart you will not despise.

Give me a pure heart, a steadfast and willing spirit and keep me close to Your divine heart always.
  Matthew 22:1-14
  1 Jesus went on speaking to them in parables:
“This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king celebrated the wedding of his son. 3 He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding feast, but the guests refused to come.
4 Again he sent other servants ordering them to say to the invited guests: ‘I have prepared a banquet, slaughtered my fattened calves and other animals, and now everything is ready; come then, to the wedding feast.’ 5 But they paid no attention and went away, some to their fields, and others to their work. 6 While the rest seized the servants of the king, insulted them and killed them.

7 The king became angry. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. 8 Then he said to his servants: ‘The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy. 9 Go, then, to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’
10 The servants went out at once into the streets and gathered everyone they found, good and bad alike, so that the hall was filled with guests.
11 The king came in to see those who were at table, and he noticed a man not wearing the festal garment. 12 So he said to him: ‘Friend, how did you get in without the wedding garment?’ But the man remained silent. 13 So the king said to his servants: ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the dark where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
• 14 Know that many are called, but few are chosen.”

Beloved, today's Gospel is a solemn reminder that we are all invited personally by God Himself to dine at His table as His children.  No distinctions are made, but all must be dressed in the garments of light and truth or else we will be cast out.  God calles each one of us by name but some chosse to refuse His invitation at their peril.




Wednesday, August 18, 2010

1 Chronicles 14:2, Matthew 20:14-16


1 Chronicles 14:2
David then knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel and that for the sake of His people Israel, his kingdom was being prosperous.

When God increases the wealth and power of an individual, it is with the intent that this wealth and power will be shared and used to help the less fortunate.  Yet, how few realise this and even if they do, how few put all they have at the service of others.

Matthew 20:14-16

13 The owner said to one of them: ‘Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on a denarius a day? 14 So take what is yours and go. I want to give to the last the same as I give to you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do as I please with my money? Why are you envious when I am kind?’   So will it be : the last will be first and the first last."

Whether as a nation, as a group or as an individual, we all want special status, to be treated differently, believing that we are entitled to more than others are given and envious that God is equally generous to all.  He has no favorites.  All who hear and obey His invitation are rewarded equally.  What matters to Him is our response to His invitation no matter the hour.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Psalm 84, Matthew 19:30

Psalm 84

How lovely are your rooms,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul yearns, pines,
for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God!
Happy are those who live in your house,
continually singing your praise!
Happy the pilgrims whom you strengthen,
to make the ascent to you.
As they pass through the Valley,
they make it a place of springs,
the early rain covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength
till they appear before God in Zion.
O Lord of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
10 Look upon our shield, O God;
look upon the face of your anointed!
11 One day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be left at the threshold
in the house of my God
than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
12 For the Lord God is a sun and a shield;
he bestows favor and glory.
The Lord withholds no good thing
from those who walk in uprightness.
13 O Lord of hosts,
blessed are those who trust in you.



M--- mine, celebrate the love that I have for you and you for me.  Guard it as a light and do not let sin put out the flame.  Walk with me all the days your Father has alloted to you.  Let your heart be silent and still so you can hear Me speak.  Be guided by My Holy Spirit.  Love Me.  I thirst for the love of all yet I am often ignored and denied.  Accept all the Father gives you of joy and sorrow for both are necessary for you to grow and become more like Me.  Strive to be holy and perfect all the time, this pleases Me.  Remember that I am with you every step of the way.


Matthew 19:30

30 Many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.

Beloved , how the rich, strong and powerful clamor for the first place and gorge themselves on the fat of the land, as they grind into the earth with their heels, those less fortunate, the weak, the poor and the marginalized. Thank you Lord that Your day will surely come when Your justice will be dispensed and the godless will have to make reparation.