When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. (John 21: 4)
Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. (Luke 24: 13-16)
If Jesus were to appear to you today, would you recognize Him? What would you say to Him? How would you act?
I don't think He'll have a name tag that says, "Hello, my name is Jesus Christ." (Although that would make things very easy for us.)
No, I would hazard to guess that we would not recognize Him if we saw Him. We only know that He is God. And that's all that's important.
Since we don't know what Christ looks like, how do we resolve the dillemma of recognizing Christ if we ran into Him?
The answer is really quite simple.
We treat every person as if they were Christ.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Alleluia, Alleluia, He is Risen!
On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. (John 20: 1)
Today we celebrate the feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It marks the beginning of the Easter Season which will last for the next forty days.
Side Note: Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon past the Vernal Equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere).
On this day, we celebrate the day when our Lord God rose from the dead and kicked open the doors of Hell.
In His resurrection, He defeats Satan once and for all. There is no war between God and Satan. God won.
On this day, we celebrate the moment when God offers His creatures a shot at redemption. The chance at eternal life that was lost to us by Adam's sin.
Thank you, my Lord and my God.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It marks the beginning of the Easter Season which will last for the next forty days.
Side Note: Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon past the Vernal Equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere).
On this day, we celebrate the day when our Lord God rose from the dead and kicked open the doors of Hell.
In His resurrection, He defeats Satan once and for all. There is no war between God and Satan. God won.
On this day, we celebrate the moment when God offers His creatures a shot at redemption. The chance at eternal life that was lost to us by Adam's sin.
Thank you, my Lord and my God.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Where Are You?
The Lord God then called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3: 9)
Every day, God asks us that question.
Where are you?
Where are you in your relationship with God?
Where are you in your relationship with your loved ones?
Where are you on your journey to the cross?
During Lent, I've been reflecting about the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the image of Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, I have a mental picture of those who are around Him. I think about the scene and how it reflects the world today.
All of us are on a journey to the Lord's Cross. All of us are present in the Lord's Passion and as He hangs on the cross dying, the question that we have to ask ourselves is, "Where am I?" What group of people am I associated with right now at this very moment.
Where are you?
1. The Pharisees
Their hearts are hardened to the Lord. They know about God but don't love Him.
2. The Romans
They mock what they don't understand. They don't know God and would rather berate Him than love Him.
3. Peter and the Apostles (except Judas and John)
Less than a day beforehand, they had dinner with Him. He washed their feet. And yet, when Jesus was on the cross, they were nowhere to be found. When their faith was shaken, they ran. They denied God out of fear.
4. Mary, John and Mary Magdalene
At the foot of the cross. With Jesus. Risking their lives to be with Him and comfort Him in his most trying time.
God wants us to risk our lives to be with Him. He wants us to live our lives as though we are the ones at the foot of the cross. Gazing at His presence with so much love for Him that we will be there for Him as He's destroying death.
The mission in preaching the Gospel is to bring others to the foot of the cross. To deliver the Good News of our Lord so that others have the love of Mary, John, and Mary Magdalene. To bring people to the Tree of Life which is the cross and to know that Jesus died for our sins so that we may have eternal life.
In my life, I feel as if I've been in at least three of the above groups. I am on a journey. There is a path that leads to the foot of the cross. If I follow God's plan for my life, my journey will end there. It's my choice to stay on the path. If I stray, I must get back on the path. If I deviate from His will, God will ask me the same question He asked Adam when Adam deviated from His will:
"Where are you?"
Every day, God asks us that question.
Where are you?
Where are you in your relationship with God?
Where are you in your relationship with your loved ones?
Where are you on your journey to the cross?
During Lent, I've been reflecting about the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the image of Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, I have a mental picture of those who are around Him. I think about the scene and how it reflects the world today.
All of us are on a journey to the Lord's Cross. All of us are present in the Lord's Passion and as He hangs on the cross dying, the question that we have to ask ourselves is, "Where am I?" What group of people am I associated with right now at this very moment.
Where are you?
1. The Pharisees
Their hearts are hardened to the Lord. They know about God but don't love Him.
2. The Romans
They mock what they don't understand. They don't know God and would rather berate Him than love Him.
3. Peter and the Apostles (except Judas and John)
Less than a day beforehand, they had dinner with Him. He washed their feet. And yet, when Jesus was on the cross, they were nowhere to be found. When their faith was shaken, they ran. They denied God out of fear.
4. Mary, John and Mary Magdalene
At the foot of the cross. With Jesus. Risking their lives to be with Him and comfort Him in his most trying time.
God wants us to risk our lives to be with Him. He wants us to live our lives as though we are the ones at the foot of the cross. Gazing at His presence with so much love for Him that we will be there for Him as He's destroying death.
The mission in preaching the Gospel is to bring others to the foot of the cross. To deliver the Good News of our Lord so that others have the love of Mary, John, and Mary Magdalene. To bring people to the Tree of Life which is the cross and to know that Jesus died for our sins so that we may have eternal life.
In my life, I feel as if I've been in at least three of the above groups. I am on a journey. There is a path that leads to the foot of the cross. If I follow God's plan for my life, my journey will end there. It's my choice to stay on the path. If I stray, I must get back on the path. If I deviate from His will, God will ask me the same question He asked Adam when Adam deviated from His will:
"Where are you?"
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Hardly Human
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish? My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you rescued them. To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me: (Psalm 22: 2-8)
Is it possible to recognize Christ in everyone? If all men (and women) are created in the image and likeness of God, then why can't we see it sometimes. For some people are truly evil. Some people are truly wicked. Some people don't deserve to be loved. Murderers. Rapists. Prostitutes.
Some people truly despise and hate God.
Do they still bear His image?
Yes!
And they are still worthy of loving even if they don't deserve it. (Even if they will not turn from their wicked lifestyle to a life of God...Even if they lose their chance at salvation.)
When we are born, we are born with a certain innocence. Unstained by the world (with the exception of original sin.) At that point...at birth, we probably resemble our Lord and Saviour more than any other time in our life.
Unfortunately, as we grow older, the world lashes out at us and scars us. It beats us and wants to destroy us.
Eventually for some, the beating by the world (perhaps it's an abusive husband or neglectful parent or callous friends) disfigures them and they become of the world. Hateful. Prideful. Angry.
And then they become like a worm. Hardly human. Christ's image in them is so scarred and bruised that we don't recognize it.
And we scorn them some more.
And they become more bitter...and angry.
All of us are scarred. All of us have had the image of Christ in us mangled to the point that it may not be recognizable to others.
What are we to do when this happens?
Christ commands us to turn the other cheek.
Christ commands us to love our enemies.
Christ commands us to pick up our cross.
Christ commands us to follow Him.
Preach the Gospel. And if necessary...use words. (St. Francis of Assisi)
At the pillar, Jesus was whipped and beaten. Ridiculed and mocked. He was despised--for no reason. He became hardly recognizable.
But He was still God.
He was not angry.
He was not bitter.
He was not prideful.
He just silently preached the Gospel.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you rescued them. To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me: (Psalm 22: 2-8)
Is it possible to recognize Christ in everyone? If all men (and women) are created in the image and likeness of God, then why can't we see it sometimes. For some people are truly evil. Some people are truly wicked. Some people don't deserve to be loved. Murderers. Rapists. Prostitutes.
Some people truly despise and hate God.
Do they still bear His image?
Yes!
And they are still worthy of loving even if they don't deserve it. (Even if they will not turn from their wicked lifestyle to a life of God...Even if they lose their chance at salvation.)
When we are born, we are born with a certain innocence. Unstained by the world (with the exception of original sin.) At that point...at birth, we probably resemble our Lord and Saviour more than any other time in our life.
Unfortunately, as we grow older, the world lashes out at us and scars us. It beats us and wants to destroy us.
Eventually for some, the beating by the world (perhaps it's an abusive husband or neglectful parent or callous friends) disfigures them and they become of the world. Hateful. Prideful. Angry.
And then they become like a worm. Hardly human. Christ's image in them is so scarred and bruised that we don't recognize it.
And we scorn them some more.
And they become more bitter...and angry.
All of us are scarred. All of us have had the image of Christ in us mangled to the point that it may not be recognizable to others.
What are we to do when this happens?
Christ commands us to turn the other cheek.
Christ commands us to love our enemies.
Christ commands us to pick up our cross.
Christ commands us to follow Him.
Preach the Gospel. And if necessary...use words. (St. Francis of Assisi)
At the pillar, Jesus was whipped and beaten. Ridiculed and mocked. He was despised--for no reason. He became hardly recognizable.
But He was still God.
He was not angry.
He was not bitter.
He was not prideful.
He just silently preached the Gospel.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Remembering Karol
"When you wonder about the mystery of yourself, look to Christ, who gives you the meaning of life. When you wonder what it means to be a mature person, look to Christ, who is the fulfillness of humanity. And when you wonder about your role in the future of the world look to Christ."
"As the source of love, God desires to make himself known; and the knowledge which the human being has of God perfects all that the human mind can know of the meaning of life."
"Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the inestimable value of human life..."
"People today need to turn to Christ once again in order to receive from him the answer to their questions about what is good and what is evil. Christ is the Teacher, the Risen One who has life in himself and who is always present in his Church and in the world. It is he who opens up to the faithful the book of the Scriptures and, by fully revealing the Father's will, teaches the truth about moral action."
Today, April 2, 2006, is the one year anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. When I think about him, I recall the time that he was shot by a Turkish gunman at near point blank range back in May 1981. I remember--as a kid--hearing reports that when he arrived to the hospital that he had already forgiven the man who had shot him.
A few months later, he walked into the prison cell of the man who shot him. He sat down with this man who had pointed a gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger with the intention of killing.
And the Pope loved him.
And the Pope recognized Christ in him.
And the Pope forgave him.
What a great model of Christian love.
"As the source of love, God desires to make himself known; and the knowledge which the human being has of God perfects all that the human mind can know of the meaning of life."
"Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the inestimable value of human life..."
"People today need to turn to Christ once again in order to receive from him the answer to their questions about what is good and what is evil. Christ is the Teacher, the Risen One who has life in himself and who is always present in his Church and in the world. It is he who opens up to the faithful the book of the Scriptures and, by fully revealing the Father's will, teaches the truth about moral action."
Today, April 2, 2006, is the one year anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. When I think about him, I recall the time that he was shot by a Turkish gunman at near point blank range back in May 1981. I remember--as a kid--hearing reports that when he arrived to the hospital that he had already forgiven the man who had shot him.
A few months later, he walked into the prison cell of the man who shot him. He sat down with this man who had pointed a gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger with the intention of killing.
And the Pope loved him.
And the Pope recognized Christ in him.
And the Pope forgave him.
What a great model of Christian love.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Be It Done Unto Me According To Your Word...
Eve's NO!
The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 1: 6)
Did you ever wonder why we (meaning Catholics) venerate Mary? (not worship...we do not worship Mary...no matter what some Protestants may have been told) I think if you asked most Catholics, they really couldn't give a good answer.
The above Bible passage is a continuation from my previous post. It's Eve's response to Satan as he tempts her with the Tree of Knowledge. She looks at the tree and even though God tells her not to eat it, she eats it anyway.
Then she gives it to her husband to eat too.
And then man falls.
Note that Man falls through Adam's sin and not Eve's. Paul affirms in the New Testament that Adam's sin is what caused the downfall of man and not Eve's response to Satan. It's only after Adam eats of the fruit that they realize that they were naked.
(Side Note: They were always naked! When they ate from the fruit, it's the first time that they took their eyes off of God and on to themselves...and felt shame.)
Unfortunately, it was Eve's initial, "NO!" that led to Adam's sin which led to the Fall.
Mary's YES!
Today, March 25, is the Catholic Feast Day of the Annunciation. If you're Protestant and you're not sure what that means, it's the day that the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she has found favor with God and will bear His Son. This is the logical day to celebrate it as it's nine months before Christmas Day.
Imagine how Mary must have felt. She was probably around 13 years old...although the age doesn't really matter. Single but betrothed and a virgin. And an angel appears to her and says you're gonna have God's Son. Her whole life was about to change. She lived in a small town. People were going to talk. Perhaps snicker at a pregnant young girl. Rumors were probably going to spread. And she had no clue as to how Joseph was going to respond to all of this.
What's her response?
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
(Side Note: Her "How can this be..." is not a question of disbelief of God as Zechariah did, "How shall I know this?" for which he was struck mute. Hers is more of a "What's it gonna take to make this happen..." statement. At least that's how I've been taught it.)
And at that moment, her "Yes!" sets the foundation for the restoration of mankind.
Her "Yes!" was necessary to fix Eve's "No!"
So as Man falls through Adam's Original rejection of God (caused by Eve's "NO!"), Man is redeemed through Jesus Christ's obedience to God (caused by Mary's "YES!").
This is why Catholics hold Mary in such high regard. We call her the "New Eve" as Jesus Christ is called the "New Adam."
This is the understanding of the Catholic Church today and it's the understanding of the early Church Fathers all the way back to the first century.
We need to hold her as a model. We need to live a life like hers. When we hear what God wants from us--no matter how much it affects us...no matter how inconvenient it may be.
We need to say "YES!"
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary! Full of Grace! The Lord is with thee! (Luke 1:28)
Blessed are thou amongst women
And blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus (Luke 1: 42)
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now...and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 1: 6)
Did you ever wonder why we (meaning Catholics) venerate Mary? (not worship...we do not worship Mary...no matter what some Protestants may have been told) I think if you asked most Catholics, they really couldn't give a good answer.
The above Bible passage is a continuation from my previous post. It's Eve's response to Satan as he tempts her with the Tree of Knowledge. She looks at the tree and even though God tells her not to eat it, she eats it anyway.
Then she gives it to her husband to eat too.
And then man falls.
Note that Man falls through Adam's sin and not Eve's. Paul affirms in the New Testament that Adam's sin is what caused the downfall of man and not Eve's response to Satan. It's only after Adam eats of the fruit that they realize that they were naked.
(Side Note: They were always naked! When they ate from the fruit, it's the first time that they took their eyes off of God and on to themselves...and felt shame.)
Unfortunately, it was Eve's initial, "NO!" that led to Adam's sin which led to the Fall.
Mary's YES!
- In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1: 26-38)
Today, March 25, is the Catholic Feast Day of the Annunciation. If you're Protestant and you're not sure what that means, it's the day that the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she has found favor with God and will bear His Son. This is the logical day to celebrate it as it's nine months before Christmas Day.
Imagine how Mary must have felt. She was probably around 13 years old...although the age doesn't really matter. Single but betrothed and a virgin. And an angel appears to her and says you're gonna have God's Son. Her whole life was about to change. She lived in a small town. People were going to talk. Perhaps snicker at a pregnant young girl. Rumors were probably going to spread. And she had no clue as to how Joseph was going to respond to all of this.
What's her response?
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
(Side Note: Her "How can this be..." is not a question of disbelief of God as Zechariah did, "How shall I know this?" for which he was struck mute. Hers is more of a "What's it gonna take to make this happen..." statement. At least that's how I've been taught it.)
And at that moment, her "Yes!" sets the foundation for the restoration of mankind.
Her "Yes!" was necessary to fix Eve's "No!"
So as Man falls through Adam's Original rejection of God (caused by Eve's "NO!"), Man is redeemed through Jesus Christ's obedience to God (caused by Mary's "YES!").
This is why Catholics hold Mary in such high regard. We call her the "New Eve" as Jesus Christ is called the "New Adam."
This is the understanding of the Catholic Church today and it's the understanding of the early Church Fathers all the way back to the first century.
We need to hold her as a model. We need to live a life like hers. When we hear what God wants from us--no matter how much it affects us...no matter how inconvenient it may be.
We need to say "YES!"
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary! Full of Grace! The Lord is with thee! (Luke 1:28)
Blessed are thou amongst women
And blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus (Luke 1: 42)
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now...and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
The Greatest Lie
- But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad."
- (Genesis 3: 1-5)
He lied to Eve and lies to us now today. He tempts us. He wants to take us away from God and wants us to put ourselves in the center of our lives in place of God.
Because he hates us.
He wants us to argue with God. He wants us to argue with our neighbors. He wants us to go to war. He wants us to kill if not with weapons then with our words. He wants division.
He envies us as he envied Adam and Eve. For we are with God and he is not. Through his envy, he wants to take us away from God. Not by turning ourselves to him but rather by turning ourselves inward to ourselves.
Recognize the lies and reject Satan. Avoid him and ask God for help.
Unfortunately for us, what Eve did not realize was that Satan was lying to her the whole time. The truth was that she already was like God as He created her in His image and likeness. The truth was that she already had knowledge of what was good and what was bad.
Satan lied and said that man will not die but rather become like god, the ironic Truth is that God fixed the mistake by becoming a man and dying.
Because He loves us.
Thank You, God.
I love You.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us
- If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions. (Matthew 6:14-15)
How important is forgiveness?
Over the weekend, I have been reflecting on Matthew 18: 21-35. Great parable which I won't add to my post but please read when you have a chance. I haven't been able to get it out of my head.
In life, there will be people who cross your path--some close to you and some not--who will hurt you. Either intentionally or unintentionally, they will attack your very being. Perhaps they don't like the color of your skin or your faith. Maybe they don't agree with your convictions. Or maybe they're a family member who's been holding a grudge for oh so many years and lashes out at you.
And then you get hurt.
And you hold on to that hurt and let it fester inside of you. It starts to control you and soon, when you see that person who hurt you, you lash back at them to "even the score."
Is that what we should do? Is that what God wants?
No.
God wants us to forgive--the way He forgave us. We put Him on a cross and nailed Him to it. The Jews didn't kill Jesus. We did. All the sinners who have ever walked on this planet. Every person who has ever said, "Thanks God for the advice but I'm doing it my way." With every sin we commit, we pound that nail into His flesh harder and harder. With every sin, we make Him scream louder and louder in agony.
And yet, He still forgives the penitent.
When someone hurt us, I can assure you, we don't feel the same pain that Jesus did on the cross. Forgive them as He forgives us. Don't dwell on the pain and the hurt. Don't let it control your life.
As Christ acknowledged His pain while hanging naked on a cross to die, we too must acknowledge our pain when someone hurts us for we cannot forgive without acknowledging that we've been hurt. Take the pain and the hurt and nail it to the cross and forgive whoever it is who hurt you.
What if we don't? What if we let it fester inside us? What if we let it eat away at our soul?
How important is forgiveness?
Our salvation depends on it.
Friday, March 17, 2006
St. Patrick's Day
Christ shield me this day:
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me
Today, I'm taking a small break from my Lenten posts to write about St. Patrick. As most people probably know, March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick is one of those saints that has transcended the Catholic Church and has their days celebrated by all people. (Usually by going to the local Irish bar and having a few pints of Guinness and by wearing green).
But there's more to Saint Patrick than this. Sure we know that he's Irish and we also know that we celebrate his feast day by eating corned beef and cabbage. What else?
Well, to learn more about St. Patrick, please visit this site which tells us what we need to know about him.
The above prayer is his and I love it for it's simplicity and how it shows that this man had a very good love for our Lord.
I'll end this post with a quote from Saint Patrick himself:
O Saint Patrick, thank you for your wonderful example. I ask that you pray for all who work to deliver the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world and that today--on your feast day--ask Jesus Christ, whom you love above all things, to touch the hearts of all who read this post.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me
Today, I'm taking a small break from my Lenten posts to write about St. Patrick. As most people probably know, March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick is one of those saints that has transcended the Catholic Church and has their days celebrated by all people. (Usually by going to the local Irish bar and having a few pints of Guinness and by wearing green).
But there's more to Saint Patrick than this. Sure we know that he's Irish and we also know that we celebrate his feast day by eating corned beef and cabbage. What else?
Well, to learn more about St. Patrick, please visit this site which tells us what we need to know about him.
The above prayer is his and I love it for it's simplicity and how it shows that this man had a very good love for our Lord.
I'll end this post with a quote from Saint Patrick himself:
I came to the Irish people to preach the Gospel and endure the taunts of unbelievers, putting up with reproaches about my earthly pilgrimage, suffering many persecutions, even bondage, and losing my birthright of freedom for the benefit of others.
If I am worthy, I am ready also to give up my life, without hesitation and most willingly, for Christ's name. I want to spend myself for that country, even in death, if the Lord should grant me this favor.
It is among that people that I want to wait for the promise made by him, who assuredly never tells a lie. He makes this promise in the Gospel: "They shall come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." This is our faith: believers are to come from the whole world.
O Saint Patrick, thank you for your wonderful example. I ask that you pray for all who work to deliver the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world and that today--on your feast day--ask Jesus Christ, whom you love above all things, to touch the hearts of all who read this post.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
The Lost Son--Part 3
- Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.' He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'" (Luke 15: 26-32)
I think this is the most intriguing part of this parable. If you may recall, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees who have just complained that He welcomes sinners and eats with them. (Luke 15: 2) This parable is a rebuttal--one of many--to their complaint.
The older brother, after toiling in the field all day hears the celebration and wants to know what all the fuss is about. He asks the servants who tell him that his brother has returned and the father is celebrating.
What's the older son's reaction? Does he too become excited and happy and want to celebrate?
No.
He becomes angry at his father and refuses to enter the house. His heart--not filled with love--is filled with envy. He doesn't want to welcome his brother as he probably does not love him (or his father).
How does the father react to this? He goes out and pleads with the older son to join the party. But the son sadly refuses. I obeyed your orders. I served you. But you never gave me anything.
Oh how blind he is. For the father has given him everything he owns. And he doesn't even realize it.
Lest anyone think that God hates the Pharisees (from Matthew 23), He does not hate them. He loves them. He wants them to join in the feast. They are the elder son in this parable.
The elder son represents all people who take God for granted (Christians and non-Christians). The ones who say they are Christian and do all the Christian things but don't really love Him. Please note that the elder son never says he loves his father...just that he served him and obeyed him.
Let's not be like this.
If you notice, Jesus never mentions if the older son ever comes back to the celebration. Did he ever repent as the younger son did? I don't know. It brings me to a final question which is something I would like readers to ponder...
Which one is the lost son?
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
The Lost Son--Part 2
- Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. (Luke 15: 17-24)
This is the second of a three part post regarding the Prodigal Son. I appreciate the comments that have been left in my comments section from the first post. Honestly, there is a lot of depth to this parable and it has so many dimensions and meanings that we could probably write an entire book just on the parable of the Prodigal Son (if one hasn't already been written.) I'm only covering one facet of this beautiful parable.
In this section of the parable, the lost son realizes just how lost he is. He is in a foreign land working for a cruel boss and finally comes to his senses.
This section is all about repentance and a father's love. He realizes that without his father he is nothing. He is lost. He is dying from hunger and yearns to be a lowly servant to his father. For even a servant to his father is well cared for. He decides to go back to his father and ask him to be his hired hand for he is no longer worthy.
And there's his father. Waiting for him.
Waiting and looking out into the horizon. Waiting for his lost son to return back to him. Why? Because he loves his son who is now dead to him and his desire is for him to return.
And when he sees his son far far away in the horizon, his love for his son fills his heart and he RUNS out and meets him and before his son can even say, "I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you"...
He embraces him.
He kisses him.
He loves him.
The son repents and the father celebrates for his dead son is now found.
What a great example of God's love for us. God wants us to repent. He wants us to have a contrite heart when we stray from Him and when we have that, before we even have a chance to say, "I'm sorry God!" He's already welcomed us back into His family.
For all sinners, God is waiting for us. He wants us to repent.
He wants us to repent and come back on our knees wanting to be His servant. Not worthy of His love or our righteousness.
And when we do, He will run out and embrace us and welcome us back.
Monday, March 13, 2006
The Lost Son--Part 1
- Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. (Luke 15: 11-16)
That's what this poor soul essentially tells his father at the start of this parable.
I wish you were dead.
Give me my share of your inheritance and let me do whatever I want with it.
I wish you were dead.
I will take all that you have given me and leave to a far away land. Far away from you and far away from your control over me.
I wish you were dead.
I will take the talents you gave me and waste them--on things that I want to spend them on.
You can't tell me what to do...for You are dead to me!
And then disaster strikes and this life of licentiousness leads to a life of serving pigs! (Rember...Jews don't think too highly of pigs) and then I long to be a pig...to live like them and eat like them. And I'm not even worthy enough to do that!
This is what a life of lawlessness leads to. This is what a life without God is like. We see it in our society now and it is evident in our media, in our schools and in our governments.
All of us start out as part of God's family. All of us have unique gifts and talents that God graciously bestowed on us.
Let's use them wisely--for the greater glory of God-- and not waste them--or else we'll end up wanting to live like pigs.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Redemptive Suffering
- "A thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. " (2 Corinthians: 7-10)
Oh Lord, why is there suffering in the world?
This question is asked whenever we see a person dying. The pain that a person endures as their life is drawn out of them due to an illness like cancer is something indescribable. Some people choose to avoid it through assisted suicide and some persevere until the very end.
Suffering is a result of the Fall of Man. In Eden, there was to be no suffering. After the Fall, Man brought a curse to the earth that has scorched it since the beginning of time.
Does God want us to suffer?
Unfortunately...yes.
Why? I don't know. Who am I to question God? However, He wanted Christ to suffer and Christ knew the suffering that was to come and His anxiety was so great that He sweated blood. Perhaps He wanted Christ to suffer as an example to all of us who have to suffer to a much lesser degree every day of our lives.
He also wanted Paul to suffer as noted in the above passage. Paul did not want whatever affliction he had and asked God to take it away from him. God's response: "My grace is sufficient for you."
What are we to do with suffering?
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24)
My father died from stomach cancer two years ago and although he suffered immeasurably, he never showed it. At that same time, my wife was expecting our first (and for now only) child. As you could imagine it was a time of great joy and great sorrow in our family.
In my father's last few weeks as he laid in his bed dying, a priest called him. He asked him if he'd had his last confession (which he'd already had) and then told him something that I'll never forget. (My father didn't tell me this...the priest did months later only after asking him.)
The suffering that my father was going through. The immeasurable pain he was feeling. The priest told my father to "Give it meaning." The term that the Church uses is "Redemptive Suffering." It's what Christ did on His path to the cross and it's what Paul is referring to in the above passages.
In redemptive suffering, we bind the suffering to our intercessory prayers and through the suffering the prayer has more meaning to God.
Although my father never told me what he was doing, I know that through all the pain that he went through, his prayer to God through it all was:
"Lord, I am suffering for my unborn grandchild."
When I think about that, I cry.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Sin
"This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15)
I've been having trouble writing a post lately. I don't know if I am having a writer's block or maybe what I want to write about, God doesn't want me to write or something altogether different.
As I started writing my original post, I scrapped it and decided to write about sin. I don't know why...perhaps God is pushing me this way or perhaps it's just me writing about sin. Anyhow, the above Gospel passage was read at the Catholic Mass last Sunday. It's Christ's first commandment to us. Repent and believe in the Gospel...Repent from what? Obviously, it's from our sins. Which brings me to the next question:
What is sin?
To be honest with you, I typed the above phrase into Google and got some interesting web sites that only confused me as I read people's thoughts on sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it as follows: "The rejection of God and opposition to Him" or to put it more simply...
Actively choosing not to love God (and one another).
Why would we do that? Because, unfortunately, we are prone to sin and sometimes, we choose to do what we want as opposed to what God wants. It's been like that since Adam and will continue to be like that until Final Judgement.
What are we to do? Repent. As often as possible. Every day if necessary.
And of course, Love God.
I've been having trouble writing a post lately. I don't know if I am having a writer's block or maybe what I want to write about, God doesn't want me to write or something altogether different.
As I started writing my original post, I scrapped it and decided to write about sin. I don't know why...perhaps God is pushing me this way or perhaps it's just me writing about sin. Anyhow, the above Gospel passage was read at the Catholic Mass last Sunday. It's Christ's first commandment to us. Repent and believe in the Gospel...Repent from what? Obviously, it's from our sins. Which brings me to the next question:
What is sin?
To be honest with you, I typed the above phrase into Google and got some interesting web sites that only confused me as I read people's thoughts on sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it as follows: "The rejection of God and opposition to Him" or to put it more simply...
Actively choosing not to love God (and one another).
Why would we do that? Because, unfortunately, we are prone to sin and sometimes, we choose to do what we want as opposed to what God wants. It's been like that since Adam and will continue to be like that until Final Judgement.
What are we to do? Repent. As often as possible. Every day if necessary.
And of course, Love God.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Lent
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” (Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18)
Lent is upon us.
Lent is a time of conversion. It's a time of living simply. This is the reason why the Mardi Gras/Carnivale celebrations are so festive. It's the last celebration before Lent begins.
During Lent, we are called to focus ourselves more on God and help us prepare ourselves for the Easter Sunday. In order to prepare, we must truly recognize what God did for us through His sorrowful Passion.
For in order for Christ to Resurrect on Easter, He had to die on Good Friday. And in order to die, He had to suffer. And His suffering was brutal. And His suffering was for me (and all of us) for which I should be truly sorry.
On Ash Wednesday at Mass, the above Gospel passages were read all over the world from the largest cities to the smallest towns on all the continents. The passages are a reminder of what Catholics are called to do during Lent to help us prepare and to help us grow closer to God as we reflect on His sorrowful death. We are asked to grow in conversion and righteousness specifically through increased prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
When all three are combined and bound together. We grow in the Lord and are graced with His presence in ways that are astounding (and sometimes truly humbling). Of course, we are always called to prayer but during Lent, we are more focused through our Liturgies and activities on Christ's Passion. At Catholic Churches worldwide, The Way of the Cross is celebrated throughout Fridays during Lent. When praying the Rosary, we have more focus on the Sorrowful Mysteries at this time and our Liturgical readings are all focused on repentance and preparation for Christ's crucifixion.
Fasting is a process that can be used to purge ourselves of anything that may keep us away from God. It's not the traditional fasting (although it can be if you choose) but rather something that one gives up during Lent as a sacrifice. Why do we give it up? Because we love God and we show our love through the sacrifice. If a person enjoys morning coffee, they may sacrifice drinking it during Lent as a minor offering to God to show their love for Him. Whatever is given up should be something that's meaningfully significant to the individual. If a person hates going to the opera and decides they're giving up going to the opera, that's probably not a worthy sacrifice. When we fast (or sacrifice), we should tie it with our prayer. Whatever it is that we're praying for, we should offer our fast for that prayer. Example, if we're praying for an individual, fast for the healing (or conversion) of that individual.
Almsgiving should be done because we love our neighbors and through the lowliest of men, we can find God...and perchance bring them closer to Him too.
Above all, we do these things privately. We don't do them to show off or to compare ourselves to our neighbors. We do them because we love God with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength.
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” (Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18)
Lent is upon us.
Lent is a time of conversion. It's a time of living simply. This is the reason why the Mardi Gras/Carnivale celebrations are so festive. It's the last celebration before Lent begins.
During Lent, we are called to focus ourselves more on God and help us prepare ourselves for the Easter Sunday. In order to prepare, we must truly recognize what God did for us through His sorrowful Passion.
For in order for Christ to Resurrect on Easter, He had to die on Good Friday. And in order to die, He had to suffer. And His suffering was brutal. And His suffering was for me (and all of us) for which I should be truly sorry.
On Ash Wednesday at Mass, the above Gospel passages were read all over the world from the largest cities to the smallest towns on all the continents. The passages are a reminder of what Catholics are called to do during Lent to help us prepare and to help us grow closer to God as we reflect on His sorrowful death. We are asked to grow in conversion and righteousness specifically through increased prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
When all three are combined and bound together. We grow in the Lord and are graced with His presence in ways that are astounding (and sometimes truly humbling). Of course, we are always called to prayer but during Lent, we are more focused through our Liturgies and activities on Christ's Passion. At Catholic Churches worldwide, The Way of the Cross is celebrated throughout Fridays during Lent. When praying the Rosary, we have more focus on the Sorrowful Mysteries at this time and our Liturgical readings are all focused on repentance and preparation for Christ's crucifixion.
Fasting is a process that can be used to purge ourselves of anything that may keep us away from God. It's not the traditional fasting (although it can be if you choose) but rather something that one gives up during Lent as a sacrifice. Why do we give it up? Because we love God and we show our love through the sacrifice. If a person enjoys morning coffee, they may sacrifice drinking it during Lent as a minor offering to God to show their love for Him. Whatever is given up should be something that's meaningfully significant to the individual. If a person hates going to the opera and decides they're giving up going to the opera, that's probably not a worthy sacrifice. When we fast (or sacrifice), we should tie it with our prayer. Whatever it is that we're praying for, we should offer our fast for that prayer. Example, if we're praying for an individual, fast for the healing (or conversion) of that individual.
Almsgiving should be done because we love our neighbors and through the lowliest of men, we can find God...and perchance bring them closer to Him too.
Above all, we do these things privately. We don't do them to show off or to compare ourselves to our neighbors. We do them because we love God with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
May God Rebuke Him
In the Name of Jesus, I take authority and I bind all powers and forces in the air, in the ground, in the water, in the underground, in nature and in fire. You are the Lord over the entire universe and I give you the Glory for your creation. In your name I bind all demonic forces that have come against us and our families and I seal all of us in the protection of Your Precious Blood that was shed for us on the cross. Mary, our Mother, we seek your protection and intercession with the Sacred Heart of Jesus for us and our families, and surround us with your mantle of love to discourage the enemy. St. Michael and our Guardian Angels come defend us and our families in battle against all the evil ones that roam the earth. In the Name of Jesus, I bind and command all the powers and forces of evil to depart right now away from us, our homes and our lands. And we thank you Lord Jesus for You are a faithful and compassionate God. Amen.
Well, I got back home safe and sound from Mexico. It was a good pleasant trip although there were a lot of interesting things that happened:
--Due to high winds, I missed my connecting flight to Mexico in Phoenix and had to spend the night there (It sure beats Detroit!) When I got to my hotel, I felt the urge to call a friend of mine who was just recently laid off. As it turned out, he had just arrived into Phoenix the night before. So, that evening, we were able to get together and spend some time.
--In Hermosillo, Mexico, I met up with a gentleman whom I met six years ago in another city about 500 miles from Hermosillo. I only met him a couple of times and we were at most mild acquaintances. Anyhow, he took me to his house to meet his wife (whom I had met before) and his kids. In his kitchen, I saw a picture in the center of his refrigerator. I examined it closely and realized that I took that picture six years earlier! Talk about weird!
--In Chihahua, Mexico, I met up with a gentleman whom I had never previously met. In the evening, we got to talking and it turned out that he had lived in Detroit about 15 years ago for a year. At that time, he went to my church! (at least my old church). Talk about a small world.
In these 3 instances (and a few other smaller ones), I could really sense God was present and that he wanted me there for a reason. Why? I don't know. I just need to trust His lead.
In the last week, I have been sensing another presence. One that's not so welcome. In the last week:
--My home computer where I write my posts completely broke down
--My daughter got very sick--just as I was leaving.
--I missed my flight down to Mexico (as stated previously)
--I kept on getting stopped by security and customs
--My flight home was delayed.
I sense a presence that is trying to discourage me. It's trying to afflict me and take my focus away from God. Were all the above instances caused by the Devil? I don't know. I just know that I need to have my love for God stay focused on Him and Him alone. We cannot let the Devil distract us.
For he hates us. His goal is not to get us to worship him. His goal is to turn us away from God and get us to focus inwards to ourselves. (Genesis 3:4) His sin is a sin of pride and he wants all of humanity to share in it with him. We cannot let him do that to us. We need to turn away from pride and focus ourselves on God and His love for us. When Satan tempts us, we need to turn to God and cling ever closer to Him and His cross and not let go.
We can't do this alone.
We can only do this with God's help and we can only receive that grace through prayer. The above prayer is a prayer that I learned from my parents who are/were members of a Catholic Charismatic Community. Unfortunately, my father passed away a couple of years ago. We used the above prayer for his prayer card at the funeral.
I need to remind myself and ask all Catholics who read this to pray the above prayer every day. There is a spiritual war going on and the only way we can win it is by completely turning to Jesus and helping others turn themselves to Jesus as well.
For my Protestant brothers who are probably uncomfortable with the above prayer, I understand and ask you to remind yourself to pray the prayer below or use your own words to ask God to help you reject Satan on a daily basis.
Above all, please pray from the heart.
As has been stated earlier in my posts, we cannot do this without God's help.
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray this prayer in the power or the Holy Spirit
In the name of Jesus Christ, I bind, rebuke and bring to no effect, all division, discord, disunity, strife, anger, wrath, murder, criticism, condemnation, pride, envy, jealousy, gossip, slander, evil speaking, complaining, lying, false teaching, false gifts, false manifestations, lying signs and wonders, poverty, fear of lack, fear spirits, murmuring spirits, hindering spirits, retaliatory spirits, deceiving spirits, religious spirits, occult spirits, witchcraft spirits (including Jezebel, Delilah and Apollyon) and spirits of antichrist
I bind all curses that have been spoken against me. I bless those who curse me, and pray blessings on those who despiteful use me
I bind all spoken judgment made against me and judgments I have made against others
I bind the power of negative words from others, and I bind and render useless all prayers not inspired by the Holy Spirit; whether psychic, soul force, witchcraft or counterfeit tongues that have been prayed against me
I am God's child. I resist the devil. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I put on the whole armor of God. I take authority over this day, in Jesus' name. Let it be prosperous for me, let me walk in your love, Lord. The Holy Spirit leads and guides me today, I discern between the righteous and the wicked
I take authority over Satan and all his demons, and those people who are influenced by them. I declare Satan is under my feet and remain there all day. I am the righteous of God in Christ Jesus
I am God's property. Satan you are bound from my family, my mind, my body, my home and my finances
I confess that I am healed and whole. I flourish, I am long lived, stable, durable, incorruptible, fruitful, virtuous, full of peace, patience and love. Whatsoever I set my hand to do shall prosper, for God supplies all my needs. I have all authority over Satan, all demons, and beasts of the field. God, I pray for the ministry that you have for me. Anoint me, God, for all you have called me to do for you
I call forth divine appointments, open doors of opportunity, God ordained encounters and ministry positions. I claim a hedge of protection around myself, spouse and children throughout this day and night
I ask you God, in the name of Jesus to dispatch angels to surround me, my spouse and my children today, and to put them throughout my house and around our cars, souls and bodies. I ask angels to protect my house from any intrusion and to protect me and my family from any harmful demonic or other physical or mental attacks.
I ask this prayer in the name of Jesus AMEN.
Well, I got back home safe and sound from Mexico. It was a good pleasant trip although there were a lot of interesting things that happened:
--Due to high winds, I missed my connecting flight to Mexico in Phoenix and had to spend the night there (It sure beats Detroit!) When I got to my hotel, I felt the urge to call a friend of mine who was just recently laid off. As it turned out, he had just arrived into Phoenix the night before. So, that evening, we were able to get together and spend some time.
--In Hermosillo, Mexico, I met up with a gentleman whom I met six years ago in another city about 500 miles from Hermosillo. I only met him a couple of times and we were at most mild acquaintances. Anyhow, he took me to his house to meet his wife (whom I had met before) and his kids. In his kitchen, I saw a picture in the center of his refrigerator. I examined it closely and realized that I took that picture six years earlier! Talk about weird!
--In Chihahua, Mexico, I met up with a gentleman whom I had never previously met. In the evening, we got to talking and it turned out that he had lived in Detroit about 15 years ago for a year. At that time, he went to my church! (at least my old church). Talk about a small world.
In these 3 instances (and a few other smaller ones), I could really sense God was present and that he wanted me there for a reason. Why? I don't know. I just need to trust His lead.
In the last week, I have been sensing another presence. One that's not so welcome. In the last week:
--My home computer where I write my posts completely broke down
--My daughter got very sick--just as I was leaving.
--I missed my flight down to Mexico (as stated previously)
--I kept on getting stopped by security and customs
--My flight home was delayed.
I sense a presence that is trying to discourage me. It's trying to afflict me and take my focus away from God. Were all the above instances caused by the Devil? I don't know. I just know that I need to have my love for God stay focused on Him and Him alone. We cannot let the Devil distract us.
For he hates us. His goal is not to get us to worship him. His goal is to turn us away from God and get us to focus inwards to ourselves. (Genesis 3:4) His sin is a sin of pride and he wants all of humanity to share in it with him. We cannot let him do that to us. We need to turn away from pride and focus ourselves on God and His love for us. When Satan tempts us, we need to turn to God and cling ever closer to Him and His cross and not let go.
We can't do this alone.
We can only do this with God's help and we can only receive that grace through prayer. The above prayer is a prayer that I learned from my parents who are/were members of a Catholic Charismatic Community. Unfortunately, my father passed away a couple of years ago. We used the above prayer for his prayer card at the funeral.
I need to remind myself and ask all Catholics who read this to pray the above prayer every day. There is a spiritual war going on and the only way we can win it is by completely turning to Jesus and helping others turn themselves to Jesus as well.
For my Protestant brothers who are probably uncomfortable with the above prayer, I understand and ask you to remind yourself to pray the prayer below or use your own words to ask God to help you reject Satan on a daily basis.
Above all, please pray from the heart.
As has been stated earlier in my posts, we cannot do this without God's help.
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray this prayer in the power or the Holy Spirit
In the name of Jesus Christ, I bind, rebuke and bring to no effect, all division, discord, disunity, strife, anger, wrath, murder, criticism, condemnation, pride, envy, jealousy, gossip, slander, evil speaking, complaining, lying, false teaching, false gifts, false manifestations, lying signs and wonders, poverty, fear of lack, fear spirits, murmuring spirits, hindering spirits, retaliatory spirits, deceiving spirits, religious spirits, occult spirits, witchcraft spirits (including Jezebel, Delilah and Apollyon) and spirits of antichrist
I bind all curses that have been spoken against me. I bless those who curse me, and pray blessings on those who despiteful use me
I bind all spoken judgment made against me and judgments I have made against others
I bind the power of negative words from others, and I bind and render useless all prayers not inspired by the Holy Spirit; whether psychic, soul force, witchcraft or counterfeit tongues that have been prayed against me
I am God's child. I resist the devil. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I put on the whole armor of God. I take authority over this day, in Jesus' name. Let it be prosperous for me, let me walk in your love, Lord. The Holy Spirit leads and guides me today, I discern between the righteous and the wicked
I take authority over Satan and all his demons, and those people who are influenced by them. I declare Satan is under my feet and remain there all day. I am the righteous of God in Christ Jesus
I am God's property. Satan you are bound from my family, my mind, my body, my home and my finances
I confess that I am healed and whole. I flourish, I am long lived, stable, durable, incorruptible, fruitful, virtuous, full of peace, patience and love. Whatsoever I set my hand to do shall prosper, for God supplies all my needs. I have all authority over Satan, all demons, and beasts of the field. God, I pray for the ministry that you have for me. Anoint me, God, for all you have called me to do for you
I call forth divine appointments, open doors of opportunity, God ordained encounters and ministry positions. I claim a hedge of protection around myself, spouse and children throughout this day and night
I ask you God, in the name of Jesus to dispatch angels to surround me, my spouse and my children today, and to put them throughout my house and around our cars, souls and bodies. I ask angels to protect my house from any intrusion and to protect me and my family from any harmful demonic or other physical or mental attacks.
I ask this prayer in the name of Jesus AMEN.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
On Obedience to God's Will
- "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." (Matthew 7:21-27)
These verses in the Bible frighten me.
Not because of the fear of eternal damnation that I may face but rather because if this were the case for me, I obviously did not love Him enough.
By loving God and being obedient to Him, He will give us a foundation built on rock. Not because we are obedient mind you, but because He loves us and through His grace we will receive it.
If we're not obedient, our faith is built on sand and can collapse in times of duress...and God may reserve harsh judgement on us.
Let's all try to love Him as I know that's what He really wants.
Well, I'm going to be on the road for the rest of the week in Mexico. I might have access to the internet and I might not. I'll find out when I get there.
May God bless all of you.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Augustine and Free Will
4. Augustine and Free Will
This will be my final response to Mike Garner's comment to my post. I honestly thought I was finished but I think God wants me to do one more. I may do another one outside of this series about who killed Jesus but right now, I'm being pushed this way.
Mike graciously suggested that I read A Treatise on the Predestination. He is correct that it is very well worth the read. I've done a cursory read although haven't had much time to digest it.
Interestingly, in our latest comments, he suggested that I was reading my own opinion into John 6:45. "Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. "
First of all, I will admit that when I read scripture that I look at it with a jaundiced view...that God loves you and He wants you to love Him back. That's not in one line of the Bible, it screams out at me throughout the whole of Scripture.
Secondly, upon reading Augustine's book upon Mike's recommendation, I stumbled onto this in chapter 14:
And yet in a certain sense the Father teaches all men to come to His Son. For it was not in vain that it was written in the prophets, "And they shall all be teachable of God." And when He too had premised this testimony, He added, "Every man, therefore, who has heard of the Father, and has learned, cometh to me."
I didn't read this until tonight but apparently, if Mike disagrees with me, he also disagrees with Austine's writings that he recommended to me.
I also think Mike (and all Calvinists) will disagree with Augustine in regards to his thoughts on Free Will (which makes me wonder why they would refer to themselves as Augustinians). He wrote a whole treatise on it titled On Grace and Free Will.
I have only read the first few chapters and skimmed the rest of it (but I'm sure it's also definitely worth the read). Augustine writes this in Chapter 2:
Now He has revealed to us, through His Holy Scriptures, that there is in a man a free choice of will. But how He has revealed this I do not recount in human language, but in divine. There is, to begin with, the fact that God's precepts themselves would be of no use to a man unless he had free choice of will, so that by performing them he might obtain the promised rewards.
The only difference between what I was saying and what he's saying is that he says it better than I do (and I erroneously preached the Semipelagian heresy...thanks again, Mike for catching that).
So, according to Augustine (and me):
Man has free will.
God loves us. All of us. He wants us to love him back freely and the whole of scripture does not make sense without free will.
I honestly don't think there's anything more I can write about this. When I started last week, my plan was to write about something completely different but God pushed me in this direction and I didn't understand it at the time.
I want to thank Mike Garner for this as it's helped me have a much better understanding of the subject. It's also given me a better understanding of the Catholic Church's teaching of Free Will of which I honestly only had a vague understanding.
I really hope that all who read this will be drawn closer to Him. I am not looking for division because that's not what He wants.
He wants us to love Him back.
May the Grace and the Love of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all who read this post.
This will be my final response to Mike Garner's comment to my post. I honestly thought I was finished but I think God wants me to do one more. I may do another one outside of this series about who killed Jesus but right now, I'm being pushed this way.
Mike graciously suggested that I read A Treatise on the Predestination. He is correct that it is very well worth the read. I've done a cursory read although haven't had much time to digest it.
Interestingly, in our latest comments, he suggested that I was reading my own opinion into John 6:45. "Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. "
First of all, I will admit that when I read scripture that I look at it with a jaundiced view...that God loves you and He wants you to love Him back. That's not in one line of the Bible, it screams out at me throughout the whole of Scripture.
Secondly, upon reading Augustine's book upon Mike's recommendation, I stumbled onto this in chapter 14:
And yet in a certain sense the Father teaches all men to come to His Son. For it was not in vain that it was written in the prophets, "And they shall all be teachable of God." And when He too had premised this testimony, He added, "Every man, therefore, who has heard of the Father, and has learned, cometh to me."
I didn't read this until tonight but apparently, if Mike disagrees with me, he also disagrees with Austine's writings that he recommended to me.
I also think Mike (and all Calvinists) will disagree with Augustine in regards to his thoughts on Free Will (which makes me wonder why they would refer to themselves as Augustinians). He wrote a whole treatise on it titled On Grace and Free Will.
I have only read the first few chapters and skimmed the rest of it (but I'm sure it's also definitely worth the read). Augustine writes this in Chapter 2:
Now He has revealed to us, through His Holy Scriptures, that there is in a man a free choice of will. But how He has revealed this I do not recount in human language, but in divine. There is, to begin with, the fact that God's precepts themselves would be of no use to a man unless he had free choice of will, so that by performing them he might obtain the promised rewards.
The only difference between what I was saying and what he's saying is that he says it better than I do (and I erroneously preached the Semipelagian heresy...thanks again, Mike for catching that).
So, according to Augustine (and me):
Man has free will.
God loves us. All of us. He wants us to love him back freely and the whole of scripture does not make sense without free will.
I honestly don't think there's anything more I can write about this. When I started last week, my plan was to write about something completely different but God pushed me in this direction and I didn't understand it at the time.
I want to thank Mike Garner for this as it's helped me have a much better understanding of the subject. It's also given me a better understanding of the Catholic Church's teaching of Free Will of which I honestly only had a vague understanding.
I really hope that all who read this will be drawn closer to Him. I am not looking for division because that's not what He wants.
He wants us to love Him back.
May the Grace and the Love of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all who read this post.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Through our Faith that we Love God
3. Through our Faith that we love God
Hello everyone, first of all, I would like to thank Mike Garner for spotting an error in my logic. In my ignorance, I misinterpreted a Bible quote in Romans 1 and said that "us giving Him glory and praise comes first..."
Mike lovingly told me that what I said was incorrect. I did more research and reread Romans 1 and realized that he was correct. Before today, I did not know who Pelagian was or what a Semi-Pelagian is. Mike, you're helping me become a better Catholic! (Talk about irony)
Anyhow, God gives us the grace to love Him and as I had quoted Romans 1:20 in my misinterpretation, I failed to note that in Romans 1:19, that "God made Himself evident to them." The way that I read this (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that He has made Himself evident through His grace.
And through Jesus, we have received grace in place of grace.
Does He give everyone that grace?
I don't know. I'm not God.
What I do know is that He's asking all of us to respond to His call. He has given us the grace to respond to Him and from that response, then we freely choose to love Him.
When we freely respond to His call and listen to Him, He will grace us with the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 6:44-45)
In regards to why I love God while our neighbors (or family or church...etc.) do not...I guess my answer is, "I don't know."
God doesn't want me to compare myself to my neighbors. That's like Cain comparing his sacrifice to Abel's. And that is frowned upon very strongly by Jesus (regarding the Pharisee comparing himself to the tax collector.) I can't judge them (although if they are doing something wrong, I can tell them that what they are doing is wrong...as Mike did earlier today); I can only love them as Christ loves me and of course, bring them closer to God.
I have a hard enough time with my own relationship with Him to compare myself to my neighbor.
As always, may the peace and love of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with everyone.
Hello everyone, first of all, I would like to thank Mike Garner for spotting an error in my logic. In my ignorance, I misinterpreted a Bible quote in Romans 1 and said that "us giving Him glory and praise comes first..."
Mike lovingly told me that what I said was incorrect. I did more research and reread Romans 1 and realized that he was correct. Before today, I did not know who Pelagian was or what a Semi-Pelagian is. Mike, you're helping me become a better Catholic! (Talk about irony)
Anyhow, God gives us the grace to love Him and as I had quoted Romans 1:20 in my misinterpretation, I failed to note that in Romans 1:19, that "God made Himself evident to them." The way that I read this (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that He has made Himself evident through His grace.
And through Jesus, we have received grace in place of grace.
Does He give everyone that grace?
I don't know. I'm not God.
What I do know is that He's asking all of us to respond to His call. He has given us the grace to respond to Him and from that response, then we freely choose to love Him.
When we freely respond to His call and listen to Him, He will grace us with the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 6:44-45)
In regards to why I love God while our neighbors (or family or church...etc.) do not...I guess my answer is, "I don't know."
God doesn't want me to compare myself to my neighbors. That's like Cain comparing his sacrifice to Abel's. And that is frowned upon very strongly by Jesus (regarding the Pharisee comparing himself to the tax collector.) I can't judge them (although if they are doing something wrong, I can tell them that what they are doing is wrong...as Mike did earlier today); I can only love them as Christ loves me and of course, bring them closer to God.
I have a hard enough time with my own relationship with Him to compare myself to my neighbor.
As always, may the peace and love of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with everyone.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Corruption of the Fall of Man?
This is a continuation of yesterday's post regarding Mike Garner's response to my initial post about Free Will. I think that his points are interesting and would like to cover them through a series of posts as the breadth of what he is saying is too broad to cover in one post (let alone in one comment box.)
2. Corruption of the Fall of Man?
From Mike's comment:
I would agree that Adam freely chose to sin against God. The question becomes if the rest of mankind has this same freedom. The question can be asked differently: Does the corruption of the Fall affect Man's free will?
Mankind did not lose their free will through Adam's fall. What mankind lost was the access to the Tree of Life as punishment for Adam's original sin. Because of the loss of access, we were all destined to die. Why? Because we bear the stain of Adam's original sin.
This is the original sin that Paul refers to in Romans 5. Because of Adam's sin, we are all inclined toward sin (or rather enslaved in sin). This is what Paul is talking about and not that we have lost our free will.
How can I be sure of my interpretation regarding the non-corruption of free will in Genesis 3?
By reading Genesis 4.
The very first story immediately following the Fall of Man is the story of Cain and Abel. In Genesis 4: 2-5, it talks about how the two made offerings to God. Why did they (and especially Abel) make offerings to God? For Salvation? To get back in the Garden? That was lost to them. They did it because they loved God for God alone (at least Abel did). Not for reward and reading this passage indicates that it was all a free choice.
Side note regarding Cain and Abel:
When I first read this passage, I struggled with it. Why was Cain's offering displeasing to God? Well, for two reasons...
1. He was not giving his best fruits of his labor.
2. He was paying more attention to what his brother was giving than choosing to love God.
Moral of the story: God wants us to give Him our best...also note that Abel was a keeper of the flock who was killed as a result of his brother's sin...a direct point from the Old Testament to the Passion.
So, how does one get eternal life? By coming back to the Tree of Life! Jesus Christ (the New Adam) restored that Tree when He came down as a man and fixed Adam's original sin by remaining obedient to God's will. Choosing to die for our sins (note: He was not murdered. True, we nailed Him to the cross with our sins but He chose to be sacrificed; thus God did not want to be murdered. He freely accepted death on a cross. There is no contradition in Scripture.)
What does He ask from us in return? To love Him. To keep His commandments. To deny yourself and follow Him (to death on a cross if necessary). To be His friend.
Does this guarantee us eternal life? No. His grace does.
So when is the Tree of Life that's discussed in the beginning of the Bible (at the beginning of creation) restored?
At the very end of the Bible in Revelation 22 at the end of times.
I think that's enough for tonight. Hopefully, God willing, I will continue tomorrow.
Peace to all who read this.
2. Corruption of the Fall of Man?
From Mike's comment:
I would agree that Adam freely chose to sin against God. The question becomes if the rest of mankind has this same freedom. The question can be asked differently: Does the corruption of the Fall affect Man's free will?
Mankind did not lose their free will through Adam's fall. What mankind lost was the access to the Tree of Life as punishment for Adam's original sin. Because of the loss of access, we were all destined to die. Why? Because we bear the stain of Adam's original sin.
This is the original sin that Paul refers to in Romans 5. Because of Adam's sin, we are all inclined toward sin (or rather enslaved in sin). This is what Paul is talking about and not that we have lost our free will.
How can I be sure of my interpretation regarding the non-corruption of free will in Genesis 3?
By reading Genesis 4.
The very first story immediately following the Fall of Man is the story of Cain and Abel. In Genesis 4: 2-5, it talks about how the two made offerings to God. Why did they (and especially Abel) make offerings to God? For Salvation? To get back in the Garden? That was lost to them. They did it because they loved God for God alone (at least Abel did). Not for reward and reading this passage indicates that it was all a free choice.
Side note regarding Cain and Abel:
When I first read this passage, I struggled with it. Why was Cain's offering displeasing to God? Well, for two reasons...
1. He was not giving his best fruits of his labor.
2. He was paying more attention to what his brother was giving than choosing to love God.
Moral of the story: God wants us to give Him our best...also note that Abel was a keeper of the flock who was killed as a result of his brother's sin...a direct point from the Old Testament to the Passion.
So, how does one get eternal life? By coming back to the Tree of Life! Jesus Christ (the New Adam) restored that Tree when He came down as a man and fixed Adam's original sin by remaining obedient to God's will. Choosing to die for our sins (note: He was not murdered. True, we nailed Him to the cross with our sins but He chose to be sacrificed; thus God did not want to be murdered. He freely accepted death on a cross. There is no contradition in Scripture.)
What does He ask from us in return? To love Him. To keep His commandments. To deny yourself and follow Him (to death on a cross if necessary). To be His friend.
Does this guarantee us eternal life? No. His grace does.
So when is the Tree of Life that's discussed in the beginning of the Bible (at the beginning of creation) restored?
At the very end of the Bible in Revelation 22 at the end of times.
I think that's enough for tonight. Hopefully, God willing, I will continue tomorrow.
Peace to all who read this.
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