Praying the Bible

It has been six months since I have written on my blog.  At the time that I stopped, I was slightly overwhelmed with my husband's illness and mine.  Our health has slowly improved so that now I feel BORED!  I have been praying for guidance as to what to do.  I tried doing 'surveys at home' to earn extra money, but that in itself is a big joke! 

This week, however, when I was listening to the first reading for Thursday, Sept 1st, Colossians 1:9-14, it seemed to be aimed at me. 

     "...we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light...."

The community of saints is praying for you and me to increase our knowledge of God by praying the Bible.  Better things are in store for us as we deepen our relationship with Him.  We will multiply our good works and be able to joyfully withstand whatever obstacles may come our way.

FOOT OF THE CROSS

-Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen 

"Which stands up better in a crisis - man or woman? The best way to arrive at a conclusion is to go to the greatest crises the world ever faced, namely the CRUCIFIXON OF OUR DIVINE LORD. When we come to this great drama of Calvary there is one fact that stands out very clearly: Men failed. On the other hand, there is not a single instance of a woman's failing him." 

With Us or Against Us?

"Jesus said in reply: 'Do not try to stop him. No man who performs a miracle using My name can at the same time speak ill of Me. Anyone who is not against us is with us.' “Mark 9:39-40

Jesus is telling the disciples that they do not have a monopoly of miracles nor of Him.  Anyone doing good in the Name of Jesus cannot do evil at the same time.

We, who are baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, become adopted children of God.  This means that members of ALL Christian denominations are brothers and sisters, in Christ.

We, Christians, should devote our energy in fighting the evil of the world and not each other.  Actually, I don’t even have to go outside of my Catholic community to see this infighting!  This ministry is jealous of that ministry.  ‘This is my place in the church since I ALWAYS sit here!’  These incidents are so disheartening.  It is especially so when a stranger comes to our church and he is asked to move.  I belong to a parish where the pastor must tend to two churches.  I often hear parishioners say, ‘He is spending too much time at the other church.’  Again, this lack of unity among our sister-church can be very depressing.

The evil one must really be shouting with joy at seeing all of this occurring in Jesus’ Church.

We need to pray for unity among all of God’s children.  We need to pray for the unity that exists among the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

May our Lady intercede for us and pray that we may become one in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

“…you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church…”

Peter was given the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.  He was named as the foundation of the Church. 

Peter, a fisherman, uneducated, weak, afraid, and who denied Jesus three times, was to be the leader.  How many times do we ignore the opinions of those who are simple or uneducated?  How many times do we question the faith of someone, whom we consider to be a sinner?

Peter, as meek and humble as he was, announced to Jesus “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  How could he come up with such a statement?  Jesus says that this revelation came from God the Father. 

On Pentecost, after the disciples received the Holy Spirit, this meek, humble, and uneducated man went outside, preached and converted 3,000.  How was this possible?

Peter, by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, went on to be the first Pope.  He united and guided the Church, as instructed by Jesus.

What about us?  We have received the gifts of the Holy Spirit by virtue of our Baptism.  Are we willing to express our faith to the public or do we say, “I’m afraid! or “I don’t know what to say!

When it comes to matters of the faith, education does not play a part.  This is something that I constantly struggle with.  I feel that I must prepare my responses in reference to matters of the Faith.  I need to forget about my degrees, and concentrate on the gifts of the Holy Spirit since it is through the gifts, that will put me on the path to the heavenly Jerusalem.

Come, Holy Spirit, guide me to be like St. Peter. Amen.

BLINDNESS OR COMMITMENT?

Mark 8, 22-26

Jesus heals a blind man in today’s Gospel; however, He has to do it in two stages.  The first time, Jesus asks him if he can see, the man says that he sees people, who are walking around looking like trees.  The second time, when Jesus asks him if he can see, the man is able to see clearly and is cured.

The Gospel focuses on the blindness of the disciples, especially of Peter.  Peter and the disciples are finding it very hard to understand and accept the Cross, which Jesus speaks about.  All of us are blind!

During the time of our Lord, the law stated that all persons crucified were considered condemned by God; therefore, Peter, in particular, rebuked Jesus for talking about such a Cross.

We say that we believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, yet, we do not wish to suffer!  Jesus is very explicit when He says “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.…Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”  (Mark 9:34, 38)

Wow!  Jesus could be addressing us now in the present time, ‘this faithless and sinful generation.’  Just look at the values that the various media encourages.

Are we ashamed of acknowledging that we are Catholics?  How many of us won’t even say the grace before meals out in public or wear the ashes all day on Ash Wednesday?  These very minor practices of our Faith, which we are ashamed to do, lead to the rejection of major beliefs and precepts of our Church:  abortion, divorce, homosexuality, etc.

We must stop and rethink our personal values and beliefs.  Are we willing to serve others in the name of Jesus?  Are we willing to accept our illnesses and setbacks as our crosses and to offer them up as reparation for our sins?

I pray that we, as a family of Christ, may joyfully carry our crosses so that when we enter into the Father’s glory, the Son of Man will not be ashamed of us.  Amen.

Yeast of Herod

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns the disciples: “Look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod”.  Mark 8:15.

I have never baked with yeast.  To me, it is such a complicated process.  You start with a little package of yeast, add it and the other ingredients to the flour, cover it, and lo and behold, it starts to rise, and rise, and rise.

In the same way, as the yeast influences the flour, we are being influenced by the culture of the world.  Everywhere we turn, we see evil lurking.  With present day technology, we are present at all the ‘events’ of the world.  We see and hear gory details of murder, rape, sexual encounters, etc. on television, in the newspapers, and on the internet.  What has become so disturbing is that much of this is being broadcasted during prime time news and hours when our children are watching.

In addition, as the yeast ‘grows’, so does the gossip.  You tell one person a ‘short story’ about someone else, and this story starts circulating, until it becomes a novel.  As one blogger puts it:  “Is it true, kind, and necessary?”

The Yeast, that we should be allowing to take over our hearts, minds, and souls, is the Body of Christ.  When we receive communion, His flesh and blood becomes ours!  Have you stopped and thought about that?

So many of us receive the bread and wine on a daily basis, yet we do not fully comprehend the great Mystery that is occurring in our bodies.

"By Holy Communion, we are changed into the flesh of Him became our flesh."

--St. Leo the Great

Come, Holy Spirit, come.  Make us pure in spirit so that the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ will permeate in our beings so that when people see us, they will see Jesus.  Amen

BE OPENED!

In the readings of today, we hear Genesis 3:7 and Mark 7, 31-37 and about two very different situations, where ‘openness’ occurs.

In the first reading, Adam and Eve eat of the forbidden fruit.  “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked….”  This disobedience of Adam and Eve opened the way to original sin.  They opened the way for the tendency of sin, which is inherent in each one of us.  Disobedience in every shape and form was born.

In the Gospel of Mark 7, 31-37, a deaf man with a speech impediment is brought to Jesus.  Jesus takes the man aside.  “He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue;  then He looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to (the man), “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be Opened!”)  And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly…the more he (Jesus) ordered them not to (tell anyone), the more they proclaimed it…He has done all things well.”  The people could not keep more proclaiming the wonders that Jesus was performing.  Jesus, again, is opening the way for non-Jews to accept his Word and follow him.  Remember that our Lord tells his disciples to go and teach to all nations.

Are we opened to the Word of God?  Are we opened to proclaim the Word to our fellow men?  Or, are we to continue to follow in the footsteps of our first parents and give in to the sinful tendency of our souls?

As baptized members of the Body of Christ, we are to evangelize to all the Good News!

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit give me a willing heart to do your will.  Help me to not be embarrassed to speak boldly about you.  Amen.