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Friday, October 6th 2017

The Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

                                Baruch 1:15-22

                                Psalms 79:1-3, 5, 8-9

                                Psalms 95:8

                                Luke 10:13-16

Christians, never tire of doing the good of Christ Jesus Gospel of life and eternal life, and a frequent aspect of Christ Jesus’ Gospel, is the call to repentance.  Now, in these verses, in the Gospel of Luke, we hear Jesus say to the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida, “Woe to you!”  Christians! Christ Jesus is being emphatic and he is not being flippant or silly, when he witnesses to these individuals about the mighty deeds that were done in their midst, but yet, they, those of Chorazin and Bethsaida refused to repent of their wicked and evil ways, which they kept…  The wickedness and evilness they, the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida were doing: were of sexual immoralities; were of pridefulness and vainglories; they were of deceptions and corruptions; they were lying about their neighbors and coveting their neighbors lives; they were being murderous and they abandoned God’s Ten Commandments: yes, these and other behaviors were the wickedness and evilness that the individual people of Chorazin and Bethsaida willingly chose to do and of which they refused to repent.  Now Christians, in the Book of Baruch we learn about how the Israelites were held, in captivity, in Babylon.  Tragically, it took an event like being held captive, by the Babylonian’s, to bring the Israelites to their senses…!  Now the structure of the relationship between God and man is: God so loves the world that he gave his only begotten Son, for the salvation of humankind and that man has a free will to choose or reject God; still, as Jesus proclaims, and considering that God, our Heavenly Father made Adam out of clay, God can raise up children to Abraham from the very stones at our feet.  Therefore, even if all of humankind rejects God, our Heavenly Father, God has a relationship with his creation, and given Abraham’s love for God and faith in God, it must be said, “Some people come to know the truth about God – that God is life!”  Now Christians, as we read in the book of Baruch, the Israelites did – come to their senses, praying “Justice is from the Lord, our God!”  Now Christians, while in captivity, the Israelites looked upon their sinful behaviors, which brought them into their captive state, and they, the Israelites, finally admitted, acknowledged, and confessed, to the Lord God, our Heavenly Father that they did willfully sin and that they were flushed with shame.  Now the Israelites of Baruch’s time did not use the word repent, but look at the things they say: “We the men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem, we with our kings and rulers, priests, prophets, and our ancestors have sinned, in the Lord, our Heavenly Father’s sight; we have disobeyed God, the Heavenly Father; we have neither heeded his voice nor followed his precepts, statutes, decrees, ordinances, and commandments; we have from the time the Lord, our Heavenly Father led our ancestors out of Egypt, through the Prophet Moses, till the present day – been disobedient and we have readily disregarded Our Heavenly Father’s voice: so see and understand Christians; although the Israelites did not use the word repent, repenting is what they did.  Now Christians, this Psalm reading is, another, repentance offered to God, our Heavenly Father, and although part of it – has the tone of insincerity; we cannot assume that the Palmist is insincere.  Now Christians when we speak of inheritance from God, the Heavenly Father – we have been grafted into the, root of the vine, and now have the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus.  Now, although, it is true that Christ Jesus took away the sin, of the world, and we now live in light; whereas, in the time of Baruch the people lived in darkness, if we Christians defile God’s holy temple as the Israelites did – we must repent of our sins, or we will perish; if we lay ruin to our cities: through sexual depravity and immorality or through corruption or through deceit and the want of more, as the Israelites did, in the time of Baruch – we must repent of our sins, or we will perish; if we give up the corpses of God’s servants, his people – treating them as if they were no better than food, for the birds of heaven, as the Israelites did in the time of Baruch – we must repent of our sins, or we will perish.  Yes Christians, in the time of Baruch, the blood of the people flowed like water, without regard for life, and there were no servants, there were none of God’s people, to bury the dead; they the citizens of Jerusalem had become the scorn and reproach of their neighbors.  Now Christians, this next passage is where the tone of insincerity may be noticed, but it may have also been a plea of long-standing, suffering, while they the Israelite were held in captivity in Babylonian: the Psalmist cries, “O Lord how long?  Will you be angry forever?” and this passage has a bit of a sound or a tone of the Psalmist blaming God, the Heavenly Father, for the immoral and inequitable choices that they, themselves made: as if God, the Heavenly Father did not forewarn them that without living according to his commandments, statutes, ordinances, and decrees / living by the righteousness of faith in Christ Jesus, they would indeed fall to the hands of the ungodly.  Now Christians, if today you hear his voice, the voice of God, our Heavenly Father, and the Son, the Lord Christ Jesus, and God, the Holy Spirit: if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts, but rather turn to God, the Lord Christ Jesus and first seek the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father’s righteousness, before doing any other thing in this world.  Now Christians in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus pray and be thankful.  Amen.

 

Friday, October 13th 2017

The Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

                                Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2

                                Psalms 9:2-3, 6, 8-9 & 16

                                John 12:31-32

                                Luke 11:15-26

Christians, Christ Jesus said, to the group of people who witnessed him drive out a demon from a mute-person, “If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your own people drive them out?  Therefore, they… will be your judges!  But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God, our Heavenly Father has come upon you!”  Now Christians, when we look at the Prophet, Joel’s teachings… we may see that they are, a discussion about the Land of Judah and the Israelites; and how they are out of balance.  Joel states, proclaims, and admonishes: gird yourselves and weep, ministers and priests!  Spend a night in sackcloth, for the Church is deprived of the Heavenly Father’s Gospel; as are the ears of the deaf-mute, from sound.  Yes! Oh you shepherds of Christ Jesus’ Gospel pour out, in libation, his words and teachings; for he gave his life, to bring his Gospel to humankind.  Yes! Like, Niagara pours out her libations: teach, witness, live, and speak Christ Jesus’ Gospel of repentance and life!”  Now Christians, proclaim a fast and stir into flames the life and love of Christ Jesus’ way, truth, and life; for we have amortized Christ Jesus’ Gospel to silence: through being false witnesses, through sentimentalities, and through the inability to teach, the difference between grace and truth, and indulgence; and through the inability to teach what is grace and truth, in a manner of a loving father, mother, and parent; one who takes their child, their children, to their heart and says… “Yes, but Christ Jesus’ Gospel calls it sin:” Christians, the severity of the sinful desires of the flesh and the eternal consequences of them – must not be reduced or appeased, because of hurt feelings; after all, admonishment is an act of love!  As well, not only is admonishment an act of caring for the person’s day-to-day needs; it is a behavior of caring for their eternal salvation as well….  Now Christians, Joel says to his brothers and sisters and to the priests and ministers, you have not heeded the voice of God, our Heavenly Father, and you have not kept his precepts: Alas, be concerned… for the day of the Lord will not be long delayed, but will come like a thief in the night!  Joel tells the Israelites: blow the trumpet of Zion, but he, Joel was not proclaiming the second coming of Christ Jesus; rather, Joel was talking about the reaping of the seeds, they, the people of Judah had sown, for they had abandon God, our Heavenly Father, and now devastation was coming upon the Lands of Judah.  Joel warns them because of their behaviors: their wickedness and their evilness, which are sins of the flesh: sins of pride and covetous, sin of sexual immoralities and murder – the killing of the innocent, that the land should tremble in anticipation of the Lord Christ Jesus' second coming.  Joel uses this figure of speech to describe, what it will be like when Judah receives their just desserts, for the seeds of life that they have sown; it will be like dawn spreading across the mountains.  However, Christ Jesus’ second coming is described as: Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, the Heavenly Father for true and just are his judgments -- where no creature will escape the receiving, of their just desserts….  Now Christians, after we have mediated and started to scratch, the surface of understanding; we glean that the Psalmist is telling us that the Lord God, our Heavenly Father’s judgments are just and that Lord will judge the world with justice.  Now what is the lauded response given to the Heavenly Father for his just judgment, by the Psalmist, just listen: the psalmist will give thanks with all his heart; he will declare – all of God, our Heavenly Father’s wondrous deeds; he will be glad and exult God, the Lord and Creator of life, matter, and all that is and all that will be;  the psalmist will sing praise to the Most High, the God, of Adam, Abraham, Noah, David, Malachi and the Father, of the Lord Christ Jesus.  Yes the Psalmist is resolute, for he knows that God, the Heavenly Father is merciful and righteous, and rebukes nations and destroys the wicked; moreover, God, the Heavenly Father will blot out their names for all times, forever and ever.  Now Christians, with irony, the Psalmist exclaims; you, the Israelites and you... nations: those who have lived after the flesh and conformed yourselves to this world – you have sunk in the pit that you have made, in the snare that you set; you have caught your foot….   Yes Christians, the Psalmist speaks and writes, so that his joy will be complete with his service: to the truth and life and the way of God, our Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus, who sits enthroned forever and that throne is for judgment; God judges the world with justice and he governs with equity.  Now Christians, Jesus says, the prince of this world will be cast out and when he, Jesus is lifted up from the earth; he will draw all to himself….  Christians pray in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and be thankful, for Jesus is Lord.  Amen. 

 

Friday, October 20th 2017

The Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

                                Romans 4:1-8

                                Psalms 32:1-2, 5, 11

                                Psalms 33:22

                                Luke 12:1-7

Christians, there is a wisdom of understanding, which must be realized – that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, our Heavenly Father!  Now, Jesus teaches… fear not those who can kill the body, but after that can do no more; rather, be afraid of the one, who after killing has the power to cast... into Gehenna, cast... into hell!  Now Christians, Jesus, then goes on to explain that part of the omnipresence of God, the Heavenly Father is that not even a sparrow falls, to its death without God, the Heavenly Father knowing, and as well, Jesus illustrates that all the hairs, on our heads have been counted; therefore we should know… in wisdom that God, our Heavenly Father is merciful and righteous and that he loves us, so much that he gave his only begotten Son, for our salvation and for our redemption.  Now Christians, a workers wage is credited, to them; it is not a gift; furthermore, we are to live in the abundance of Christ Jesus’ Gospel, of Repentance, and we are to remember that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of the wickedness in the high places; we are to put on the armor of God, and we are to seek the kingdom of Heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness; we are to put our faith in Christ Jesus and let our lives, our words, our works, and our seeking, be in accordance with Christ Jesus’ Gospel: the Lord Christ Jesus is waiting to see if anyone is seeking his kingdom, and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness; God is waiting to supply – the second coming of the lamb, for us, as he did supply the faithful Abraham, the lamb to be sacrificed, instead of his son Isaac.  Now, it takes faith to walk out into living, in the abundance of Christ Jesus’ Gospel; it takes faith not to wrestle with flesh and blood, but to know that our struggle is with principalities, with powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with evil spirit in the heavens.  Now Christians, it was not because of Abraham’s works: with his herds of goats, lamb, cattle and other livestock that Abraham was/is justified before God, our Heavenly Father?  If so, Abraham could boast: see I have kept the ordinances; I have circumcised my household; I have washed my hands, but Scripture says that in the sight of God, our Heavenly Father, Abraham was credited, with righteousness, because he believed….  Now Christians, these works: washing our hands ritualistically, circumcision, and keeping other such ordinances is not the way of our salvation; nonetheless, there are works that we must do to earn our keep – the two are not the same, but a workers wage is credited to them!  Also, a notable difference… Abraham was credited, with righteousness, because he believed in God, the Heavenly Father, and not because of his works: ritualistically washing his hands and circumcision, but now… when we believe and have faith in Christ Jesus, this belief does not permit us to live in sin and sinfulness; especially, since, Jesus teaches… repent and believe in the Gospel; unless we do penance for our sin and sinfulness, we will perish, receiving our just desserts.  Now, when Abraham believed in God, the Heavenly Father; he believed that Sarai, who became Sarah, his wife would have a child and that they would become the parents of many nations; despite the fact that he and his wife Sarah had no children, and they were well past the typical time for rearing children.  Still, Abraham believed this promise, which was communicated to him through a vision: God, the Father also appeared to Abraham in his early days; as well, Angels of God appeared to Abraham, on the plains of Mamre.  Now Christians, in times of trouble… hark!  The Psalmist is confirming that we will have trials and tribulations in our lives; as well, Jesus teaches… about those who hear his words, and observes them and those who hear his words, but do not abide by them: when the storms of life press… upon us, we must have a strong foundation – Christ Jesus’ words and teachings, and if we do not abide, Christ Jesus’ teachings, when the storms of life come, our lives will be like sand, washing away with the storm.  Now Christians, the Psalmist was inspired with this life transforming verse, saying “Blessed the man to who the Lord, our Heavenly Father imputes no guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile;” for this is a wonderful observation, and it is wonderful to learn and know.  Now Christians, the Psalmist gives us this statement on what it means to believe in Christ Jesus: “Then I acknowledge my sin to you, my guilt I covered not.  I said, ’I confess my faults to the Lord, oh Heavenly Father and you took away the guilt of my sin.’”  Yes Christians: this is repentance and this is penance and this is confession; however, in the Psalmist’s time, an offering of a lamb or a dove or something was sacrificed, by the High Priest, but Christ Jesus, the Messiah is our High Priest, and now, if and when we confess our sins – Jesus is the blood offering, the sacrifice that covers are sin and sinfulness, and if and when our penance is sincere and acceptable to God, the Heavenly Father, then through the union of his Holy Spirit we will receive the grace and truth that Christ Jesus did establish with his life, his crucifixion, and with his resurrection.  Now Christians, in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, the Messiah let us pray and be thankful.  Amen.  

 

Friday, October 27th 2017

The Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

                                Romans 7:18-25

                                Psalms 119:66, 67, 76-77, 93, 94

                                SEE Matthew 11:25

                                Luke 12:54-59

Christ Jesus says, “Not tell every last penny is paid: will you be released from prison!”  Now Christians, Jesus teaches… “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the Prophets; I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill – I say to you: till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law, till all is fulfilled!”  Now Christians, Christ Jesus teaches… “We are to first seek the kingdom of Heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness!”  Christians, if we put our finger in a jar of ink and then pull it out, it will be stained, but what about the seeking of the kingdom of heaven; “What type of coloration, will it put on us… is it not... the hope of faith?”  If we put our finger in the jar, of Christ Jesus’ grace, what coloration will exists on us?  When we stir our coffee, the spoon comes out wet and stained with coffee or with milk and coffee, but what about the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness what is different about it, then say, the kingdom of Rome under Caesar; why seek the kingdom of Heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness?  Christians, the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness is: love and justice and truth and goodness and life and eternal life, all wrapped up in the process, of seeking this hope of faith; however, when we look at what is, of humankind’s kingdoms: a monarchy, a socialism, a communism, a Roman Empire: these are self-appointed or perhaps in times past, ordained rulers….  Now, let us consider Judas Iscariot and how he was replaced…?  We are taught through scripture, in the book of Acts that the Apostles all gave forth their lots, and Matthias was chosen as Judas Iscariots’ replacement!  Now, another thing, on first seeking the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness: in doing so, Christians, this seeking of the kingdom of heaven; you may glean to understand that temptation and desire are not even kin to one another, but yet, they both take place in the flesh, which is their only relationship; for we do not desire to kill or murder… yet we may find it expedient in the course of human events, but this is temptation not desire.  Desire can take was is good and right, and make it sinful, but temptation, takes what is sin and wrong and tries to make it acceptable, in the sight of the Lord.  Now Christians, in this part of the letter, from Paul, to the Romans, he is talking about – the person of spirit and the person of flesh, which each and every individual, all of us are this person….  Saint Paul is doing a prerequisite thing that all Christians must; he is admitting that he is a sinner; he is admitting that in his flesh, sin resides; he is admitting – the thing he wants to do is in the spirit, but he knows… in his flesh are temptations and desires.  Now Christians, given the fact that Christ Jesus took away, sin: we know that when we sin; it is the sin in our flesh, which was tempting, the sin to happen.  For, if our spirits / our lives have been born again in Christ Jesus, then it is the flesh committing the sin, and not the new creature that we are, in the Holy Spirit….  Still, if we as new creatures, in Christ Jesus, allow the sin that our flesh is dead too, to happen; we have the obligation, the responsibility, but as well the hope and gift of repentance, so that we may bring our flesh, bring all of our imaginations, under the authority of Christ Jesus’ Gospel of life, through the repentance of our sins and sinfulness; it is a great gift – repentance and being able to acknowledge to God, the Heavenly Father, who loves us so well that although we are new creatures in Christ Jesus, our flesh is wretched, sinful, and is always in need of confessing, to God, the Lord Christ Jesus: through the power and wonder of the Holy Spirit….  Now Christians, Saint Paul gives us this wonderful thing, this insight and this tool, this peace and hope that gives us strength, in Christ Jesus and in our continual efforts of seeking the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness and this blessing is: Saint Paul discovered this principle, “When we are living to do what is right, evil is at hand;” therefore Christians, take delight in the law of God, in your inner self, but see and understand that in our members, our flesh – there is a principle at war with the law of our mind that takes us captive to the law of sin that dwell in our members, our flesh and it is going to be that way, as long as we are mortal; we will always have to be seeking the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father’s Righteousness; still, Jesus tell us… be of good cheer my little ones, meaning – brothers and sisters, and all creatures in Christ Jesus, he, Jesus has overcome the world and his grace is sufficient unto us.  Now Christians, the Psalmist is hoping to give, the Israelites, the gift – to see that God, the Heavenly Father is life and through the gift, of the Holy Spirit, given to the first Apostles and to humankind at Pentecost, which is different than the Spirit of God being in the Temple of the Holy of holies that wisdom comes from God, the Heavenly Father and that wisdom is its own being and that perchance, we may gain some wisdom through the knowledge of God, our Heavenly Father’s commandments, statutes, ordinances, and decrees.  Yes Christians, the wisdom exists in these commands, but not all that read and gain this knowledge also gain wisdom....  Now Christians in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be thankful.  Amen.

 

 

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