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Wednesday, February 5th
2025
Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and
Martyr
·
Hebrews 12:4-7,11-15
·
Psalms 103:1-2, 13-14 & 17-18
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John 10:27
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Mark 6:1-6
Christians, when we read of Christ Jesus
departing and then going into his native place, accompanied by his
disciples, we may reflect what it is like ourselves going back to
our native place and all the occurrences of life that happened
there: things, for that we are grateful; things from that we
learned; and most certainly; things of that we must repent:
remember, Christians that repentance is not only a before death
command but Christ Jesus right before his ascension, after he
upbraided the Apostles for their hardness of heart, told them: go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature!
He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
does not believe shall be damned.
Moreover, Christians, we should realize that our baptism is
not only of spirit but it is of water; therefore, we know that we
must do the justice in this world and not just be spiritual about
all things.
In other
words, we must physically repent of our sins to God the Lord Christ
Jesus in our prayers and know that we have repented and as well
bring forth fruits worthy of repentance and go and sin no more!
As far as trusting men who have no self-control, self-control
being a gift of the Holy Spirit, it may be a blessed sacrifice but
it also may be unadvisable: repent and believe in the Gospel of the
Lord Christ Jesus for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!
Now Christians, with this testimony from Hebrews, we have
this testimony from Saint Paul, Apostle: that we must resist sin to
the point of our sweat perspiring from out of our pores, falling to
the ground as shed blood as in the same manner as Christ Jesus in
his agony prayed in earnest and his sweat was as it were great drops
of blood falling down to the ground.
Christians! our natural desires are not sinful; it is if we
lust over them; our natural desires are not sinful; it is if we
covet these desires; our natural desires are not sinful; it is
fornication that is sinful; our natural desires are not sinful; it
is adultery that is sinful, but as far as unnatural desires, they
are the sinful results of when an individual does not afford God
glory to God, as God and these results are of degrees and individual
and manifest in ways that are given to the many obvious sins of the
flesh.
Truly Christians,
all that can be known of God is known, it is manifest, for God has
made himself known unto all humankind; so, there is no excuse for
these individuals who do not like to keep the knowledge of God in
their hearts and in their minds: whether, they are advocating such
abominations or whether they are committing these abominations.
Yes, Christians, God has made himself known to humankind and
we have known of God since the beginning.
However, some worshipped false gods and gods that served
their flesh; rather than the true God that is life.
Long before Noah’s time people worshipped false gods, and not
only in the middle east!
Truly, the Continents of North America the people served false gods:
the same with South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia –
all peoples served false gods, for all people had a notion and an
awareness and a consciousness and a conscience that caused them to
think of God.
Yes, it
was not until Abraham did God the Heavenly Father make a covenant
with humankind; making himself known: the time between Adam and
Eve’s fall from grace, God the Heavenly Father’s word was working
his purpose.
Truly,
there is testimony that God cast Lucifer out of heaven and fallen
angels consorted with women, giving birth to unnatural beings known
as the Nephilim: the testimony on these is that God the Heavenly
Father stopped their practices and sealed them up in the pits, until
the time of judgement.
Christians, so now with this testimony from Hebrews, we have: let us
remember the exhortation addressed to us as children: My son, (my
children) do not disdain the discipline of the Lord God our Heavenly
Father or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit loves, God disciplines; he, God scourges
every son he acknowledges.
Now Christians, although, Saint Paul, Apostle does not
address the Hebrews in the introduction, as he did with his other
letters: by the tone of the letter, by the maturity of the text and
tone, by the content of combining the Old Testament rituals, laws
and covenant and expressing the New Covenant with God the Heavenly
Father in Christ Jesus, the only doubt that it was not written by
Saint Paul is he addressed it differently than to the places where
he was known as an Apostle, but then he would, would he not: for
Saint Paul was known differently by the Hebrews then to the places
he ministered as an Apostle!
So, then Christians, Saint Paul talks about how we as sons
and children of God must endure our trials as being disciplined: for
this is God pruning our branches, as Christ Jesus testifies in the
Gospel of John.
Yes,
Christians, let us remember, as Saint Peter, Apostle testifies:
through the knowledge of Christ Jesus that has called us to glory
and virtue!
Whereby we
are given exceedingly great and precious promises, that by these:
knowledge of the Lord Christ Jesus; the glory Christ Jesus has given
unto us; and by virtue that the Holy Spirit may afford us that we
might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
Then too, besides these things and in giving all diligence of
first seeking the kingdom of heaven and the Heavenly Father’s
righteousness; let us to our faith add virtue; and to virtue
knowledge; and to knowledge temperance that being self-control and
to temperance and self-control let us add patience; and to patience
godliness and being like Christ Jesus: since we are to abide in
Christ Jesus’s words ought we not also walk in Jesus’s Gospel of
repentance!
Then
Christians, let us to godliness have brotherly kindness; and then to
this brotherly kindness charity; yes, Christians, it is the person
who is righteous by faith that is being saved.
Now Christians, as Saint Paul, Apostle continues in this
testimony, he tells of earthly fathers, whom love their children:
their sons and daughters, and how like God the Heavenly Father
reproves and disciplines us out of loving us, so too do our fathers
discipline us because they love us!
Yet, when humankind is unfaithful to God the Heavenly Father
and there are governments that represent this faithlessness, they
tend to unlawfully and unrightly put themselves between a parent
that loves their child, for this government prefers its agenda over
the parents teaching a child the way, the truth, and the life of the
Lord Christ Jesus.
Now
Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be
thankful.
Amen.
Wednesday, February 12th
2025
The Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
·
Genesis 2:4-9 &15-17
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Psalms 104:1-2 & 27-30
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John 17:17
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Mark 7:14-23
Christians, in this testimony from Mark we
are realizing that Christ Jesus the Lord has summoned the crowd!
Now what is this summoning that Christ Jesus did; we may also
say that he called to the crowd, so that they would give their
attention: for he, Jesus the Savior of mankind wanted them to hear,
and not just some of them, but all of the crowd and the Lord says to
them: open your hearts and minds -- do not harden your hearts --
preferring the fiery arrows of the flesh’s temptations and the
economy that is derived; rather hear and understand all of you:
nothing that enters one from the outside can defile that person;
hence, the things that come out from within are what defile a
person.
Christians,
Christ Jesus testifies fulfilling what was spoken by the prophet,
saying, that Jesus would teach and testify in parable; that he would
testify to things that have been kept secret from the foundation of
the world.
Still,
Christians, we of today have lived in commonplace of these things
for two-thousand years and do not recognize that these things, once
were not known.
Still,
Christ Jesus testifies: the person who hears his word but does not
keep this testimony accordingly, is like a person without foundation
and when the streams of life come upon the house that person has
built it will fall and the fall will be complete.
Yet, to the person who hears his word and keeps this
testimony accordingly, is like a person that has laid their
foundation of life on the way, the truth and the life, solid rock,
and when the storms of life come upon this person, their peace and
joy remain, for their joy is complete and their peace goes beyond
all understanding for this joy and peace comes from God: hence, the
person who receives the Lord Christ Jesus he has given the power to
become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: those who
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God.
Truly, Christians, a remarkable articulation, by the Lord Christ
Jesus is when he says, to his Apostles, “Are ye so without
understanding also?”
Now
Christians, God the Heavenly Father set forth testimony, saying:
these are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they
were created!
Christians, we see there was a time when no shrubs were on the
earth!
No grasses of the
fields had sprouted; there was no early spring crabgrass to put
preventer on the lawns to stop and prevent it from growing!
God the Heavenly Father, who we are to worship and whom only
are we to serve had not yet sent rains upon the earth: think about
that; there was a time, on the earth, before any rains had fell!
Now Christians, this next line of testimony is most
interesting: for it supports the testimony that Cain, the son of
Adam and Eve was sent to other tribes of the earth, and we know that
Cain was a tiller of the soil, so it is confirmation that there was
a time before man was created and that the tilling of the soil was
to be performed, which also gives us understanding to the fact that
God made them male and female and then God made Adam and from Adam
he made Eve, when eventually their descendant would become the
chosen Abraham, through whom God chose to make himself known unto
humankind.
Now
Christians, the way of the Lord and his Gospel are the power unto
salvation to every one that believes: to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek.
For therein,
it, this is to say: in the Gospel of the Lord Christ Jesus is the
righteousness of God the Heavenly Father revealed from faith to
faith: as it is written; the just shall live by faith.
Christians, here again let us be reminded that the Lord is
our Shepard and nothing shall we want: we may also realize this too;
for what shall it profit a person, if they shall gain the whole
world, but lose their own soul!
Now Christians, please, do understand this: God the Heavenly
Father, who raised up the Lord Jesus Christ shall raise up us also
by Jesus and we will be presented to God the Father of all creation.
Truly, all things are for our sakes that the abundant grace
might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
This word redound is not a common text, but it is like saying
the abundant grace will manifest itself as true abundance and as
surplus and as overflowing of grace, the grace that is established
because of Christ Jesus’s sacrifice for the sins of man.
Now Christians, let us realize this remarkableness, we read
that a stream was welling up out of the earth and was watering all
the surface of the ground: an inference to this testimony is that
although there was abundant water, so much so that it was welling up
out of the earth; still, rain had not yet fallen, which in
consideration of thought, we should realize: that although Rivers
like the Mississippi flow and were flowing at this time and so too
was the Tigris and the Euphrates and as well the Nile and the Amazon
and the Thames and the Saint Lawrance and the Snake and the Green
River were all flowing, but none of these flowing rivers may
stave-off a drought, if it is God’s Will that there be a drought.
Truly, Christians, not all the evaporated waters from all the
seas and oceans of the planet earth will stave-off a drought, if it
is God the Heavenly Father’s will to bring a drought and famine upon
the earth.
This
testimony also causes the imagination to consider the rainbow: now
the rainbow was given to mankind as a promise that God would not
destroy the earth, again, like he did during the time of Noah; for
the earth’s people had polluted themselves with such filth and
abomination, heresies and blasphemies, and things that are against
nature that the only healing God could bring them was to completely
wash away all the depravity with water, but saving, yet, another
descendant of Adam and Eve that being Noah!
Still, Christians, we are now under the promise that the
earth will be destroyed by fire, so repent and believe in the Gospel
of the Lord Christ Jesus for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Beloved Christians, God the
Heavenly Father is the very breath in our lungs, without him we
would perish & return to dust; moreover, when God the Heavenly
Father sends forth his spirit there is creation, and God renews the
face of the earth.
Now
Christians, Jesus Christ testifies: “let not your hearts be
troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.”
Yes, Christians, remember, Jesus testifies: no man, (no person)
can come to him, except the Father which did send him draws them;
then the Lord Christ Jesus will raise him up at the last day.
Again, Saint John, Apostle testifies: whoever denies the Son,
the same does not have the Father; however, the person who
acknowledges the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ has also God the
Heavenly Father.
Again,
Jesus Christ testifies: that he is the way, the truth and the life
and that no man, (no person) can come unto God the Heavenly Father,
but by him.
Now
Christians, in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be
thankful.
Amen.
Wednesday, February 19th
2025
Of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
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Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22
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Psalm 116:12-15 & 18-19
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Ephesians 1:17-18
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Mark 8:22-26
Christians, after the Lord Jesus Christ
feeds the four thousand with two fishes and five loaves of bread,
they travel across the Sea of Galilee coming into the parts of the
area known as Dalmanutha. Christians, it was at this time when the
Pharisees started to ask him and seeking signs from him – now the
voice of the Pharisees appears to be one of contempt towards Jesus;
since, when Jesus sees through their tempting of him, he with what
seemingly is in complete exhaustion of the Pharisees and groans
deeply, saying: why does this generation seek after a sign! Now the
likely inference to Christ Jesus’s statement, why does this
generation seek after a sign and Christ Jesus’s deep sighing, and
this inference is deduced from other testimony from Christ Jesus
where he has said: the person who hears my word and keeps my word is
the person who has built their life on solid rock but the individual
that has heard my word, but not lived accordingly to them, has built
their lives on sand, and when the storms of life come their fall
will be complete: for the Lord Christ Jesus is testifying as did the
Old Testament testify that it is not to the left of God the Lord
Christ Jesus’s word nor to the right of God the Heavenly Father’s
word that we are to live, but it is according to these words of
spirit and life that we are to live; they being the very signs that
the Pharisees and we fail to recognize. Indeed, the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness and
wickedness of men, those who hold and suppress the truth by their
wickedness and unrighteousness; hence, what is born of the flesh is
flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Christians,
in this next testimony, we may empathize with this happening, for it
is of the most tender mercy and kindness and gentleness and love
that is known and appreciated, felt and lived: for the Lord Jesus
Christ takes this blind man, by the hand, and leads him outside of
the village. Perhaps, this leading was afforded, so the entire
village would have time to gather and to witness, the miracle that
they, themselves could in no way truthfully deny: since this blind
man – inferring from the text that he Is a feeble elderly man – is
someone who is well-known among them, and Jesus, the Christ takes a
little moisture from his lips and smooths it out over the blindman’s
eyes and his blindness is gone and sight returns to the
eyes. Christians, also, inferring from the text: this blindman was
a person, who had been blind all his life! Christians, what an
amazing thing for this blindman, who appears to be a kindly old man,
yet blind, and after his entire life in darkness and blindness, the
Lord Christ Jesus allows sight to come unto him and he sees with his
very eyes for the first time the faces of people, he only knew by
the sounds of their voice; he sees the Sea of Galilee that he only
knew by the feel of the breeze and the smell of the air. Oh! what a
wonderous miracle that the Lord Jesus, the Christ and Messiah caused
to happen in Bethsaida! Truly, Christians, this is also a wonderous
metaphor to these words testified by the Lord Christ Jesus and were
also spoken by the Prophets, Isaiah and Malachi: the people who sat
in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and
the shadow of death light is sprung up! Now Christians, let us look
at this testimony from Genesis, about Noah! It testifies that he
took a raven, and sent it out to see if the waters had lessened on
the earth: this raven flew back and forth: that is, it flew out to
search for land, but finding none flew back to Noah and the Ark,
until the time it flew out and did not fly back! Then Noah sent out
a dove; now a dove can likely fly no more than thirty miles before
it must rest, unless God aided the dove to be a super-dove, but such
a thing is unlikely nor would it help Noah in his quest to see if
the waters had receded! So, finally Noah sent out the dove, and
this time it brought back an olive leaf, which was an indication
that the waters were receding. Now whether God the Heavenly Father
flooded the entire world or only the Middle East and the surrounding
areas is a question: we have always believed it was the entire
world, but that may be derived from the language, such as the waters
abated from the earth. Now it is not uncommon that the language
used in the Old Testament refers to the Middle East as the world or
the earth and that the understanding may have been the whole earth
and entire world simply because: for the people of the Middle East,
in those days, it was the entire world and the whole earth. Still,
like creation and eternity, what exactly happened and how it
happened and what exactly the case is or will be, and even through
all the science that man has observed: these observations result in
theory not fact and therefore creation, eternity and the actual
events of the flooding during Noah’s time comes down to belief and
not even an educated guess is anything more than theory. Hence, God
the Heavenly Father wants us to have faith! Indeed, it is those who
are righteous by faith that will be saved! Christ Jesus tells those
who he healed that it was through their faith that they were
healed. The life we live is about faith; tomorrow is not promised;
we live by faith and not by sight; Saint Paul, Apostle says:
therefore, we are always confident, knowing that, while we are at
home in our bodies, we are absent from the Lord, but Saint Paul is
not saying that he does not serve God the Lord Christ Jesus with his
spirit, for indeed he does serve God with his spirit. Saint Paul
testifies: for God is his witness, whom he serves with his spirit in
the Gospel of his Son, the Lord Christ Jesus and that without
ceasing, he makes mention of those unto he has ministered always in
his prayers. Now Christians, Jesus the Christ came to save what
was lost and when we consider this testimony, we realize what was
lost was the divine nature that Adam and Eve had, while they were in
the Garden of Eden: sin entered into the world through Adam and now,
because of Christ Jesus we are saved by grace. Now Christians, in
the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be
thankful. Amen.
Wednesday, February 26th
2025
The Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
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Sirach 4:11-19
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Psalms 119:165, 168 171, 172,174, 175
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John 14:6
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Mark 9:38-40
Christians, Saint
John, Apostle says to the Lord Christ Jesus, we saw people driving
out demons in your name, that is: in the name of Jesus: the Christ,
the Messiah: Son of Mary, of the House of David; Mary being the
Great Granddaughter descendent of Ruth, the wife of Boaz and they,
Boaz and Ruth being the Great Grand Parents of King David. Now,
Jesus the Nazarene, Son of God, Son of Mary from the House of David
tells John, son of Zebedee and brother to James, also known as
Boanerges: meaning sons of thunder: do not prevent people from doing
this faithful deed. Whereas, no person who performs a mighty deed
in the name of the Lord Christ Jesus can at the same time speak ill,
of the Christ and Messiah, Jesus the Nazarene. Then, Jesus Christ
tells Saint John and we read this testimony, “whosoever is not
against us is for us.” Now, Saint Paul, Apostle testifies, warning
every man, and teaching every person in all wisdom: that we may
present every person, every man perfect in Christ
Jesus. Christians, consider, Christ Jesus’s Gospel and the Pauline
Epistles’: they are not the truth and dare antics of church camp;
rather, Christ Jesus is this: by Jesus Christ were all things
created that are in the heavens and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions, or
principalities or powers: all things were created by him and for
him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist;
Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church: and he is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; so that in all things he
might have preeminence. For it pleased God, the Heavenly Father
that in Jesus Christ all fulness should dwell; and having made
peace, through the blood of his cross; Christ Jesus reconciled all
things unto himself; and by Jesus Christ, Saint Paul testifies,
whether, these things be on earth or be things in heaven. Moreover,
some, of us were at times alienated and enemies in our minds by
wicked works; yet, now Christ Jesus has reconciled in the body of
his flesh, through death, and now we may be presented: in holiness,
and unblameable, unreprovable, to the sight of God the Heavenly
Father: that is, if we continue in the faith grounded and settled,
and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which we have
heard and which was preach to every creature, which is under the
heavens; whereof, Saint Paul, Apostle is and was made to be such a
minister. Yes, Christians, Christ Jesus testifies: if we continue
in his Gospel; continue in his word, then we will be his disciples
indeed; and we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us
free. Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, as the
Apostle Paul, Saint, prayed for the Colossians, let us now also pray
for one another: let it be our desire that we, brothers and sisters
in Christ Jesus be filled with the knowledge of his will in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding; that we might walk worthily of
the Lord Jesus Christ unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God our Heavenly
Father; being strengthened with all might, according to his glorious
power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness: giving
thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet, Christ Jesus’s grace
is sufficient for us, and to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light: and, he has delivered us from the power of
darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son; in
whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of
sins: Christ Jesus being the image of the invisible God, the first
born of every creature. Now Christians, Job testifies that, behold,
the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is
understanding. Yes Christians, although this statement is generated
toward all peoples, it is also generated towards the individual, and
only can we as individuals choose to depart from evil; conversely,
it is an individual decision whether to choose to worship God the
Heavenly Father and to choose to serve him only; only God the
Heavenly Father shall we serve! Still, let us examine this word
depart, as given to us from the NASB dictionary; clearly, we see
that only individually can we choose to abolish evil from
ourselves. We are to avoid evil; indeed, we are to flee fornication
and all immoralities: knowing every sin that a man does is without
the body, but the person who commits fornication and immoralities
sins against their own body and these that do such sins are not
departing from these evils but they are welcoming these sins and
abominations: taking pleasure in them instead of delighting in the
Lord God the Heavenly Father. Now again, to depart from evil also
means: behead it, cut it off, depose, do away, escape it, keep away,
leave, put away; still, depart in the NASB also has various other
meanings, which the reference to the use of the word depart in other
context and circumstances has specific meanings, but to depart from
evil this is a decision that each individual must make. Again, the
fear of the Lord God the Lord Christ Jesus, he who holds eternal
judgment in his hands, is wisdom; and to depart from evil is
understanding. Christians, now taking an overview of this testimony
from Sirach; we may understand that wisdom is not something that
happens all of a sudden! Hence, wisdom admonishes, wisdom walks as
a stranger, at first, to put us to the test. Verily indeed, fear
and dread, does wisdom bring upon us and tries and tests us with her
discipline – doing this with her laws, until the time wisdom trusts
the soul of an individual. Moreover, if the individual betrays
wisdom, she will abandon that person and deliver the individual into
the hands of despoilers. Now, we cannot but realize that wisdom is
one of the invisible things of God that have clearly been seen,
since the creation of the world: as is goodness and mercy; we cannot
see these things like we can see a tree or some structure, but,
still, we know they exist! So, Christians, let us receive the
breath of life wisdom breathes upon her children; let us love wisdom
and so too, let us love the Lord God the Heavenly Father with all
our hearts, minds, souls and strength and so be blessed. Truly, the
seeking of wisdom, by the individual, causes the Lord God the
Heavenly Father to embrace such a person. Now the Lord Christ Jesus
gave to us, the glory that God the Heavenly Father gave to him, for
when Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed his life, on the cross, for
the sins of humankind and so now, if we hold fast to wisdom, we can
learn to walk, live, and be in Christ Jesus’s way, truth and life,
which is a gift of grace that we may receive. Now Christians, in
the name of the Lord Christ Jesus let us pray and be
thankful. Amen.
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