to destroy him

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 1 John 1:5 -- 2:2 Psalm 124:2-5, 7-8 Matthew 2:13-18

Matthew 2:13 ... "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."

It is easy to fall into the deception that everybody just wants to love eachother and get a long. But the truth is that there is a force in the world that is "anti-Christ". As Christians we must be on our guard. Jesus urges his desciples to stay awake. That is not because they will miss him as much as they will not see the enemy coming. This doesn't mean that we become like the enemy, being filled with hate and violance, but that we be realistically aware that we do have enemies and they want to see us gone.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to see clearly the truth and to act rightly in the face of trial. Amen

Holy Innocents

I was thinking about the sermon today as it related to the Holy Innocents, the slaughter of the children. It occurs to me that today we have a similar situation. In addition to countries that have civil war and terrorist regimes we here in the USA through political correctness and the guise of tolerance are killing the youth by robbing them of the truth of Christ. We are increasing the possibility of their eternal death by removing the knowledge of Christ and his mercy and grace and promoting an atheistic culture that will die with the earth when the final judgment comes.
The question is where is the joy in this and where is God's hand? We must have faith even in this, that as bleak as it may look, God is greater than he that is in the world. We must faithfully celebrate the presence of Christ, boldly proclaim his truth, and look forward to his ultimate and eternal victory.

Merry Christmas

I will come again

Friday, April 30, 2010
Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Acts 13:26-33 Psalm 2:6-11 John 14:1-6

John 14:3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

This is one of my favorite Bible verses. This is what it is all about. He will come back for us. The Gospel story is great and it fills our hearts with awe and joy in the power and love of Christ, but at the end of the day, if He doesn't come back for us, if He leaves us to die here, then what is it all for? He must come back, and that is what He is going to do. We know this because he said so, and we know we can trust Him because He has been faithful to keep all His promises. That is wha the Bible is about. These things were written so we might believe. Yes, He will come back for us. Amen

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to truly believe that you are coming back and that I need not have a sense of despair, but rather joyful expectation of what is to come.

Amen

filled twelve baskets

Friday, April 16, 2010 Easter Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Acts 5:34-42 Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 John 6:1-15

John 6:13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.

It is interesting to me that people will even question this sign. Some say that it was a case of "stone soup", that is people shared what they had. Th problem is the scriptures clearly say that there were 12 baskets that were left from the five loaves. This is as plain as it gets. There is absolutely no room to twist this text without totally discrediting one's intelligence or motives.

The bigger question is do we believe it in our lives? Do we believe that God can feed us all and have left overs more than what was originally there? We must leave the zero sum mentality and realize that with God all things are possible, even those things that we can't even imagine.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to believe that all things are possible and to believe that you can make something form nothing. Help me to rest in this knowledge and serve you without fear.

Amen

men loved darkness

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 Easter Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Acts 5:17-26 Psalm 34:2-9 John 3:16-21

John 3:19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

That always seems to be the struggle, between what is true and what is false. Of course, people will always tell you they are telling you the truth. So how are we to know? One way is to take note as to how they respond to Jesus. He is the light. If people are willing to accept and believe that, then maybe they are heading towards the light. If they think that they have some light that is not from Christ, they are heading towards darkness. Jesus has come, and what are we going to do with that?

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to always head to the light and to recognize Jesus as the true light.
Amen

an example

Thursday, April 1, 2010 Holy Thursday Evening – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15

John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

Jesus, in instituting the Eucharist, emphasizes what is important. We make so much of the metaphysical qualities of the elements that we miss what the Lord was really intending. He is our example. He took up his cross and gave his life for us. If we are to follow his example we must be willing to take up our own cross. He even says this. That may mean a martyr's death, or not. But it means being willing to answer when called to whatever the Lord leads us to do. It also means persevering in the face of injustice. The cross is not fair, nor is it just. Yet Jesus took it on. We too, then, are to take on whatever injustice comes our way and stay firm in our faith.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to stay firm in my faith and to follow the example that Jesus has given me.

Amen

True Motives

Monday, March 29, 2010 Monday of Holy Week

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Isaiah 42:1-7 Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14 John 12:1-11

John 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it.

Our motives are most important. You may say that results is the true test of ones intent, and that may be true to an extent, but clearly we can live in both worlds. We can deceive both ourselves and others as we pretend to be someone that we are not. We must learn to reflect and discern our true motives, because Christ can see them. In Matthew 25 the people are surprise when they don't get into Heaven. They said they did good works, they had results. But Jesus said he never knew them. Their hearts were not in union with his. We must be in union with him. Communion, or the Lords Supper, Eucharist, is the commitment we make to our union with Christ. We must not take this in vain. We must reflect and repent before we make that commitment.

Father, hep me by your Holy Spirit to reflect upon my true motives and guide me to live in union with your heart and your will. Amen