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