Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Monday after the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 56, 57, [58]: Psalm 64, 65; Lev. 16:1-19; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 6:1-6,16-18

“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.  I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” (Psalm 57:1)

The Psalmist speaks of trust in God.  God is love. God is the only sure trust we can count on. All over the earth we have been hiding from the Coronavirus.  But it has still taken its toll.  Many have died as a result of this pandemic.

At some point in our lives we must admit that we are God’s own.  We belong to God. God will do what God will do.  We go to God for protection and wellbeing. We are seeing that we can’t always trust politicians (either side of the isle) or the military or any human construct when it comes to the unimaginable challenges that we face. It is only God’s mercy that can we trust completely. 

And when we come out on the other side of this (here or in heaven) we must give thanks in praise to God in word and song.  In this same Psalm we read, “My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast;  I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.” (Psalm 57:7 – 8)  We must learn to put as much effort in giving thanks to God after God has helped as we put in the asking God for help in the beginning.

So we must always trust in God and then praise God always. We are now trying to come out of our tight isolations all over the planet.  Stores are opening back up.  We are looking to see what our new normal will be like. But God is the same yesterday, today and forever.   God is here in this world and in the heavenly world after death.  Therefore, it is God in whom we must take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings until the disaster has passed, or we have passed it.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Eucharistic Readings for the 5^th Sunday of Easter: Year A

Acts 7:55-60  Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16  1 Peter 2:2-10  John 14:1-14

“In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”  (John 14:2 – 3)

There are few things that can compare with a well thought-out plan. One of the lessons I am still learning is to have a place for things before I get them. It is really upsetting to order and have delivered a new gym apparatus and no where to put it in an already crowded garage.   I’ve gotten to the point that when I am asked to move something for someone, I ask where do you want me to move it to?  If there is something already occupying that space, then the question becomes, where does that item then go? and on and on.

For our eternal home, this work has already been done by our Lord Jesus. Jesus says he has gone to prepare a place for us. This preparing that Jesus speaks of may even be to “create” a space for us. The good news is that there is a space, a dwelling for us. You have heard that there should be a place for everything, and everything in its place, right?  We are co-creating a space in our eternal home right now as we go about believing in, and following out Lord Jesus.

In what I call my “man-cave” upstairs are many photos, plaques, and memorabilia I have collected over the years. It’s not much, it’s just me. Jesus is decorating a room for me with the good works I have done, and hopefully, will do as I await his call to my eternal home. How about you my friend?  What personal souvenirs or memorabilia is our Lord Jesus preparing your space with? The good news is, if you are reading this you still have time to forward some good works (or fruit of the spirit) to our Lord Jesus as he prepares your space. For as he says, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also” Let me be clear, this is not “works righteousness,” but rather, “living the dream.”

You can hear this homily at https://youtu.be/MhPDnoA_rE4

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers of the world!

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday after the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 55; Psalm 138, 139:1-17(18-23); Exod. 40:18-38; 1 Thess. 4:1-12; Matt. 5:38-48

Psalm 139 Verses 1 – 3

1. Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar.

2. You trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways.

3. Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, but you, O Lord, know it altogether.

These are only the first three verses of Psalm 139.  I look at this Psalm as a meditation.  Verses 1 through 17 remind us of how well God knows us. Verses 1 through 17 are the ones most frequently treasured.  The remaining verses tend to deal with what the Psalmist wants to happen to the wicked.

I ponder how it feels to know that when I have a thought or a feeling, that God knows about it as soon as I do (maybe even before).  I am truly not alone, not even in my thoughts. I like to think that sometimes God is not so passive in my thinking. That is, God also prompts my thinking in one direction or another.  It’s like God allows me to see a “burning bush.” I, like Moses, must then decide if I am going to go check it out. 

Here’s the thing, God is a participant with all of us.  The divine hints are already with us.  But it’s up to us to check them out.  God discerns your thoughts from afar and is acquainted with all your ways.  Indeed, there is not a word on your lips, but God, O Lord, knows it altogether.  Think about this and allow yourself to follow God’s lead in your life.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Friday after the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

 PsalmP40, 54  Psalm 51; Exod. 34:18-35;  1 Thess. 3:1-13; Matt. 5:27-37

Psalm 40: 1 – 3
1 I waited patiently upon the Lord; he stooped to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the Lord.

This Psalm opens with the honest confession of one opening his heart to the Lord.  He confesses that he was pretty much at his wits end.  But he also confesses that God heard his request and had mercy on him. I always say that God’s ears hears tears. It’s probably incorrect grammar but the point is made.

The Psalmist’s desolate pit, his mire and clay could be the weight of his own sin or the abuse he has suffered at the hands of others. It makes no difference. God is merciful and will respond to the cry of those who believe.

The Psalmist then goes on to be an example to others and to the world of what God can, and will, do for those who believe. He speaks of a new song in his mouth, a song of praise to his God. This Psalm continues with praise and adoration for God.

Today we need more singers of God’s mercy, love and goodness for those in need.  We need to hear more of this now in this time of quarantine due to the Coronavirus. Let us all sing praises to our Lord. Amen.  

Today we remember Dame Julian of Norwich c. 1417. “She became a recluse, an anchoress, at Norwich soon after her recovery from illness, living in a small dwelling attached to the Church of St. Julian. Even in her lifetime, she was famed as a mystic and spiritual counselor and was frequently visited by clergymen and lay persons, including the famous mystic Margery Kempe. Kempe says of Julian: “This anchoress was expert in knowledge of our Lord and could give good counsel. I spent much time with her talking of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (taken from the Great Cloud of Witnesses for May 8)

Mystics walk among us today and I hope to be one too.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Thursday after the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 50; Psalm [59, 60];114, 115; Exod. 34:1-17; 1 Thess. 2:13-20; Matt. 5:21-26

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:3)

We are the vessels of the Word of God! God speaks of love.  That means we, as we carry out the word of God, we present love in word and deed to all whom we encounter.  We are the cup of Christ.  This is the Baptism that brought us into the Christian faith. 

Please remember, “In the beginning was the Word.” The Word was initiated for hearing and believing. Many times I have said that we are people of stories. God is in your story no matter who you are.  You are God’s own.  Therefore, God’s self is in you.  I give thanks for you knowing and believing that you are continuing the Word of God by telling your own truths about how God has acted, and is acting, in your life.  Thank You Jesus.

Yes, we are human. But we are also God’s Word. This Word of God is at work in each of us whether we acknowledge it or not.  Just as our Lord Jesus is the Word of God, so too are we the word of God being made in the Image of God and brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday after the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 119:49-72; Psalm 49, [53]; Exod. 33:1-23 ; 1 Thess. 2:1-12;  Matt. 5:17-20

“For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.” (Exodus 33:5)

I guess “stiff-necked” is a good way to describe our arrogance toward people who differ from us or our ungratefulness towards God, forgetting all that God has done, and is doing, for us..  Moreover, God lets them (and us) know that the pureness, goodness and immediate presence of God would be detrimental to our physical well-being if we are not on a path of purity.

This reminds me of a Russian priest (I forget his name) who said that when we die, our soul gravitates towards God. And as our souls get close to the divine, whatever it has about it that is not good and loving begins to disintegrate. This could happen to the point that there is nothing of us left of us.  This journey of our soul could be our destruction in whole or in part depending on what we can rid ourselves of now while we have time. This may even explain the innocence of babies and young ones. They haven’t had time to be corrupted yet.

So, my beloved in the Lord, we, like the Israelites in the wilderness, are on a journey.  Whatever it is that makes our necks stiff, let’s rid ourselves of it now so that when our souls are on its journey home little of it will be lost on the Way.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday after the Fourth Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 45; Psalm 47, 48 Exod. 32:21-34   Thess. 1:1-10;  Matt. 5:11-16

“They said to me, “Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.””  (Exodus 32:23)

There are so many problems going on here that we should be made aware of.  First, Aaron is weak.  He is subdued by a scared and vicious mob. Then Aaron tries to convince Moses of the “sensibility” of his weakness.  Second, we can’t “make” gods.  The very nature of a god is that such a one is well beyond our existence.  Of course it is possible to make representative images of what we believe such gods would look like. But our God has a strict Commandment against that. Here’s a hint; if we can make it, it cannot really be a god, especially not our God.  We ourselves were created by God our Creator. Lastly, if we do not know what happened to someone, we should always assume they are alive in the Lord until otherwise is shown.

Now for me, there is sadness in this reading because it tells of mass murder from Moses and the Levites.  I leave it to you to think what you will about that.

The point here is that there is only one God, and God is not made with hands or anything.  God always was and always will be.  And this is true before we existed and will be true long after we exist no more. God does not need us to be God. But we do need God to be us.

While we are ordered not to make anything to resemble God, we can, and should, use the earth provided materials of art to help and aid us in the worship of God. In fact in Chapter 35 of Exodus God begins to give Moses specific instructions about how to craft worship space and items. Today, using our God-given memory, reason and skill, we have continued in making items that assist us in our worship of God.  Today we have stained glass windows, paintings and icons, music, candles and incense, our Book of Common Prayer and the Bible, which is not to worship, but rather to assist us in our worship of God.

Without doubt, prayer is the most powerful source for worship. Prayer is something that all humans can produce even if a person has no hands or discerned gifts of art.  To just sit quietly and opening one’s self to God is the greatest worship mechanism anyone can do. Aaron could have used this advice to strengthen him against the insistence of the people to make a calf.  We too must be diligent in prayer.  There are always anxieties around from some kind of fear that tries to move our loyalty from God to something human made. Let us not fall into Aaron’s mistake and give in to panic. God is present and loving and will intercede on our behalf. God is good, all the time.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Monday after the Fourth Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 41, 52 Psalm 44 Exod. 32:1-20  Col 3:18-4:6(7-18)  Matt. 5:1-10

 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Of all the Beatitudes (as they are called) I like “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” the best.  I have only recently become aware of the Enneagram personality types.  I am a 9 on their spectrum.  The 9’s are traditionally those who try to bring people together, they are peace makers. They listen to others and work to find consensus.

Of Matthew 5:9, I prefer the Spanish translation of verse 9 of this chapter of Matthew. It reads, “Dichosos los que trabajan por la paz,porque Dios los llamará hijos suyos.” Roughly translated it says blessed are those who work for peace, they will be called children of God.  It might be nitpicking but in the English translation, if peace is not actually accomplished, you fall short of the title peacemaker.  However in the Spanish version you are called a child of God if you “work” for peace.  No one knows for sure if our efforts will bring about the intended results, whether it’s planning a conference or actually bringing about peace.  All we can do is work towards the goal.

I realize that not everybody is called to be a peace maker.  I think it would be interesting for you to look up your own Enneagram type and match your own numerical personality type at http://www.enneagraminstitute.com and compare it to the Beatitudes and see how you match up.  This will require you to take an online free test that will discern your Enneagram number. Your strongest of three numbers is the one you should try to match up with a Beatitude if you can. It may be a new way in which the Holy Spirit is speaking to you.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Eucharistic Readings for the 4^th Sunday of Easter: Year A

Acts 2:42-47  Psalm 23  1 Peter 2:19-25  John 10:1-10

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.” (John 10: 1)

In my youth I worked with my dad in the long distance moving business. My dad painstakingly loaded his moving van.  I thought it was a lot of work that could be done a lot easier. But as I leaned, there were two good reasons for loading household items tightly.  First, the tighter they were packed the less likely anything was going to be broken. Second, by loading one household tightly there could be more space to pick up another household.  My dad said, “No short cuts.”

There are no short cuts to being who God made us to be.  I began my journey to the priesthood asking my then bishop to let me just read for orders.  We called it Canon 9 in those days.  It was a way of accelerating the ordination process and filling the need of parishes needing priests. The bishop listened patiently. After my detailed presentation the bishop gave me a piece of paper with the names of three seminaries on it. There will be no short cuts, he said.

There are three words to remember here, and they are awareness, will and ability.  Ability should be the least of our concerns. First and foremost is awareness.  Awareness means you know about the situation or problem.  Next is the will.  Are you willing to act to resolve the situation? If you are even thinking about your “ability” you begin to eliminate God working with you.  David took on Goliath without hesitation because he trusted that God is with him.  David, a shepherd, entered the sheepfold by the gate. Later, his son Solomon, assuming leadership of all Israel, was aware of the huge responsibility he had, and willing to do the work, he prayed to God to “enable” him to do the work.

There is only one proper way to enter the sheepfold and that is by the gate.  The gate today may be the proper procedures set up for whatever that sheepfold might look like in your particular situation. It may be education and the proper training in how to do the work.  The gate may be licensing as in the medical field or law. The first Gate for Christians is our Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus tells us that He is the Gate. The gate is the proper way to enter whatever sheepfold you want to enter. If we, as Christians, can’t see our Lord Jesus as the Gate of our vocation, then we are looking at the wrong sheepfold.

Below is a video of this homily. 

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday after the 3^rd Sunday of Easter: Year 2

Psalm 30, 32; Psalm 42, 43; Exod. 25:1-22; Matt. 4:18-25

“Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:13)

Ourselves, and God, are all we have. God never makes mistakes, and we make them all the time. We think, say, and do things that we often regret. We hurt each other, and in doing so, we hurt ourselves. Perhaps the first lesson we ought to learn is to realize when we have offended and how to respond with “I’m sorry.”

Sometimes we are taught in our families to go and tell someone “I’m sorry.”  The trouble is that we didn’t realize we had offended in the first place. Sometimes our offense was intentional; sometimes it was unintentional.   From family, this idea of required apologies grows even to the national stage.  I have heard national leaders say that some other country will not be pardoned unless they apologize for some wrong-doing they have done.  I think if I have to tell you that you have offended me, demanding you to apologize, is a waste of time, mine, and yours. The only time this is not the case is when the offense was not intended to be offensive.  However when explained that it was taken as offensive, the appropriate “I’m sorry” is welcomed. Sometimes in my life I have had to reflect on my past behavior and realized I needed to apologize to someone. And when I realized it I apologized accordingly.

So the words of the letter to the Colossians is worth heeding: “Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. (BCP 79)

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do.  John