Author: John Thomas Frazier

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 29: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 131, 132; Evening, Psalm 134 and 135:
Zephaniah 3:1to13; 1 Peter 2:11 to 25; Matthew 20:1 to16

“I do not occupy myself with great matters, or with things that are too hard for me.” (Psalm 131)

The Psalmist really captures my attitude here regarding many worldly interests. Many Americans are now concerned about the sexual identity of others. Not me. I just see everybody as a child of God, and that is enough for me.

We are about to enter a new political season. Too many of us are told what to think about the candidates running for the various offices at every level. These are things too hard for me.  I just pray and vote my gut feeling regardless of party.

Over the years I have learned to simplify great matters into easy-to-process units that I can handle. In faith I have only two Commandments, to love God with all that I am, and to love you, all of you. I no longer occupy myself with great matters.

In finance, I keep my needs low, save a little, and give to charities, the Church and those in need. I no longer occupy myself with great matters.

The world occupies itself with great matters. But I focus on giving thanks to God, trying to love everybody, keeping my word, living plain and providing an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Yes, I have gone back to work.  It’s not that I am in need, it is that I am needed.

I still conduct theological studies, participate in health strategies, practice music, and study Freemasonry. These, I seem to be able to handle. “I do not occupy myself with great matters, or with things that are too hard for me.”  How about you?

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 29: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 119:145 to 176; Evening, Psalm 128, 129 and 130;
Obadiah 15 to 21; 1^st Peter 2:1 to 10; Matthew 19:23 to 30:

“Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1^st Peter 2:4 and 5)

I don’t agree with all of Peter’s thinking but the words from this passage I really like.  We are living spiritual stones. Peter shows a difference between those of us who believe in God and God’s love as made manifest through our Lord Jesus, and those who don’t. The latter tend to lose sight of the sacredness of human life.  As believers we are chosen and precious in God’s sight. It seems the more we reflect and ponder about the mystery and majesty of God, and being thankful for it, the more we are rejected by the ever diminishing norms of our worldly society.

Time spent in prayer and giving Thanks to God for the fact that we exist, and the lives of those we love, will go up as a spiritual sacrifice to God, and make us acceptable through our Savior Jesus Christ. Those of us who believe in the love of God and live a life of love, have so much to be thankful for. So do those who don’t believe, but they don’t know it.

 I am so sorry for the untimely deaths and lives taken through evil acts.  My heart and prayers go out to the families and loved ones who are grieved by sinful acts. All of us have a responsibility to watch each other.  There is no one out there who is not our business. The path to a holy priesthood is paved through accountability. This accountability is true for us and for our neighbors. We are, in fact, our brothers and sisters keeper. We must hold ourselves in prayer asking God for hints at how we can improve the way we live together, and then value life, all life. 

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 29: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 121, 122, and 123; Evening,  Psalm 124, 125, and 126;
Nahum 1:1 to 13; 1 Peter 1:13 to 25; Matthew 19:13 to 22:

“If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile.” (1^st Peter 1:17)

There are two meaningful words in the above words from Saint Peter; “deeds” and “exile”. 

It seems there is a certain amount of judgment for us in the next life based on our deeds in this life. I note the absence of what we believe religiously.  The charitable deeds we do in life remind me of the feeding, clothing, and visiting of the sheep in Matthew 25 as they are separated from the goats. Regardless of what we believe or don’t believe, we need to be good for goodness sake.

I am also reminded that here on earth we are in exile. We have a Father in that heavenly realm who watches how we are living while we are here. We are not meant to live here for all eternity. We are citizens of heaven. So we should live here as visitors, because we are.

We have been taught by our Savior to love and worship God Almighty and no one else, or nothing else.  Peter says of Jesus, “Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God:” (1^st Peter 1:21). With our faith and hope set on God we learn to love one another and to do good deeds whenever, and wherever we can, while still here in our exile.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 29: Year 1

Psalm 106:1to 18; Evening, Psalm 106:19 to 48:
Joel 3:1-2 and 9-17; 1^st Peter 1:1to12; Matthew 19:1to 12

“His disciples said to him, ‘If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.’ But he said to them, ‘Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given” (Matthew 19:10 and 11).

There are many people who perhaps should not marry, both men and women. Jesus himself did not marry. There are a lot of societal pressures exerted on us to get married but once we do, that same pressure is not there to help us maintain our marital relationships. 

Too many young men and women are not aware of the option of monastic or, personal religious life – a life dedicated to the service of the Lord. It would be wonderful if brothers and sisters from monasteries and convents could have their turn in high schools and universities explaining the monastic way of life.  How many young people would accept a call to this vocation rather than the military, or college, or secular employment and marriage, or, on the negative side,  gang involvement and incarceration with  perhaps too early a death?

As our Lord Jesus says, only those to whom it is given can accept such a vocation. I believe that we should make available to our young folk every possible way of honorable life, including and also beyond marriage, as they may have been given such a call. Life is not one size fits all. And our communities need the variety of all sorts of dedicated discernments.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Christ the King Sunday: Year A

Ephesians 1:15-23  Matthew 25:31-46:

“Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34)

Again, the “king” language is used.  So, I use it too.  We, Americans fought a war to rid ourselves of being under a king.  Therefore, we probably have negative feelings about being under a king, even today.  But I would call our attention to the kind of kingdom God is calling us to.

It is a kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world. It is a kingdom of rest and peace.  It is a kingdom of “no more tears.”  Right now we live in a world of both metaphorical sheep and goats; of wheat and chaff. But at the Resurrection, there will be a great separation.  Those who have self-identified as sheep by a life of self-denial, (not just for the sake of self-denial) but, in order to serve others, will be placed on the right side of God Almighty, which is where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ resides.  It will be a wonderful place with a never-ending table of nourishment and comfort. Let those who have ears listen, learn; love and live.

What we must notice in this Gospel reading is that of all that is remembered about the sheep; their giving of food, their giving of drink, their clothing of the naked, and their visiting the sick or incarcerated, is, that they are never proclaimed sheep because of what they say they believe.

What we say we believe is lived out, not just talked out. And, as Christians, if our talk is about our Lord Jesus, there is no excuse of “I didn’t know it was you Lord.”  Every  person we encounter is Jesus to us. This means that persons who do not outwardly claim to be Christian but who feed the hungry, give drink to those who thirst, clothe the naked, visit the incarcerated or infirmed, are as much sheep as any practicing Christian, and in some cases, maybe even more.

Some act as sheep because it is the setting of their moral compass. They are not behaving this way for a future reward, but they are going to receive it because the King of kings will see them as the sheep they are and He will say to them, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

When we hear their invitation to the Kingdom, we can’t become the Prodigal brother’s elder brother and be jealous because they are with us. We are not to be an us – them people. We have Jesus in our lives in order that we might repent and recalibrate our own moral compass and become His sheep as well.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 28: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 107:33 to 43, and Psalm 108; Evening,  Psalm 33;
Isaiah 65:17 to 25; Revelation 22:14 to 21; Matthew 18:21 to 35:

“For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.” (Isaiah 65; 17 and 18)

I visited the City of Jerusalem during my Holy Land tour in February of 2018. The picture that heads this blog of Israel from Lake Galilee was taken from that trip.  I was not impressed with Jerusalem.  Even Jesus remembers it as a city that kills the prophets. (Matthew 23:37)

Perhaps a new earth with a Jerusalem as a joy is a wonderful idea.  However, not remembering human sin causes me some concern. I forget when or where I heard it said but it is true that unless we remember where we went wrong, we will go wrong again. The sin of the inhumanity to humans by humans is heartbreaking and awful. I so want a new way to live together with all humanity. But I think collectively we need to justifiably feel sad about much of our past and teach our young ones to watch their thoughts and attitudes towards others.  The nationality, language, skin color, sex, sexual orientation, diet nor anything else, should ever hinder our ability to love the other.

I pray the new earth and new Jerusalem prevents discriminating barriers from being built at all. Hey, I have an idea!  Why don’t you and I live in joy as citizens of that new earth and that new Jerusalem now?  We’ll delight in doing the Lord’s work.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 28: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 102; Evening, Psalm 107:1 to 32;
1^st Maccabees 4:36 to 59; Revelation 22:6 to 13; Matthew 18:10 to 20:

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

In this talk Jesus has asks us to passionately confront any person whom we feel has wronged us, or anyone we have wronged.  If the one on one doesn’t work, bring in two or three more for fairness sake. If that doesn’t work, consult the parish family, perhaps the pastor or priest. Jesus is setting up a way to bring us back together as in the one sheep that was lost in the lead story.

We are created social beings (like sheep).  We need each other. When we are together, God is in the midst of us. God may have finished the heavens and the earth, but you and I are still a work in progress. It is not so much that we were created, but rather, we are being created. When any two of us are together in the faith, our Lord Jesus accompanies us and we become three. We become a trinity in the Lord. We just need to become more aware of God’s divine presence with us. It is in this way that we are blessed, and brought back, and belong.  I know I am. Thank You Lord Jesus.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom. 

What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

The Eucharistic Gospel Reading for Thanksgiving Day: Year A

Luke 17: 11 to 19

Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?”

Like all responses from God, there is a participatory part we must do in God’s response.  So, to answer our Lord’s question, the other nine are doing what was required of them, that is, they were headed to priests to show that they had been cleaned. But the one wanted to give thanks first.

Today is Thanksgiving Day.  This is another strictly American holiday. But the need to give thanks to God is universal. All human beings should pause and give thanks to God for our existence even if our existence is unpleasant.  Just being aware that there is a forever God who will eventually receive us in that glorious presence is in, and of itself, something to be thankful for.

Many of us spend a lot of time asking God for many things.  We never stop asking for something. Like the lepers in our Gospel reading we too say, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” We should spend just as much time giving thanks for what God has done, and is doing. As we have seen in our reading, Jesus notices. “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?”

I am glad that America has set aside a time of reflection and Thanksgiving. It is a great and unified way to show God that as a nation we are thankful. However, each person, family and parish should establish the habit of giving thanks regularly.  Such a habit will keep our national habit of Thanksgiving thriving; lest we forget in whom we put our trust.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Wednesday of Proper 28: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 101 and 109: Evening, Psalm 119:121to 144;
1^st  Maccabees 3:42 to 60; Revelation 21:9 to 21; Matthew 17:22 to 27:

“And when he [Simon Peter] came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?’ When Peter  said, ‘From others’, Jesus said to him, ‘Then the children are free. However, so that we do not give offence to them, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.” (Matthew 17: 25 to 27)

In my experience this passage is seldom used as sermon material.  However there are layers of revelation here about who Jesus is.

First of all, Jesus, while not with Peter when he encountered the collectors of the temple tax, already knew what happened, just as he knew the experience of many before they came to him.  Second, when he posits the question to Peter he already knew the answer. He knew that he and his followers were the “other,” from whom the king takes his toll or tribute.  Lastly, I always thought the fishermen of Jesus’ day fished with nets. But Jesus instructs him to use a hook, (no mention of bait) and upon bringing in a fish, examine its mouth and get the coin.  This coin, Jesus says,  will be paid for “you and me.”

We are the “other” of this Gospel lesson.  We are not the children of the rulers of this world. We are the children of God. And God, even working through God’s own created nature will save us and provide what we need even without bait. We should live our lives always expecting divine intervention. This certainly will preach.

Today our Church remembers Clive Staples Lewis: (C. S. Lewis), lay theologian and Christian writer. It will do one good to look him up on the net and ponder about his many works.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 28: Year 1

Morning, Psalms 97 and 99; Evening, Psalm 94;
1^st  Maccabees 3:25 to 41; Revelation 21:1 to 8; Matthew 17:14 to 21:

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ He said to them, ‘Because of your little faith.”  (Matthew 17:19 and 20)

The Gospel accounts, and perhaps the whole of the Bible, require intense study. I noticed that while our readings from Matthew are from chapter 17: verses 14 to verse 21. However, there was no verse 21 in the NRSV that I started with.  So I went to other Gospel accounts that covered the same story. Lo and behold, Mark has a different response from Jesus to the disciples, and to us. The notes in the Matthew version acknowledge that “some manuscripts have what is in Mark, that is Jesus saying, “this kind can come out only by prayer,” which is found in Mark 9:29.

While the original, or some version of Matthew might have had the same words before a redaction, the point is, prayer is so important. I am not talking about audible, out loud prayer. I am talking about sitting silently with God and asking for help.  God is a Spiritual presence that is always with us, waiting to help us because God loves us. We just need to ask God for the help we need, and then we just let God do what God does. As we trust in God, God will, in return, trust us.

Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel and our schools.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John