Tag: christianity

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the 5^th Week of Easter: Year A

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 place 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 our Lord Jesus.

In what I used to call my mancave were 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 you with the good works you have done, and hopefully, will do, as you await his call to your eternal home. So how about you my friends?  What personal souvenirs or memorabilia is our Lord Jesus preparing your space with? The good news is, if you are hearing these words now, you still have time to forward some good works or fruits of the spirit forward 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.”

Jesus tells us to believe in God and to believe also in Him. As Christians we share the same good God who is the same God of other faith traditions. To this understanding we also recognize God walking with us in the person of Jesus, our Savior. All other traditions will admit that God can, and is able to do such a thing, we Christians however, proclaim that God has already done so.  We believe in God, we also believe in our Lord Jesus.

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

Let us pray: Fifth Sunday of Easter (BCP p.225)

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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

Morning,  Psalm 40 and 54; Evening, Psalm 51;

Exodus 34:18 to 35;  1^st  Thessalonians 3:1 to 13; Matthew 5:27 to 37:

“Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God! how great your wonders and your plans for us! there is none who can be compared with you.” (Psalm 40:5)

Psalm 40 is wonderful. While it does have some verses that try to move God to deal with problem people, most of it is giving thanks to God for God’s wonderful care of us.

I have been in tight spots where I didn’t see a good outcome. I don’t know if I consciously prayed during such times, but deep within me I was aware of the presence of God. While actively praying or not, God is aware of our situations, and the situations of our communities. “Great are God’s wonders and God’s plans for us.” We must always trust in the Lord and remember to be so thankful when God has acted. God is good, all the time.

Today we remember Philip and James, Apostles (May 1: NT), and their information may be found at Philip and James, Apostles

“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

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

Let us pray:

Oh, All mighty God, giver of all good gifts and graces, You know our needs before we ask and provide them for us when we need them. Your plans for us exceed anything we could ask or imagine. Dear Lord God, help each of us to be better participants in Your plan for humanity and this planet our island home. Teach us to be coworkers with You in Your divine plan as it pleases You. In Your most gracious Name we pray: Amen.

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

Morning, Psalm 50;  Evening, Psalm  60;

Exodus 34:1 to 17; 1^st Thessalonians 2:13 to 20; Matthew 5:21to 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.  This 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 and fully accept that, “In the beginning was the Word,” (John 1:1). The Word came to us 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.

Today we remember Sarah Josepha Buel Hale, Editor and Prophetic Witness, 1879, and her information may be found at Sara Hale.

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

Let us pray:                                                           

Almighty God, Who gifts us with faith that we might believe in our Creator; help us, we pray, to joyfully receive Your Word inside our hearts and souls, and then help us further to live out our lives, fortified by Your Word, in order that we will think, say, and  do those things which are pleasing in Your sight. This we ask in the Name of the Incarnate Word, our Lord Jesus; Amen

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

Morning, Psalm 119:49-72; Evening, Psalm 49;

Exodus 33:1 to 23 ; 1^st Thessalonians  2:1 to 12;  Matthew 5:17 to 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, and spiritual, well-being if we are not on a path to God’s 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 us that is not good and loving begins to disintegrate. This could happen to the point that there is nothing of us left. 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 still have time. This may even explain the innocence of babies and young ones who make it to God. 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 their journey home, only a little of us (if any) will be lost on the Way. And we didn’t need that part of us anyway.

Today we remember Catherine of Siena, and her information may be found at Catherine of Siena.

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

Let us pray:

Dear Holy God, as you are pure love, for us to be near you could shake us back to nothing and destroy us. Purify us Lord as You are pure. Continue making us a holy people as You are holy. Please help us in our daily lives to cleanse ourselves of all that is unsightly to You, You who loved us into being. Amen.

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

Morning, Psalm 45; Evening, Psalms 47 and 48;

Exodus 32:21 to 34;  Thessalonians 1:1 to 10;  Matthew 5:11 to16:

“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 in the theology of this reading that we should be made aware of.  First, Aaron is weak.  He is intimidated by a vicious mob. Second, Aaron tries to convince Moses of the “sensibility” of his weakness.  Third, 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 to 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 Parent. Lastly, if we do not know what happened to someone, we should always assume they are still alive until otherwise shown. They should never have given up on Moses.

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 our hands or anything of us.  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.

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 a worship space and worship items. Today, using our God-given skills, 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 itself, which are not items 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 practice 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.

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

Let us pray:

Oh Holy and Creating Spirit of God, who gifts us with faith and reverence for Your loving creation, be with each of us in our prayers in order that we will find the strength to remain steadfastly loyal to You, Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

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

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 learned, 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 that 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 or law field. 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.

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

Let us pray: Fourth Sunday of Easter (BCP p. 225)

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 3^rd Week of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 105:1 to 22; Evening, Psalm 105:23 to 45;

Exodus 24:1 to 18; Colossians 2:8 to 23;  Matthew 4:12 to 17:

He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulon and Naphtali.”  (Matthew 4:13)

I can still remember looking from our tour boat to the coast of Israel, in particular, Capernaum.  This is the first place our Lord Jesus went of his own free will and accord.  He was taken by his parents; to Bethlehem to be born; to Egypt to be saved,  to Nazareth to be raised, to Jerusalem to be dedicated, back to Nazareth, to Jerusalem again at age 12, and even to a wedding in Cana by invitation and always back to Nazareth.  But now, he left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake. I took a picture of Capernaum and Galilee of Israel and was so impressed with it that I made it the representation or icon of this blog page.

It is around Capernaum that our Lord Jesus walked along the shore and said to John and James; and to Andrew and Simon Peter; “follow me.”  Capernaum then was his preaching and teaching area.  Our Lord Jesus bloomed where he planted himself.  We too, in our very transitional world, move around a lot. I think now however we are beginning to see that we can pretty much live wherever we want to because we can reach out, or bring the world to us through our laptops or phones wherever we are.  The stay- at- home; work from home, Corona virus, a few years ago, showed us this.  We too can bloom from right where we are.  Our home town can, and should, become our “preaching and teaching area” for the Church and for the sake of the Gospel.

None of us knows where our Capernaum will be.  None of us knows where our lives will end on earth. We must always do the best we can wherever we are today, and let tomorrow take care of itself.  Wherever you are right now, it is your Capernaum! Do the Lord’s work.

“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

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

Let us pray:

Dear Lord Jesus, as You are the Way, the Truth and the Life, help us to anchor our lives in Your goodness so that wherever we make our home, we will promote and present Your loving Gospel to the whole earth. Help us to do this in our work and in our rest. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Thursday of the 3^rd Week of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalm 37:1 to 18; Evening, Psalm 37:19 to 42;

Exodus 20:1 to 21; Colossians 1:24 to 2:7;  Matthew 4:1 to 11:

(Psalm 37: 3 to 7)  I really like these verses.  Let’s look at them individually.

 3. “Put your trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on its riches.”

As I have mentioned before, “Trust” is a better word than “believe.”  We must trust in God and know that God is Good, all the time.  Also, God has given us this good earth with all that we need to sustain ourselves, air, water, and food. 

4. “Take delight in the Lord, and he shall give you your heart’s desire.” 

What our heart desires often changes as we mature.  Fancy cars and clothes no longer interest me.  Now I desire truth and love and good friends and a family of faithful worship community. 

5. “Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, and he will bring it to pass.” 

So, again, the word trust comes into play.  But let us not trust human concepts.  But rather, let us trust in God in general to make things the way God wants them to be, in God’s own way. 

6. “He will make your righteousness as clear as the light and your just dealing as the noonday.”

What is good and right will hold up in the light. Our call is to let go and let God.

7. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” 

So we are wanting things done, and done now!  We have a hard time “waiting” for the Lord. We need to take a metaphorical knee, and wait for the Lord. God works in God’s time, not ours.

Today we remember Toyohiko Kagawa, April 23,1960, and his information may be found at Toyohiko Kagawa

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

Let us pray:

Oh God of all that is, we are Yours. Help us Dear God to be delighted and committed to trusting in Your Goodness always and to be patient in receiving it, knowing that You are caring for us through all of our spiritually developing times; In Your presence we pray: Amen.

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the Third Sunday of Easter: Year A

Luke 24:13-35

“They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

Back in my Marine Corps days, and on one of my deployments to Italy, I had an Aircraft Maintenance Officer who would often come by my desk in our open hangar bay and say, “Top” (That was what I was called) “Walk with me, talk with me.”  This was his way of having some time to share each other’s thoughts about how aircraft maintenance Marines were doing in our aircraft squadron. I remember these occasions as “catch up” times.

In more recent years, and as a priest, I once had a young woman who asked if she could do spiritual guidance with me, and if so, could we walk around outside as we did it. I agreed but first wanted to have the traditional office conference and then try the “walk with me, talk with me” sessions.  As it turned out she moved away suddenly and we never got to do the “walk with me, talk with me” part, This was my loss.

In our Lord Jesus’ walk in this story on the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and his companion couldn’t seem to recognize Jesus until he served them dinner, later and at “their” home. After Jesus had left, they confided between themselves that the opening of the Scriptures caused a burning in their hearts. It truly was an “Ah, ha” moment for them. Our Lord Jesus took both the Scriptures and the Bread and blessed them, and opened (or divided) them, and then gave them. Are you seeing what is happening here?  Are you having a moment now?

You and I are Monday morning quarterbacks here, given that we know the story well. But too many of us still don’t get it. Jesus’ story didn’t just begin with his birth.  It began long ago in the mighty acts of God in human history. We human beings are the people of our stories. We need to tell them, and we need to listen to the stories of others. Walking guidance may very well be the best spiritual guidance there is. Walking is just an example of doing something that eases the smooth transition of conversation.  We could just as easily converse as we did food preparation, yard work, or a board game. Walking and talking may be the best way to converse because it is casual and allows for deep attention to be given to content.  It worked well in Navel Aviation while deployed in Italy with my boss and me. Perhaps we all can soar beyond the clouds step by step.

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

Let us pray: Third Sunday of Easter (BCP  p.224)

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of the 2^nd Week of Easter: Year 2

Morning, Psalms 20 and 21: Evening, Psalms 110:1-5(6-7) and Psalms 116 and 117;

 Exodus 17:1 to 16; 1^st Peter 4:7 to 19; John 16:16 to 33:

“When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.”  (John 16: 21)

Perhaps labor pain is the one pain that Jesus did not actually experience but it doesn’t take away from the point he is making, and that is that we go through some discomfort that brings about more than just relief, it brings newness of life and great pleasure. 

The book of Ecclesiastes seems to me to have as its running theme that “all is vanity.”  This suggests to me that perhaps our whole life is but the off-and-on-again labor of love until we finally come into new life as a heavenly being. As a dedicated believer and a person of prayer, my default, or go-to, position is the spiritual realm. Armed with the understanding that I will not live forever, it is through my spiritual self that I believe is my eternal path. 

So, as St. Peter says in our readings for today:

“The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”  (1 Peter 4: 7 – 11)

Today we remember Juana Ines De La Cruz, Monastic and Theologian, 1695 and her information may be found at: Juna Ines de la Cruz.

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

Let us pray:

Dear Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of all life, please help us to know and understand the difficult challenges we must undertake to reach real and everlasting joy. Strengthen our patience in suffering when it is a part of your plan for us in order that we may fully appreciate eternal joy. In Your most Holy Name: Amen.