tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214004042024-03-13T10:26:06.357-05:00Mt. Saint CaffienaThe local thermopolium for those who enjoy the flipside of Catholic life.TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-83601146811244220942009-04-13T11:36:00.004-05:002009-04-13T13:32:31.660-05:00Lukewarm Easter Leftovers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaD3_WRQVaUFZwzDG-c8kuylGwh3kjkq14K0xrB9g5UrZDOYR25SKNUJ9vsmecn7ReMkXnFGP-fkV6QSXJEkg2HloLnFaJRfA6H0PUyZ1UMM_5YZUThqZr-rwiNSKiUwSf1H0tg/s1600-h/9%2520Jesus%2520statue.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324230351720341746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaD3_WRQVaUFZwzDG-c8kuylGwh3kjkq14K0xrB9g5UrZDOYR25SKNUJ9vsmecn7ReMkXnFGP-fkV6QSXJEkg2HloLnFaJRfA6H0PUyZ1UMM_5YZUThqZr-rwiNSKiUwSf1H0tg/s400/9%2520Jesus%2520statue.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Easter Sunday is finally over. The lamb or ham has been removed from the board, and sits in a plastic bag or container in the fridge. The kids are back to school. We're back at work. And Christ, that welcomed guest on Sunday morning, has been turned out again, to stand on the doorstep while we go about our lives inside.<br /><br /><br /></div></span><blockquote>Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.<br /></blockquote><div><br />We don't always let Him back in. Is it more convenient to leave Him standing on the step? The neighbors will drive by and say 'oh, hey, they've got God!' and we won't actually have to take Him in to our home... or heart. It's a beautiful pretense.<br /><br />So God stands outside the door. Inside, there is turmoil. Where is Christ? Every fiber of your being is seeking him. You drag behind, overwhelmed by the world, never once looking outside to admire your lawn art. And Christ still stands right outside the door. Waiting.<br /><br />In time, we forget about Christ's Gift completely. We might have to take extra steps to mow around him to keep our walkway clean. He's just an object, a symbol. We're no longer on fire for the Lord. The neighbors don't admire it anymore. They now whisper 'we thought they had God, but look how everything's crumbling along the walk.' Worse would be 'oh, so this is what it's like to have that ugly eyesore, God, in our life. Well, that's not for me. It's a sick pretense, to be sure.'<br /><br />I've never been comfortable with verse plucking, and I do think the passage verse 20 comes from is integral to everything.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><blockquote><strong>To the Church in Laodicea<br />Revelation 3:14-22</strong> (NIV)<br />"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.<br /><br />You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'<br />But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.<br /><br />Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." </blockquote><div><br /><br />The passage is one of my favorites... aren't they all?... because it lets us know that we, sinners and fools, have a chance with God. Some of us grow complacent in our walks, neither on fire for God nor turning from him. Lazy Christians. We think we can glide by just because we have a large Jesus in our front yards. Look how rich we are by having that! We need nothing but Jesus out there!<br /><br />This passage is sometimes confused with the concept that we have to tell all the sinners off, to tell the world how wrong it is, because not doing so makes us lukewarm. Pardon me, but it's not a matter of telling the world how it's going to hell. We must embrace Christ, invite Him inside, allow Him to stay there, and allow Him to reshape us during our spiritual rebirth. If we do not, and if we simply sit there and 'be Christian with yard art', we're lukewarm and lacking the Fire of the Spirit in our lives. Better to have the Fire or to turn away from the Glory than to go around trying to impress the neighbors with our poorly kept walk(way).<br /><br /><br />It's not easy finding a balance between warm and cold, and most Christians try to stay as Fired up as possible. God cuts us a bit of slack in Revelation chapter 3. Above the letter to the Church in Laodicea, we find a letter to the Church in Philadelphia... and I don't mean the city up the way from me here in PA.<br /><br /><br /></div><blockquote><strong>To the Church in Philadelphia<br />Revelation 3:7-13</strong> (NIV) "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no<br />one can open.<br /><br />I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.<br /><br />I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.<br /><br />Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole<br />world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon.<br /><br />Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." </blockquote><div><br /><br />God is very clear on this: I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have no denied my name. Wouldn't the lack of strength indicate a lukewarm walk? I don't believe so.<br /><br />The Church in Philadelphia endured things patiently, in great spirit. Jesus is not yard art. They invited Him in, and rejoiced for it. They were not mighty... the Philadelphia city was in the interior, southeast of Sardis, and had never attained the eminence of most of the other seats of the Seven Churches. That the church itself was poor and wanting in worldly endowments seems to be indicated by Revelation 3:8. Yet this church and that of Smyrna alone escape censure. </div><div> </div><div>By modern standards, many 'fundies' would judge this church as lacking conviction, and accuse it of being lukewarm. Christ chose what He chose, despite the Church in Philadelphia not having the strength to stand up and tell the rest of the world what to do with itself. Surely, even with the praise and reproof, it couldn't have been lukewarm!<br /><br /><br /></div><blockquote><strong>Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</strong><br />3:7-13 The same Lord Jesus has the key of government and authority in and over the church. He opens a door of opportunity to his churches; he opens a door of utterance to his ministers; he opens a door of entrance, opens the heart. He shuts the door of heaven against the foolish, who sleep away their day of grace; and against the workers of iniquity, how vain and confident soever they may be. The church in Philadelphia is commended; yet with a gentle reproof. Although Christ accepts a little strength, yet believers must not rest satisfied in a little, but strive to grow in grace, to be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Christ can discover this his favour to his people, so that their enemies shall be forced to acknowledge it. This, by the grace of Christ, will soften their enemies, and make them desire to be admitted into communion with his people. Christ promises preserving grace in the most trying times, as the reward of past faithfulness; To him that hath shall be given. Those who keep the gospel in a time of peace, shall be kept by Christ in an hour of temptation; and the same Divine grace that has made them fruitful in times of peace, will make them faithful in times of persecution. Christ promises a glorious reward to the victorious believer. He shall be a monumental pillar in the temple of God; a monument of the free and powerful grace of God; a monument that shall never be defaced or removed. On this pillar shall be written the new name of Christ; by this will appear, under whom the believer fought the good fight, and came off victorious.<br /></blockquote><div><br />Where is your Christ today? Is He beside you, a part of you? Will you grant Him access year round, or is He nothing more than a decoration one or two days a year?<br /><br />Listen... He is knocking!<br /></div>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1145122229180203582009-04-12T01:30:00.000-05:002009-04-11T20:18:56.009-05:00HE LIVES!<p></p><p align="center"><img alt="Image hosting by Photobucket" src="http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1324/4692103/9787702/139621395.jpg" /></p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">It was Mary Magdalene who walked down to the tomb in the early morning hours, without the escort of the Apostles or other men, to set the embalming things up so the other women could help her prepare the body. She picked her way through the deserted trails that lead to the tombs, with a low fog blanketing the land during that quiet spring morning. This was a woman whom Jesus had healed of 'the demons' of epilepsy, and the love she held for him was more pure than any physical love. As she walked, she remembered her life before he healed her, and all the pain that went with daily living. She reflected upon the last moments he spent with her, reassuring everyone that his Father's will would be done, and that the promise of his resurrection would be kept. It didn't sooth her much... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">She was weeping when she arrived at the tomb. Through her tears, she saw the heavy stone rolled back, and looking around, she saw no Roman guards, and the body was gone. In terror, she ran back to the Apostles, and told Peter what she saw. The men ran with her back to the tomb, and looked around, and finding nothing, returned to their place of hiding, leaving her standing there alone. Had they doubted her words when she first told them? Or did they feel this was the final hammer fall... the body was gone and the hope of Jesus' return seemed impossible.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Mary continued to weep, drawing closer to the empty tomb. Suddenly, she realized that there were two strangers standing there, bathed in brilliant white. The spoke to her, asking, "Woman, why are you weeping?" </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Mary, in her grief, cried out, "They have taken away the body of my Lord, and I do not know where to find him!" How could she possibly convey the terror she felt in her heart? Didn't they understand? Was this a way of Rome mocking him one last time? Was this a cruel trick?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">A second voice called out, and she turned to see the gardener standing quietly beside the opening. "Woman," he asked her, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Mary was a bit shocked. How can anyone living here not know about Jesus? She would not play that game. She pleaded to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">The man replied, "Mary." And she knew... she knew that voice. It was impossible that she was hearing it again, yet had he not promised he would return to them? Was he not broken, and yet there he stood before her? He was alive! Jesus was alive!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">She cried out, "Rabboni!!", which is Aramaic for 'teacher', meaning to throw her arms around him in joy, but he told her, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Mary ran back to the others, her tears now ones of joy, and proclaimed, "I have seen the Lord!" She told them all that had happened.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Hallelujah! Christ is risen, and Christ will come again!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:78%;color:#993399;">(Based on John 20)</span> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Happy Easter to my friends! </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3333ff;"><strong>May the Lord bless you this day, and every day.</strong></span></div><div align="center"></div><br /><p></p><p align="center"><img alt="Image hosting by Photobucket" src="http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1324/4692103/9787702/139623879.jpg" /></p><p><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(Orig Published 4/15/06)</span></p>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-62860530463642120422008-12-08T07:27:00.006-05:002009-04-11T20:28:10.619-05:00Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception<div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Holy Day</strong><br />Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary</span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277397696955743138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 81px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOkq7eQuAu-0cHJX5c14IOY9GZk4S5Ls01B4Aw9Mt0tfOW6tCOl_9MlowvCP8IeTvH8TMvAQFuzqBqeTBjM8eIG85wAHC46TYp_sCwcdRfW0fkntVjANUExs6uiNA3MGxOkzPRA/s320/rose.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong>First Reading</strong><br />Gn 3:9-15, 20<br /><br />After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,<br />the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”<br />He answered, “I heard you in the garden;<br />but I was afraid, because I was naked,<br />so I hid myself.”<br />Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?<br />You have eaten, then,<br />from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”<br />The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me<br />she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”<br />The LORD God then asked the woman,<br />“Why did you do such a thing?”<br />The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”<br /><br />Then the LORD God said to the serpent:<br />“Because you have done this, you shall be banned<br />from all the animals<br />and from all the wild creatures;<br />on your belly shall you crawl,<br />and dirt shall you eat<br />all the days of your life.<br />I will put enmity between you and the woman,<br />and between your offspring and hers;<br />he will strike at your head,<br />while you strike at his heel.”<br /><br />The man called his wife Eve,<br />because she became the mother of all the living.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><strong>Responsorial Psalm</strong><br />Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4<br /><br />R. (1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.<br />Sing to the LORD a new song,<br />for he has done wondrous deeds;<br />His right hand has won victory for him,<br />his holy arm.<br />R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.<br />The LORD has made his salvation known:<br />in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.<br />He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness<br />toward the house of Israel.<br />R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.<br />All the ends of the earth have seen<br />the salvation by our God.<br />Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;<br />break into song; sing praise.<br />R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><strong>Second Reading<br /></strong>Eph 1:3-6, 11-12<br /><br />Brothers and sisters:<br />Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,<br />who has blessed us in Christ<br />with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,<br />as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,<br />to be holy and without blemish before him.<br />In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,<br />in accord with the favor of his will,<br />for the praise of the glory of his grace<br />that he granted us in the beloved.<br /><br />In him we were also chosen,<br />destined in accord with the purpose of the One<br />who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,<br />so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,<br />we who first hoped in Christ.<br /></p></span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><strong>Gospel Reading<br /></strong>Lk 1:26-38<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekc2MlK3OYA02RN2nZnfqtoahaXIryReAo1U0QBf-a_a1TCJE5NR8LBBCbP0qgThbLvg63FDEC2njW1903kw-S0QTmu4miUclHzpCAMAJpAiwEd3nhUz1BIC1ZPbnvOCTVrRAFg/s1600-h/mary52.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277396638723851570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 186px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 245px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekc2MlK3OYA02RN2nZnfqtoahaXIryReAo1U0QBf-a_a1TCJE5NR8LBBCbP0qgThbLvg63FDEC2njW1903kw-S0QTmu4miUclHzpCAMAJpAiwEd3nhUz1BIC1ZPbnvOCTVrRAFg/s320/mary52.jpg" border="0" /></a>The angel Gabriel was sent from God<br />to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,<br />to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,<br />of the house of David,<br />and the virgin’s name was Mary.<br />And coming to her, he said,<br />“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”<br />But she was greatly troubled at what was said<br />and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.<br />Then the angel said to her,<br />“Do not be afraid, Mary,<br />for you have found favor with God.<br />Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,<br />and you shall name him Jesus.<br />He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,<br />and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,<br />and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,<br />and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”<br />But Mary said to the angel,<br />“How can this be,<br />since I have no relations with a man?”<br />And the angel said to her in reply,<br />“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,<br />and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.<br />Therefore the child to be born<br />will be called holy, the Son of God.<br />And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,<br />has also conceived a son in her old age,<br />and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;<br />for nothing will be impossible for God.”<br />Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.<br />May it be done to me according to your word.”<br />Then the angel departed from her.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/2004/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20041208_immaculate-conception_en.html">Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Homily</a> Pope John Paul II<br /></span></p>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-59629643019759942322008-02-06T20:09:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:29:55.705-05:00Ash Wednesday! What are you giving up?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpLOxAIkRM7Pm1Bxkze0JQdAvESgUV1wpS_t6unMf9kONPsSUNxM3MTwKXuB-QTmsoaosswMziDfIx0zHQHpwQGotFoo0M3jokvHrgeCThnVSZVel9qKuZFRkJNhvrBxq5DJxZA/s1600-h/PA240045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164044079376840210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpLOxAIkRM7Pm1Bxkze0JQdAvESgUV1wpS_t6unMf9kONPsSUNxM3MTwKXuB-QTmsoaosswMziDfIx0zHQHpwQGotFoo0M3jokvHrgeCThnVSZVel9qKuZFRkJNhvrBxq5DJxZA/s320/PA240045.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">‘What are you giving up for Lent this year?’ It’s a question I’ve been hearing all week. All during the time leading up to this special day… Ash Wednesday… I pondered what I was going to give up. People from all walks of life, and from all denominations, were proudly declaring what they’d go without. I’m not meaning to imply that my dear friends are hypocrites, but I was drawn to today’s reading, especially as it pertains to fasting, as I listened to them.<br /><br />‘I’m giving up cigarettes’ said one, and another joked and said ‘I’m giving up sex!’ Yet another said ‘fattening foods and beer.’ Some people resolved to do more for the poor this Lent, and others vowed they would spend more time with their family. All these are really good things to try to accomplish, and I wish them the best of luck. But then I’m drawn back to that verse, where Christ is telling us that declaring to do something then running around telling everyone we’re doing it… well, are we really doing it or just saying we’re doing it so we look good to others?<br /><br />Of all the things I could give up, I choose to give time. I’m giving up time to God. Instead of spending a few hours doing ‘me’ things, I’m giving God those hours in prayer. My prayer closet… which happens to be my office… is going to have a lot of activity.<br /><br />Hmmmmmm… prayer time? You gotta be kidding!<br /><br />I challenge you, each of you, to give up a half hour to God this season. Not 3 hours. Not 2 hours. Not a full hour. Just 30 minutes. It’s a lot harder than you think! No reading the bible. No watching TBN or any of the other Christian stations. No Christian music… no radio in the background. Nothing that could distract you. Just you… and God… alone for 30 minutes a day.<br /><br />So why is the alone part so important? Christ says ‘When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.’ Are these verses an admonishment about public prayer, where two or more are gathered in His name? I don’t think Christ was contradicting himself when he spoke these words… I think Christ was trying to tell us that, when we go to our prayer closest and pray to our Father in secret, we aren’t distracted by outside things or the need to look good. There is no competition to pray the most eloquently or the most fervently. There is no ego involved at all. We are sequestered with God, and in a humble, quiet state. Scary thought, if you’re one of those people who is used to being distracted by rosary beads, bible verses, music or moving images on the tv screen.<br /><br />Some people pray constantly, on the fly. They pray while they’re stuck in traffic, or when they’re doing dishes. They pray as they rake hay, prepare dinner, wash the cat… that usually requires extra prayers for patience… or as they tuck the kids into bed. If you’re one of these kinds of people, someone who prays when the free moment hits them, you have my respect. It’s hard to fall into human trappings when our minds and lips are busy for God.<br /><br />Most of us only pray at set times, when we remember to make time for God at all. Many people nod to Him in the morning, and then don’t check in until they go to bed. Many don’t check in at all. We run through our week, and come Sunday we offer our little hour up to the Lord. That hour is filled with all sorts of entertaining things. We visit with friends, we sing, we recite our prayers, we sing some more, we kneel, we bow, we take communion. Somewhere in there is a quick homily. If it’s a good day, there’s donuts and coffee in the parish hall. Oh my, isn’t Sunday fun?!<br /><br />Our first reading today, Joel 2:12-13, reminds us ‘Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God.’<br /><br />Our second reading, 2 Corinthians 5:20, then says ‘Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.’<br /><br />It’s hard to be an ambassador if we don’t take the time to talk to God daily and get some Spirit filled instructions. It’s even harder to hear God if we don’t take the time to give our whole heart, and to purify ourselves so that we can be an empty vessel waiting to be filled by that Spirit. To do so, we have to put aside our egos and give God some of our precious time. God isn’t just God on Sundays; God is God every day. The best gift you can give to the Lord is not your abstinence from junk foods, alcohol, sex or other activities. The best gift is the gift of time, time spent in honest and unhindered prayer with our Creator.<br /><br />I leave you with today’s Gospel: Matthew 6:1-18<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.<br /><br />"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.<br />"This, then, is how you should pray:<br /><br />" 'Our Father in heaven,<br />hallowed be your name,<br />your kingdom come,<br />your will be done<br />on earth as it is in heaven.<br />Give us today our daily bread.<br />Forgive us our debts,<br />as we also have forgiven our debtors.<br />And lead us not into temptation,<br />but deliver us from evil.'<br /><br />For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.<br /><br /><br />"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.</span><br /><br />For answers about Ash Wednesday, you can visit </span><a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1788815/posts"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Where does Ash Wednesday get its ashes?</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-42838929192186316772007-09-09T22:16:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:30:33.205-05:00Doc Majic: Larry Alan Barnes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU91l3q8LHfU8CmeIEiIgECdi9OQTrXdKFVvvNyh_XIh7Qi_P8KlcbZwICeSbjnicIm76TLnlLFh3w7MwMuxMNfEd4WFvQpQ_sAvB_Nbp2CN76g0n72jZQ1sboupX9wz8rVJzspw/s1600-h/Picture-Larry%2520003MA15760323-0003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108409490004323538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 166px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="285" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU91l3q8LHfU8CmeIEiIgECdi9OQTrXdKFVvvNyh_XIh7Qi_P8KlcbZwICeSbjnicIm76TLnlLFh3w7MwMuxMNfEd4WFvQpQ_sAvB_Nbp2CN76g0n72jZQ1sboupX9wz8rVJzspw/s320/Picture-Larry%2520003MA15760323-0003.jpg" width="166" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Larry Alan Barnes, 56, Stillwater, died in his home Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007. A memorial service will be Saturday at 2 p.m. in the First Baptist Church, Seventh and Duncan, with Dr. Tim Walker officiating.<br /><br />He was born Dec. 1, 1950, in the Stillwater Municipal Hospital. He attended the First Baptist Church with his family, and at age eight, accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized by the Rev. Richard Peterson.<br /><br />He began school at the age of four in the pre-school and kindergarten program of the home economics department at Oklahoma A. & M. College. He attended Westwood and Will Rogers Elementary schools, was a Cub Scout and later a member of Boy Scouts Troop 20 at the First Presbyterian Church. He attended junior high and high school where he was first chair clarinet in both the concert and marching bands. He played the electric organ in a band during his high school years called “The Evolutions.” He lettered in golf and was a varsity scholar at C.E. Donart High School.<br /><br />He was a member of the National Honor Society and won the Outstanding Electronics Award given by the U.S. Air Force at the 1967 Regional Science Fair for the Van de Graaff Generator he constructed. He graduated from C. E. Donart High School in May of 1969 and attended Oklahoma State University from 1969 to 1972 where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He later graduated from Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., with a bachelor’s degree in science. He then moved to Portland, Ore., where he attended Western States Chiropractic College and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a doctorate chiropractic degree.<br /><br />He moved to southeastern Colorado, a state he dearly loved, where he opened his chiropractic office. He later practiced in Lees Summit, Mo., where he became involved with prayer counseling in his church.<br /><br />His hobbies, other than music, were racquetball, gardening, cooking and antique furniture. He was an avid fan of the Denver Broncos and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He moved back to Stillwater in 2005 to be near his family. He loved animals, especially his little dog “Yoda”.<br /><br />He was serious by nature, but enjoyed teasing his sister, Bev; brother, Rob and nephews and friends. He was a loving, compassionate son, brother, uncle and friend, and he will be truly missed by all.<br /><br />He was predeceased by paternal grandparents, Jesse Clyde and Lillie Lawless Barnes of Stillwater and maternal grandparents, Charles O. and Jennie Stephens Nuckolls of Tulsa.<br /><br />He is survived by his parents, Bob and Betty Barnes; sister, Beverly Campbell and her husband, Jim; a brother, Robert Warren “Rob” Barnes and friend, Molly Stebens, and her daughter, Kimberly; nephews, Bryce Campbell, Scott Campbell and wife, Cambria, and their daughter, Callie Grace and Todd Campbell and wife, Autumn, all of Stillwater; cousins, Debbie Garden, Steve and Jackie Nuckolls, Mark and Dovie Nuckolls and their families, all of Tulsa and numerous other cousins and friends.<br /><br />Donations may be made in his memory to the Youth Fund in the First Baptist Church, CASA or any organization which benefits children.<br /><br /><br />Goodbye Doc. We mourn losing you, but we celebrate your life and your afterlife in Christ.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>CASA for Kids</strong><br /><br />Address: 315 West 6th, Suite 205Stillwater, OK 74074<br />Contact: Mikki Couch (Executive Director)<br />Phone:(405) 624-2242<br />Fax:(405) 624-2250<br />Website: </span><a href="http://www.casaforkids.com/" target="new" minmax_bound="true"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#33cc00;">http://www.casaforkids.com/</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><br /></span>Preferred Partner: National CASA<br />Interest Area: Children & Youth, Crisis Support<br /></span></div>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-88461328016046286732007-05-14T10:40:00.000-05:002008-12-08T19:52:39.316-05:00The mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKvxwcV4MYZdLIQmXnHXZMaY8MwAodisG22osch_uRAvEaRDnfzL8RxHA3sYR2N2nwBc0p5Mgnfrj7iiNU80cRVNsJCtiM9cymlkRc0vBeUl-_fWAcVAwVLkUOqDIz8WAPOvE8A/s1600-h/jarballsandmug.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064443198464675618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKvxwcV4MYZdLIQmXnHXZMaY8MwAodisG22osch_uRAvEaRDnfzL8RxHA3sYR2N2nwBc0p5Mgnfrj7iiNU80cRVNsJCtiM9cymlkRc0vBeUl-_fWAcVAwVLkUOqDIz8WAPOvE8A/s320/jarballsandmug.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">When things in your life seem almost too much to handle; when 24 hours in a day are not enough; remember THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND TWO CUPS OF COFFEE:<br /><br />A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.<br /><br />He then asked the students if the jar was full.<br />They agreed that it was.<br /><br />The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.<br /><br />The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.<br />They agreed it was.<br /><br />The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The<br />students responded with a unanimous "yes."<br /><br />The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.<br /><br />"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.<br /><br />The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.<br /><br />The pebbles are the other things that matter like<br />your job, house, and car.<br /><br />The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.<br /><br />"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.<br /><br />So...Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.<br /><br />Play With your children. Take time to get medical checkups.<br /><br />Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."<br /><br />One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."<br /><br /><br /><br />Bodhicea, thanks for sharing this!</span></div>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-52000781340443259982007-04-13T15:36:00.000-05:002007-04-13T15:37:56.637-05:00It is not all about you!“We live in a society where individual ego is at the forefront.” Does that quote sound familiar to you? It should, if you pay attention to the Geico “caveman” commercials. I have found it to be rather ironic in hidden truth.<br /><br />All too often, we place more significance on our own egotistical needs. Our belief system is the only true one. Our race or class is the only one that should benefit from public attention. Our own learning far exceeds other’s learning. Our misfortunes are far worse than our neighbors.<br /><br />I do not feel this egotistical bent has enhances our society. I see it as a carryover from the “Me First!” generation. Their tender childrearing (insert sarcastic rolling of the eyes here) has left us with adults who are spoiled, selfish, narcissistic jerks with nothing better to do in life than gain material goods while throwing away anything that seems unwanted or broken.<br /><br />Disposable marriages, disposable friendships, disposable jobs – let’s recycle it all and acquire something new. Time-honored traditions are worthless to such persons. Surly if the Christ were a modern American, he would have appointed an underling to take his place on the cross. After all, what’s in it for Him?<br /><br />When it comes to chat rooms or other “socializing places of interest”: please remember that you are not the most important thing in the world. You are not entitled to anything. Even your salvation is a gift from God and not an entitlement. We (you and I) do not deserve it. We did nothing to earn such a gift. It is freely given out of love.<br /><br />You are also not entitled to have the whole world hang on your every word. In the grand scheme of things, your opinions matter little to an all-powerful God. Your actions and your treatment of the sacredness of His Word (your Holy bible) will determine your outcome. Do you plant seeds or do you burn fields in your own self-righteous angry wake?<br /><br />The man who mocks deserves mocking in return.<br />The man who attacks deserves to be attacked.<br />The man who damns has only his own damnation to face.<br />~ but ~<br />The man who forgives needs never dwell on past harms, as he has pardoned them.<br />The man who praises God never stops to collect his own praises.<br />The man who loves deserves to be loved.<br /><br />Americans are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They are not entitled to take the lives of others, remove the liberties of others, or take away the happiness of others. To do so is selfish and egotistical.<br /><br />Live and let live. Do no harm. Let go and let God. Get over yourself: it is not all about YOUUUUU.<br /><br /><br />~ AutriceTMTWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03143205295749068093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-86376400131102605722007-04-05T11:54:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:32:52.243-05:00Mass Part 1: What is mass?<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">I've had several folks ask me about Mass... so here is a brief overview of what it is, why we celebrate it, and what books or instruction we use. Instead of pulling up documents that are heavily laden with terms that most nonCatholics won't understand, I used Wikipedia:<br /><br />Mass is the term used to describe celebration of the Eucharist in the Western liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. The term is derived from the late-Latin word missa (dismissal), a word used in the concluding formula of Mass in Latin: "Ite, missa est" ("Go, it is the dismissal") For the celebration of the Eucharist in Eastern Churches, including those in full communion with the Holy See of Rome, other terms, such as the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Qurbana, and the Badarak are normally used.<br /><br />The </span><a title="Council of Trent" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Trent"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Council of Trent</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> reaffirmed traditional Christian teaching that the Mass is the same Sacrifice of Calvary offered in an unbloody manner: "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different. And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an unbloody manner... this sacrifice is truly propitiatory" (Doctrina de ss. Missae sacrificio, c. 2, quoted in Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1367). The Council declared that Jesus instituted the Mass at his Last Supper: "He offered up to God the Father His own body and blood under the species of bread and wine; and, under the symbols of those same things, He delivered (His own body and blood) to be received by His apostles, whom He then constituted priests of the New Testament; and by those words, Do this in commemoration of me, He commanded them and their successors in the priesthood, to offer (them); even as the Catholic Church has always understood and taught."</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The Roman Catholic Church sees the Mass as the most perfect way it has to offer latria (adoration) to God. It is also Catholic belief that in objective reality, not merely symbolically, the wheaten bread and grape wine are converted into Christ's body and blood, a conversion referred to as transubstantiation, so that the whole Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity, is truly, really, and substantially contained in the sacrament of the Eucharist<br /><br /><strong>TEXTS USED DURING MASS:</strong><br />The Roman Missal contains the prayers and rubrics of the Mass. Before the 1970 revision of the Roman rite of Mass (see </span><a title="Mass of Paul VI" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_of_Paul_VI"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Mass of Paul VI</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">), the Missal contained not only the prayers of the Mass itself, with the prayers for each day of the calendar, but also the scriptural readings for each day.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />In the United States and Canada, the English translation of the Roman Missal is at present called the </span><a title="Sacramentary" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramentary"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Sacramentary</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The </span><a title="Lectionary" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectionary"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Lectionary</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> presents passages from the Bible arranged in the order for reading at each day's Mass. Compared with the scripture readings in the pre-1970 Missal, the modern Lectionary contains a much wider variety of passages.<br />A Book of the Gospels called the Evangelary is recommended for the reading from the Gospels, but the Lectionary may be used in its place.<br /><br /><strong>Time of Celebration of Mass</strong><br />Before the liturgical reforms of </span><a title="Pope Pius XII" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_XII"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Pope Pius XII</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> from 1951 to 1955, it was forbidden, except for </span><a title="Midnight Mass" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Mass"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Midnight Mass</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> on </span><a title="Christmas" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Christmas</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> night, to begin Mass more than one hour before dawn or more than one hour after midday. In the Apostolic Constitution Christus Dominus (1953) and the Motu Propio Sacram Communionem (1957) Pius XII permitted the celebration of Mass at other times. There are no longer any time limits. Furthermore, since the </span><a title="Second Vatican Council" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Second Vatican Council</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, the time for fulfilling the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday or a </span><a title="Holy Day of Obligation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Day_of_Obligation"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Holy Day of Obligation</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> now begins on the evening of the day before (in theory, after First Vespers), and most parish churches do celebrate the Sunday Mass also on Saturday evening. By long tradition and liturgical law, Mass is not celebrated at any time on </span><a title="Good Friday" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Good Friday</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> (but Holy Communion is, since the reform of Pope Pius XII, distributed to those participating in the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord with hosts consecrated at the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday) or on </span><a title="Holy Saturday" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Saturday"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Holy Saturday</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> before the beginning of the </span><a title="Easter Vigil" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Vigil"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Easter Vigil</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />In addition, before Pope Pius XII, the Eucharistic Fast (to which the priest too was bound) extended from the midnight before Mass was celebrated, thus making it impractical to celebrate Mass much after noon anyway. Pius XII reduced the fast from food and alcohol to three hours, reduced the fast from non-alcoholic beverages to one hour, and excluded water from fast regulations. Pope Paul VI in 1964 reduced the fast to one hour before receiving communion.<br /><br />Priests and bishops are required, from the time of their ordination as deacons, to celebrate the </span><a title="Liturgy of the Hours" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgy_of_the_Hours"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Liturgy of the Hours</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> daily, but are not obliged to celebrate Mass daily. "Apart from those cases in which the law allows him to celebrate or concelebrate the Eucharist a number of times on the same day, a priest may not celebrate more than once a day" (canon 905 of the Code of Canon Law), and "a priest may not celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice without the participation of at least one of the faithful, unless there is a good and reasonable cause for doing so" (canon 906).</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />Priests may be required by their posts to celebrate Mass daily, or at least on Sundays, for the faithful in their pastoral care. The bishop of a diocese and the pastor of a parish are required to celebrate or arrange for another priest to celebrate, on every Sunday or </span><a title="Holy Day of Obligation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Day_of_Obligation"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Holy Day of Obligation</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, a Mass "pro populo" - that is, for the faithful entrusted to his care.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />For Latin-Rite priests, there are a few general exceptions to the limitation to celebrate only one Mass a day (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 204). By very ancient tradition, they may celebrate Mass three times at Christmas (the Midnight Mass or "Shepherd's Mass", the Dawn Mass and the Day Mass, each of which has its own readings and chants).<br /><br />On All Souls' Day they may also, on the basis of a privilege to all priests by </span><a title="Pope Benedict XV" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XV"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Pope Benedict XV</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> in August 1915, celebrate Mass three times, but not immediately one after the other; only one of the three Masses may be for the personal intentions of the priest, while the other two Masses must be applied, one for all the faithful departed, the other for the intentions of the Pope. A priest who has concelebrated the Chrism Mass, which may be held on the morning of Holy Thursday, may also celebrate or concelebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper that evening. A priest may celebrate or concelebrate both the Mass of the Easter Vigil and Mass during Easter day (the Easter Vigil "should not begin before nightfall; it should end before daybreak on Sunday"; and may therefore take place at midnight or in the early hours of Easter morning). Finally, a priest who has concelebrated Mass at a meeting of priests or during a pastoral visitation by a bishop or a bishop's delegate, may celebrate a second Mass for the benefit of the laity.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />In addition to these general permissions, the Local Ordinary may, for a good reason, permit priests to celebrate twice (they are then said to "binate," and the act is "bination") on weekdays, and three times ("trinate," and "trination") on Sundays and Holy Days (canon 905 §2). Examples would be: if a parish priest were to need to celebrate the usual, scheduled daily Mass of a parish, and a funeral later in the morning, or three Masses to accommodate all of the parishioners in a very populous parish on Sundays. In particularly difficult circumstances, the Pope can grant the diocesan bishop permission to give his priests faculties to trinate on weekdays and quadrinate on Sundays.<br />In many countries, the bishop's power to permit bination and trination is widely availed of, so that it is common for priests assigned to parish ministry to celebrate at least two Masses on any given Sunday, and two Masses on several other days of the week. Permission for quadrination has been obtained in order to cope with large numbers of Catholics either in mission lands or where the ranks of priests are diminishing.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Special Masses</span><br /></strong><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Nuptial Mass and other Ritual Masses<br />A Nuptial Mass is simply a Mass within which the sacrament of Holy Matrimony is celebrated. Other sacraments too are celebrated within Mass. This is necessarily so for the sacrament of Orders, and is normal, though not obligatory, for the sacrament of Confirmation, as well as that of Holy Matrimony. Unless the date chosen is that of a major liturgical feast, the prayers are taken from the section of the </span><a title="Roman Missal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Missal"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Roman Missal</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> headed "Ritual Masses". This section has special texts for the celebration within Mass of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Orders, and Holy Matrimony, leaving Confession (Penance or Reconciliation) as the only sacrament not celebrated within a celebration of the Eucharist. There are also texts for celebrating within Mass, Religious Profession, the Dedication of a Church, and several other rites.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />If one of a couple being married in a Catholic church is not a Catholic, the rite of Holy Matrimony outside Mass is to be followed. However, if the non-Catholic has been baptized in the name of all three persons of the </span><a title="Trinity" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Trinity</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> (and not only in the name of, say, Jesus, as is the baptismal practice in some branches of Christianity), then, in exceptional cases and provided the bishop of the diocese gives permission, it may be considered suitable to celebrate the marriage within a Mass, except that, according to the general law, Communion is not given to the non-Catholic (Rite of Marriage, 8).</span>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-974485840748622802007-04-05T11:48:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:33:15.134-05:00Mass Part 2: What goes on during Mass?<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>Structure of the present form of the Roman Rite of Mass</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />(For earlier forms, see </span><a title="Pre-Tridentine Mass" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Tridentine_Mass"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Pre-Tridentine Mass</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> and </span><a title="Tridentine Mass" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tridentine_Mass"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Tridentine Mass</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">.)<br />Within the fixed structure outlined below, the Scripture readings, the antiphons sung or recited during the entrance procession or communion, and the texts of the three prayers known as the collect, the prayer over the gifts, and the postcommunion prayer vary each day according to the liturgical season, the feast days of titles or events in the life of Christ, the feast days and commemorations of the saints, or for Masses for particular circumstances (e.g., funeral Masses, Masses for the celebration of Confirmation, Masses for peace, to begin the academic year, etc.).<br /></span><a id="Pre-Mass_procedures" name="Pre-Mass_procedures"></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>Pre-Mass procedures</strong><br />A bowl of </span><a title="Holy water" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_water"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">holy water</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> is kept near each entrance to the church. As parishioners enter, they dip their fingers into the water and then make a </span><a title="Sign of the cross" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_cross"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">sign of the cross</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">. This action reminds participants that through baptism they have become members of the Church. Following this, it is customary to </span><a title="Genuflect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genuflect"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">genuflect</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> or bow by the side of a </span><a title="Pew" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pew"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">pew</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> in the direction of the tabernacle holding the </span><a title="Blessed Sacrament" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_Sacrament"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Blessed Sacrament</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> (consecrated Eucharist) before sitting or kneeling, and taking time to recollect thoughts before entering into the sacred action of the Mass. If the Blessed Sacrament is not present in the sanctuary, it is not necessary or customary to genuflect.<br /></span><a id="Introductory_rites" name="Introductory_rites"></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>Introductory rites</strong><br />After an entrance hymn or the recitation of an antiphon, Mass begins with all making the large </span><a title="Sign of the Cross" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_Cross"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Sign of the Cross</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> (the fingertips of the right hand touch in sequence the forehead, breast, left shoulder and right shoulder), while the priest says the </span><a title="Trinity" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Trinitarian</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> formula, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit", to which the people answer: "Amen." Then the priest "signifies the presence of the Lord to the community gathered there by means of the Greeting. By this Greeting and the people’s response, the mystery of the Church gathered together is made manifest" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 50). The greetings are derived from the beginnings of the </span><a title="Pauline epistles" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_epistles"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Pauline epistles</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />Then the priest invites those present to take part in the </span><a title="Penitential Rite" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penitential_Rite"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Act of Penitence</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, of which the Missal proposes three forms, the first of which is the </span><a title="Mea Culpa" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mea_Culpa"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Confiteor</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">. This is concluded with the priest's prayer of absolution, "which, however, lacks the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance" (GIRM 51). "On Sundays, especially in the Season of Easter, in place of the customary Act of Penitence, from time to time the blessing and sprinkling of water to recall Baptism may take place" (GIRM 51).</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />"After the Act of Penitence, the </span><a title="Kyrie" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrie"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Kyrie</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> is always begun, unless it has already been included as part of the Act of Penitence. Since it is a chant by which the faithful acclaim the Lord and implore his mercy, it is ordinarily done by all, that is, by the people and with the choir or cantor having a part in it" (GIRM 52).</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />"The </span><a title="Gloria in Excelsis Deo" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_in_Excelsis_Deo"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Gloria in Excelsis Deo</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> is a very ancient and venerable hymn in which the Church, gathered together in the Holy Spirit, glorifies and entreats God the Father and the Lamb. ... It is sung or said on Sundays outside the Seasons of </span><a title="Advent" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Advent</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> and </span><a title="Lent" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Lent</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, on solemnities and feasts, and at special celebrations of a more solemn character" (GIRM 53). In accordance with that rule, the Gloria is omitted at </span><a title="Funeral" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">funerals</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> and is considered optional at </span><a title="Wedding" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">weddings</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">. It is also omitted for ordinary feast-days of saints, weekdays, and </span><a class="new" title="Votive Mass" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Votive_Mass&action=edit"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Votive Masses</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">. It is also optional, in line with the perceived degree of solemnity of the occasion, at Ritual Masses such as those celebrated for Marriage("Nuptial Mass"), </span><a title="Confirmation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Confirmation</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> or </span><a title="Religious Profession" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Profession"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Religious Profession</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, at Masses on the Anniversary of Marriage or Religious Profession, and at Masses for Various Needs and Occasions.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />"Next the priest invites the people to pray. All, together with the priest, observe a brief silence so that they may be conscious of the fact that they are in God’s presence and may formulate their petitions mentally. Then the priest says the prayer which is customarily known as the </span><a title="Collect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collect"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Collect</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> and through which the character of the celebration is expressed" (GIRM 54).<br /></span><a id="The_Liturgy_of_the_Word" name="The_Liturgy_of_the_Word"></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>The Liturgy of the Word<br /></strong>On Sundays and solemnities, three Scripture readings are given. On other days there are only two. If there are three readings, the first, except during </span><a title="Eastertide" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastertide"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Eastertide</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, is from the </span><a title="Old Testament" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Testament"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Old Testament</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> (a term wider than </span><a title="Hebrew Scriptures" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_Scriptures"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Hebrew Scriptures</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, since it includes the </span><a title="Deuterocanonical Books" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuterocanonical_Books"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Deuterocanonical Books</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">), and the second is from the </span><a title="New Testament" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">New Testament</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, reserving for the final reading a passage from one of the </span><a title="Gospels" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospels"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Gospels</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The </span><a title="Lector" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lector"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">lector</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> who proclaims the one or two readings that precede the Gospel reading begins each with the phrase "A reading from ..." (e.g. "A reading from the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians") and, if following the Roman Missal and a Lectionary that is faithful to it, concludes the reading with "This is the Word of the Lord." (Some Lectionaries give instead: "The Word of the Lord.") The congregation responds: "Thanks be to God."</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The first reading is followed by a </span><a title="Responsorial Psalm" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsorial_Psalm"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Responsorial Psalm</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, a complete </span><a title="Book of Psalms" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Psalms"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Psalm</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> or a sizeable portion of one. A </span><a title="Cantor (church)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantor_%28church%29"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">cantor</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, a choir or a lector leads, and the congregation sings or recites a refrain.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />On certain occasions, a sequence is sung or recited, normally by a deacon, but in other cases by another appropriate minister. Then, before the Gospel reading, the congregation rises and sings the </span><a title="Alleluia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleluia"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Alleluia</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> or, in Lent, a less joyful acclamation, such as "Praise and honor to you, Lord Jesus Christ", and remains standing during the Gospel procession (if there is one)and the reading of the Gospel. If the acclamation is not sung, it may be omitted, but most often it is in fact recited. The Gospel is read by a </span><a title="Deacon" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deacon"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">deacon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> or, if none is available, by a priest; never by a lay person. Before reading the Gospel, a deacon asks for the priest's blessing. A priest asks for the blessing of a bishop, if a bishop is celebrating the Mass; otherwise, he bows to the altar and says a silent preparatory prayer. Then the deacon or priest gives the liturgical greeting, "The Lord be with you", to which the people respond: "And also with you." The Gospel reading is then preceded by the phrase, "A reading from the Holy Gospel according to (the name of the evangelist)", to which the congregation responds: "Glory to you, Lord." At the same time, all trace a small cross on forehead, lips, and breast. If incense is used, the Book of the Gospels is then incensed. To conclude the Gospel reading, the priest or deacon proclaims: "This is the Gospel of the Lord" (again, Evangelaries not in harmony with the Missal give: "The Gospel of the Lord."), and the congregation responds: "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ." The priest or deacon then kisses the book, saying inaudibly: "May the words of the gospel wipe away our sins." If a bishop is the presider, the Gospel Book may be taken to the bishop to kiss, saying the same prayer. The bishop may then impart a blessing to the assembly with the book.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />A bishop, priest or deacon may then give a homily, a </span><a title="Sermon (oration)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_%28oration%29"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">sermon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> that draws upon some aspect of the readings or the liturgy of the day. The homily is obligatory on Sundays and </span><a title="Holy Days of Obligation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Days_of_Obligation"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Holy Days of Obligation</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, and is highly encouraged for other days.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />On Sundays and solemnities, all then profess their Christian faith by reciting or singing a creed. Traditionally the </span><a title="Nicene Creed" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Nicene Creed</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> is used at Mass, but since the promulgation of the 2002 edition of the Roman Missal, the </span><a title="Apostles' Creed" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostles%27_Creed"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Apostles' Creed</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> may be used instead, especially, since it was originally a baptismal creed, during Eastertide. It is also common for the </span><a title="Apostles' Creed" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostles%27_Creed"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Apostles' Creed</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, which is the shorter of the two, to be used in Masses with a high proportion of children.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The Liturgy of the Word concludes with the General </span><a title="Intercession" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercession"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Intercessions</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> or "Prayers of the Faithful." The priest speaks a general introduction, then a deacon or someone else, even a lay person, presents some intentions for prayer, to which the congregation responds with a very short prayer such as: "Lord hear our prayer", and finally the priest says a concluding prayer.<br /></span><a id="The_Liturgy_of_the_Eucharist" name="The_Liturgy_of_the_Eucharist"></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>The Liturgy of the Eucharist<br /></strong>The Eucharistic Liturgy begins when bread and wine are brought to the </span><a title="Altar" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altar"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">altar</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, either in a procession or simply from a nearby credence. The unleavened wheaten bread is placed on a </span><a title="Paten" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paten"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">paten</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, and the grape wine, mixed with a little water, is put in a </span><a title="Chalice (cup)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalice_%28cup%29"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">chalice</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">. A linen </span><a title="Corporal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">corporal</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> is spread over the centre of the altar and, as the priest places, first the bread, and then the wine, on the corporal, he says a silent prayer over each individually. If this rite is unaccompanied by singing, he is permitted to say these two prayers aloud, in which case the congregation responds each time: "Blessed be God forever." Then the priest washes his hands, to signify the need for purity on the part of those approaching the central part of Mass.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The congregation, which has been seated during this preparatory rite, rises, and the priest gives an exhortation to pray: "Pray, brothers and sisters, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father." The congregation responds: "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and the good of all his Church." The priest then pronounces the variable prayer over the gifts that have been set aside.<br /><br />The Eucharistic Prayer then begins with a dialogue between priest and people. This dialogue opens with the normal liturgical greeting, but in view of the special solemnity of the rite now beginning, the priest then exhorts the people: "Lift up your hearts." The people respond with: "We lift them up to the Lord." The priest then introduces the great theme of the Eucharist, a word originating in the Greek word for giving thanks: "Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God," he says. The congregation joins in this sentiment, saying: "It is right to give him thanks and praise."<br /><br />The priest then continues with one of many Eucharistic Prayer prefaces, which lead to the </span><a title="Sanctus" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanctus"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Sanctus</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> acclamation: "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might, Heaven and Earth are full of your glory, Hosanna in the Highest, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the Highest."</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />In some countries, including the </span><a title="United States" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">United States</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, the people kneel immediately after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus. However, the general rule is that they kneel somewhat later, for the </span><a title="Consecration" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consecration"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Consecration</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, when, according to Catholic faith, the underlying reality or substance of the bread and wine is converted into the body and blood of Christ (see </span><a title="Transubstantiation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transubstantiation"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Transubstantiation</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">).</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The Eucharistic Prayer includes the </span><a title="Epiclesis" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiclesis"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Epiclesis</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, through which the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts that have been set aside may become Christ's body and blood and that the Communion may be for the salvation of those who will partake of it.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The central part is the </span><a title="Words of Institution" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Words_of_Institution"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Institution Narrative and Consecration</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, recalling the words and actions at his </span><a title="Last Supper" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Supper"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Last Supper</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, which he told his disciples to do in his memory, thus instituting the Mass.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />Immediately after the </span><a title="Consecration" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consecration"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Consecration</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> and the showing to the people of the consecrated elements, the priest invites the people to proclaim "the mystery of faith", and the congregation joins in reciting the </span><a title="Memorial Acclamation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Acclamation"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Memorial Acclamation</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">. The Roman Missal gives three forms for this acclamation. (A fourth, added in the </span><a title="1973" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">1973</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> English translation, is unlikely to be kept in the forthcoming revision of that translation.)</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />The Eucharistic Prayer also includes the </span><a title="Anamnesis" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamnesis#Religion"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Anamnesis</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, expressions of offering, and intercessions for the living and dead.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />It concludes with a </span><a title="Doxology" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxology"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">doxology</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">, with the priest lifting up the paten with the host and the deacon (if there is one) the chalice, and the singing or recitation of the </span><a title="Amen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amen"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Amen</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> by the people. The unofficial term "The Great Amen" is sometimes applied to this Amen.<br /></span><a id="The_Communion_Rite" name="The_Communion_Rite"></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>The Communion Rite<br /></strong>All together recite or sing the "</span><a title="Lord's Prayer" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Prayer"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Lord's Prayer</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">" ("Pater Noster" or "Our Father"). The priest introduces it with a short phrase and follows it up with the prayer: "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ." The people then add the </span><a title="Doxology" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxology"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">doxology</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">: "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever."</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />Next comes the </span><a title="Holy kiss" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_kiss"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">rite of peace</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> (pax). After praying: "Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: 'I leave you peace, my peace I give you.' Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever ", the priest wishes the people the peace of Christ: "The peace of the Lord be with you always." The deacon or, in his absence, the priest may then invite those present to offer each other the sign of peace. The form of the sign of peace varies according to local custom. A handshake is common in many countries, including the </span><a title="United States" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">United States</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">. In </span><a title="India" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">India</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> a person will give the sign of peace by joining his or her hands and bowing to another. In the </span><a title="Philippines" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Philippines</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> the sign of peace is usually a smile and a polite nod.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />While the </span><a title="Lamb of God (religious)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_of_God_%28religious%29"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">"Lamb of God"</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> ("</span><a title="Agnus Dei" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnus_Dei"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Agnus Dei</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">" in Latin) litany is sung or recited, the priest breaks the host and places a piece in the main chalice; this is known as the rite of fraction and commingling.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />If extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are required, they may come forward at this time, but they are not allowed to go to the altar itself until after the priest has received Communion (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 162). The priest then presents the transubstantiated elements to the congregation, saying: "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper." Then all repeat: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." The priest then receives Communion and, with the help, if necessary, of extraordinary ministers, distributes Communion to the people, who generally approach in procession. Before receiving, each communicant is supposed to make a sign of reverence, such as a bow. The distributing minister says: "The body of Christ" or "The blood of Christ", according as the element distributed is the consecrated bread or the consecrated wine, or: "The body and blood of Christ", if both are distributed together (by </span><a title="Intinction" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intinction"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">intinction</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">). The communicant responds: "Amen." Catholic Eucharistic theology points out that, because Christ is not now divided, whoever receives only the bread that has become his body also receives his blood, together with his soul and divinity.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />While Communion is distributed, an appropriate song is recommended. If that is not possible, a short </span><a title="Antiphon" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiphon"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">antiphon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> is recited before the distribution begins.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br />"The sacred vessels are purified by the priest, the deacon, or an instituted acolyte after Communion or after Mass, insofar as possible at the credence table" (GIRM 279). Then the priest concludes the Liturgy of the Eucharist with the Prayer after Communion, for which the people are invited to stand.<br /></span><a id="Concluding_rite" name="Concluding_rite"></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>Concluding rite<br /></strong>After the Prayer after Communion, announcements may be made. The Missal says these should be brief. The priest then gives the usual liturgical greeting and imparts his blessing. The liturgy concludes with a dialogue between the priest and congregation. The deacon, or in his absence, the priest himself then dismisses the people. The Latin formula is simply "</span><a title="Ite, missa est" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ite%2C_missa_est"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Ite, missa est</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">", but the </span><a title="1973" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">1973</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> English Missal gives a choice of dismissal formulas. The congregation responds: "Thanks be to God." The priest and other ministers then leave, often to the accompaniment of a recessional hymn.</span>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-23248580412857118312007-03-13T13:50:00.000-05:002007-03-13T14:07:35.452-05:00Response to a comment on judgement<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2417/2130/1600/13920/gavel.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2417/2130/320/905941/gavel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;">The following is a fantastic email from Jigs, who was unable to respond to the recently posted<br />'Mt. Saint Caffiena: Do you think God tells us to judge others?' as the comment moderation is set very high. I apologize to Jigs... and to those who would love to comment, but do not have a Google account. We have been refusing anonymous comments due to a group of so-called Christians from AOL chat room Life - Beliefs Christian, who have been flooding my comments section with hateful posts about my family.<br /><br />Jigs, you're a wise person... you said this better than I ever could. Thanks for taking the time to email your opinion to me. The Spirit moves you.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;">Thanks,</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;">Thane</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;">___________________________________________<br /></span><br /><br />Thane,<br /><br />I have been reading your blog and want to make a comment but am unable to as I don't have a Google account. I enjoyed reading your profile and research and want to thank you for sharing. What you stated is true and seems simple enough but preconceived notions are hard to break.<br /><br />I felt the need to respond to Millie. If you read this and believe it is worth adding to your blog, I thank you. If not, all is well.<br /><br />The following is a response to Millie's comments regarding judgment.<br /><br /><br />Saying someone is a lost soul is judging the condition of another's soul and goes against the scriptures Thane posted. Who is without sin? "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." -1Jn1:8 and "Let love be without hypocrisy." -Romans 12:9 Whether we are Christian or not, sin separates us from God.<br /><br />The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) does not say to "Go forth and preach to lost souls." What it does say is that we are to go forth and spread the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. No "tough love" mentioned.<br /><br />During the time of the Apostles most had not heard of Jesus. They (the Apostles) were not concerned over who was "lost" and who was "saved", as so many today are and make this the center of their Gospel message. The Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and wanted to share God's Love with anyone who would listen. We do well to remember this when we place ourselves in a position as to represent the Almighty.<br /><br />Sharing the Good News should not occur as a consequence of a private judgment of another's salvation but as a love for all people.<br /><br />Sacred Scripture tells us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,...For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." -Jn 3:16-17<br /><br />If the Son did not judge while He was here, who are we that we think we can? Are we above Jesus? Did not Satan want to be above God? These are things we should ask ourselves before we succumb to the sin of judging the condition of another's soul. Jesus spoke of discerning the difference between good and bad fruit (work), thoughts and speech, but I don't ever remember Him saying that he turned over the judging of another's soul to anyone. "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;" -Jn 16:8 He's still the only Just Judge and we're still only his ambassadors.<br /><br />All of us can enter into a deeper relationship with Jesus and come to a better understanding of the lessons taught in Sacred Scripture if we have a mind open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a heart filled with [unconditional] love. Let's try it.<br /><br />Peace<br /><br />Jigs</span>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1763746764194935062007-02-21T00:29:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:46:31.971-05:00Ash Wednesday... the start of Lent<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYg6u52TnXRQ8sz8tNQcgkgow5Wy5IcfDrFkOwp-8v19h4vuLvzjUgzotSKZFmR6tgTlTFAVlJjvy3zBdDUQmXlSsYY-_BPKaHJBbCMbyB4I2Zsbdf6_8spvOAVwG9209kNZKbw/s1600-h/The+Ash+Wednesday_If_RESIZED.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033855410727082242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYg6u52TnXRQ8sz8tNQcgkgow5Wy5IcfDrFkOwp-8v19h4vuLvzjUgzotSKZFmR6tgTlTFAVlJjvy3zBdDUQmXlSsYY-_BPKaHJBbCMbyB4I2Zsbdf6_8spvOAVwG9209kNZKbw/s320/The+Ash+Wednesday_If_RESIZED.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Since Lent begins today, I thought I'd give a little information about this season. The following stuff is by Fr. Mick, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He sums things up really well...<br /><br /><span style="color:#999999;"><span style="color:#999999;"><blockquote><p><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ash Wednesday - Our Shifting Understanding of Lent<br /><br />Those who work with liturgy in parishes know that some of the largest crowds in the year will<br />show up to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. Though this is not a holy day of obligation in our tradition, many people would not think of<br />letting Ash Wednesday go by without a trip to church to be marked with an ashen cross on their foreheads. Even people who seldom come to Church for the rest of the year may make a concerted effort to come for ashes.<br /><br />How did this practice become such an important part of the lives of so many believers? Who came up with the idea for this rather odd ritual? How do we explain the popularity of smudging our foreheads with ashes and then walking around all day with dirty faces? Those who do not share our customs often make a point of telling us that we have something on our foreheads, assuming we would want to wash it off, but many Catholics wear that smudge faithfully all day.<br /><br />Ashes in the Bible<br /><br />The origin of the custom of using ashes in religious ritual is lost in the mists of pre-history, but we find references to the practice in our own religious tradition in the Old Testament. The prophet Jeremiah, for example, calls for repentance this way: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes" (Jer 6:26).<br /><br />The prophet Isaiah, on the other hand, critiques the use of sackcloth and ashes as inadequate to please God, but in the process he indicates that this practice was well-known in Israel: "Is this the manner of fasting I wish, of keeping a day of penance: that a man bow his head like a reed, and lie in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?" (Is 58:5).<br /><br />The prophet Daniel pleaded for God to rescue Israel with sackcloth and ashes as a sign of Israel's repentance: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes" (Dn 9:3).<br /><br />Perhaps the best known example of repentance in the Old Testament also involves sackcloth and ashes. When the prophet Jonah finally obeyed God's command and preached in the great city of Nineveh, his preaching was amazingly effective. Word of his message was carried<br />to the king of Nineveh. "When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes" (Jon 3:6).<br /><br />In the book of Judith, we find acts of repentance that specify that the ashes were put on people's heads: "And all the Israelite men, women and children who lived in Jerusalem prostrated themselves in front of the temple building, with ashes strewn on their heads, displaying their sackcloth covering before the Lord" (Jdt 4:11; see also 4:15 and 9:1). </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Just prior to the New Testament period, the rebels fighting for Jewish Independence, the Maccabees, prepared for battle using ashes: "That<br />day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes" (1 Mc 3:47; see also 4:39).<br /><br />In the New Testament, Jesus refers to the use of sackcloth and ashes as signs of repentance: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes" (Mt 11:21, Lk 10:13).<br /><br />Ashes in the History of the Church </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;">Despite all these references in Scripture, the use of shes in the Church left only a few records in the first millennium of Church history. Thomas Talley, an expert on the history of the liturgical year, says that the first clearly datable liturgy for Ash Wednesday that provides for sprinkling ashes is in the Romano-Germanic pontifical of 960. Before that time, ashes had been used as a sign of admission to the Order of Penitents.<br />As early as the sixth century, the Spanish Mozarabic rite calls for signing the forehead with ashes when admitting a gravely ill person to the Order of Penitents. At the beginning of the 11th century, Abbot Aelfric notes that it was customary for all the faithful to take part in a<br />ceremony on the Wednesday before Lent that included the imposition of ashes.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;">Near the end of that century, Pope Urban II called for the general use of ashes on that day. Only later did this day come to be called Ash Wednesday.<br /><br />At first, clerics and men had ashes sprinkled on their heads, while women had the sign of the cross made with ashes on their foreheads. Eventually, of course, the ritual used with women came to be used for men as well.<br /><br />In the 12th century the rule developed that the ashes were to be created by burning palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday. Many parishes today invite parishioners to bring such palms to church before Lent begins and have a ritual burning of the palms after Mass.<br /><br />The Order of Penitents </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;">It seems, then, that our use of ashes at the beginning of Lent is an extension of the use of ashes with those entering the Order of Penitents. This discipline was the way the Sacrament of Penance was celebrated through most of the first millennium of Church history. Those who had committed serious sins confessed their sins to the bishop or his representative and were assigned a penance that was to be carried out over a period of time. After completing their penance, they were reconciled by the bishop with a prayer of absolution offered in the midst of the community.<br /><br />During the time they worked out their penances, the penitents often had special places in church and wore special garments to indicate their status. Like the catechumens who were preparing for Baptism, they were often dismissed from the Sunday assembly after the Liturgy of the Word.<br /><br />This whole process was modeled on the conversion journey of the catechumens, because the Church saw falling into serious sin after Baptism as an indication that a person had not really been converted. Penance was a second attempt to foster that conversion. Early Church fathers even called Penance a "second Baptism."<br /><br />Lent developed in the Church as the whole community prayed and fasted for the catechumens who were preparing for Baptism. At the same time, those members of the community who were already baptized prepared to renew their baptismal promises at Easter, thus joining the catechumens in seeking to deepen their own conversion. It was natural, then, that the Order of Penitents also focused on Lent, with reconciliation often being celebrated on Holy Thursday so that the newly reconciled could share in the liturgies of the Triduum. With Lent clearly a season focused on Baptism, Penance found a home there as well.<br /><br />Shifting Understanding of Lent<br /><br />With the disappearance of the catechumenate from the Church's life, people's understanding of the season of Lent changed. By the Middle Ages, the emphasis was no longer clearly baptismal. Instead, the main<br />emphasis shifted to the passion and death of Christ. Medieval art eflected this increased focus on the suffering Savior. Lent came to be<br />seen as a time to acknowledge our guilt for the sins that led to Christ's<br />passion and death. Repentance was then seen as a way to avoid punishment for sin more than as a way to renew our baptismal commitment.<br /><br />With the gradual disappearance of the Order of Penitents, the use of ashes became detached from its original context. The focus on personal penance and the Sacrament of Penance continued in Lent, but the connection to Baptism was no longer obvious to most people. This is reflected in the formula that came to be associated with the distribution of ashes: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return." This text focuses on our mortality, as an incentive to take seriously the call to repentance, but there is little hint here of any baptismal meaning. This emphasis on mortality fit well with the medieval experience of life, when the threat of death was always at hand. Many people died very young, and the societal devastation of the plague made death even more prevalent.<br /><br />Ash Wednesday After Vatican II<br /><br />The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) called for the renewal of Lent, recovering its ancient baptismal character. This recovery was significantly advanced by the restoration of the catechumenate mandated by the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (1972). As Catholics have increasingly interacted with catechumens in the final stage of their preparation for Baptism, they have begun to understand Lent as a season of baptismal preparation and baptismal renewal.<br /><br />Since Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, it naturally is also beginning to recover a baptismal focus. One hint of this is the second formula that is offered for the imposition of ashes: "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel." Though it doesn't explicitly mention Baptism, it recalls our baptismal promises to reject sin and profess our faith. It is a clear call to conversion, to that movement away from sin and toward Christ that we have to embrace over and over again through our lives.<br /><br />As the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday calls us to the conversion journey that marks the season. As the catechumens enter the final stage of their preparation for the Easter sacraments, we are all called to walk with them so that we will be prepared to renew our baptismal promises when Easter arrives.<br /><br />The Readings for Ash Wednesday<br /><br />The readings assigned to Ash Wednesday highlight this call to conversion. The first reading from the prophet Joel is a clarion call to<br />return to the Lord "with fasting, and weeping and mourning." Joel reminds us that our God is "gracious and merciful...slow to anger, rich in kindness and relenting in punishment," thus inviting us to trust in God's love as we seek to renew our life with God. It is important to note that Joel does not call only for individual conversion. His appeal is to the whole people, so he commands: "Blow the trumpet in Zion,<br />proclaim a fast, call an assembly; gather the people, notify the congregation; assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast." As we enter this season of renewal, we are united with all of God's people, for we all share the need for continued conversion and we are called to support one another on the journey. Imitating those who joined the Order of Penitents in ages past, we all become a<br />community of penitents seeking to grow closer to God through repentance and renewal.<br /><br />With a different tone but no less urgency, St. Paul implores us in the second reading to "be reconciled to God." "Now," he insists, "is a very<br />acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." The time to return to the Lord is now, this holy season, this very day.<br /><br />The Gospel for Ash Wednesday gives us good advice on how we are to act during Lent. Jesus speaks of the three main disciplines of the season: giving alms, praying and fasting. All of these spiritual activities, Jesus teaches us, are to be done without any desire for recognition by others. The point is not that we should only pray alone and not in community, for example, but that we should not pray in order to be seen as holy. The same is true of fasting and works of charity; they do not need to be hidden but they are to be done out of love of God and neighbor, not in order to be seen by others.<br /><br />There is a certain irony that we use this Gospel, which tells us to wash our faces so that we do not appear to be doing penance on the day that we go around with "dirt" on our foreheads. This is just another way Jesus is telling us not to perform religious acts for public recognition. We don't wear the ashes to proclaim our holiness but to acknowledge<br />that we are a community of sinners in need of repentance and renewal.<br /><br />From Ashes to the Font<br /><br />The call to continuing conversion reflected in these readings is also the message of the ashes. We move through Lent from ashes to the baptismal font. We dirty our faces on Ash Wednesday and are cleansed in the waters of the font. More profoundly, we embrace the need to die to sin and selfishness at the beginning of Lent so that we can come to fuller life in the Risen One at Easter.<br /><br />When we receive ashes on our foreheads, we remember who we are. We remember that we are creatures of the earth ("Remember that you are dust"). We remember that we are mortal beings ("and to dust you will return"). We remember that we are baptized. We remember that we are people on a journey of conversion ("Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel"). We remember that we are members of the body of Christ (and that smudge on our foreheads will proclaim that identity to others, too).<br /><br />Renewing our sense of who we really are before God is the core of the Lenten experience. It is so easy to forget, and thus we fall into habits of sin, ways of thinking and living that are contrary to God's will. In this we are like the Ninevites in the story of Jonah. It was "their wickedness" that caused God to send Jonah to preach to them. Jonah resisted that mission and found himself in deep water. Rescued by a large fish, Jonah finally did God's bidding and began to preach in Nineveh. His preaching obviously fell on open ears and hearts, for in one day he prompted the conversion of the whole city.<br /><br />From the very beginning of Lent, God's word calls us to conversion. If we open our ears and hearts to that word, we will be like the Ninevites not only in their sinfulness but also in their conversion to the Lord. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#000000;">That, simply put, is the point of Ash Wednesday!<br /><br />A Prayer for Ash Wednesday<br /><br />Blessed are you, O Lord our God, the all-holy one, who gives us life and all things. As we go about our lives, the press of our duties and activities often leads us to forget your presence and your love. We fall<br />into sin and fail to live out the responsibilities that you have entrusted to those who were baptized into your Son.<br /><br />In this holy season, help us to turn our minds and hearts back to you. Lead us into sincere repentance and renew our lives with your grace. Help us to remember that we are sinners, but even more, help us to remember your loving mercy.<br /><br />As we live through this Ash Wednesday, may the crosses of ashes that mark our foreheads be a reminder to us and to those we meet that we belong to your Son. May our worship and prayer and penitence this day be sustained throughout these 40 days of Lent. Bring us refreshed and renewed to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter.<br /><br />We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.<br /><br /><br /><br />Lawrence E. Mick is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He holds a master's degree in liturgical studies from the University of Notre Dame. He is author of over 500 articles in various publications. His latest books are Forming the Assembly to Celebrate Eucharist and Forming the<br />Assembly to Celebrate Sacraments (Liturgy Training Publications). </span></span></p></blockquote></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;"><span style="color:#999999;"><strong></strong></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;"><span style="color:#999999;"><strong><span style="color:#000000;">The above is for informational and discussion purposes only.<br /><br /></span></strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#999999;"><span style="color:#999999;"><strong><span style="color:#000000;"></span></strong></span></span></span></div>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-35356279137012259812007-02-08T11:26:00.000-05:002009-04-11T20:09:34.801-05:00Free time<span style="font-family:verdana;">So what are you doing with your free time, other than prayer? I'm enjoying one of my favorite things: <strong>OPERA!</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm a huge fan of Joan Sutherland.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The first and third clips below are from her later years, when age had matured her voice into a rich ink grade port. Dame Sutherland has been singing since the 1940's. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">This YouTube journey began because I was trying to find a clip of <em>Les Oiseaux Dans la Charmille</em> for my friend Michael. I never dreamed that fans would have found old recordings of Dame Sutherland's voice and published them to the web. Heaven! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The first clip is her version of this very complex song. The vibrato is a fanciful technique that many modern opera singers can't pull off with style. Dame Sutherland is a true coloratura soprano, a mistress of opera who's as at home with Les Oiseaux as she is with the role of Queen of the Night in Mozart's <em>Die Zauberflote</em>. She has a high range and can pull off elaborate ornamentation and embellishment, including running passages and trills. </span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Sutherland">Joan Sutherland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a><br /><p><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EIGfZI4Kghg&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EIGfZI4Kghg&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br /><p><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xRBKXs3C9Lo&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xRBKXs3C9Lo&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><p><br /><br /><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/y2Iqc0uzc1Q&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/y2Iqc0uzc1Q&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1170924578212965322007-02-08T03:47:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:47:49.008-05:00Do you think God tells us to judge others?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2417/2130/1600/13920/gavel.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2417/2130/320/905941/gavel.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I thought I'd tackle Romans 2:1-16, since it seems like a lot of people are really into this trend of judging others.<br /><br />Paul starts right off the bat in the first verse in this letter to the Romans...<br /><br /><span style="color:#999999;">Romans 2:1 "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."<br /></span><br />It's pretty cut and dry. It goes back to what Jesus said in Matthew 7:3-5 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."<br /><br />We can't judge others if we are stained with sin. We can judge actions, and when we do, we are telling ourselves "this is not something I should do!" We can't pass judgement on other people, tho. That is God's job. We fall into sin when we put ourselves in God's place. Paul explains this in the next few verses.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#999999;">Romans 2:2-4 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?<br /></span><br />Paul is saying 'Look, God is gonna judge these people! But, you can't do his job!' What about verse 4? God is kind, tolerance and patient, and we are to follow that example. It is God's mercy that leads us to salvation. When we judge others, we are not showing them mercy. They will not repent because of bashing or harsh words. If we want to lead people to Christ, we need to give them the same mercy he does. When we judge harshly, and spew forth 'the bible tells me to judge you and your sin!', we are insulting God and his gift of mercy towards us!<br /><br />What happens to Christians who judge and bash? Paul explains that, too<br /><br /><span style="color:#999999;">Romans 2:5-8 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.<br /></span><br />Paul is clearly saying 'you are pissing God off when you judge others and insult his gift of mercy!' Yes, God will punish those who are self-seeking, and who reject the truth and follow evil. Do you think Paul is talking about the 'judged sinners' in those verses? Nope. Paul is talking about those who judge others... they are self-seeking, meaning that they are glorifying themselves and not God... and they are rejecting the truth... which is that God is all about mercy. It is an evil heart that makes someone think they are above God. Paul says there will be wrath and anger. This could apply to God's wrath and anger... but think about one thing: when you damn another person, things get ugly. There is wrath and anger between you and the person you accuse. Where is God's gift of mercy??? It's been lost.<br /><br />Paul adds in the next verses...<br /><br /><span style="color:#999999;">Romans 2:9-11 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.<br /></span><br />Pretty cut and dry. And nope, God doesn't show favoritism... Jew and Gentile alike are held the same. Paul continues....<br /><br /><span style="color:#999999;">Romans 2:12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.<br /></span><br />That's also pretty basic. It applies to sinner and saints alike... saved and unsaved... Jew and Gentile... male and female... Christian or not Christian.<br /><br />Paul explains it even more sternly...<br /><br /><span style="color:#999999;">Romans 2:13-16 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.<br /></span><br />Paul is verbally spanking the early church! Knowing clobber and bash verses from the bible is not going to get your sorry butt into heaven. If you don't walk your talk, you are pretty dead in the law... a Pharisee who sits around saying 'look how holy I am because I know the law!!!' If Gentiles could gain God's grace by their actions, then who were the early Christian Jews to judge them for not being born Jewish? Actions speak louder than words, as far as God is concerned.<br /><br />Now, the letter to the Romans was Paul's way of barking at the early church there to stop bashing the poor Gentiles and Jews who did not believe. He was saying 'Hey, why would anyone want to follow Jesus when his followers are making asses of themselves by judging everything based on what they think is God's truth???' But, his lesson to the church in Rome can be applied to all Christians. We can't judge someone as sinners just because our personal belief is that wine is of the devil. We can't damn them because our personal belief is that being gay is a sin. We can't harass them just because our personal belief is that children born out of wedlock are manifestations of antichrists. Our personal beliefs don't matter when it comes to what God says. All we're doing when we judge others is attacking them for not fitting our personal doctrine. That's why it's important to leave the judgement up to God. </span>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1166426908269209662006-12-18T02:12:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:49:14.844-05:00Does God say "Rebuke Those Sinners"?<img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2417/2130/320/384055/ChristAndTheWomanAtTheWell.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><strong>Today is a study on calling out other's sins... so many Christians insist that we are told to point out the errors of others...</strong><br /><br /><strong>'God tells us to do that!' 'God COMMANDS IT' 'WE MUST REBUKE THEM UNTIL THEY TURN AWAY FROM SIN!!!!!'<br /></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">Yeah... um... not exactly.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br /><em><span style="color:#6666cc;"><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:4-9<br />Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)</span> </span></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><em><br /></em>Here we have Jesus speaking with someone the Jews would normally avoid. Not only that, the woman had gone to the well at the sixth hour... alone. Drawing water was a social time back in those days, and all the women and young children would usually gather together earlier in the day, as was custom. This woman was obviously being shunned by the other women in her village. Yet, Jesus, a Jew, was asking a Samaritan for a drink of water. It's interesting to note that during that period of time, Jews did not even share vessels or dishes with Samaritans. It was simply a social no-no!<br /><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:10-12<br />Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."<br /><br />"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"<br /></span></em><br />The Samaritan women is being a little snippy here, if not a little flirty... teasing Jesus, a Jew, about his lack of basket or bucket. She even chides him, asking if he is greater than Jacob of the OT.<br /><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#6666cc;"><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:13-14<br />Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."</span><br /></span></em><br />This is intriguing! Jesus is speaking of Salvation... eternal life through him. He is offering a sinner grace and it peaks her curiosity enough that she replies:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:15</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#6666cc;"><span style="color:#9999ff;">The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."</span><br /></span></em><br />Now Jesus plays a little hard ball with her. <span style="color:#9999ff;"><em>(John 4:16) He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."</em><br /></span><br />And she responds <span style="color:#9999ff;"><em>(John 4:17a) "I have no husband," she replied.</em><br /><br /></span><em><span style="color:#6666cc;"><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:17b-18<br />Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."</span><br /></span><br /></em>Jesus has just pointed her sin. He did not point it out by citing passages from the Talmud that speak about marriage or prostitution. He didn't call her an outright sinner. He merely told her what she had done. The woman is amazed by this! He is a prophet?!<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#6666cc;"><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:19-24<br />"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."<br /><br />Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."</span><br /></span></em><br />Jesus does several things in that passage. The first thing he does is something he doesn't do. <em>He doesn't harp on her sin</em>. He placed conviction in her heart prior to his statement, and he allowed God to open her eyes. He does not continue to damn or judge her. Instead, he starts talking about the changes God has in store for humanity. He begins teaching her... not preaching at her... about the kind of worshipers that God is seeking. He speaks of spiritual matters. He knows that this woman has been shunned and damned by the people in the village. He knows how rough her life has been because of her sin. He doesn't want to cast her aside like they do. Instead, he wants her to know that God has plans in store. How beautiful is that message? Is it one we share with the sinners we meet in our own life?<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:25-26<br />The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."<br /><br />Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."<br /></span></em><br />His message of hope... a message of God's plans... opens her eyes to the Truth of who Jesus is. It is the perfect example of how a message of compassion and mercy can move a heart to see God. She is open to the message of Salvation... of eternal life. But...<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#6666cc;"><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"</span><br /></span></em><br />Hello... what happens? A group of Christ's followers approach and see that he is talking with a disgusting little Samaritan slut. Tsk! TRAMP! They don't say anything, but their looks must have been obvious as the bible records them as 'surprised to find him talking with a woman.'<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:28-30 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" They came out of the town and made their way toward him.</span></em><br /><br />Let's look at this one clearly. As I said, the woman was shunned. She was at the well alone, long after the normal period of the day when people gathered at the well. She was a social outcast because of her 'sleeping around'. Yet, there she was, crying out to everyone in her village to come meet the man who told her everything she ever did. Some villagers may have scoffed, and others may have wondered... but, the truth is, they left the village and made their way towards Christ, just because the woman ran back there all excited about Jesus.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 3:31-39<br />Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."<br /><br />But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."<br /><br />Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"<br /><br />"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."<br /></span></em><br />Jesus is speaking very clearly, although at first glance it may seem like he's just talking about food. He is actually urging his followers to look at the people, not a field. The sower sets the seeds in place, and the reaper harvests the grown wheat. He tells his disciples that he has sent them to harvest what they didn't plant. How many times have we convicted a sinner without knowing their past? How many times has God sent someone to plant the seed, and we have attempted to claim the glory for the finished work? God has planted many seeds, and those seeds have grown and become ripe. Why is this lesson in this passage? Let's look at what happened next. And remember, Jesus planted a seed by speaking to the woman at the well...<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#9999ff;">John 4:39-42<br />Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.<br /><br />They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."</span></em><br /><br />The woman brought her village back to Christ, and because of that, more seeds were planted. She didn't run back to her village, break off her relationship immediately with her man, atone and cleanse herself. Nope. She was too excited! Instead, she ran back and said 'I am a sinner, and God has offered me eternal life!' The village came before Christ, listened to him, and urged him to stay with them for 2 days. They at first believed just because of what the woman said... she planted a seed!... but then they no longer believed it just because she said it, because they grew in their own spiritual walk through Jesus himself.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>What does this story teach us?</strong><br />First of all, it teaches us that we are not Christ... but we should try to reflect him. He gives us the formula for planting a seed. He does not launch into an instant 'DAMN YOU SINNER', but takes the time to speak with the woman as a human being. He then calmly points out her sin, but doesn't dwell on it. Instead, he talks to her about God.<br /><br />Second, the woman runs to her village to lead people to Christ. She knows she has done sin, and knows she is shunned, yet Jesus mercy and kindness is so overwhelming that she puts aside all her fears and talks to the very people who shunned her so cruelly!<br /><br />Third, Christ teaches us that we don't own the whole 'salvation' market. God sends many people to plant seeds. Just because we think someone can be harvested several months... or years... from now doesn't mean that we can claim glory for all the hard work. Further, we can't get so caught up in our own desire to 'convert someone' that we are blind to the fact that God may have planted a seed in that person, and made them a sower. What if the Disciples had condemned the woman for being a Samaritan? What if they had damned her for being a 'sinner' or an outcast? Do you think she would have run to her village with a heart on fire for the Lord? Do you think she would have planted seeds on her own? Had they damned her, she would have taken her water jar and left, and kept her mouth quiet, because her heart was hardened towards God. ALWAYS remember this lesson when you speak to people you assume are unforgiven sinners! The woman hadn't had time to change her ways, and God used her to sow seeds. Humbling, isn't it?<br /><br />The final lesson is that she, a sinner, lead people to Christ. At first, they believed her only because of her passion. Once they came to know Jesus, they believed in him because of their own time with him. This is how hearts are turned to God.<br /><br />We can not be Christ. We can not save anyone. We can gently correct, but before we correct, we have to take the time to talk to that person with respect and a little kindness. Once they express interest, we can gently tell them about an error... if God so opens our eyes to it... but we should never dwell on their sins. Don't you know that the world has already cast them aside because of sin? Don't you understand that your job is not to kill the soul, but to either plant the seed or help it grow? Everyone shuns... but hearts are moved when a message of promise is given. And so, we must be like the woman at the well. We must go out and share about Christ, speaking from our own personal experience. We can lead others to Christ when they see the transformation he does in us.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#cc66cc;">Second Timothy 3:16-17 states:<br />All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.<br /></span></em><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2417/2130/1600/689013/woman_reading_bible2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2417/2130/320/247173/woman_reading_bible2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Please note... those two verses <em>must always be read as one</em>. Scripture is used to reach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness... God's righteousness... so that you can have a righteous heart when <em>you</em> go out to spread the Gospels. Scripture is meant as a <em>personal</em> teaching aide to keep us on the correct path. Jesus did not use Scripture to teach the woman at the well. He spoke to her freely, sharing mercy and the promise of Salvation.<br /><br />A person is not a 'man of God' until that person has the seed planted. They can spend years in their newfound Christian walk learning about God's plans and will. As they grow in Christ, they begin to learn the lessons from Scripture... lessons meant to help them become righteous (not self-righteous). Ripping scriptures out of the bible and using them in an attempt to teach, rebuke, correct or train someone... before a seed is planted in that person... is just like a harvester coming along and trying to harvest an empty field. As you wave the scythe about, you scare off the sowers and the ground trampled beneath your feet becomes too hard for a seed to be sown. You do nothing but condemn a field to remain fallow.<br /></span><br /></span>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1148665220083745802006-12-11T13:40:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:50:57.974-05:00The Beatitudes, our instructions from Jesus Christ<div align="center"><span class="sup"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:180%;color:#6666cc;"><strong>The Beatitudes</strong></span></span><br /></div><p align="center"><img style="WIDTH: 420px; HEIGHT: 239px" height="642" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting" src="http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/ThaneDraigon/sermon.jpg" width="1121" /></p><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">What is a beatitude? Of course, it is a word easily associated with any of the declarations made in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:3-11, beginning with "Blessed are". But, it is also a state of utmost bliss (Latin, <em>beatitudo</em>.) When Jesus spoke these beatitudes, he was giving us the instructions for living in a state of utmost bliss, or peace. Many people can point to these verses and say 'I'm so there.' Unfortunately, they often miss the mark on the principles behind these wonderful verses. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">What does it mean to be 'poor in spirit'? It doesn't mean lacking spirituality, or even downtrodden.... nothing negative Poor in spirit means <em>humble</em>. The humble shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Humility is the very first thing Christ speaks of, with good reason! Not all who cry out 'Lord, Lord' will be heard. It takes a humble heart to put one's self last and God first. It takes a humble nature to speak the words of the Lord without sounding self-righteous or patronizing. To be humble is to be neither proud or haughty, not arrogant or assertive. A state of humbleness is a state of being where the person puts other people first, puts themselves in another person's shoes, and tries to have compassion for others. It is speaking to someone in a way that will not insult or be viewed as aggressive for the sole purpose of proving a point. The self-righteous say "you are a sinner! Repent!", while the humble says "We are all sinners, but God gives us Salvation." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">Jesus says "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." There is no shame in mourning. To mourn is to show grief or sorrow. It does not have to be a display of grief usually seen at funerals. We can mourn the loss of a friendship. We can mourn that a person we love is going astray. We can mourn for just about anything... a humble person, who has compassion for those around them, is capable of feeling another's sorrow. When a Christian mourns, they often turn to prayer. And, through prayer, we do find comfort. Mourning is a sign of compassion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">"Blessed are the meek," Jesus continues, "For they will inherit the earth." Being meek is not the same as being humble! Meekness, although seen in modern times as a negative thing, is actually a very strong quality. Yes, it does mean to be without strength or violence, and it also means lacking courage. When Jesus used it, it was defining positive quality: <em>enduring injury with patience and without resentment</em>! Christ is urging us to endure things. To suck it up, and let it go. To take the abuse, threats, insults, and animosity... and then to let the feelings of bitterness and anger slip through our fingers like sand. Many people will hurt us in our lifetimes, but we can not hold a grudge against every person who harms us. Resentment eats away at us, holding us back from happiness. Once we turn over a new page and do away with resentment, we can inherit the bounty of the earth. For example, to be meek is to be someone who endures harassment in chat, and then forgives quietly, so that the next day, old bitterness is not brought up again (ps to that... using the ignore feature is not a sign of lacking courage... it is keeping yourself meek and humble, so that you are not tempted to throw aside the first three beatitudes and embark on a campaign of vengeance against those who hurt you.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">Jesus says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Please note: it does not say self-righteousness, or blessed are the righteous. The righteousness we hunger for is not of this world. It is the hunger for God's righteousness. It is the desire to walk in that righteousness in our personal lives. It is not bringing God's righteousness to others, because we are, after all, human beings and not God. When we seek God's righteousness, we tend to live a life that is spiritually uplifting and positive. In return, God gives us spiritual wisdom and strength. We become a light of Christ at this point, having adopted these first few beatitudes in our daily living.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">Jesus knew that living a good life would not be easy. He went on to say "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Sometimes we forget ourselves... we begin to think of ourselves as perfect people, and we forget that we are still, in the end, just humble sinners who have turned to God for Salvation. We are no better than anyone else... because we are human and prone to making mistakes. So, Jesus adds the "be merciful" at this point. We should always show others mercy. It ties in with being humble, and being meek. Showing mercy is not simply sparing someone from your sword tip. Showing mercy is showing compassion towards someone who offends you. It is also showing compassion to those in distress. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." How do we become pure in heart? The word pure means 'unmixed with any other matter'. If we allow God to rule our hearts, instead of our own issues, we find life becomes very peaceful. Do we hold grudges in our hearts? Do we hold envy? Are we proud? Are we self-centered? We can not shove God into a corner of our hearts, or out of our hearts, and still expect we will see him in heaven someday. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." No, this does not mean a peaceful person is a Christ. It does mean that we will reflect the light of Christ. We will reflect Christ's example. We will be God's children, obeying his laws and living a life that is wonderful, spiritually. I'm often asked how I could be friendly to a sinner, or why I don't bash a sinner for their sins. It is simple... I am a peacemaker, or I try to be. Only through peace can we gain understanding. To make peace, we have to have a humble heart, compassion for others, and a desire to keep God in our hearts. We may not 'convert' anyone to Christianity. We not even be able to convince someone they are in sin. But, we will leave an impression in their minds, and an impression in their hearts. To make peace we have to offer peace. To keep peace, we have to keep the beatitudes Jesus gave us as paramount in our daily lives.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This is a biggie. Jesus does not say "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of self-righteousness!" nor does it say "Blessed are the Pharisee, who command the laws be followed while neglecting their own sins!" This verse does not mean we have unlimited license to debase, abuse, bash or torment people we think are in sin. It does not mean we can shred them with bible verses that say others are evil. It doesn't mean we can behave in God's place and judge. It says, very simply, blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. If you keep all the other beatitudes, you will be in righteousness (God's!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">Jesus ends the Beatitudes by saying, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Now, if you are acting like a total git, or Pharisee, and belittling folks in God's name, this verse does NOT apply to you. If you are hold a spiritual gun to someone's head, demanding they turn to Christ or else suffer your wrath, this verse also does not apply. When you act like an ass, people will respond back the same way. If you insult, you will be insulted. If you persecute, you will have every wrong thing you have ever done thrown back in your face. If you use Jesus to punish people because of their own sins (and forget that, by doing so, you are also in sin), you can't hold this last verse up as your saving glory and expect anyone to take you seriously. However, if you keep the other Beatitudes, follow them, live them, and show them, this verse does apply to you. A humble, compassionate person who seeks God's righteousness, while enduring hardships (by showing mercy instead of vengeance), will have a pure heart and be a true peacemaker, even though they are spit upon for all their efforts to follow the Beatitudes... this verse applies to them. Jesus could have just said that last, complex sentence, but instead, he took the time to spell it all out for us during his sermon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;">Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. For me, to live, is Christ.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;"></span></p><br /><span class="sup"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;"><strong>Matthew 5:1-11</strong></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#6666cc;"><a href="http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/ThaneDraigon/sermon2.jpg"></a><a href="http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/ThaneDraigon/sermon2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand" height="176" alt="" src="http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/ThaneDraigon/sermon2.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;">Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:<br />"Blessed are the poor in spirit,<br />for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.<br />Blessed are those who mourn,<br />for they will be comforted.<br />Blessed are the meek,<br />for they will inherit the earth.<br />Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,<br />for they will be filled.<br />Blessed are the merciful,<br />for they will be shown mercy.<br />Blessed are the pure in heart,<br />for they will see God.<br />Blessed are the peacemakers,<br />for they will be called sons of God.<br />Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,<br />for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. </span></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;color:#6666cc;">"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."</span></p><br /><br /><br /><p align="left"><br /></p>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1143712472978627272006-12-05T04:54:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:51:53.101-05:00CASTING THAT FIRST STONE<p align="center"><img alt="Image hosting by Photobucket" src="http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/ThaneDraigon/hewhoiswithoutsin.jpg" /></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color:#000099;"><span class="area-text" id="John_8_1" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_1)" align="left"><span class="font-text">Jesus went to the mount of Olives, and</span></span><span class="area-text" id="John_8_2" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_2)" align="left"><span class="font-text"> early in the morning he came again into the temple. All the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. </span></span><span class="area-text" id="John_8_3" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_3)" align="left"><span class="font-text">The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to him that had been accused of adultery. They placed her in front of him and said</span></span><span class="area-text" id="John_8_4" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_4)" align="left"><span class="font-text">, "Master, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. </span></span><span class="area-text" id="John_8_5" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_5)" align="left"><span class="font-text">Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such a person should be stoned: but what do you say?"</span></span></span></span></p><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="area-text" id="John_8_6" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_6)" align="left"><span class="font-text">This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him (of breaking the Law.) But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he hadn't heard them. </span></span><span class="area-text" id="John_8_7" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_7)" align="left"><span class="font-text">So when they continued asking him, he stood up and said to them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." </span></span><span class="area-text" id="John_8_8" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_8)" align="left"><span class="font-text">And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. </span></span><span class="area-text" id="John_8_9" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_9)" align="left"><span class="font-text">Those that heard his words, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last. Jesus was left alone, and the woman was still in front of him. </span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="area-text" id="John_8_10" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_10)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Jesus had stood up again, and saw none but the woman, he said to her, "Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?"</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_10)" align="left"><span class="font-text"></span></span><span class="area-text" id="John_8_11" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text">She said, "No man, Lord."</span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Jesus said unto her, "Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more."</span></span></span><br /><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:78%;">(John 8:1-11)</span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This passage is often overlooked, except for Jesus's last quote at the end. It's often interesting to see things in a new light...</span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bible never does say what exactly it was that Jesus was writing. Once the woman was brought before him, he just stooped down and began to write in the sand. We do know that we wasn't drawing pictures. Yet, he spoke briefly, and continued to write. And, one by one, those guilty of their own sins crept away, leaving only the woman behind. Is it possible that Jesus was carefully writing out the sins of each man in that sand? Was there a message being carefully inscribed on the temple floor as a reminder to each accuser that no one was unblemished? Surely, if the men were with sin, they would boldly proclaim themselves to be free from the accusations of a rebel. They sought to entrap him, by giving him cause to denounce the Law. Yet, they leave... perhaps a bit unhinged that this teacher would know exactly what their sins were (yet, Jesus nor the bible reveal exactly what he wrote!)</span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then we have the woman. Does Jesus speak to her as he did the woman at the well? Does he tell her sins out loud... or call her a sinner? No. He treats her with mercy. A very simple 'Go, and sin no more.' </span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We shouldn't be so quick to judge others, because clearly none of us is perfect. And, we shouldn't be so quick to judge in place of God! For God himself did not condemn the woman, but instead instructed her to cease in sinning. How many have you condemned during your lifetime, simply because you felt they were in sin? How many have you shown mercy towards, even though they were sinners? </span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus does go on to say "Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. <span class="area-text" id="John_8_16" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_16)" align="left"><span class="font-text">And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me." It is God's right to judge, and he judges our souls. </span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_16)" align="left"><span class="font-text">We, as humans, tend to judge others souls and body as one. We see someone who looks or acts 'like a sinner', and we... being human beings... don't have the divine ability to see that person's soul. We assume that, because we caught them in a moment of sin, it is our place to put them in their place... to stone them spiritually. Plus, we tend to hold past sins against them, even if God has forgiven them! It doesn't look very intelligent to stand before God, pointing a finger of shame at someone we think is a sinner, when our own sins are right in front of us. I'm pretty sure God would want to know why we were so busy judging others that we couldn't take time to correct our own sins.</span></span></span></span></span><span class="area-text" onclick="img(IMGJohn_8_11)" align="left"><span class="font-text"> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;">(Picture via email. Artist unknown. This is a republishing of an earlier entry. I had a lot of email come in, asking when a new entry would be posted. I'm still on vacation, and summer is always hectic for me. I'll do my best to get something new posted by Sunday.)</span></span>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1164584726739985662006-11-26T18:44:00.000-05:002006-12-08T13:44:53.870-05:00Chanukah!Thank you Aut...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>What is Chanukah?</strong></span><br /><br />Chanukah means "Dedication / Lights". This is a winter festival that begins on 25th of Kislev and lasts for eight days.<br /><br />Chanukah is the only ancient holiday that is not written in the (Protestant) Bible. The reason for this is because it took place in the year 165 B.C.E., although the events of Chanukah are described in books 1 and 2 of the Maccabees (which are found in the Catholic Bible).<br /><br />Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the forces of Antiochus and the recapture of the Temple after a three-year battle. The story tells us when the Maccabees rededicated the Temple they only had one jar of oil that was sealed by the High Priests for lighting the menorah. This only had enough oil in it to last for one night but a miracle happened, the oil lasted for eight days, the time it took to purify new oil for the Temples needs.<br /><br />Today we celebrate Chanukah by lighting lights on a Chanukiyah over eight days; during this time we also give gifts as well. For Jewish children this is a bit like Christmas but it is not to be confused with it.<br /><br />Although we are told this is a minor festival, we should see it as a more important one as it tells us about the fight against Alexander the Great and Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria, who tried to wipe out the Jewish people, this again can be seen as a attempt of ethnic cleansing. Buy celebrating Chanukah, lighting the candles and remembering the struggle of the Maccabees we can reflect on the true meaning of the festival. That is the re-assertion of our Jewish faith in a world full of anti-Semitism.<br /><br /><br /><br />The following article was written for and appears in the December Issue of Sussex Jewish News<br /><br />MAH CHANUKAH? - WHAT IS CHANUKAH?<br /><br />We all think we know the answer to this question. But it isn't as straight forward as it seems. Not only do different texts provide different answers, but the meaning of Chanukah has been different at different times and in different places. What meaning does Chanukah have for us here (in Britain) and now?<br /><br />The rabbis of the Talmud were the first to ask, 'Mah Chanukah?' (Babylonian Talmud, tractate Shabbat 21b). More than 650 years after the event, were they enquiring about what had happened then, or were they taking the opportunity to offer a new explanation? Another generation of sages, around three hundred years earlier, had pronounced that at Chanukah mourning was forbidden for eight days (Megillat Taanit, 'Scroll of Fasts', 9). Quoting this prohibition, the Talmud goes on to echo a comment on the passage in the Scroll of Fasts: When the Hasmoneans re-took the Temple, they found only one day's supply of oil - but 'a miracle happened', and it lasted for eight.<br /><br />Interestingly this miracle story does not appear in the two Books of the Macabbees, which tell the story of the struggle against the Syrian Greeks - and the eight day re-dedication of the Temple. Interestingly although these books read like straightforward historical narratives, the sages responsible for finalising the Canon of the Bible two thousand years ago, decided not to include these works in the Bible.<br /><br />Maccabees II relates: 'They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing in the manner of the Feast of Sukkot, mindful of how but a little while before at the festival of Sukkot they had been wandering about like wild beasts in the mountains and caves' (10: 6). Apparently, Chanukah was, simply, a belated Sukkot celebration. So why didn't the rabbis acknowledge the Books of the Macabbees, and what's all this about the miracle of the oil? 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit says the God of Hosts' (Zechariah 4:6). The Haftarah the rabbis selected for reading on Shabbat Chanukah says it all: Rather than glorifying the fighters, the rabbis chose to present the victory as God's work.<br /><br />The sages regarded Chanukah as a time to recall how God's spirit brought the religious heart of the people back to life. So, what is the meaning of Chanukah for us? Like the Christian festival on which contemporary Chanukah celebrations seem to be modeled, Chanukah has become more than a little materialistic. Of course, the rigours of the dark cold days of winter in Northern Europe demand, quite rightly, that both Christians and Jews alike create oases of warmth and light. Our material needs for comfort are very real. But our souls, too, need to be nurtured. Without rejecting the material dimension of Chanukah, like the rabbis before us, we, too, might ask, Mah Chanukah? Perhaps, as we light the candles each evening, celebrating Chanukah might be an opportunity for exploring ways of re-igniting the sparks within us.<br /><br />Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah SarahTMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1160774847313128912006-10-13T16:23:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:52:37.275-05:00Military Chaplains<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330033;"><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2417/2130/1600/chaplain_service3.jpg"></a></p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2417/2130/320/chap.jpg" border="0" /><br />I noticed Debra J.M. Smith had the audacity to attack military chaplains recently. Of course, she is clueless as to what the MOS of a chaplain actually is. I'm going to take a moment to let you peak into their world...<br /><br />Most people hear the world chaplain and think of a certain character from M*A*S*H. That character, who happened to be a Catholic chaplain, pretty much sums up what chaplains do during times of war.<br /><br /><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2417/2130/1600/chaplain_service3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2417/2130/320/chaplain_service3.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>A military chaplain is not just some preacher in uniform. Not only do they see to the spiritual needs of the troops around them, but they also function as non-combatants. They tend to the wounded, they help keep troop moral up, they function as counselors, they are the military's link with International Red Cross... which means that if you need to go home because your wife is having a baby, or if your spouse is a POW the chaplain can help your packages reach him... and they performs a variety of clerical duties. The chaplain also maintains the lists of those who are dead and wounded, and they might be the only person your loved one has to pray over that fallen soldier at the time of his death.<br /><br />Now a days, chaplain is also a spiritual leader. The modern employment of chaplains is not in violation of the Constitution, because the separation of church and state is still present. A chaplain is not in the chain of command at all. If a chaplain colonel (a rank only) and an infantry 2nd lieutenant are the two surviving officers in an infantry unit, the 2nd lieutenant is in charge. The chaplain has no command duties whatsoever. The chaplain does not expect to even protect himself in combat, nor is he asked to serve his country with a gun (he may have a chaplain's assistant, who can carry a gun to protect the chaplain.)<br /><br />A chaplain can be of any denomination, and any faith, and is trained to administer to troops of all faiths. In other words, a Catholic chaplain has no problems or issues with helping a Islamic chaplain, and if the Islamic chaplain needs help administrating to a Catholic troop, he can contact the Catholic chaplain, who can relay instructions to him. Chaplains of all faiths work together in the Chaplain Corps for the betterment of the troops.<br /><br />This inept blogger goes on to say "<em>Most true Christians would not want a military chaplain that prays to a 'catch all' god. But what many are not realizing is that some chaplains 'pray' in a false name of Jesus. Just because a chaplain says he is praying in Jesus' name, does not mean he is praying in the real Jesus' name</em>." First of all, this statement shows how clueless this blogger is in matters of military procedure. I am certain she has never served her country in that capacity, nor does she know any heroes (military personnel.) ALL chaplains are ordained ministers of their faith (preachers, fathers, imams, rabbis, etc.) If a Christian soldier has only an Islamic or Jewish chaplain, that chaplain will encourage that soldier according to that soldier's belief system. The chaplain will further offer to put the soldier in touch with a chaplain of his (the soldier's) own denomination. If the soldier requests prayer, the chaplain will either pray with the soldier (in this case, he will pray to God.) A Jewish chaplain will not pray 'in Jesus name', but he certainly will say 'in God's name'.<br /><br />A chaplain is a chaplain. Not all chaplains are Christian, just as not all soldiers are Christian. The title of chaplain is a MOS. An MOS means a Military Occupational Specialty, and it is for officers only. Again, the person is ordained in their faith.<br /><br />The position of chaplain as it is today was not around in James Madison's time. You can see what the Army Chaplains are about at </span></p><a title="http://www.goarmy.com/chaplain/index.jsp?sicontent=" href="http://www.goarmy.com/chaplain/index.jsp?sicontent=0&sicreative=510906013&sitrackingid=2805832" sicreative="510906013&sitrackingid="><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#993300;">GoArmy.com > Army Chaplain Corps > Overview</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330033;">. Each branch of service has a Chaplain Corps, except the Marine Corps (which use Navy Chaplains.) <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2417/2130/1600/Service.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="144" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2417/2130/320/Service.0.jpg" width="210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I find her half-truths and lack of research disgusting. She claims herself to be a 'nondenominational' Christian. I question that she is Christian at all, for her bigotry towards our men in uniform and those that support them, leads me to believe that she has never taken the time to think outside of the sheltering box she thrives in. Bigoted points of view have no place in society. Her attacks on chaplains and other groups can be viewed at <a href="http://www.debrajmsmith.com/">http://www.debrajmsmith.com/</a>.</span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330033;"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330033;"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330033;"><strong>Update 10/15/06:</strong> I do find it amusing that people <em>assume</em> that I wrote this as a personal attack on Ms. Smith. This entire post is a <em><strong>clarification</strong></em> of what a military chaplain <strong><em>does</em></strong>, as well as how it is possible to have <strong><em>chaplains of all faiths</em></strong>. In a time when our military men and women need the support of our citizens, we do not need bigoted speech thrown at the one inner support system available to those troops in the Middle East. Ladies and Gentlemen, it's not all about Ms. Smith. Please forgive me for having to add these paragraphs as clarification. I am guessing that Ms. Smith's camp lacks reading comprehension, as they have elected to overlook the clarification of the MOS of a chaplain, and have turned this into a petty "Ms. Smith - Madison War". Considering that they have not bothered to read any of my bible devotions, I find their efforts to turn this into an attack on Ms. Smith laughable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#330033;">Ms. Smith should realize that, by posting misconcepts of this modern MOS, she opens herself up for correction. Since this is my personal blog, I will gladly post that clarification of the MOS as well as my opinion on her lack of knowledge of what that MOS is. I do not care if she has an opinion on the separation of Church and State. My correction is due to her statement, which is quoted above. Ms. Smith has long been known as being nondenominational herself, and intolerant of denominations in general. Perhaps she has assumed that all military chaplains are Roman Catholic, a denomination she takes great delight in abusing on her blog. As I stated above, chaplains are of all denominations and faiths. It might surprise her to know that there are nondenominational Christian chaplains as well. A chaplain who prays "in Jesus' name" is praying to the real Jesus. A chaplain who does not belong to a faith that believes in Jesus as we do in our own faith ("born agains", Christians etc.) ... such as a Jewish or Muslim chaplain... will inform the troop of that, but he will offer to pray to God on behalf of that soldier. If a chaplain is Buddhist, they offer a compassionate ear, but will not go against their own doctrine and pray to a god or God that they do not represent. A military chaplain does not insist (and can not insist) that a soldier from another faith convert to the chaplain's own. I restate: a chaplain of another faith will network with the chaplain corps in order to find a means to best provide for the soldiers in need of spiritual help.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#330033;">One last tidbit: a military chaplain can refuse a direct order if it goes against his doctrine. God is put above the desires of generals and wars. A chaplain may be in the military, but he is separated by the cloth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#330033;"></span></p>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1152487593992220662006-09-10T18:16:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:55:30.825-05:00Prophets<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6666cc;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7750/2324/1600/DSC00929.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7750/2324/320/DSC00929.jpg" border="0" /></a>Today was a study on prophets, and upon the message God sends with them. Prophets were a frequent occurrence in the Old Testament, and looking at many of the stories, we can see that, often, the Word is not easy to share. The Word can be heavy, and in times of burden, it is so much easier to remain carefree and light humored. Yet, we must respond when God calls upon us to do our work.<br /><br /><br /><strong>The Calling of a Prophet</strong><br />Ez 2:2-5 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.<br /><br />He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.<br /><br />Ezekiel was called by the Lord to travel to the Israelites, who at the time had turned away from God's laws. God had put it upon him to enter a strange land and tell the inhabitants that they were in the wrong. God did not tell Ezekiel exactly what to say, as far as judgement of them, but he did leave him the instruction to say to them "This is what the Sovereign LORD says." God also reminded Ezekiel that the people may or may not listen to him at all, but at least they would know, by his words, that Ezekiel was a prophet.<br /><br />How often we find ourselves in the same struggle. We know that, in our hearts and minds, that God would want us to speak up about what is right and wrong as far as the actions (or inactions) of others are concerned. We can point to our bibles and quote scripture, but truly, it may not make any difference. As a prophet, our job is difficult, as our message may fall on deaf ears. God told Ezekiel that he would face this challenge, and He did not tell Ezekiel that He, God, would be too upset with him if the people refused to listen. The expression "pearls before swine" comes to mind at this point. If we speak with the authority of the Lord (and not out of our own desire to be seen as a great prophet), then people will recognize us for what we are. They may not listen, but they will know in their hearts.<br /><br /><br /><strong>The Key to being a good Prophet </strong><br />Paul ponders the ramifications of being called as a prophet in his letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 12:7-10). He tells them "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."<br /><br />God is infinitely intelligent. He understands the pride human hold in their hearts. Paul's own prophetly pride was kept in check by God. The Lord had given him powerful insight into things, and the people were in awe of Paul, yet God made certain that Paul's own pride was tempered with humility. Three times, the Lord caused Paul to be reminded of just exactly who he was, and He instructed Paul to pay attention to these lessons. God told Paul "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." What God was saying was very simple: all that you are, every gift you have, comes from Me. Because of Paul's continued humility, God was able to work through him. The more Paul accepted his weaknesses and shortcomings, the more God worked through him. When Paul encountered hardships and taunts, he did not turn aside from his work, but used them to find a greater strength in the Lord.<br /><br />How did Paul know that his words were from God, and not from his own ego or desire to be superior? Paul tempered every action with humility. Paul put his full trust in the Lord, and allowed himself to be an instrument. There are many people who claim to be prophets of the Lord - everything from TV evangelists to the strange men who stand on street corners proclaiming "the end is near!" - yet, falling back on Ez 2:2-5, we can tell if someone is a true man of God and a prophet just by what they proclaim. When it is from the heart, filled with humility and love, and when the speaker shares the Word out of a desire to better those around him (while he, the prophet, becomes only more humble), the words are true. This is often the greatest test! Anyone can proclaim the Word, but when insulted or taunted, the speaker will take one of two actions: he will become more humble, admit his own shortcomings gladly, and continue to teach those around him of God's will and mercy... or he will cast his message aside, bring up his fists (or sharpen his tongue) and begin to attack back because his ego is offended.<br /><br /><br /><strong>The Prophet in Everyday life</strong><br />Anyone can go to foreign nations and preach the Word. The most difficult obstacle is bringing the Word to everyday life. Jesus encountered this in His own ministry on earth. He had returned to His hometown, to find the reception less than illustrious.<br /><br />In Mark 6:1-6, we read "Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.<br /><br />"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.<br /><br />Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith."<br /><br />This does not mean that Jesus was not who He was. What he probably encountered were the people He had known for most of his life. An older man could have snorted and said, "I remember when you were just a lad, only 3 feet tall!" A woman could have said, "I saw you going to the market with your mother every day!" These people knew Jesus, not as a prophet or God, but as the man (or boy) He was before His ministry began. They could not break away from their preconceived notions of Him. They were offended to think that Jesus, the son of a simple carpenter, was anything other than Jesus, the son of a simple carpenter.<br /><br />Jesus, on his own behalf, recognized the limitations of the people's ability to accept things. Like Ezekiel, He faced the challenge of having his message fall upon deaf ears. He did do His best, but their lack of faith in Him prevented them from seeing Him for who He really was. He could cure a few, but they would never honor him as a 'true prophet' because they could not overcome their own mind set.<br /><br />One of the best gifts God gives us is our faith. The best gift we can return to Him is trust. The people Jesus met in His hometown could not put their faith in Him, and thus they were unable to trust in the Lord. They may have accepted the Truth down the line, but by then it was too late for them to sit and listen to His Words. He was killed, and rose again, and returned to the Heavens - they missed out on a good opportunity to hear, firsthand, the Message God had sent.<br /><br /><br /><strong>What does it take to do God's work?</strong> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7750/2324/1600/SwordBible.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 94px" height="112" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7750/2324/320/SwordBible.jpg" width="144" border="0" /></a><br />It is never easy to do God's work. We find ourselves up against all sorts of obstacles. We set off in one direction, only to find that God has moved us to a new pathway according to His will. My priest reminded us of this today, during his wonderful homily. He reminded us that Mother Teresa probably never realized as a young girl that she would one day travel far from Europe and settle in the middle of poverty, just to help ease the burdens of the starving children around her. Rosa Parks probably never realized on that wonderful day when, having worked long hours in a hot factory - and just wanting to sit down on the bus and rest her weary body - that she would breathe life into a movement that sought equality for all people, no matter their skin color. We never know what direction God will send us in.<br /><br />Sometimes it only takes a simple action to get us going. Sometimes it only takes Trust in the Lord that all things will turn out right. Often, it is the willingness to accept our shortcomings and open ourselves up to being humble before the Lord.<br /><br /><br /><strong>The Prophet's mission</strong><br />Doing God's work is the most rewarding thing you will ever undertake. You may not become famous like Mother Teresa or Rosa Parks. No one may acknowledge you for the good that you bring to the world, but God will bless you for it with renewed faith in Him, with mercy, and with grace. We are called, each of us, to be prophets to the lands. We are called to bring the Message of the Gospels to the world. The Word is not easy for some people to digest, and we will often meet with resistance, yet we foster this burden gladly, for we can rest assured that, although we thing that our words fall upon deaf ears, the people may look back and give what we say some consideration after we have moved on.<br /><br />We are not charged by God to damn all those around us. God does not need us beating people into submission. Instead, we are to share the promise of Salvation. We are to lead by example, admitting when we are weak and praising God for giving us strength. When we try to speak with the Authority of God, we can only succeed at it when we speak with the Authority of the Holy Spirit working through us. We can not speak with that Authority when we allow our own faith to stagnate. Nor can we speak with any Authority when our words spring from our own desire to be seen as Holy by those we speak with.<br /><br /><br /><strong>A final reflection</strong><br />Paul gives this insight in Acts 20:28-32: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.<br /><br />"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."<br /></span>TMTWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03143205295749068093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1157572530695378222006-09-06T14:09:00.001-05:002009-04-11T20:56:30.014-05:00God's Elect - or just a Hypocrite?<span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7750/2324/1600/hypocrite.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7750/2324/320/hypocrite.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;">I've been doing some thinking about hypocrites this week. I think it has something to do with a certain chat room (which I avoid like the plague most of the time.)<br /><br />You see, there is a group - they call themselves "God's Elect" - no, not our Jewish brothers and sisters - I mean those Christians who spend their days looking for faults in others so that they might built up their own appearances as God's children. To them, there is no mercy for the homosexuals, divorced, Mormons or Catholics. God does not love sinners, according to them, nor does He listen to their prayers (which is fairly stupid to assume - how would anyone be able to ask Jesus into their heart if God doesn't listen to the prayers of sinners?)<br /><br />This group, "God's Elect" appears outwardly to be Christian in nature. They spew forth bible verses, hurling quotations almost as soundly as they hurl snide remarks about other chatters. This gave me reason to question exactly what the bible says about pharisees (spiritual leaders appointed by committees of friends who, for lack of better definition, embody the role but not the fellowship - they don't walk what they talk.)<br /><br />I can cite various verses from the Holy Bible (I believe a study on the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector has already been done here.) Rather, I choose to refer to Christ's teachings concerning the End Time (ala "You don't know when it will happen, so shut up already - you are not SUPPOSED to know when it will happen, so try not to make an ass of yourself while spewing forth false prophecy.)<br /><br />Matthew 14:45-51 NIV<br />"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.<br /><br />A particular part of that passage always comes to mind when I see a Christian attacking another. "he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards." The person, thinking they are more holy than the fellow next to him, attacks. This form of attack is usually verbal, complete with damnations, curses, name-calling, and mockery. Snide comments, alluding to another person as "not having Jesus", and general jackass behavior seem to prevail. Those who mock the sinners ("sinners" defined as being anyone who doesn't agree with the attacker's methods) should take note: they now fit the second part of this verse - they stoop to the level of real sinners. By attacking other Christians (in a ay that attempts to portray the attacker as God's Elect, or more holy than the next fellow), they remove themselves from fellow servants (the body of Christ) and cavort with "drunkards" (sinners, or people with no self-control and no heart-felt desire or ability to refrain from offending God.)<br /><br />These "Elect" will often browbeat to the point where others respond back in a none-too-polite manner, at which point the Elect profess that they are being attacked on behalf of Jesus Christ himself. Woe is me! I suppose they have not had an opportunity to read Job 17:8-10, which states: "Upright men shall be astonished at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you." I suppose in the great scheme of things, those self-appointed Elect do not realize how foolish they sound when they attack others. Proverbs 11:9 clearly states that "A hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered."<br /><br />Part of the problem is jealousy. The "Elect" see a Godly person, and that seems to bother them. They look for any fault they can find. If the person is fat, they mock their weight. If they are bald, they mock the lack of hair. And, if the person is beautiful physically, they attack their words and family. How shameful. Jealously is coveting what you don't or can't have. The Holy Bible speaks very clearly on how wrong it is to covet!<br /><br />It is ironic to me that the very verse used to "bash" sinners includes the sin of jealousy and a coveting nature... greed. Mark 7:20-23 says, "He (Jesus)went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " What was that? Evil thoughts include: greed, malice, deceit, envy, slander, and arrogance! To hear it told, the only sins that are bad are sexual immorality and adultery or lewdness. I propose this: any man who strikes another out of envy or arrogance, or who seeks to deceive or slander others - these things are unholy and those who do them are the true goats.<br /><br />Having stated that, I can say that I am not perfect, and when pushed hard enough I do respond in an unkind manner. However, I can stop and rethink my actions, and admit that I fall short. Many refuse to do this, and continue on, blindly, in their attempt to appear holy. Appearances can be deceiving.<br /><br />I leave you with this last thought: Mark 7:6-8 Jesus replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." Not "traditions" as in doctrinal. Far from it. "Traditions" as in the attitude that is prevalent with some Christians, fostered by a false love of being godly and fed by the wells of ego and self-righteousness.</span></span><span style="color:#000099;"> </span>TMTWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03143205295749068093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1157569352753583942006-09-06T14:01:00.000-05:002006-09-06T14:02:32.766-05:00Annie's The Benedict Notes<a href="http://thebenedictnotes.blogspot.com/2006/09/national-catholic-reporter-september-8.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#993399;">The Benedict Notes</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#3366ff;"> - I thought I'd direct you over to Annieelf's site, to an article entitled: Benedict's evolving thought on evolution. Good stuff!</span>TMTWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03143205295749068093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1145739251674774062006-09-05T15:54:00.002-05:002009-04-13T13:41:54.539-05:00Psalm 37... Fretting Into Wickedness<p><img alt="Image hosting by Photobucket" src="http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/ThaneDraigon/HolySpirit.jpg" /></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">I had three people ask me to look at Psalm 37 of David, and to share my personal study of it. No one has ever asked me to do that before, and I'm not going to hesitate and say 'no'... and I appreciate your confidence in me. I just hope I don't 'blow it'. lol</span></p><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">I have studied this one before, using the KJV, NIV and St. Joseph's editions, and found the NIV version to be the most beneficial for a general study.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">Before we launch into the whole thing, we need to consider the basics. The 'wicked' David speaks of are not 'just evil people'. They are not 'just sinners', or perceived sinners. The wicked, in David's time, were those who would not align themselves with God, those who set out to purposely destroy David and his people, those who were vicious in nature, those who were disgustingly unpleasant, and/or those who went beyond responsible limits on things. Let's not forget, Jesus called the Pharisees wicked, as well. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">An evil person is one who is morally reprehensible (sinful), and their actions are evil if they arise from actual or imputed bad character or conduct. Even God-fearing Christians can be 'evil' in their actions, when those actions intend to bring harm to others for the benefit of personal glorification of the person doing those actions.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">In the first few verses of Psalm 37, David tells us "Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away." He is advising us to not get upset when people do things to us... Jesus drives this home when he speaks of loving your neighbor and not returning an eye for an eye. If someone gets away with hurting us, we should not allow ourselves to stoop to their tactics... eventually, the one that harmed us will wither and die away. At the least, we can pray that their attitude itself dies away, to be replaced with a heart for God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">David then speaks of how we can best remain firm in the Lord. He points out that we must "Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." Again, David drives home the fact that we should not return evil for evil, but remain anchored in God, and in his message. If we strive for this, and, as David says, " Delight yourself in the LORD", "he will give us the the desires of your heart." What should our heart's desire be? Revenge? Pain to our enemies? Healing? Hope? Forgiveness? Or perhaps our heart's desire should be to "trust in the Lord and do good!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">It's hard to allow our ego to calm down and realize that God is there to help! David continues with this next advice to us, which is "Commit your way to the LORD!" If we place our trust in him, he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." This is the classic LET GO AND LET GOD. You can not make yourself appear Holy. That is God's ability to do. If we stand firm in our trust of the Lord, and commit ourselves to him, God will reveal your righteousness in him shine brightly. This small verse is perhaps one that many of the Pharisees of Jesus' day just didn't understand. The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts... he guides us with the right things to say to another who has harmed us. When we 'let go and let God', our words to that person are not ones filled with hatred, bitterness, or evil. We have no need to prove our righteousness to man, because God proves it without us having to do a thing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">It's not an easy thing to do! David fully realized that, having lived through it! We are tempted to throw our hands up and say, "Yeah, David, whatever. How can we even begin to follow your advise?" </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#6600cc;">David was a clever man. He never gave advise without expanding upon it. He answers our questions in the next few verses with simple, down to earth common spiritual sense.</span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him," advises David. "Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." Step back, allow it to slide off you, and refer back to the 'Trust in God' part. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"<em>Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evil</em>." David mentions several times that we are not to fret... we are not to allow our indignation over the actions of others upset us to the point where we are tempted to avenge ourselves. Remember, God avenges in part by revealing the righteousness within us. Nothing we say or do that is <strong>re</strong>vengeful will allow that righteousness to shine through. Why? Because we will appear just as evil as the ones who attacked us! We become just as evil as they are! </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">David warns that our falling into that evil mind set is a bad idea. He tell us "For evil men will be cut off," removed from God's presence, and cast aside. However, "those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land." </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">An interesting thought I have about the next few lines has always stuck with me... was David speaking of the gates of hell, or was he speaking of our actions (through our Trust in God to handle things) helping bring an end to wicked actions? "A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace." Jesus reminded us over and over that wicked actions do not mean wicked souls. People can change. If we take pains to forgive them, and we don't fret constantly over a past harm, it is possible that this person might come to see the righteousness of God through us. If we don't trade evil for evil, this person might begin to understand the mercy of Christ through us. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">David spent time telling us not to fret, and then he begins this lovely rant about wicked people... he goes off on a tangent, and seems to tack a bunch of warnings onto his psalm. The verses above warn us that fretting leads to evil. What happens when evil people do evil things... what happens when we cease to trust in God and take matters into our own hands by replaying harm with harm? </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming." Yes, this is true. However, if we have fallen into the trap of fretting, we are no better than the ones who hurt us, and we fall under this biblical reprimand! We all have the ability to be savage towards others, to offend out of a false sense of pride (instead of trusting God and having faith in him to handle things), and to go beyond reasonable limits! </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken." If we judge someone as a sinner, and they do evil unto us, wouldn't it be a fair statement that they are needy? That they need the strength of a spiritual walk with God? They ways may not currently be upright, but the POTENTUAL is there. I'm sure this is not what David meant in these verses, but it is an interesting thought, when applied to the teachings of our Lord Jesus. I also look at it as, well... you wouldn't have a wicked person doing evil things to you to the point that you fret if you just kept your mouth shut and didn't judge them in the first place. God knows who the wicked are. Just because we think we know does not mean that we really know. Had you stood in the temple commons on the day Jesus drove the animals away, would you have mistakenly judged his anger as unrighteous because you didn't stick around to hear him speak afterwards? Would you have stoned the women before you saw what Jesus wrote in the dirt? Would you have clapped at the suffering of the thief on the cross if you had not heard what he whispered to Christ as they both hung there that day? Quick judgement is evil itself, in that it only serves to boost up your own sense of personal righteousness and pride. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;"><span class="sup" id="en-NIV-14467">David continues with "</span>Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous." So what if an wicked person is popular, or has good clothes, or lives in a nice house? Who cares if they eat at banquets daily? It doesn't matter. The Lord is the Lord, and those who trust in the Lord do not want for anything. He provides a bounty that the wicked will never understand, and the first glorious course is peace... and freedom from fretting over wicked people! </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever."... an early taste of Salvation there. "In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish; vanish like smoke." This pretty much speaks for itself. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">David tosses in "The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off." Borrow what? To borrow and not repay is stealing. An old priest once told me the answer was 'glory'. The wicked borrow the glory from God, and do not repay it to him, while a Godly man give glory to God so generously that the Lord blesses him on a constant basis. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." We don't have a one-sided walk with God. When we strive to walk with him, he walks beside us and keeps us going. It doesn't say we will never stumble... but when we do stumble, God is there. It goes back to the 'trust in God' part, yet again. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;"><span class="sup" id="en-NIV-14476">And now we come to blessings: "</span>I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever." </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">David then explains how we will know the revealed righteousness, by saying "The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip." Can any of us honestly say we have not fretted over the deeds of another? To fret is human, but to pursue that desire to fret is wrong. Anyone who allows words of hate, anger, viciousness or revenge to come out of their mouths is not righteous, but wicked. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial." In other words, and I have seen this many times in daily life, don't sit there waiting for someone to come into a room, just to attack them with an onslaught of bible verses, condemnation, or gossip. It is in God's hands. You are meddling in God's affairs. It's up to God to punish them, to bring them down, not you. The wicked are there, and if you trust in God, they can not harm you. Do not seek to harm them. Simply carry out your daily actions, and allow the righteousness to shine through you. You don't have to preach at them, hurl stones at them, or do anything to them... because God is in charge, and only God knows in what ways he is moving their hearts towards him. If you must give in to the urge to fret over them, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. It is possible that God intends to use you to minister to them, even if it is only planting a tiny seed and moving on, but unless you are totally unified with the Holy Spirit, all you do is behave like the Pharisees of old, which may hinder the work God is trying to have done in their lives. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"Wait for the LORD and keep his way," command David, "He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found." Again, David is simply reaffirming what he has said earlier in this chapter. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off." Don't allow your fretting to cause you to be one of those sinners! </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#6600cc;">"The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." David ends with yet another reminder to trust in the Lord. </span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="color:#6600cc;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>In a nutshell:</strong> you become wicked when you take righteousness into your own hands. Don't fret when wrongs are done to you, because your trust in God will get you through it. Allow God to take control... let go and let God do his business.</span></span></p>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1144521201217035742006-08-10T13:33:00.001-05:002009-04-13T13:41:32.658-05:00Christian Unity<span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="center"><img alt="Image hosting by Photobucket" src="http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/ThaneDraigon/fish.jpg" /></p><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><p align="center"></p></blockquote><p align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#339999;">Romans 15:1-7 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good to edification (build him up.) For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Scriptures Paul writes about are not our 'modern bible'. They are the Jewish texts, and the other letters being written at the time. I don't mean to shock anyone... but the bible was not 'mysteriously' written by unknown authors! The NT is filled mainly with letters to the early church. The books are named after the letter's recipient, in most cases. Even Timothy did not write the book of Timothy... it was a letter written TO Timothy by Paul.<br /><br />All these books of the NT... letters to Romans, and Thessalonians... are nothing more than someone reaching out to edify, or build up, the writer's 'neighbor'. They were not written in a smug fashion, or as a means of insulting someone. They were written for the purpose of guidance for the early church leaders and teachers. They teach patience, and encourage the reader to strengthen his or her own spiritual walk with God. They are scripture in their own right. (Scripture doesn't just mean our own Holy Bible. Scripture can also be a body of writings that are considered sacred or authoritative... the Jewish Talmud is also Scripture under this definition.)<br /><br />So, over 2000 years later, we are still addressing a problem that Paul pointed out in Romans... unity. Paul urges us to accept one another so that we can praise God in one accord. I'm guessing that feeling of 'I know more than you, get behind me Satan, you stupid liar' was around back in his day, too. Hundreds of letters were written by the early Apostles in an attempt to stop the church from straying too far from the message Jesus brought us. People began to interpret things on their own, without understanding the whole message behind it. A lot of poor attitude was going around, with people been abused for the benefit of the preachers.<br /><br />Today, we can apply Paul's lesson to our lives. We can fall back on our bible, scriptures in letter form to the early church, for inspiration. It helps to read the whole book, instead of plucking out a single verse. The authors took great pains to say something, and then (much like this post) clarify what they are saying in later verses. The verses I have posted at the beginning of this email are a prolog toward Paul's message of spreading the word of God to the Gentiles. They are a stern reminder that we need to have unity, and that we need to reach out to our neighbors with support, instead of tearing them down for being different. Paul goes on to say that Jesus told us that our insults to others would be seen as insults to him. He ends this passage with the word 'accept'... reminding us that Jesus accepted us just as we were, and that we must do the same. He doesn't say Jesus accepted our sins and told us to continue. He doesn't say Jesus accepted us and then told us to go to hell. He says "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Don't push your brethren aside just because you disagree on doctrine. Strengthen your brother or sister in Christ, with words to build up their faith in God, so that, together, you both may bring praise to God.<br /></span></p>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1147203602829663072006-07-30T14:40:00.001-05:002009-04-13T13:42:24.330-05:00Seek Ye First<span id="_ctl2_Lyrics"><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Have you ever spent the day with a song stuck in your head? I've had one of those days... woke up with it firmly playing in my brain. Of course, when we get these melodies rattling around, it's usually not the entire song, but just a few sound bites. In my case, it was the first stanza... over and over, with the mental image of the music sheet and notation for cello.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Well, if it's there, you might as well plug into it and allow the Lord to work through it. Thus... "Seek Ye First", which I believe was a 1970's Christian classic... at least, I can still picture those words off the sheet... by Karen Lafferty.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#cc66cc;"><em>Seek ye first the Kingdom of God<br />And His righteousness<br />And all these things shall be added unto you<br />Hallelu, Hallelujah!<br /><br />Man shall not live by bread alone<br />But by every word<br />That proceeds from the mouth of God<br />Hallelu, Hallelujah!<br /><br />Ask and it shall be given unto you<br />Seek and ye shall find<br />Knock and the door shall be opened unto you<br />Hallelu, Hallelujah!<br /><br />If the Son shall set you free<br />Ye shall be free indeed<br />Ye shall know the truth, and it shall set you free<br />Hallelu, Hallelujah!<br /><br />Let your light so shine before men that they may see<br />Your good works and glorify<br />Your Father in heaven<br />Hallelu, Hallelujah!<br /><br />Trust in the Lord with all thine heart<br />He shall direct thy paths<br />In all thy ways acknowledge Him<br />Hallelu, Hallelujah!</em></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Other than being a fantastic song for Communion (our tiny choir hummed it at mass several weeks ago)... it really does speak to the heart. It flows like a Psalm of David. It teaches, even though many people never really pay attention to the wording, or bother to sing it all the way through. I'm not a fan of Christian radio stations, so I can't really say if this oldie but goodie gets much air time anymore, but really, it is a pleasing (to God) song with a valuable message.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">We are to seek God in all things, depending upon him for our daily needs. When we seek his kingdom and righteousness, instead of trying to make our own righteousness, we find that God provides both. We can't live on our own egos, either. We have to rely upon our faith in the Lord, and the Holy Spirit, to keep our walks straight.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">When times are troubled, and we find ourselves lacking, we need only ask the Lord for help. He will answer us. If we seek him, he will reveal himself to us. We just need to humble ourselves and knock upon his door. Like the parable of the Prodigal Son, our Father will rush towards us, wrapping us in an embrace, no matter how grizzly we look or how horrible we have been. Such is the mercy of God.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Jesus suffered and died so that our sins may be forgiven. He rose again to show the world the promise of that Salvation. God can not die. God is eternal, powerful and victorious. Once we have been given that freedom, God will never take it away from us. We will have that Truth until such a time as we decide, of our own free will, to turn away from it. The Truth, Salvation, does set us free. It is a wonderful feeling, to be cleansed by the Lord, and made anew. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Once we have embraced the Father, we can not keep that good feeling to ourselves. This doesn't mean we need to run out and give Salvation to others... we can not save anyone... we can only plant the seed (remember, it is Jesus that gives Salvation!) But, God charges us to go forth and spread his Good News. We are to be a beacon for others... the Light of Christ shining outward. Our words and actions should be for God. This doesn't mean adding 'Jesus' to every sentence we say. It doesn't mean judging others to see who lacks Jesus. It means that we are to be an example to the world. We have been given freedom, and it is only through the Grace of God that we are blessed. If others see our peace and joy, they may just ask us how they can obtain that feeling for themselves. Fellow Christians can see our walk and be re-inspired in their own walks. United through Christ, Blessed with Salvation, we are one body, one breath, one heart dedicated to the Lord.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;color:#993399;">Trust in the Lord, always, even when you feel you can't continue. He will direct you, lead you, and uplift you, now and for the rest of your days.</span><br /><p><br /></p><p align="center"><img alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting" src="http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g122/ThaneDraigon/JesusandLamb.jpg" /></p><br /><br /><p><br /></p>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21400404.post-1154214840829858922006-07-29T18:11:00.000-05:002006-08-06T18:19:49.580-05:00A One Book Meme, tagged by Moneybags.<span style="font-family:verdana;">A One Book Meme, tagged by </span><a href="http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Moneybags</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">.<br /><br />These are genuinely fun, especially since you get to peek into someone's life and get to know them a bit better!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>1. One book that changed your life:</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska. It's the foundation for those who pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. A real inspiration! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><strong>2. One book that you’ve read more than once:</strong><br />There are really too many to list!<br /><br /><strong>3. One book you’d want on a desert island:</strong><br />The Bible<br /><br /><strong>4. One book that made you laugh:</strong><br />War and Peace (seriously)<br /><br /><strong>5. One book that made you cry:</strong><br />Diary of Anne Frank<br /><br /><strong>6. One book that you wish had been written:</strong><br />The Intelligent Person's Guide to Dummys.<br /><br /><strong>7. One book that you wish had never been written:</strong><br />Harry Potter - gut oder böse, by Gabriele Kuby<br /><br /><strong>8. One book you’re currently reading:</strong><br />I'm working my way through the R.A. Salvatore series this summer, for kicks.<br /><br /><strong>9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:</strong><br />Pope Benedict XVI has a book published called The Europe of Benedict, in the Crisis of Cultures. It is a 152 page book written from 1992 to current times, right before he was elected Pope. The publisher Cantagalli Publishing does not know when an English translation will be available... so I will have to wait to read it.<br /><br /><br />TAG. If you blog, then post your own One Book Meme.</span><br /></span>TMcPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03760518865643151321noreply@blogger.com2