Gospel, Sunday, October 2, 2011

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Martha

 “Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad.  When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce.  But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third.  Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way.  Finally he sent his son to them thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’  But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.’  So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’  They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him at the proper time.’  Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this is the Lord’s doing and we marvel at it?  ‘I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”  (Matthew 21:33-43)

     In today’s Gospel from Matthew we learn about the landowner who sent multiple people to collect what was due him.  Each one was treated with mistreated with open disdain and one was even killed.  He eventually sent his own son thinking the tenants could not possibly treat him in the same manner, and yet they seized and killed him thinking they would then own all that was his.  It is not too hard to realize that those sent before his son are to represent the servants and prophets of the Old Testamen,t and John The Baptist, who were all sent by God to warn us to turn from evil ways and to prepare us for the coming of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ.

     Something that stands out to me is the great number of times God repeatedly tried to  convince His people to change their evil ways.  Many people either chose to ignore the messengers or did not recognize them as such, and it is still the same today.  God continually sends us messengers and warnings, and has even given us His written Word, The Holy Bible.

     Do you recognize Jesus when He comes to you?  Do you choose to ignore even the possiblility it is Him?  Do you treat His messengers with disdain or mistreat them?  Remember, Jesus is the Son of God, The Father.  He is our Savior and Lord, and He is coming again!  Will you recognize and be ready to welcome Him, or will you turn away in disbelief?

     In order to recognize Jesus you must know Him.  To know Him you must spend time with Him.  Spend time in The Bible that you might know Him so well as to not be fooled by impersonators.  Know Him so you will be ready for Him, and recognize Him when He comes.   

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1st Reading, Sunday, September 25, 2011

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Martha

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?  When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die.  Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.  Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”  Ezekiel 18:25-28

      The last line holds the key in today’s reading; it is never too late.  Turn away from sin.  Repent and receive God’s forgiveness and mercy.  Live!

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2nd Reading, Sunday, September 18, 2011

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Martha

Reading 2, Philippians 1:20c-24, 271

“all in accordance with my most confident hope and trust that I shall never have to admit defeat, but with complete fearlessness I shall go on, so that now, as always, Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or my death.  Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would be a positive gain.  On the other hand again, if to be alive in the body gives me an opportunity for fruitful work, I do not know which I should choose.  I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and to be with Christ, and this is by far the stronger desire-and yet for your sake to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need.

But you must always behave in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come to you and see for myself or whether I only hear all about you from a distance, I shall find that you are standing firm and united in spirit, battling, as a team with a single aim, for the faith of the gospel. 

     Do you want to live?  Or, do you want to die?  That is the question!  Fortunately the timing is not up to us.  If we are a believer, we know in our minds, and in our hearts, that with death comes Life.  As stated above, in death we gain.  The rub is that we leave behind all that we love here on earth.

     Because we do not choose the timing, we are capable of viewing life and death in more spiritual terms.  While the timing is not ours, the choice of life or death is.  We live to become the Christ in us and to share Him with others.  Our life should point towards Christ not only for our own salvation, but also for the salvation of others. 

 

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Is Anyone Listening?

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Martha

 “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.  But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’  Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue.  Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.  And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent;  for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.’  And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”  Acts 18:5-11

      Time and again we have examples in the Bible where the disciples simply shake the dust off their clothing and move on to the next proving ground.  In this case the apostle Paul simply moves next door!  As hard as it seems there are times when no amount of talking, no amount of citing, no amount of witnessing will get the job done.  There are those who’s ears, eyes, and hearts are closed to the Word of God.  When we have said and done everything possible we must move on, continue to pray for them, and leave them in God’s hands.  He knows.  However, we should never view our efforts as fruitless.  We may have been sent to prepare the way.  Just as John The Baptist did, we open the door for the Light to penetrate.

     Another thought to consider in shaking the dust off is the fact that there are others who are in need of hearing the Word also.  The longer we spend with those who refuse to listen, the less time spent with those who are hungry to listen.  Again, we never desert those left behind, for we continue to pray for their conversion to Christ, and remain ever willing to assist if the situation changes.

     Something that stands out to me is the fact that Paul moved next door.  Apparently the family of Titius Justus, who believed in God, had been listening to Paul.  His house was next to the synagogue where many of the Jews had been resisting Paul’s efforts.  Because Paul was close by, the leader of the synagogue, Crispus, who also believed, was baptized along with his household.  This led to many other conversions.  And then, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, telling him not to stop speaking out on His behalf, for He was with him.

     Sometimes we don’t have to remove ourselves a great distance.  Quietly witnessing nearby with our own life might be exactly what is needed to soften the hardened hearts of others.

     Have you been preaching and proving to no avail?  Does it seem as if no one is listening?  God knows who is.  Maybe it is time to shake off the dust and leave, or maybe just give them some space.  Continue to pray for them and live a life that witnesses your faith.  Actions often speak when words fail.

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Angel Of God

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Martha

“Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.”  Exodus 23:20-23

     We are never alone.  We are never unguarded, never unprotected.  In His infinite wisdom, God knew we would need to be watched over.  He knew that there would be times the path before us must be cleared.

     We are each blessed with the protection of God’s Angels.  He warns us, though, to be on guard.  We must look for and heed our Angel if we are to be protected and led to that place God has prepared for us.  When we heed His Angel’s voice, we array all the power of our Almighty God to defend us from our enemies.

     Our God is and awesome God who provides for us, His creation.  His Angels go before us ever pointing the way to Him.  As I always told my children when they were growing up, and most especially as teenagers, ” Leave room for your angel!”

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Happy Labor Day!

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Martha

This post is just to let you know that the next posted entry will be on Tuesday, after the Labor Day holiday.  Have a great one!  God Bless all of you!

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Gospel, Sunday, September 4, 2011

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Martha

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.  But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you a Gentile and a tax collector.  Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may aske, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”  Matthew 18:15-20  

      This Gospel’s message is not an easy one to follow.  Several times in the Bible we see Jesus speak to someone about their sins.  One that stands out, is the woman at the well who had no husband but had been in multiple, sinful relationships.  He told her what He knew about her in a way that allowed her to choose redemption.

     We must remember that we are not the judge and jury.  Before we ever speak to anyone about their sins, we must first remember that we too are sinful.  We must always have our brother’s best interest at heart, his soul.  If we do, we will approach him in humility, concern, and love.  We will approach him with Jesus as our first witness.

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Am I Saved?

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Martha

 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”  Matthew 7:13-14, 21

      I have often been approached about the topic of being saved.  I am Catholic and I believe in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.  I believe that through His sacrifice and grace I am given the gift of Eternal Life with Him.  I believe that living in, through, and with Jesus Christ I will be welcomed into Heaven.  I believe I am saved.  What I don’t believe is that I can pray a special prayer stating these beliefs and committing myself to Jesus one day, then go out the next day and treat my neighbor with disdain, be unscrupulous in my business dealings, commit adultery, or even murder, and still consider myself saved and that Heaven will open wide its gates to welcome me in.

     For me salvation is an ongoing process, a commitment to Jesus The Son, God The Father, and The Holy Spirit, that must be renewed in my heart everyday, in fact, each moment of everyday, lest I fall back into my sinful ways.

     Do I believe you must have good works to be saved?  Yes and no.  I believe I am born with a soul created by God in His own image and likeness, but stained with the original sin of Adam.  Through the Holy Sacrament of Baptism in the Name of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I am brought into new life.  Baptism is my spiritual birth.  First, I am humanly born into this world, and then, in Baptism I am spiritually born, or brought to life in Him and sent forth to reflect His Glory on earth.

     I believe we are innately good and wish to do and be good, for God is Himself goodness and … we are created in His image.  It is in our humanness that we our weak and succumb to the temptations and evil of Satan.  Therefore, we begin in goodness but must fight to remain there.  Each and every time we falter or sin, then confess and sincerely repent, we are reborn into Life Eternal.  When we repent and recommit our lives to Jesus, we are reawakened to Goodness and, innately, the good works begin to flow from us.  It is only through His Grace, His Goodness, we are transformed as stated in John 14:12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”  

     So, do I believe one must do good works to be saved?  Possibly not, but because you are saved, you will do good works.  To just pray a prayer in the fervor of the moment and then continue on in life just as things were, as if nothing has changed, is not being saved.  To live in, through and with Jesus is.  Am I saved then?  I may be as of this very moment, but I might not be tomorrow unless I am diligent in my salvation and allow myself to be transformed into His image and likeness.

     This is my prayer:  Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for Your never ending love, forgiveness, and mercy to ever bring me back from the brink of Satan’s lair and save me from the eternal fires of hell.  May my dying breath be to proclaim my repentance and declare your glory, that I might live forever more in Life Eternal with You.

 

 

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Gospel, Sunday, August 28, 2011

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Martha

 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.  Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.”  Matthew 16:24-25

       When the above excerpt from this Sunday’s Gospel is partnered with the 2nd Reading for the day, everything falls neatly into place making it easier to understand what Jesus is saying.  “I urge you, then, brothers, remembering the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, dedicated and acceptable to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people.  Do not model your behavior on the contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God–what is good and acceptable and mature.”  Romans 12:1-2

     In Matthew, Jesus tells us to renounce ourselves so that we might save ourselves.  In Romans it expressed in a simpler way– offer your bodies as sacrifice in worship of God.  When we sacrifice our bodies to God, we empty ourselves of all that is worldly and fill ourselves with all that is Godly.  We allow the renewing of our minds to transform us into His image and likeness, becoming filled with His Holy Spirit, thereby enabling us to discern the will of God in our own lives.

     Between now and this Sunday, let us look for ways to empty ourselves of the world and offer it in sacrifice to God.  In doing so, we will be better prepared.  In doing so, we will be more open to the renewal of His Spirit within when we hear His Word.

     Blessing to all!      

 

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Planted And Built Up…

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Martha

 

“Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith.” Colossians 2:7

     World Youth Day 2011, a faith gathering of hundreds of thousands of youth from around the world, recently took place in Madrid, Spain.  Pope Benedict XVI spoke to the world’s youth addressing the theme:  “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith.” Colossians 2:7

     I would like to share an expert from his address, for there is much here for all ages and stages of life, not just youth.  In his address, he gives great insight into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I know it is quite long, but if you have never had any opportunity to hear or read our Pope’s words, I hope you read these and find them not only enjoyable, but inspiring.   (The areas in bold script are done by me and refer to our relationship with Jesus Christ.)

“In order to highlight the importance of faith in the lives of believers, I would like to reflect with you on each of the three terms used by Saint Paul in the expression: “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7). We can distinguish three images: “planted” calls to mind a tree and the roots that feed it; “built up” refers to the construction of a house; “firm” indicates growth in physical or moral strength. These images are very eloquent. Before commenting on them, I would like to point out that grammatically all three terms in the original text are in the passive voice. This means that it is Christ himself who takes the initiative to plant, build up and confirm the faithful.

 The first image is that of a tree which is firmly planted thanks to its roots, which keep it upright and give it nourishment. Without those roots, it would be blown away by the wind and would die. What are our roots? Naturally our parents, our families and the culture of our country are very important elements of our personal identity.

 But the Bible reveals a further element. The prophet Jeremiah wrote: “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jer 17:7-8). For the prophet, to send out roots means to put one’s trust in God. From him we draw our life. Without him, we cannot truly live. “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 Jn 5:1 ) . Jesus himself tells us that he is our life (cf. Jn 1 4:6) .

 Consequently, Christian faith is not only a matter of believing that certain things are true, but above all a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is an encounter with the Son of God that gives new energy to the whole of our existence. When we enter into a personal relationship with him, Christ reveals our true identity and, in friendship with him, our life grows towards complete fulfilment. There is a moment, when we are young, when each of us wonders: what meaning does my life have? What purpose and direction should I give to it? This is a very important moment, and it can worry us, perhaps for some time. We start wondering about the kind of work we should take up, the kind of relationships we should establish, the friendships we should cultivate….

Here, once more, I think of my own youth. I was somehow aware quite early on that the Lord wanted me to be a priest. Then later, after the war, when I was in the seminary and at university on the way towards that goal, I had to recapture that certainty. I had to ask myself: is this really the path I was meant to take? Is this really God’s will for me? Will I be able to remain faithful to him and completely at his service? A decision like this demands a certain struggle. It cannot be otherwise. But then came the certainty: this is the right thing! Yes, the Lord wants me, and he will give me strength. If I listen to him and walk with him, I become truly myself. What counts is not the fulfilment of my desires, but of his will. In this way life becomes authentic.

 Just as the roots of a tree keep it firmly planted in the soil, so the foundations of a house give it long-lasting stability. Through faith, we have been built up in Jesus Christ (cf. Col 2:7), even as a house is built on its foundations. Sacred history provides many examples of saints who built their lives on the word of God. The first is Abraham, our father in faith, who obeyed God when he was asked to leave his ancestral home and to set out for an unknown land. “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God” (Jas 2:23). Being built up in Jesus Christ means responding positively to God’s call, trusting in him and putting his word into practice. Jesus himself reprimanded his disciples: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’, and do not do what I tell you?” (Lk 6:46). He went on to use the image of building a house: “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built” (Lk 6:47-48).

 Dear friends, build your own house on rock, just like the person who “dug deeply”. Try each day to follow Christ’s word. Listen to him as a true friend with whom you can share your path in life. With him at your side, you will find courage and hope to face difficulties and problems, and even to overcome disappointments and set-backs. You are constantly being offered easier choices, but you yourselves know that these are ultimately deceptive and cannot bring you serenity and joy. Only the word of God can show us the authentic way, and only the faith we have received is the light which shines on our path. Gratefully accept this spiritual gift which you have received from your families; strive to respond responsibly to God’s call, and to grow in your faith. Do not believe those who tell you that you don’t need others to build up your life! Find support in the faith of those who are dear to you, in the faith of the Church, and thank the Lord that you have received it and have made it your own!

Further into the address he continues:

Enter into a personal dialogue with Jesus Christ and cultivate it in faith. Get to know him better by reading the Gospels and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Converse with him in prayer, and place your trust in him. He will never betray that trust! “Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 150). Thus you will acquire a mature and solid faith, one which will not be based simply on religious sentiment or on a vague memory of the catechism you studied as a child. You will come to know God and to live authentically in union with him, like the Apostle Thomas who showed his firm faith in Jesus in the words: “My Lord and my God!”.
The address can be read in its entirety at this link:
Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/wyd2011/speeches/message08.asp#ixzz1VcSH8kDs

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