Do Not Grieve As Others Do

Hi! and happy first day of the week to all of us, GUYS.  In today's "daily bread":

 

THE GOOD NEWS (31 August 2015)

"Brothers and sisters, we want you not to be mistaken about those who are already asleep, lest you grieve as do those who have no hope.  We believe that JESUS died and rose; it will be the same for those who have died in JESUS.  GOD will bring them together with JESUS and for HIS sake.

So, then comfort one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 18

(The Thessalonian community is made up of Christians who are all recent converts with little experience.  For years they had accepted the fate of being born to die.  Now, on the contrary, they awaken each day with the assurance of overcoming death:  CHRIST will come soon and take them to the heavenly Kingdom.  They are grieved nevertheless over their dead relatives whom CHRIST will not be able to save.  This is what they thought because Greek culture had difficulties believing in a resurrection of the dead.

 

Those who are already asleep.  Those who have died are not dead, but they are asleep, waiting for the time of the resurrection, the time of rising as new persons transformed by CHRIST; we will all be transformed.  The word "cemetery" comes from a word meaning sleeping place.

 

GOD will bring them together with JESUS.  Paul supposes that he and his readers will be alive when CHRIST returns and he describes the event according to the cultural expressions of the time.  Let us not forget that up to the time of Galileo, everyone thought that heaven had its place in the universe, very high above and that GOD, although a spirit, was in some way present there.

 

Comfort one another.  The way of celebrating funerals in the Church must comfort the dead person's relatives and strengthen their faith in the resurrection.  There is no room for expressions of despair which JESUS HIMSELF scorned:  these are peculiar to people who consider the separation to be final.  A funeral mass without any spectacular display, when the fervent prayer of the community is experienced, produces a great impact on people who are indifferent.)

5th Sunday, August 2015

Hi! and happy 5th "family" day to all of us, GUYS.  Our first-thing-first today:

 

THE GOOD NEWS (30 August 2015)

 

          1st Reading  :  Deuteronomy 4:1-8

          Psalm           :  Psalm 15:2-5

          2nd Reading :  James 1:17-27

          Gospel          :  Mark 7:1-23

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the FATHER of LIGHT, in whom there is no change or shadow of a change.  By HIS own will HE gave us life through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of offering to HIM among HIS creatures." - James 1:17-18

(Because we are inconstant, James invites us to look to the FATHER who does not change and whose holiness and happiness are touched by nothing.  What an amazing thing:  in HIS eternity, the FATHER enjoys our presence, while we who live in time do not yet know how to focus on HIM.  We must acquire the same firmness and constancy that are in GOD.)

The Head Of John The Baptist

Hello! and happy weekend to all of us, GUYS.  Today's "food for the soul":

"For this is what had happened.  Herod had ordered John to be arrested and had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her and John had told him, 'It is not right for you to live with your brother's wife.'  So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because Herod respected John.  He knew John to be an upright and holy man and kept him safe.  And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him.

 Herodias had her chance on Herod's birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs and the leaders of Galilee.  On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests.  The king said to the girl, 'Ask me of anything you want and I will give it to you.  And he went so far as to say with many oaths, 'I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.'  She went out to consult her mother, 'What shall I ask for?'  The mother replied, 'The head of John the Baptist.'  The girl hurried to the king and made her request:  'I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.'

The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths.  So he sent one of the bodyguards with orders to bring John's head.  He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl.  And the girl gave it to her mother.  When John's disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it." - Mark 6:17-29

 (King Herod.  This refers to Herod Antipas, son of the other Herod who reigned when JESUS was born.

 

King Herod respected John, but he was prisoner of his milieu and of his vices.  As king of Galilee, his misconduct constituted a public counter-witness.

 

All through the Bible we see prophets stressing the particular responsibility of those who wield power.  If they have to lead the people, they must be, by the rectitude of their life, an example; John the Baptist could not speak of justice without reproaching Herod for his infidelity.

 

People said that John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.  They considered John a martyr and believed he would rise from the dead to punish Herod.  Some associated JESUS with John - JESUS performed miracles that John had not done.  Others, less informed, thought JESUS was an apparition of John.)

The Ten Bridesmaids

Hi! and happy TGIF, GUYS.  Let's see what happened to the 10 bridesmaids in our today's "daily bread":

 

THE GOOD NEWS (28 August 2015)

"This story throws light on what will happen in the kingdom of heaven.  Ten bridesmaids went out with their lamps to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were careless while the others were sensible. 

The careless bridesmaids took their lamps as they were and did not bring extra oil.  But those who were sensible, brought with their lamps flasks of oil.  As the bridegroom delayed, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.

But at midnight, a cry rang out: 'The bridegroom is here, come out and meet him!'  All the maidens woke up at once and trimmed their lamps.  Then the careless ones said to the sensible ones:  'Give us some oil, for our lamps are going out.'  The sensible ones answered:  'There may not be enough for both you and us.  You had better go to those who sell and buy for yourselves.'

They were out buying oil when the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the doors were shut.

Later the rest of the bridesmaids arrived and called out:  'Lord, Lord, open to us.'  But he answered:  'Truly, I do not know you.' 

So, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour." - Matthew 25:1-13

 

(The parable tells us how to await the return of CHRIST, being alert and active.  "The Ten Bridesmaids" is the most beautiful parable on fidelity.  The ten girls followed the custom of waiting through the night for the bridegroom who will be accompanied to his house.  The bridegroom is late, something that should astonish no one.  The bride is not mentioned:  perhaps they will discover at the end that there was no other than themselves.

 

They fell asleep.  Once the sun has set, all is dark and nothing more can be done.  No further work except fidelity of heart:  oil will be needed to keep the flame alive.

 

Here as in other places, the Gospel shows us that more than conversion and enthusiasm is needed:  it is necessary to last.  Being sure of having a reserve of oil is to take the means that enable us to persevere in our vocation.

 

Some will say that Matthew has placed this parable here for the benefit of the first Christians, for after having awaited the return of CHRIST, they saw that nothing happened.  Error!  JESUS speaks to the believers of all times.  For them one day or another fidelity becomes burdensome:  "I did not know to what I was committing myself."  There lies the grandeur of fidelity.  It cannot be known in advance; giving one's hand to GOD is a jump into the unknown.  Only through this perseverance can we be saved, in other words, find ourselves.

 

The LORD demands faithfulness and perseverance from those HE has chosen:  this is how we save a world that seeks truth everywhere and does not know to which LORD to surrender.) 

Our Days Pass Like A Sigh

Hello! and happy Thursday to all of us, GUYS.  If our days pass like a sigh, let's always think that every day in our lives is always the last day; therefore, let's make the best of the best of it. - Miles

"Before the mountains were formed, before YOU made the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity - YOU are GOD. 

YOU turn humans back to dust, saying, 'Return, O mortals!' 

A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has passed, or like a watch in the night.

YOU sow them in their time, at dawn they peep out.  In the morning they blossom, but the flower fades and withers in the evening.

So make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart." - Psalm 90:2-6, 12

 

(Our earthly life is short and frail before the face of the eternal GOD.  HE is our refuge and can give meaning to our existence.  Let us ask HIM to fill it with wisdom, which is to love HIM, praise HIM and serve HIM.)

The Hypocrites! (A Sequel)

Hi! and good mid-week to all of us, GUYS.  And, let's finish off the Pharisees in our today's "food for the soul":

"Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You are like whitewashed tombs beautiful in appearance, but inside there are only dead bones and uncleanness.  In the same way you appear as religious to others, but you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness within.

Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.  You say:  Had we lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in the blood of prophets.  So, you yourselves confess to be kins of those who murdered the prophets.  And now, finish off what your ancestors began!" - Matthew 23:27-32

(We have on one side "the prophets" and on the other those who "kill the prophets".  The Bible shows us that the prophets meet with much opposition among the people of GOD and especially among its leaders.

There is a people of GOD and this people had necessarily its institutions which help it to be faithful to its mission.  In fact this people follows their reflexes and social prejudices, and the whole institution, even if born of the Spirit, becomes heavy and hardens with time.  Prophets are readily condemned when they challenge peace and unity in mediocrity or even unfaithfulness to the word of GOD.

The defenders of the Jewish community were not ready to listen to their prophet.  It was one thing to honor the prophets of the past and keep the sacred books, another to accept the criticism addressed to them by GOD, not in the sacred books, but from the lips of JESUS, the carpenter.

Thus it was that the prominent Jews let the moment when GOD visited them slip by - following the path that would lead their nation to ruin.

The example of the Jewish nation must serve as a warning to us.  Are our Christian communities, confronted today by a major crisis, able to build a poorer and more demanding Church?  Will they be less pre-occupied with their personal survival rather than giving the Gospel to the world?)

The Hypocrites!

Hello! and good Tuesday to all of us, GUYS.  Hope that we are not like the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees.

 

THE GOOD NEWS (25 August 2015)

"Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You do not forget the mint, anise and cumin seeds when you pay the tenth of everything, but then you forget what is most fundamental in the Law:  justice, mercy and faith.  These you must practice, without neglecting the others.  Blind guides!  You strain out a mosquito, but swallow a camel.

Woe to you teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You fill the plate and the cup with theft and violence, and then pronounce a blessing over them.  Blind Pharisee!  Purify the inside first, then the outside too will be purified." - Matthew 23:23-26

 

 

(How could JESUS call such men hypocrites when they were so versed in the knowledge of the Bible?  

 

In the language of JESUS, the word "hypocrite" equally denotes what is superficial as well as the one who makes light of what is of GOD.  All the Pharisees were obviously not hypocrites; but JESUS denounces a frequent deformation in the religious elite.  He calls us to be wary of those institutions born of possessors of wealth and culture who aspire to direct others - and the Church - without having learned from the poor or practiced humility. 

 

The mystery of GOD is so deep that no one can present himself as HIS lieutenant.  The Pharisees trained, taught and gained many followers in the faith but their fasts and alms were already rewarded.  Pride and love of money were given their place.)

The Word Became A Human

Hi! and good beginning of the weekdays, GUYS.  Our "daily bread" today is also the beginning of everything:

 

THE GOOD NEWS (24 August 2015)

"In the beginning was the Word.  And the Word was with GOD and the Word was GOD; HE was in the beginning with GOD.

All things were made through HIM and without HIM nothing came to be.  Whatever  has come to be, found life in HIM,  life which for humans was also light.  Light that shines in the dark:  light that darkness could not overcome." - John 1:1-5

(In the beginning was the Word.  The real beginning is not the creation of the universe.  For this beginning of time, space, matter, existence explains nothing yet demands an explanation.  The real beginning is beyond time.  John does not say that at this beginning "GOD was" because we know it.  He speaks of the Word.  We keep this traditional term word, although the term word that John uses says more than "word".  It is both "thought" and "word", which is the word expressing what one carries in oneself.  We ought perhaps translate with:  The "Expression" of GOD.  To speak of this Word, or Expression of the FATHER, or to speak of HIS Son, is the same thing.  In other pages HE will be called Splendor and Image of the FATHER.  The SON is not part of the FATHER, or another GOD since HE has nothing that is of HIMSELF but all which is the FATHER's is also HIS.) 

4th Sunday, August 2015

Hi! and happy 4th Sunday of August, GUYS.  Our today's "food for the soul":

          1st Reading  :  Joshua 24:1-18
          Psalm           :  Psalm 34:2-23
          2nd Reading :  Ephesians 5:21-32
          Gospel          :  John 6:60-69

 

"I will bless the LORD all my days; HIS praise will be ever on my lips...

I sought the LORD, and HE answered me; from all my fears HE delivered me...

Oh, see and taste the goodness of the LORD!  Blessed is the one who finds shelter in HIM...

The LORD hears the cry of the righteous and rescues them from all their troubles...

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves the distraught." - Psalm 34:2, 5, 9, 18-19

 

(Let our experience be that of the poor and the humble.  GOD is near to those who have no other support but HIM.  When there will be no assurance, GOD will be obliged to take charge of those whom HE owes fidelity.)

The Annunciation

Hello! and happy Blessed Mother's Annunciation Day, GUYS:

 

THE GOOD NEWS (22 August 2015)

"In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from GOD to a town of Galilee called Nazareth.  He was sent to a young virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

The angel came to her and said, 'Rejoice, full of grace, the LORD is with you.'  Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean.

But the angel said, 'Do not fear, Mary, for GOD has looked kindly on you.  You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him JESUS.  HE will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High.  The LORD GOD will give HIM the kingdom of David, his ancestor; HE will rule over the people of Jacob forever and HIS reign shall have no end.'

Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be if I am a virgin?'  And the angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born shall be called Son of GOD.  Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month.  With GOD nothing is impossible.'



The Interior (Circa 1925)

Then Mary said, 'I am the handmaid of the LORD, let it be done to me as you have said." - Luke 1:26-38

Basilica of The Annunciation
Nazareth, Israel
  

(Only Mary could make known the mystery of JESUS' conception to the primitive church.  How could she express such an inner experience and how would it be reported?  Therefore, in writing, Luke had to use biblical words and forms that would allow us to understand the mysterious encounter of Mary with GOD.

 

I am the handmaid of the LORD... In saying this, Mary does not lower herself with false humility; instead she expresses her faith and her surrender.  From her will be born the one who will be both the servant announced by the prophets and the only Son.

 

Many persons are mistaken about the word "servant" in that they view Almighty GOD as using HIS servants to HIS own ends without taking time to look at them and love them.  For them GOD would lose HIS greatness if HE were to give Mary authentic responsibility in the incarnation of her Son.

 

This is quite contrary to the spirit of the Bible.  GOD loves people, HE wishes, HE who is GOD, to experience human friendship.  GOD had no need of a woman to make a human body, but HE wanted to have a mother for HIS Son; and for Mary to really be that mother, it was necessary that GOD looked upon her with greater love than HE had for any other creature.  Thus, Mary is called full of grace.

 

Grace is what we call the power GOD has to heal our spirit, to instill in us the disposition to believe, and to make us resonate with the truth so that the expression of real love comes from us in a spontaneous way.  We call grace that which came from the living GOD to blossom on earth.

 

Mary is full of grace because JESUS was born of her as HE is born of the FATHER.  This is why the Church believes that Mary has a unique role in the work of our salvation.  She is the marvel that GOD achieved at the outset of transforming humankind into HIS image.)

The Protagonist

Hi! and a happy special holiday today, GUYS.  Let me give you today a very inspiring kind of friendship between in-laws:

 

THE GOOD NEWS (21 August 2015)

 

"Naomi said, 'Return home, my daughters.  Why should you come with me, when I have no more sons to become your husbands?'... Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.  Naomi said, 'Look, your sister-in-law returns to her people and her gods.  You too must return.  Go after her.'

Ruth replied, 'Don't ask me to leave you.  For I will go where you go and stay where you stay.  Your people will be my people and your GOD, my GOD.  Where you die, there will I die and be buried.  May YAHWEY deal with me severely if anything except death separates us'." - Ruth 1:11, 14-17 

(A spirit of supranational openness inspires this story written around the 4th century B.C.  Shortly before this, Ezra had forced the Jews to get rid of their foreign wives who might have enticed them to follow pagan religions.  By contrast, here the protagonist of the story is a foreign woman.  Ruth accepts the true GOD of Israel and she is welcomed into the community of the people of GOD.)

The Wedding Feast

Hello! and good Thursday morning, GUYS.  Our today's "daily bread":

 

THE GOOD NEWS (20 August 2015)

"This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven.  A king celebrated the wedding of his son. He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding feast, but the guests refused to come. 

Again he sent other servants ordering them to say to the invited guests:  'I have prepared a banquet, slaughtered my fattened calves and other animals, and now everything is ready; come then, to the wedding feast.'  But they paid no attention and went away... While the rest seized the servants of the king, insulted them and killed them.

The king became angry.   He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.  Then he said to his servants:  'The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy.  Go, then, to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.'

The servants went out at once into the streets and gathered everyone they found, good and bad alike, so that the hall was filled with guests.

The king came in to see those who were at table, and he noticed a man not wearing the festal garment.  So he said  to him:  'Friend, how did you get in without the wedding garment?'  But the man remained silent.  So the king said to his servants:  'Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the dark where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Know that many are called, but few are chosen." - Matthew 22:2-14

  

( The parable contains two parts.

 

In the first part, GOD invites us to a banquet where there is a place for everyone.  All through history he has been sending his prophets to preach justice, the mercy of GOD and trust in HIM.  The Jewish nation, however, did not heed GOD's call through these prophets and now will pay even less heed to JESUS.  GOD's plan will not fail.  HE will send HIS apostles to preach the Gospel in foreign nations [go to the exits of the ways] so that non-Jews, too, may enter the Church.  Some Jews, however, the selected few among so many called, will be the first members of the Church.

 

The king celebrates the wedding of his son, CHRIST, who deserves to be called "the bride-groom" of humankind, because HE has become one body with it.  All throughout history the RISEN CHRIST gathers together mortal and divided human beings. The Spirit of GOD will transform and raise them from the dead, so that they may sit at the table of the living, according to the parable.

 

The only table of CHRIST that Christians usually know is the Eucharist.  While taking part in it, we must not forget what has been said above.  Our meeting in the Mass should remind us that GOD calls us to prepare, in our daily lives, for the banquet reserved by HIM for all humankind.  Ours is the task of uniting and reconciling all people.

 

What if we do not answer?  Then, little by little, the life of the holy and universal Church will be withdrawn from our assemblies of comfortable Christians, and others will be called to take charge of the work of GOD:  invite to the wedding.

 

The second part of the parable points this out:  You, Christians, who are already inside the Church, do you wear the new garment - a life of justice, honesty and trustworthiness?

 

Let us not believe that the surprised guest who was not properly dressed for the occasion was some kind of poor person.  No, for it was customary during those times to supply all guests with the robe they should wear at the banquet.  This one could have put on the robe but did not, so he had nothing to answer.

 

Many are called...  Some are disturbed upon reading this:  does it mean that only a few persons will be saved?

 

If we associate this sentence with the first part of the parable, it means that, of those first invited, few will enter the banquet.  These guests were the Jews and very few, indeed, entered the Church of JESUS.  Interpreted in connection with the second part of the parable, it would mean that few of those entering the Church have the necessary dispositions, so the majority would be condemned at the time of judgment.  This contradicts what was related in the parable, because only one of the guests was thrown out.

 

It is better not to associate this saying too much with the parable of the banquet, because we find it also in other places in the Gospel.  Here JESUS advises us that only a few discover through the Gospel true freedom and new life.  Then, are they saved?  Yes and no - because salvation, for JESUS, does not mean to escape from the punishment of hell, but to reach perfection.)

The Last Will Be First, The First Will Be Last!

Hi! and good mid-week day, GUYS.  Let me give you today the story of "the workers in the vineyard":

 

THE GOOD NEWS (19 August 2015)

 

"This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven.  A landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.  He agreed to pay the workers a salary of a silver coin for the day, and sent them to his vineyard. 

He went out again at about nine in the morning, and seeing others idle in the square, he said to them:  'You, too, go to my vineyard and I will pay you what is just.'  So they went.

The owner went out at midday and again at three in the afternoon, and he did the same.  Finally he went out at the last working hour - it was the eleventh - and he saw others standing there.  So he said to them:  'Why do you stay idle the whole day?'  They answered:  'Because no one has hired us.'  The master said:  'Go and work in my vineyard.'

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager: 'Call the workers and pay them their wage, beginning with the last and ending with the first.'  Those who had come to work at the eleventh hour turned up and given a denarius (a silver coin).  When it was the turn of the first, they thought they would receive more.  But they, too, received a denarius each.  So, on receiving it, they began to grumble against the landowner.

They said:  'These last hardly worked an hour, yet you have treated them the same as us who have endured the day's burden and heat.'  The owner said to one of them:  'Friend, I have not been unjust to you.  Did we not agree on a denarius a day?  So take what is yours and go.  I want to give to the last the same as I give to you.  Don't I have the right to do as I please with my money?  Why are you envious when I am kind?

So will it be:  the last will be first, the first will be last." - Matthew 20:1-16

(Many are surprised at this parable.  They find it unfair to give the same reward to everyone, without taking into account the labor and sacrifices of everyone.

 

Without doubt JESUS wanted to shock us and shatter the idea we obstinately cling to:  that we have merits that GOD must recognize.  However we should pay close attention to the story:  JESUS makes a comparison, not of several laborers, but of several groups of laborers.  Each group represents a nation or a social class, and while some of them have long ago received the word of GOD, others have just become believers.

 

All throughout history, GOD has been calling different people to work in his vineyard... The elders never cease to claim their right to receive better treatment than the others.  Actually the vineyard has not been confided to them exclusively.

 

To this day, there are also social groups that are amazed when the Church criticizes their demand for privileges and does not assign them the first benches in the temple for they had always believed that the Church was theirs.

 

In this parable, all are treated on equal terms and receive one silver coin each.  Let them be happy for having been invited to work, as they were unemployed.)

 

JESUS And The Rich Young Man (A Sequel)

Hello! and good day to all of us, GUYS.  Today's "food for the soul":

 

THE GOOD NEWS (18 August 2015)

 

"Then JESUS said to HIS disciples, 'Truly I say to you:  it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, believe ME:  it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 19:23-24

 

(A church portal relief in Dortmund, Germany referencing JESUS’ use of "camel through the eye of a needle" aphorism.)

(There is the question that bothers us most for all that touches money affects us deeply, and it is there that the Gospel shocks us:  it is easier for a camel... 

 

 The call of the rich young man has always been considered the model of the religious, apostolic vocation.  Without effective, voluntary poverty a person will never attain union with GOD that is the goal of the true religious.  Besides, as long as the apostles share the life of comfortable people, they will be able to be their friends but they will never have deep conversions nor will they during this time reach the immense world of the poor.
 

The problem of poverty is also at the heart of the family in today's world:  for the greater number, believers or non-believers, the joys and blessings that GOD showers on a large family will only be given to those who have ceased to evaluate everything according to the criteria of money and security.)  

JESUS And The Rich Young Man

Hi! and good and happy Monday morning, GUYS.  Our today's "bread of life":

 

THE GOOD NEWS (17 August 2015)

 

"It was then that a young man approached HIM and asked, 'Master, what good work must I do to receive eternal life?... If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments.'... The young man said to HIM, 'I have kept all these commandments, what is still lacking?'  JESUS answered, 'If you wish to be perfect, go and sell all that you possess and give the money to the poor and you will become the owner of a treasure in heaven.  Then come back and follow me.

On hearing this answer, the young man went away sad for he was a man of great wealth." - Matthew 19:16-22

 

 

 

(Love of the FATHER means wanting to be perfect as the FATHER is and working for HIS Kingdom.  First of all it needs to be free, and the rich man can only be free through voluntary poverty.  The man also wanted to know how to receive eternal life and JESUS will clearly state at the end, that even if we obey the commandments, we do not "merit" eternal life:  salvation is always a gift of GOD.)

3rd Sunday, August 2015

Hi! and happy 3rd Sunday of August 2015, GUYS:

THE GOOD NEWS (16 August 2015)

          1st Reading  :  Proverbs 9:1-6
          Psalm           :  Psalm 34:2-15
          2nd Reading :  Ephesians 5:15-20
          Gospel          :  John 6:51-58

 

The Visitation

Hello! and happy weekend, GUYS.  Let's talk today about the woman who is called full of grace:

 

THE GOOD NEWS (15 August 2015)

"Mary then set out for a town in the Hills of Judah.  She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.  Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, 'You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  How is it that the mother of my LORD comes to me?  The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy.  Blessed are you who believed that the LORD's word would come true!" - Luke 1:39-45

 

(The angel's message has not left Mary alone with her problems.  The angel spoke of her elderly cousin, Elizabeth.  With her Mary will share her joy and her secret.  Mary, quite young [was she more than fifteen?], will learn from her many things that Joseph could not tell her.  What had been foretold to Zechariah will now be fulfilled:  'Your son will be filled with the Holy Spirit while in the womb of his mother.'

 

What is most important in history is not what is spectacular.  The Gospel prefers to draw our attention to life-filled events.
 

 

A few years later, Jewish crowds would go to John the Baptist looking for the word of GOD.  No one would wonder how he received the Spirit of GOD, and no one would know that a humble girl, Mary, put GOD's plan in motion on that Visitation day.

 

Blessed are you who believed!  What is important is not that Mary is the mother of JESUS in the flesh, and this, JESUS will repeat.  Mary, who has become the Temple of GOD, communicates the Spirit - the Spirit of JESUS.)

Divorce?

Hello! and good TGIF day, GUYS.  As usual, our today's conscience on "married life":

 

THE GOOD NEWS (14 August 2015)

 

"Some Pharisees approached JESUS.  They wanted to test HIM and asked, 'Is a man allowed to divorce his wife for any reason he wants?' 

 

JESUS replied, 'Have you not read that in the beginning the CREATOR made them male and female, and HE said:  Man has now to leave father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body?  So they are no longer two but one body; let no one separate what GOD has joined." - Matthew 19:3-6

 

(Every human society has had its laws on marriage, and it was the same for Israel.  There was then a law on divorce, in harmony with the difference of status accorded by society to man and woman; it was in Scripture [Deuteronomy 24:1].  JESUS does not want to be involved in the discussions of teachers and interpreters of the Law; HE opposes this law with another word of Scripture which presents GOD's point of view regarding human attitudes which HE tolerates.

 

 

 

In doing this, JESUS shows how he brings the Law to "perfection", but clearly this "law of GOD" can only be heard by those who have received the Spirit from JESUS, a fact that is emphasized in the reaction of the disciples.)