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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 2 months

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14th March >> Fr. Martin's Reflections / Homilies on Today's Mass Readings (Inc. John 5:31-47) for Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent: ‘As for human approval, that means nothing to me’.

Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

Gospel (Except USA) John 5:31-47 You place your hopes on Moses but Moses will be your accuser.

Jesus said to the Jews:

‘Were I to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid; but there is another witness who can speak on my behalf, and I know that his testimony is valid. You sent messengers to John, and he gave his testimony to the truth: not that I depend on human testimony; no, it is for your salvation that I speak of this. John was a lamp alight and shining and for a time you were content to enjoy the light that he gave. But my testimony is greater than John’s: the works my Father has given me to carry out, these same works of mine testify that the Father has sent me. Besides, the Father who sent me bears witness to me himself. You have never heard his voice, you have never seen his shape, and his word finds no home in you because you do not believe in the one he has sent.

‘You study the scriptures, believing that in them you have eternal life; now these same scriptures testify to me, and yet you refuse to come to me for life! As for human approval, this means nothing to me. Besides, I know you too well: you have no love of God in you. I have come in the name of my Father and you refuse to accept me; if someone else comes in his own name you will accept him. How can you believe, since you look to one another for approval and are not concerned with the approval that comes from the one God? Do not imagine that I am going to accuse you before the Father: you place your hopes on Moses, and Moses will be your accuser. If you really believed him you would believe me too, since it was I that he was writing about; but if you refuse to believe what he wrote, how can you believe what I say?’

Gospel (USA) John 5:31-47 The one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.

Jesus said to the Jews: “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life.

“I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Reflections (11)

(i) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

What Jesus says in today’s gospel reading is part of his response to the Jewish leaders who had started to persecute Jesus because he healed a crippled man on the Sabbath day, thereby breaking the Sabbath law which said that no work could be done on the Sabbath. Jesus clearly does not have the approval of the religious leaders. Yet, in the gospel reading Jesus says, ‘As for human approval, that means nothing to me’. He goes on to say to his critics, ‘you look to one another for approval and are not concerned with the approval that comes from the one God?’ For Jesus, human approval was much less important that approval from God, his loving Father. He came to do the will of his heavenly Father, even if that meant having to live with the consequences of the disapproval of powerful people. What is the will of God for Jesus? Elsewhere in this gospel of John, Jesus says, ‘This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life’. Jesus came to lead all people to believe in him so that they may have life and have it to the full. Jesus’ food, his deepest hunger, was to do this will of God and, thereby, continue to enjoy God’s approval. We can all be tempted to place human approval before God’s approval. Like Jesus, we are called to live according to God’s will for our lives, as Jesus has revealed it, even if this means at times losing human approval. A life pleasing to God matters more than a life pleasing to others. God’s approval is worth a great deal more than human approval.

And/Or

(ii) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

Our church is dedicated to John the Baptist and we are alert to the references to John the Baptist in the gospels. In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus says that John testified to the truth. In John’s gospel Jesus says the same about himself as he stands before Pilate: ‘For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth’. It seems that John the Baptist and Jesus have something very fundamental in common; they both testify to the truth; they both bear witness to God who is truth. Yet, Jesus goes on in this morning’s gospel reading to speak of John as a lamp alight and shining, whereas Jesus will go on to speak of himself as the light of the world. John is not the light of the world; he testifies to the light of the world, to Jesus, and that is why he is a lamp alight and shining. John the Baptist exemplifies what we are all called to become. We are not the light of the world, but we are called to testify to Jesus the light of the world by what we say and what we do. If we are faithful to that calling we too, like John, will be a lamp alight and shining. Earlier in John’s gospel John the Baptist spoke of Jesus as the bridegroom and of himself as a friend of the bridegroom. That too is our calling, to live as friends of the bridegroom, making way for him to enter the lives of others.

And/Or

(iii) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

Jesus speaks of John the Baptist as a ‘lamp alight and shining’. Later in the gospel of John, Jesus will speak of himself as the light of the world. If Jesus is the light, John is only a lamp. The relationship between Jesus and John could be compared to that between the sun and the moon. The sun is the source of light; the moon reflects the light of the sun. Jesus is the source of God’s light, the light of God’s love and God’s truth. John’s role was to reflect the light of Jesus by bearing witness to Jesus. John’s role is also our role. We are called to reflect something of the light of Jesus to others, the light of God’s love and God’s truth, by bearing witness to Jesus as John did. Like John, we too are called to be a ‘lamp alight and shining’. We cannot look directly into the light of the sun; we can only look at the sun’s light as it is reflected in various ways. In this life, we cannot look directly at Jesus the light; we do not see him face to face. However, we can see his light as it is reflected in the lives of others, and others can see his light as it is reflected in our lives.

And/Or

(iv) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

In the gospel reading this morning Jesus speaks of John the Baptist as a lamp alight and shining who gave out light that people were content to enjoy for a time. Whereas Jesus is the light of the world, John the Baptist is a lamp alight and shining. In a sense, John is to Jesus as the moon is to the sun; he reflects something of the light of Jesus to others, but he himself is not the light. John the Baptist expresses the calling of each one of us, in virtue of our baptism. Each of us is to be the moon to the sun that is Jesus, the light of the world. We are all called to reflect something of the light of Jesus to others. When people look upon us they are to see something of the light of the Lord reflected in us. When Jesus speaks of himself as the light of the world he is declaring himself to be the perfect revelation in human form of God’s love and God’s truth. He is the love of God and the truth of God incarnate. Our calling is to reflect something of that divine love and truth that shines so brilliantly in Jesus. If we are to be faithful to that calling we need to keep on entering into the light of Jesus, placing ourselves before that light in prayer and in the sacraments.

And/Or

(v) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

In the gospel reading Jesus says to those who are hostile to him, ‘you look to one another for approval and are not concerned with the approval that come from the one God’. We all look for human approval in one way or another. If we receive a lot of approval, we tend to feel good about ourselves; we feel that we must be doing something right. When it comes to leaders of political parties, approval ratings are taken very seriously. Yet in the gospel reading Jesus warns against working for human approval while neglecting the more important approval, the approval that comes from God. The opposite of human approval is human rejection. Jesus experienced the ultimate in human rejection by being crucified. Yet, at the very moment when he had lost all human approval he had the approval of God. God was faithful to him and raised him from the dead. What we call the paschal mystery, the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, shows that the absence of human approval does not necessarily mean the absence of God’s approval. Jesus suggests that it is God’s approval rather than human approval we need to strive for. We will know God’s approval if we receive his Son whom he sent into the world, if, like John the Baptist in today’s gospel reading, we bear witness to God’s Son by our lives.

And/Or

(vi) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

At the beginning of this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus speaks about John the Baptist as a lamp alight and shining. Later on in this same gospel Jesus will speak of himself as the light, the light of the world. John may be a shining lamp, but Jesus is the true light. Jesus also says that John the Baptist’s testimony is valid and that he gave his testimony to the truth. Jesus, however, says that his testimony is greater than John’s; his testimony to the truth is fuller because as he will say later on in this gospel, ‘I am the truth’. Jesus is honouring John the Baptist but he is also stating that he is so much greater than John. As Jesus says in that reading, people were content to enjoy the light that John the Baptist gave, but there is a greater light here now. Jesus is calling on his contemporaries and on all of us not to settle for a lesser light, wonderful as that light may be. We can all be tempted to settle for less than what God wants for us and is offering us. We can be content to bathe in a lesser light than the light that comes to us through God’s Son. We can settle for a partial truth rather than continuing to seek after the one who is full of God’s truth and God’s grace. We can place our hopes on one of God’s gifts rather than on God’s greatest gift, his Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.

And/Or

(vii) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

In the first reading, Moses pleads with God on behalf of God’s people who have turned away from God and worshipped a calf of molten metal, treating it as their god. This is the fundamental sin of idolatry. Yet, Moses does not give up on the people. He asks God to pardon them and God hears Moses’ prayer; God responds to Moses’ plea. Because of Moses’ prayer there is reconciliation between God and his people. If Moses worked to reconcile God’s people to God, Jesus did so to an even fuller degree. Saint Paul declares, ‘God reconciled us to himself through Christ... in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself’. The work of Moses pointed ahead to the even greater work of Jesus. That is why Jesus can say in the gospel reading, ‘if you really believed Moses, you would believe me too’. There is continuity between Moses and Jesus, but, according to John’s gospel, Jesus brings Moses’ work to completion. As the Prologue to that gospel states, ‘the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ’. Jesus is the fullest revelation of God’s gracious and reconciling love possible in human form. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy we are celebrating God’s reconciling love revealed in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. God continues to be at work in Christ today reconciling the world to himself. We are asked to respond to that reconciling work of God. The call of this year is ‘Be reconciled to God’, a call which is inseparable from the call, ‘Be reconciled to one another’. We cannot return to God without returning to each other, just as, in the parable of the prodigal son, the elder son could not return to his father without being willing to return to his younger brother.

And/Or

(viii) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

Very few of us probably could say with Jesus in this morning’s gospel reading, ‘As for human approval, this means nothing to me’. Very few of us are indifferent to what other people think of us. If we meet with disapproval, we tend to think that there is something wrong with us. We sometimes measure our worth in relation to how others see us. Human approval can confirm us in our sense of self-worth. Human disapproval can undermine our sense of self-worth. Jesus was not like us in that respect. His sense of self-worth was rooted less in how others saw him and very much in how God saw him. In the gospel reading, Jesus goes on to challenge his critics, ‘How can you believe, since you look to one another for approval and are not concerned about the approval that comes from the one God?’ Many of Jesus’ critics went along with undermining Jesus’ ministry because this is what their peers were doing. They were more concerned with the approval of their peers than with the approval of God. Peer pressure is a permanent feature of life in any age. We can all find ourselves going along with the emerging consensus, because not to do so would be to risk the disapproval of others. Yet, Jesus suggests in the gospel reading that the more important question is not ‘What do others think?’ but ‘What does God think?’ ‘How does God see me?’ In the gospel reading, Jesus suggests that one of the places where we can discover what God thinks, what God approves or and doesn’t, is in the Scriptures, ‘these same Scriptures testify to me’, and for us that includes above all the Christian Scriptures. As believers, it is from there we try to take our lead, even if it leaves us at odds with our peers.

And/Or

(ix) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus refers to John the Baptist as a lamp alight and shining and declares that for a time people were content to enjoy the light that he gave. Jesus will go on to say in this gospel of John, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’. John the Baptist may be a lamp who gives off some light, but only Jesus is the true light. People like John the Baptist have brought something of God’s light to others but Jesus alone is the light of God. We all need lamps as we go through life, people like John the Baptist who reveal the light of God’s presence to us in some way. We are all called to be a lamp in that sense. If we are to be a lamp for others, we need to keep turning towards Jesus the true light. This activity of turning to Jesus the true light lasts a life-time. In various ways we can turn away from this light of God that shines so brilliantly through the person of Jesus. We can turn towards the darkness, in some form or other, just as in today’s first reading the people of Israel turned from God and worshipped a golden calf that had been made by human hands. This is the human story; it is often our personal story. When that happens, we need to keep turning back towards Jesus, the true light who is always turned towards us. Only then can we live out our calling to be a lamp alight and shining. When we keep turning towards the light, we can become a light for others.

And/Or

(x) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

Most of us are aware of our need for human approval. If people approve of us we sense that we are worthwhile. If people do not approve of us we can easily begin to doubt our self-worth. The saying of Jesus in today’s gospel is, to that extent, true to human experience, ‘you look to one another for approval’. Very few of us could make our own the sentiment of Jesus in today’s gospel reading, ‘As for human approval, this means nothing to me’. Human approval means something to all of us and, sometimes, it can come to mean a great deal. In speaking in this way, Jesus is trying to highlight a more fundamental approval than human approval, and that is the approval that comes from God. When Jesus says to his opponents, who were already intent on killing him, that ‘you look to one another for approval’, he immediately goes on to say, ‘You are not concerned with the approval that comes from the one God’. If they were concerned with God’s approval, they would not be intent on killing Jesus who reveals God to us. Jesus suggests in today’s gospel reading that a more important question than, ‘Do people approve?’ is ‘Does God approve?’ At the end of the day, it is God we are seeking to please rather than other people. Like Jesus, we are to put God’s will before the will of others. The life, and. especially, the death of Jesus clearly shows that the lack of human approval can go hand in hand with God’s unreserved approval. This may be very anxious and difficult times for many, but God could not be approve of the many expressions of the very best of the human spirit that we see all round us at the moment.

And/Or

(xi) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

In the gospel reading Jesus speaks of John the Baptist as a lamp alight and shining and of those who knew him as enjoying the light that he gave. Jesus is saying that something of God’s light shone through John the Baptist. Yet, in this fourth gospel, it is only Jesus who is declared to be the light of the world. Jesus does not only reflect the light of God; he is the light of God. The relationship of John the Baptist to Jesus is akin to the relationship between the moon and the sun. Jesus is the source of God’s light and John the Baptist reflects this light to others. I was reading the Confession of Saint Patrick recently. Towards the end of that text, Patrick says, ‘This sun which we see rises daily at God’s command for our benefit, but will never reign, nor will its brilliance endure. Those who worship it will be severely punished. We, on the other hand, believe in and worship Christ the true sun who will never perish, not will anyone who does his will. They will remain for ever as Christ remains for ever’. Patrick spoke those words in a setting where the sun was worshipped. In another of the gospels, Jesus speaks of God who ‘makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good’. God has given Jesus, his Son, to all people, without distinction or discrimination. Our calling is to open our lives to God’s light shining through God’s Son and, like John the Baptist, to reflect something of this light to others, especially to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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ao3feed-destiel-02 · 11 months

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Homily: Fishing for Love

Homily: Fishing for Love https://ift.tt/lugWSfX by Jezapoof Cas is looking for peace and drags Dean along to what should be a fairly routine church service. The usual preacher falls ill, and the last minute replacement has unusual methods of conducting service. The day takes a turn in ways that no one involved would have predicted, but does achieve the desired results. Words: 3466, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural), Gabriel (Supernatural), Sam Winchester Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester Additional Tags: Fluff and Smut, First Kiss, mild blasphemy, Getting Together, Church service, Fishing, Idiots in Love, but not in a way that is endlessly frustrating and painfully drawn out, You're Welcome, needlessly explicit, Explicit Sexual Content, Happy Ending, Inappropriate Humor, though that depends on your standards, no food gets fucked, which feels like a necessary tag/warning for me, Gay Pride, Coming Out via AO3 works tagged 'Castiel/Dean Winchester' https://ift.tt/LNI8a2r June 03, 2023 at 08:25PM

#IFTTT #AO3 works tagged 'Castiel/Dean Winchester'#Destiel #ao3feed #ao3feed Destiel #Destiel fanfic #Dean Winchester/Castiel #Castiel/Dean Winchester #Dean x Castiel #Castiel x Dean

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lawrenceop · 3 years

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HOMILY for Bl. Jordan of Saxony OP

Genesis 3:9-24; Ps 90; Mark 8:1-10

In the novitiate I developed a certain love for today’s saint, Blessed Jordan, who was the 2nd Master of the Order, and who is the patron of Dominican vocations. He was a great preacher and a kind and gentle Master, full of wisdom and humour, who drew thousands of young men to join the Friars Preachers. My favourite story about him recalls how a group of novices began to laugh during Compline. And when a friar rebuked them, he corrected that brother, and then told the novices: “Laugh to your hearts' content, my dearest children, and don't stop on that man's account. You have my full leave, and it is only right that you should laugh after breaking from the Devil's thralldom, and bursting the shackles in which he held you fast these many years past. Laugh on, then, and be as merry as you please, my darling sons.'”

In our reading of Genesis in this week, we have recalled how Mankind had been seduced by sin, and enthralled by the Devil’s promises – a promise that Satan can not deliver: that we should “be like gods”, and so, attain happiness. Every sinful desire contains this promise of delight and happiness – this is precisely why it tempts us, attracts us, enthralls us. And then we forget the wisdom and goodness and friendship of the God who creates us and sustains us in his love; the creature does not want to put his faith in God, but rather hides from God, and trusts instead in his own knowledge of good and evil, his own designs for happiness. The Devil’s way, which so tempted Eve and Adam, is easy and called on them to indulge their desires, their appetites, and their every curiosity.

Blessed Jordan, therefore, praises the novices, those who have decided to embark on the religious life and so chose the joy of following the Way who is Christ. So, by their vowed life, they have determined to place their faith and trust in God before all others. Hence the religious life is not meant to be a burden, as so many might think, but a liberation. In many ways, a religious – and certainly a novice – is meant to be freed from the legitimate worries of the world, so that he has what fr John Farrell liked to call ‘sacred leisure’.

But what is this for? At its heart is simply being with Jesus so that he can feed us. It is this friendship with Christ that has called us into this “deserted place”. Thus the priory and one’s own cell, and indeed, the religious life, is meant to take us away from the multitudes so that we can be in a quiet place with Christ.

However, we find, as in the Gospel, that even the desert is crowded: different worries, and cares, and problems, and then the presence of others through our phones, and Zoom, and the entertainments and preoccupations of the internet, and so on, will press in upon us and fill up our cells. However, as our silence and our time is filled up in this way we shall be emptied of the One who alone can satisfy us. Thus Blessed Jordan said: “a heart of empty of Christ is like a husk empty of grain: borne away on the winds, blown this way and that by temptation.” And so, in our modern-day deserts, in our cells and in our priories, we must beware the temptations that empty us of Christ. We must be careful that we do still in fact hunger for God; that we long for his Word; and that we seek the Bread of Life. And if this fervour has dimmed somewhat, then perhaps we need to retreat, to seek silence, to enter the desert with Christ and find refuge in him. For as Blessed Jordan says: “he is that secure refuge, never failing, always abiding, whereto the more we flee, the more steadfast we become in ourselves.” So, this is what the coming season of Lent seeks to restore to us: a steadfast dependence on God alone, and liberation from the shackles of sin and our thralldom to the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

This way of freedom, the way that we have chosen as religious, is hard and involves a struggle for it is the way of the Cross. But Blessed Jordan puts this hardship in perspective for us, in a letter he wrote from Oxford in 1230: “Short is our way, small our task, but infinite the repose to which… we hasten; let us then rejoice and exult to run our course… For it is through tribulations that we lay up to ourselves treasure in heaven… Moreover, by an inner process of refining, tribulation makes the soul itself more pure, so that it is more on its guard against the manifold wiles of the Enemy and at the same time is more richly filled with divine consolation."

So, at the end of the tribulations of our Lenten journey, and indeed, of our life’s journey as Christians and as religious, our hope is that we will emerge from the desert with Christ, and, having been fed by his grace, we shall indeed laugh and “be as merry as we please”. Until then, Blessed Jordan urges us, saying: “pray, toil, [and] press on.”

#vocation #consecrated life #Dominican #silence #prayer #desert #struggle #refuge #Christ #fuga mundi #Devil #sin #temptation

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alwaysabeautifullife · 3 years

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Today is World Day of the Poor instituted by Papa Francis 4 years ago, I like to read his homilies, and wanted to share his Homily for Mass today. (Post is long, couldn’t do a read more it kept deleting everything.)

“The parable we have just listened to has a beginning, a middle and an end, which shed light on the beginning, the middle and the end of our lives.

The beginning. Everything begins with a great good. The master does not keep his wealth to himself, but gives it to his servants; five talents to one, two to another, one to a third, “to each according to his ability” (Mt 25:15). It has been calculated that a single talent was equivalent to the income of some twenty years’ work: it was of enormous value, and would be sufficient for a lifetime. This is the beginning. For us too, everything began with the grace of God – everything always begins with grace, not with our own efforts – with the grace of God, who is a Father and has given us so many good things, entrusting different talents to each of us. We possess a great wealth that depends not on what we possess but on what we are: the life we have received, the good within us, the indelible beauty God has given us by making us in his image… All these things make each of us precious in his eyes, each one of us is priceless and unique in history! This is how God looks at us, how God feels towards us.

We need to remember this. All too often, when we look at our lives, we see only the things we lack, and we complain about what we lack. We then yield to the temptation to say: “If only…!” If only I had that job, if only I had that home, if only I had money and success, if only I didn’t have this or that problem, if only I had better people around me…! But those illusory words – if only! – prevent us from seeing the good all around us. They make us forget the talents we possess. You may not have that, but you do have this, and the “if only” makes us forget this. Yet God gave those talents to us because he knows each of us and he knows our abilities. He trusts us, despite our weaknesses. God even trusts the servant who will hide his talent, hoping that despite his fears, he too will put to good use what he received. In a word, the Lord asks us to make the most of the present moment, not yearning for the past, but waiting industriously for his return. How ugly is that nostalgia, which is like a black mood poisoning our soul and making us always look backwards, always at others, but never at our own hands or at the opportunities for work that the Lord has given us, never at our own situation… not even at our own poverty.

This brings us to the centre of the parable: the work of the servants, which is service. Service is our work too; it makes our talents bear fruit and it gives meaning to our lives. Those who do not live to serve, serve for little in this life. We must repeat this, and repeat it often: those who do not live to serve, serve for little in this life. We should reflect on this: those who do not live to serve, serve for little in this life. But what kind of service are we speaking of? In the Gospel, good servants are those who take risks. They are not fearful and overcautious, they do not cling to what they possess, but put it to good use. For if goodness is not invested, it is lost, and the grandeur of our lives is not measured by how much we save but by the fruit we bear. How many people spend their lives simply accumulating possessions, concerned only about the good life and not the good they can do. Yet how empty is a life centred on our needs and blind to the needs of others! The reason we have gifts is so that we can be gifts for others. And here, brothers and sisters, we should ask ourselves the question: do I only follow my own needs, or am I able to look to the needs of others, to whoever is in need? Are my hands open, or are they closed?

It is significant that fully four times those servants who invested their talents, who took a risk, are called “faithful” (vv. 21, 23). For the Gospel, faithfulness is never risk-free. “But, father, does being a Christian mean taking risks?” – “Yes, dearly beloved, take a risk. If you do not take risks, you will end up like the third [servant]: burying your abilities, your spiritual and material riches, everything”. Taking risks: there is no faithfulness without risk. Fidelity to God means handing over our life, letting our carefully laid plans be disrupted by our need to serve. “But I have my plans, and if I have to serve…”. Let your plans be upset, go and serve. It is sad when Christians play a defensive game, content only to observe rules and obey commandments. Those “moderate” Christians who never go beyond boundaries, never, because they are afraid of risk. And those, allow me this image, those who take care of themselves to avoid risk begin in their lives a process of mummification of their souls, and they end up as mummies. Following rules is not enough; fidelity to Jesus is not just about not making mistakes, this is quite wrong. That is what the lazy servant in the parable thought: for lack of initiative and creativity, he yielded to needless fear and buried the talent he had received. The master actually calls him “wicked” (v. 26). And yet he did nothing wrong! But he did nothing good either. He preferred to sin by omission rather than to risk making a mistake. He was not faithful to God, who spends freely, and he made his offence even worse by returning the gift he had received. “You gave me this, and I give it to you”, nothing more. The Lord, for his part, asks us to be generous, to conquer fear with the courage of love, to overcome the passivity that becomes complicity. Today, in these times of uncertainty, in these times of instability, let us not waste our lives thinking only of ourselves, indifferent to others, or deluding ourselves into thinking: “peace and security!” (1 Thess 5:3). Saint Paul invites us to look reality in the face and to avoid the infection of indifference.

How then do we serve, as God would have us serve? The master tells the faithless servant: “You ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest” (v. 27). Who are the “bankers” who can provide us with long-term interest? They are the poor. Do not forget: the poor are at the heart of the Gospel; we cannot understand the Gospel without the poor. The poor are like Jesus himself, who, though rich, emptied himself, made himself poor, even taking sin upon himself: the worst kind of poverty. The poor guarantee us an eternal income. Even now they help us become rich in love. For the worst kind of poverty needing to be combatted is our poverty of love. The worst kind of poverty needing to be combatted is our poverty of love. The Book of Proverbs praises the woman who is rich in love, whose value is greater than that of pearls. We are told to imitate that woman who “opens her hand to the poor” (Prov 31:20): that is the great richness of this woman. Hold out your hand to the poor, instead of demanding what you lack. In this way, you will multiply the talents you have received.

The season of Christmas is approaching, the holiday season. How often do we hear people ask: “What can I buy? What more can I have? I must go shopping”. Let us use different words: “What can I give to others?”, in order to be like Jesus, who gave of himself and was born in the manger”.

We now come to the end of the parable. Some will be wealthy, while others, who had plenty and wasted their lives, will be poor (cf. v. 29). At the end of our lives, then, the truth will be revealed. The pretence of this world will fade, with its notion that success, power and money give life meaning, whereas love – the love we have given – will be revealed as true riches. Those things will fall, yet love will emerge. A great Father of the Church wrote: “As for this life, when death comes and the theatre is deserted, when all remove their masks of wealth or of poverty and depart hence, judged only by their works, they will be seen for what they are: some truly rich, others poor” (SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, Homilies on the Poor Man Lazarus, II, 3). If we do not want to live life poorly, let us ask for the grace to see Jesus in the poor, to serve Jesus in the poor.

I would like to thank all those faithful servants of God who quietly live in this way, serving others. I think, for example, of Father Roberto Malgesini. This priest was not interested in theories; he simply saw Jesus in the poor and found meaning in life in serving them. He dried their tears with his gentleness, in the name of God who consoles. The beginning of his day was prayer, to receive God’s gifts; the centre of his day was charity, to make the love he had received bear fruit; the end was his clear witness to the Gospel. This man realized that he had to stretch out his hand to all those poor people he met daily, for he saw Jesus in each of them. Brothers and sisters, let us ask for the grace to be Christians not in word, but in deed. To bear fruit, as Jesus desires. May this truly be so.

#catholic #papa Francis #Pope Francis #long post

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dansedan · 4 years

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Uhhhhh I guess this is a chaaaaaapter?????? could even be called.... the first chapter. Chapter One, mayhaps. Under the cut

Father Quiffrey was small, for a man his age, and in tandem with his pallor and trim, uniform way of dress, it gave him an appearance of being almost doll-like. While the generous freckling and pink sunburn of his face and hands should be identical to those of the men Fleetfoot had worked alongside on his father’s ranch, he was nonetheless for the first few moments in his presence genuinely convinced that he might be meeting royalty, rather than picking up a penniless clergyman hired out by his family. The older man seemed to have anticipated the staring, nodding with a tight-lipped smile as he stepped past him and further into the bay, rejecting his offer to help him carry the meager luggage. His gesture was conscious, put-together in an over-serious way that only added to his oddity- the whole way from the dock to their lodgings he could picture the windup key sprouting out of his slender back. He couldn’t have ever imagined father Quiffrey, but once they’d met, he couldn’t forget him for a second after, either.

They kept rooms together but seldom spoke the first few months- taking train after train to get from New England to Colorado. Quiffrey spent most of his time nose deep in a ratty copy of the holy bible- tired from the long trip there, very likely homesick and confused- which Fleetfoot would pity if it didn’t give him so many great opportunities to look at him. The reverend seemed to be constantly conscious, every action plotted out in small and subtle ways, like a sailor’s signals. They ranged from common to bizarre- his way of walking (straight, steady) was like a soldier’s, his laugh (dry and airy, restrained) reminiscent of debutantes, and especially his look of focus (an odd frown tossed past his thin glasses, under the brim of his stiff, flat hat with his chin tucked piously into the neck of his cassock) which seemed inherited from a much larger man, fat and gaudy in the way he had imagined British priests to be. With time, he could see even himself in some of his partner’s gesture, and he would wonder who, then, these other people were to him at some point in his life. He never seemed to wonder, then, why he was so insistent on this observation, just followed the instinct unquestioningly, to the point that with the passing of time it became so constant that Quiffrey started to catch onto him. The reaction was always the same- a dry laugh, that same terse nod, and some comment or another to diffuse the tension built up in their meeting gazes.

“You are quite… observant, Mister Stevenson.” Or

“ah, are my recitations bothering you?” or

“nasty bit of weather here…” or

“well, I suppose that’s it for the night.”

Soon, the first drowsy month of their journey came to an end along with the train-trail. All these new small interactions- not just the offhand comments every so often, but humming hymns in the early morning, returning his glance now more assuredly with his own greeting gaze- were starting to accumulate in his mind, flashing inexplicably before his eyes during their brief moments apart. By the time of their entry into Colorado, Quiffrey seemed to have finally recuperated fully, and he started tagging along for more of the busywork of buying and selling, keenly observing Fleetfoot’s menial exchanges with shopkeepers and townsfolk, chatting them up in his hush, clean voice to make up for the younger man’s brevity. This was particularly useful in the matter of getting a horse, as the only coper in the station-town was oddly closed-off and avoidant, refusing to sell to the pair until the reverend talked him down into trading a horse for a sermon. And so that same night, they bathed and dressed, and left the single white-dappled mare the old man had offered them to walk back to his ranch-house and sit at his dinner table, where Fleetfoot heard for the first time his partner’s language past the point of a sentence.

“And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him- Luke, chapter seventeen, verses fifteen and sixteen. To express, in word or deed, our thanks towards those through whom the lord hands us our blessings, is one of the crowning virtues of our lives as servants of the Lord. Wise men of antiquity have said of gratitude that it is not only the greatest virtue, but also the parent of all others. The fear of God, who grants us all we have, and the humility of knowing we are dependent not only on Him but in our fellow-men…” The old man of the house was nodding in contentment, clearly feeling the flattery to be to his measure. He didn’t notice- none of them had noticed. Noticed that throughout the entire speech, past those wire-rimmed glasses and over the edge of the leatherbound bible, Quiffrey had been staring at him. Clearwater gaze trained, soft and serious on his own dark brown eyes. Fleetfoot felt frozen in place, shivering with the light breeze, almost forgetting to listen as he lost himself in questions. Soon enough, the homily was over.

“the gift of life, the air we breathe, our family gathered ‘round a table and the earth we till for work. All these, and the more precise and pointed gifts that fall upon us through our daily lives.” At this he nodded, knowingly, still staring. “To all this, show your gratitude, to people and to God. Amen.” Lightly closing the book, a sleepy chorus of replies, and they were out the door with a pat on the back each, the coper nodding solemnly as he sucked on his pipe. They stepped into the desert night in measured silence, side by side.

“So,” the reverend began. “How did you find it, Mister Stevenson?” tempered, honey-whisper voice cutting through the night and jolting him awake.

“Seemed well,” was all he could say. For all his usual curiosity, it was suddenly impossible to bring himself to look anywhere other than directly in front of him. The older man just hummed and nodded in response.

“I’m glad,” he said. “Not quite used to preaching in translations, so I’m… well, I’m glad.”

The short walk home seemed to stretch out for miles in the white-sand darkness, step by careful step. It was only at the door of their hotel he brought himself to finally stop and look at the older man- catching up to him- almost touching- from behind, a gruff whisper forced out with what felt like a herculean effort.

“Thank you, father.”

And suddenly he rushed away and climbed the stairs, shocked at why this simple action felt like it took such bravado, scared at what could come next. He kept the room dark and laid quickly down to bed.

Morning came with a new day and the smell of coffee, the reverend sitting at the table with his bible as usual, fiddling with the pages in the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. He was whistling a tune- an odd, airy melody- and only stopped to nod at him once he noticed Fleetfoot was finally awake, saying nothing of the previous night’s events. Well, of course he wouldn’t say anything about it, the whole thing had been perfectly ordinary. Should have been ordinary, at least.

Father Quiffrey was small and dangerous- on a single horse, riding behind him with his breath hot on his nape, his new habit of memory conspiring to distract him with a few choice remembrances- brief glimpses of skin caught by coincidence, the occasional pleased, unfocused look that the reverend gave to the early sunlight, distorted by his mind into something that felt far more confusing. By nightfall when they stopped to camp he felt it almost unnecessary to build a fire, yet as they pulled away and stepped on solid ground again, he felt the absence of the other man’s warmth as akin to amputation, already grasping at unlikely excuses in his mind to get close again. In reality, though, they laid at a measured distance from each other, and listened to the sounds of pages being passed and the crackling fire as he fought against the fuzzy feeling at his nape.

It was confusing- this was supposed to be a solemn journey, his one brief opportunity to serve the church and redeem himself for his bastard birth, since his father had forbade him joining the local order, preferred him useful to absolved. He was to deliver the priest to Santa Clara, a piece of influence from his father’s motherland in the missions out west, see if it’d encourage small-town folk to turn to The Church. A man to serve the purpose of the icons, a face that would be, to them, more trustworthy than his own, than the ones of the Mexican priests who had been residing there for decades now, less foreign despite arriving from a greater distance. When he first saw Quiffrey he finally thought this hare-brained scheme might work, but now he could not be so certain, not when his observation seemed to stray from his control- to focus on the pink tongue flicking out the corner of the thin-lipped mouth and not the focused study even in this moment. What kind of icon could he be? - when scripture claimed that men were made in the image of god, and Fleetfoot felt sure that He had made Quiffrey in an angel’s mold.

“I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.”

He’d slept little and rose in the early morning, rode distracted by the desert breeze and warm return of the body behind him until they reached the next small town over and came into it, set to buy another horse and cast away these feelings from himself. A brief errand, and he came back to find Quiffrey once again preaching for the townsfolk, some small crowd of women, kids, a barkeep. He smiled, meekly, upon noticing the younger man, gestured to the plate of eggs and meat that lay untouched in front of him with a sheepish look before continuing his sermon. Fleetfoot sat down to eat and listen, watch him speak, seemingly unaware he was describing himself. These people had likely never seen topaz, and likely never would, but in their reaction to the reverend’s words, his figure and appearance, he could tell they were just as convinced. Another point for Quiffrey the Icon. He was charismatic in the way he seemed untouched by his surroundings, too innocent to care about the histories of his makeshift parish, or the West as a whole. Then again, he could tell at a glance that there were those with less than holy motives for sticking around- a point then, for Quiffrey the tempter, and company for his own concerns around it. He seemed to deal with them well- a couple pointed recommendations of Hail Mary and a tender smile ‘good-day’.

The scene repeated in the next town, and several after. And soon Fleetfoot was giving into his compulsion to attach himself to the reverend, standing at his back unquestioningly (as questions, and not apologies, were always the difficult part with religion), soaking up the warmth of him and fixing those overfamiliar strangers with a stare that seemed to punctuate the older man’s suggestions. Finally making good use of those small, haunting eyes, piped the voice of his father at the back of his mind, Although, deep down, he knew his father would be scandalized at the hypocrisy of his motive, this little voice, all the way down, knew the farce better than he did himself.

Another point for Quiffrey the tempter.

#reluctant cowboys #my art #my writing #doodle #gay cowboys #cowboy ocs #ocs #original characters

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purplesurveys · 4 years

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755

Was your childhood wasted by something? It was wasted by the fact that I had to grow up faster than all the other kids so even though I kept up with all the trends, had all the cool toys, and knew which shows to watch, I still spent a great chunk of my childhood silently stressing out about stuff happening at home. Would you rather die during an adventure or die like a normal person? LOL ‘like a normal person.’ I’d want to pass harmlessly, which I guess is under normal. I’d hate to be killed by something that was meant to be an adventure, like skydiving gone wrong or falling off a cliff. Those would hurt exponentially more too, so no thanks. Have your parents ever put you on a diet? No, I’ve never had to be on one.

Have your parents ever tried to commit suicide? [trigger warning] No but one time my mom had a strange breakdown and verbally threatened me and my dad that she was going to do it. It remains one of the weirdest, eeriest few seconds of my life and I don’t really like thinking about it. Do you have a gag reflex? I don’t know, but I probably do. I haven’t...tested it lmao. Do you ever fantasize about trying drugs? No, fantasize is a loaded term. I think about the possibility sometimes, but I’m not obsessed with the idea of acquiring weed or anything like that. Have you ever put gum in someone's hair? Nope. That’s a hilarious prank to do to someone being shitty though, hah. Would you rather have sex before you're married or wait till marriage? I can be eitiher, I’m not picky about this kind of stuff. I've been having sex in my current relationship. Have you ever not gone to school, just because? I only did this in high school because my former school had events that I found irrelevant and that I didn’t want to go to. In college, if I wanted to cut an entire day’s worth of classes I had to have a very good reason why. Do you know anyone who can play the bagpipes? No, but lol this question reminded me of the Friends episode where Ross learned the bagpipes to play for Monica and Chandler’s wedding. Have you ever let someone hit you? [trigger warning] No. In the few times my mom put her hands on me I was always in the fetal position to protect myself. Do you own a hand warmer? A what? I’ve never heard of that but we don’t really need that here. Do you have friends in other states/countries? Used to. When I was in different fandoms throughout my teenage years I gained friends from North and South America and Europe; I also have Filipino friends from grade school and high school who’ve migrated to the US and Canada. As for locally, I do have tons of friends who came from different provinces/islands. My school has a very diverse community and we have students from all 81 provinces, probably. Do you ever pay attention during church? No, unless the priest says something ridiculous then I start listening to see how even more stupid his homily gets. Otherwise I’m daydreaming, fantasizing, and imagining for that whole hour. Do you have self control? Funny you should mention this while the song playing on my Spotify is Hayley Williams’ Sudden Desire which is precisely about self-control, hahaha. Anyway, it depends on the situation and how desperate I am for something. My self-control is probably the worst when it comes to food though; I’ll always end up picking up whatever I’m craving no matter how late it is, how far the restaurant is, or how much money I have left. Have you ever broke a window? Nope. When was the last time you freaked someone out? Idk maybe this afternoon when I was playing with my dog and squishing him and talking to him in all sorts of voices lolol he always looks so freaked out when I do it to him. Have you ever gone on a date with a weirdo? No. I don’t really do dates. Who's the last person you called a bitch? I’ve never called anyone a bitch directly, but I did call my mom that when she was out of earshot yesterday. Do you drink kool-aid? I don’t. Have you ever dropped something hot on your foot? No. I’d hate for that to happen, I’m scared of getting burned. Do you watch porn? Less than before, but yeah I do; though a big reason why I watch it less these days is because the government blocked a whole chunk of porn sites off of our internet networks at the start of the year haha. The content in the remaining sites aren’t as impressive as the ones I was used to, so I stopped watching. Have you ever missed someone you hated? Sometimes I’ll miss the good times I have with Athenna, but I just have to remember that her attitude never improved in college and I’ve heard other people call her weird so I’m guessing she still acts shittily. Is anyone in your family disabled? Yes, I have an aunt with Down syndrome. What do you want for Christmas? That’s a long time from now. It depends on what I need by December. How many moles do you have? I don’t know if I have some that I’ve never seen yet but I’m aware of 5 that I have. Do you make your bed everyday? Yes. It’s much more relaxing to come back to a neat bed after a long day. Do you know how to ride a bike? :( No I don’t. My dad is super encouraging though and will always cheer me on to try getting on a bike again every now and then. Do you own any comic books? I own a couple, from back when I wanted to get into comic books because my favorite wrestlers CM Punk and AJ Lee were both comic book nerds. I tried so hard to like them, but at the end of the day it just wasn’t my thing. What is the nastiest dare you have ever committed? Probably the time I dropped my siomai on the ground and a friend or two told me to eat it while the rest of my friends told me not to. I went with the unpopular opinion and put the siomai in my mouth only to feel the small dirt/rocks that have gotten on it, so I promptly spat it out haha. Do you know anyone who has been raped? I don’t think so. Are you an atheist? Yes.

Have you ever owned a goldfish? Yes, I had several of them as my first pets. Our old house was very crowded and chaotic and definitely not conducive to bigger pets, so my parents would get me fish so I can practice having pets.

Who was the last person to call you beautiful? Gabie, I think. How many times have you been stung by a bee? Zero. I run away from bees when I see one. What was the last flavor of gum you chewed? Spearmint, I think? That’s always the kind JM brings to school and I usually ask him for a piece of gum. When was the last time you used tape? February. My org was hosting an orientation for interested applicants in the college auditorium, so we posted arrows all over the building so guests would know where to go. When was the last time you said fuck? Ooh I’m not so sure. Probably last night when I had a video call with Gabie since I curse around her the most.

Have you ever stolen something? A pen or five, yep. What's the last movie you watched? Two for the Road. Who's the last person you watched a movie with? Just myself. But the last time I did see a movie with someone, it was with Gabie. Where were you yesterday at 5 PM? I was in the dining area, probably. Who would you like to kiss right now? MY GIRLFRIEND

When was the last time you had tic tacs? Ages ago. I don’t get to have it a lot. When was the last time you ate chicken? We had wings for dinner two nights ago. Who was the last person you told to 'Shut the fuck up' to? Probs Gabie, in a joking manner. Why were you last nervous? My parents were fighting last night and I heard some banging upstairs. Whose pants did you last take off? Again, my girlfriend’s. When was the last time you were disturbed? Also last night hearing that ^ Why did you last feel awkward? Been a while since I’ve had a reason to feel that way. When was the last time you got in a fight with your best friend? With Gabie, two nights ago. I haven’t had a fight with Angela in over a decade. Have you ever asked someone for a tampon? Nope, because I don’t use them. Who was the last person you read a book to? I don’t read books to anyone. Who is the person you say the most naughtiest things to? Hahahahaha. Dirty talk isn’t my thing but the last time was Gabie, probs three years ago when I tried it for the last time and still didn’t dig it. Who was the last person to send you a letter? I forgot the last person to greet me on my birthday... I think it was Patrice. How do you feel about war? Not a fan. Do you like cupcakes or muffins more? Cupcakes. Have you ever pushed someone on purpose? Just my siblings when we were younger. Have you ever slapped someone in the face? My brother, after he slapped me first. This was shortly before I stopped talking to him completely.

#survey #surveys

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globalworship · 2 years

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Words for Worship in a Time of War (Iona)

From friends with The Center for Congrefational Song -

We are grateful to John Bell and the Wild Goose Resource Group of the Iona Community for sharing this resource with the world. Below is the introductory text from the first page of the full PDF resource which you can download through the link at the bottom of this page.

This liturgy may be used in small or large groups, and also for personal devotions. Parts of the text may be extracted and used on other occasions.

There are a number of prayers and scripture passages, the reading of which can be shared among those attending. There is one occasion when it is suggested that part of a recent news report is read. There is no sermon or homily, but it is suggested that silence should follow each of the readings.

There are four hymns included. The first two are found in CH4 (Church of Scotland Hymnary) and Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise. The third (If the war goes on) can be sung solo or by all, and the music can be found at the end of th PDF liturgy (link below). The last song (A Woman’s Care) may be sung to the tune Rockingham, commonly associated with ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’. The hymns, of course, may be omitted or substituted, but the psalm text (May God draw near) should be retained and is effective as a shared reading.

The Ukrainian Kyrie (Lord/Christ have mercy) is particularly poignant when sung and can be done so very easily before, during or after the liturgy.

If a copy of any music for the songs is required, email the Wild Goose Resource Group: [email protected]

Depending on the meeting place, sitting in a circle for this liturgy is much preferable to sitting behind each other in pews or seats, especially if leadership is shared. If possible, have a small table in the centre of the space with a lit candle, a cross and an open Bible. If people wish to include a symbolic action, it might be possible to find a map of Ukraine, possibly from a newspaper. After the second prayer, the Kyrie could be sung repeatedly as candles are lit and placed on the map.

Scripture passages apart, all texts are copyright © WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow, Scotland. Permission is given for reproduction and use free of charge. If intended for commercial purposes, please contact [email protected].

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Originally posted at https://congregationalsong.org/words-for-worship-in-a-time-of-war/

Download the full 12-page liturgy PDF with song lyrics at https://congregationalsong.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Liturgy-for-Ukraine.pdf

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Music Notes:

You can hear my arrangement of the first song, "Come Now O Prince of Peace,' at https://youtu.be/lbwye-64OCY My arrangement includes Korean drums, and a Korean drum rhythm is used by all performers. When done in a more prayerful, somber way, it is usual to use steady eighth notes instead of the drum rhythm in the video. (I have formally studied Korean drumming and spent time in Korea.)

You'll find music scores for "Come Now I Prince of Peace," and Psalm 20 set to a Taize tune, and "If the War Goes On" at https://stjohnsnorthampton.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Taize-4.6.2022.pdf

Hear "If the War Goes On" sung by John Bell and friends at https://youtu.be/znxADLz7H7E

Hear the music of "A Woman's Care" at https://www.sixmaddens.org/a-womans-care-from-heaven-shall-not-wait/

Hear The Ukrainian Kyrie at https://stedscathedral.org/music/inharmony/ukrainian-kyrie/

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vanteism · 7 years

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kerchoo | bts & lq

pairing: ot7 x reader x lightning mcqueen genre: s i n, car sex (literally) word count: 13k description: some people frowned upon your lifestyle, but many don’t know how a bottle of oil and willpower will get you what you need.

The Bible (from Koine Greek τὰ βιβλία, tà biblía, "the books")[1] is a collection of sacred texts or scriptures that Jews and Christians consider to be a product of divine inspiration and a record of the relationship between God and humans.

Many different authors contributed to the Bible. What is regarded as canonical text differs depending on traditions and groups; a number of Bible canons have evolved, with overlapping and diverging contents.[2] The Christian Old Testament overlaps with the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Septuagint; the Hebrew Bible is known in Judaism as the Tanakh. The New Testament is a collection of writings by early Christians, believed to be mostly Jewish disciples of Christ, written in first-century Koine Greek. These early Christian Greek writings consist of narratives, letters, and apocalyptic writings. Among Christian denominations there is some disagreement about the contents of the canon, primarily the Apocrypha, a list of works that are regarded with varying levels of respect.

Attitudes towards the Bible also differ amongst Christian groups. Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox Christians stress the harmony and importance of the Bible and sacred tradition, while Protestant churches focus on the idea of sola scriptura, or scripture alone. This concept arose during the Protestant Reformation, and many denominations today support the use of the Bible as the only source of Christian teaching.

With estimated total sales of over 5 billion copies, the Bible is widely considered to be the best-selling book of all time.[3][4] It has estimated annual sales of 100 million copies,[5][6] and has been a major influence on literature and history, especially in the West, where the Gutenberg Bible was the first book printed using movable type.

Contents

1Etymology

2Development

3Hebrew Bible

4Septuagint

5Christian Bibles

6Divine inspiration

7Versions and translations

8Views

9Archaeological and historical research

10Image gallery

11Illustrations

12See also

13Notes

14References

15Further reading

1.1Textual history

3.1Torah

3.2Nevi'im

3.3Ketuvim

3.4Original languages

4.1Incorporations from Theodotion

4.2Final form

5.1Old Testament

5.2New Testament

5.3Development of the Christian canons

8.1Other religions

8.2Biblical studies

8.3Higher criticism

14.1Works cited

Etymology

The English word Bible is from the Latin biblia, from the same word in Medieval Latin and Late Latin and ultimately from Koine Greek τὰ βιβλία ta biblia "the books" (singular βιβλίον biblion).[7]

Medieval Latin biblia is short for biblia sacra "holy book", while biblia in Greek and Late Latin is neuter plural (gen. bibliorum). It gradually came to be regarded as a feminine singular noun (biblia, gen. bibliae) in medieval Latin, and so the word was loaned as a singular into the vernaculars of Western Europe.[8] Latin biblia sacra "holy books" translates Greek τὰ βιβλία τὰ ἅγια ta biblia ta hagia, "the holy books".[9]

The word βιβλίον itself had the literal meaning of "paper" or "scroll" and came to be used as the ordinary word for "book". It is the diminutive of βύβλος byblos, "Egyptian papyrus", possibly so called from the name of the Phoenician sea port Byblos (also known as Gebal) from whence Egyptian papyrus was exported to Greece. The Greek ta biblia (lit. "little papyrus books")[10] was "an expression Hellenistic Jews used to describe their sacred books (the Septuagint).[11][12] Christian use of the term can be traced to c. 223 CE.[7]The biblical scholar F.F. Bruce notes that Chrysostom appears to be the first writer (in his Homilies on Matthew, delivered between 386 and 388) to use the Greek phrase ta biblia ("the books") to describe both the Old and New Testaments together.[13]

Textual history

By the 2nd century BCE, Jewish groups began calling the books of the Bible the "scriptures" and they referred to them as "holy", or in Hebrew כִּתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ (Kitvei hakkodesh), and Christians now commonly call the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible "The Holy Bible" (in Greek τὰ βιβλία τὰ ἅγια, tà biblía tà ágia) or "the Holy Scriptures" (η Αγία Γραφή, e Agía Graphḗ).[14] The Bible was divided into chapters in the 13th century by Stephen Langton and it was divided into verses in the 16th century by French printer Robert Estienne[15] and is now usually cited by book, chapter, and verse. The division of the Hebrew Bible into verses is based on the sof passuk cantillation mark used by the 10th-century Masoretes to record the verse divisions used in earlier oral traditions.

The oldest extant copy of a complete Bible is an early 4th-century parchment book preserved in the Vatican Library, and it is known as the Codex Vaticanus. The oldest copy of the Tanakh in Hebrew and Aramaic dates from the 10th century CE. The oldest copy of a complete Latin (Vulgate) Bible is the Codex Amiatinus, dating from the 8th century.[16]

Development

See also

Bible portal

Judaism portal

Christianity portal

Bible box

Bible case

Bible paper

Biblical software

Code of Hammurabi

List of major biblical figures

Outline of the Bible

Scriptorium

Theodicy and the Bible

#guys im so sorry #mine #bts #bts scenarios #bts reactions #bts angst #bangtan #bangtan scenarios #bangtan boys #bangtan seonyeondan #bangtan sonyeondan #bts smut #bts crack

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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 1 year

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23rd March >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on John 5:31-47 for Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent: ‘John was a lamp, alight and shining’.

Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

Gospel (Except USA)

John 5:31-47

You place your hopes on Moses but Moses will be your accuser.

Jesus said to the Jews:

Gospel (USA)

John 5:31-47

The one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.

Reflections (11)

(i) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

It is lovely to see such a stretch in the evenings as we enter the second half of the month of March. This coming weekend the clocks will go forward and we will get an extra hour of light in the evenings. Soon people will be out walking in the light up to eight thirty in the evening. Light has a way of drawing us out of ourselves. We go towards the light. Perhaps that is because we associate light with life. We know that nature needs the light of the sun, and its warmth, if it is to come fully alive. We enjoy the light that the sun gives and we especially appreciate the sun’s light as winter begins to lose its grip. In the gospel reading, Jesus says of John the Baptist that he ‘was a lamp alight and shining and for a time you were content to enjoy the light that he gave’. It is quite a compliment to John! In this same fourth gospel, Jesus says of himself, more than once, ‘I am the light of the world’. Jesus declares himself to be the one through whom the light of God’s loving presence was shining on all the world. John the Baptist was not the light of the world in that sense. Yet, he gave light to others because he was the great witness to Jesus the light of the world. He directed people to God’s light shining through Jesus, declaring to his disciples on one occasion, ‘Look, there is the Lamb of God’. As the opening verses of the fourth gospel declares, John ‘came as a witness to the light’. Because he was a witness to the light he reflected something of the light shining through Jesus. We are all called to be witnesses to the light. Something of the light of God’s loving presence that shone through Jesus can shine through us. If that is to happen we need to keep turning towards Jesus the light of the world, inviting him to shed the light of God’s loving presence upon us.

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(ii) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(iii) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(iv) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(v) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(vi) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(vii) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(viii) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(ix) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(x) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

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(xi) Thursday, Fourth Week of Lent

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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pope-francis-quotes · 7 years

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15th Oct <> Pope Francis canonizes 35 New Saints Today (Photo ~ Pope Francis' pastoral staff is hit by a ray of sun during the Canonization Mass for 35 new saints in St. Peter's Square - AP) (Vatican Radio) Inviting all faithful to practice Christian love every day, Pope Francis on Sunday canonized 35 new saints, nearly all of them martyrs, holding them up as models who “point the way”. To the over 35,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Canonization Mass, he said “They did not say a fleeting ‘yes’ to love, they said ‘yes’ with their lives and to the very end”. Those canonized included thirty martyrs, both priests and lay persons, who suffered anti-Catholic persecution in 1645 at the hands of Dutch Calvinists in Brazil, while three indigenous children in 16th century Mexico were martyred for refusing to renounce their Catholic faith and return to their ancient traditions. The other two new saints are a 20th-century priest from Spain and an Italian priest who died in 1739. Please find below the full text of the Pope’s homily for the Mass of Canonization: The parable we have just heard describes the Kingdom of God as a wedding feast (cf. Mt 22:1-14). The central character is the king’s son, the bridegroom, in whom we can easily see Jesus. The parable makes no mention of the bride, but only of the guests who were invited and expected, and those who wore the wedding garments. We are those guests, because the Lord wants “to celebrate the wedding” with us. The wedding inaugurates a lifelong fellowship, the communion God wants to enjoy with all of us. Our relationship with him, then, has to be more than that of devoted subjects with their king, faithful servants with their master, or dedicated students with their teacher. It is above all the relationship of a beloved bride with her bridegroom. In other words, the Lord wants us, he goes out to seek us and he invites us. For him, it is not enough that we should do our duty and obey his laws. He desires a true communion of life with us, a relationship based on dialogue, trust and forgiveness. Such is the Christian life, a love story with God. The Lord freely takes the initiative and no one can claim to be the only one invited. No one has a better seat than anyone else, for all enjoy God’s favour. The Christian life is always born and reborn of this tender, special and privileged love. We can ask ourselves if at least once a day we tell the Lord that we love him; if we remember, among everything else we say, to tell him daily, “Lord, I love you; you are my life”. Because once love is lost, the Christian life becomes empty. It becomes a body without a soul, an impossible ethic, a collection of rules and laws to obey for no good reason. The God of life, however, awaits a response of life. The Lord of love awaits a response of love. Speaking to one of the Churches in the Book of Revelation, God makes an explicit reproach: “You have abandoned your first love” (cf. Rev 2:4). This is the danger – a Christian life that becomes routine, content with “normality”, without drive or enthusiasm, and with a short memory. Instead, let us fan into flame the memory of our first love. We are the beloved, the guests at the wedding, and our life is a gift, because every day is a wonderful opportunity to respond to God’s invitation. The Gospel, however, warns us that the invitation can be refused. Many of the invited guests said no, because they were caught up in their own affairs. “They made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business” (Mt 22:5). Each was concerned with his own affairs; this is the key to understanding why they refused the invitation. The guests did not think that the wedding feast would be dreary or boring; they simply “made light of it”. They were caught up in their own affairs. They were more interested in having something rather than in risking something, as love demands. This is how love grows cold, not out of malice but out of a preference for what is our own: our security, our self-affirmation, our comfort… We settle into the easy chair of profits, pleasures, or a hobby that brings us some happiness. And we end up aging badly and quickly, because we grow old inside. When our hearts do not expand, they become closed in on themselves. When everything depends on me – on what I like, on what serves me best, on what I want – then I become harsh and unbending. I lash out at people for no reason, like the guests in the Gospel, who treated shamefully and ultimately killed (cf. v. 6) those sent to deliver the invitation, simply because they were bothering them. The Gospel asks us, then, where we stand: with ourselves or with God? Because God is the opposite of selfishness, of self-absorption. The Gospel tells us that, even before constant rejection and indifference on the part of those whom he invites, God does not cancel the wedding feast. He does not give up, but continues to invite. When he hears a “no”, he does not close the door, but broadens the invitation. In the face of wrongs, he responds with an even greater love. When we are hurt by the unfair treatment of others or their rejection, we frequently harbour grudges and resentment. God on the other hand, while hurt by our “no”, tries again; he keeps doing good even for those who do evil. Because this is what love does. Because this is the only way that evil is defeated. Today our God, who never abandons hope, tells us to do what he does, to live in true love, to overcome resignation and the whims of our peevish and lazy selves. There is one last idea that the Gospel emphasizes: the mandatory garment of the invited guests. It is not enough to respond just once to the invitation, simply to say “yes” and then do nothing else. Day by day, we have to put on the wedding garment, the “habit” of practising love. We cannot say, “Lord, Lord”, without experiencing and putting into practice God’s will (cf. Mt 7:21). We need to put on God’s love and to renew our choice for him daily. The Saints who were canonized today, and especially the many martyrs, point the way. They did not say a fleeting “yes” to love; they said they “yes” with their lives and to the very end. The robe they wore daily was the love of Jesus, that “mad” love that loved us to the end and offered his forgiveness and his robe to those who crucified him. At baptism we received a white robe, the wedding garment for God. Let us ask him, through the intercession of the saints, our brothers and sisters, for the grace to decide daily to put on this garment and to keep it spotless. How can we do this? Above all, by approaching the Lord fearlessly in order to receive his forgiveness. This is the one step that counts, for entering into the wedding hall to celebrate with him the feast of love.

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rudyscuriocabinet · 7 years

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Homily for 6/25/17 - P3 - Holy Communion

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. … for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God…” (Mt 6:25-33) These words of our Lord describe for us the unfailing and abundant provision of God for us. We give so much of our time and energy and attention to arranging to meet our own worldly needs: food, clothing, shelter, etc. And yet all this labor and anxiety is unnecessary, for our God, our heavenly Father, knows that we need these things and provides for us even as He provides for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. All that we need God will provide. Here is the first and basic lesson that is contained in these words, that God knows our needs and He provides them. He does not give us all that we want, but rather He provides for us what we need. And even if what we want is something we need, He gives it to us in the manner and time and place that He knows will be most beneficial to us. This requires that we must trust God to provide for us and to abandon our own efforts to provide for ourselves. If we learn to trust God in this manner and so receive all that He gives us with thanksgiving and contentment, then this will unerringly lead us into His Kingdom.

But there is a more important reason that God provides for us in this manner. He does not do this without reason – He provides for us all that we need in order that we might turn our attention, our time, energy and efforts towards that which is more important. “Seek ye first,” our Lord says, “the Kingdom of God” This is where our focus should be – not on the things of this world where all things fall into corruption and pass away, but rather on the things of the Kingdom of God where the treasure that we acquire is eternal and with us even after the world, this universe, has passed away.

In order to understand this saying a little better, let us look at how it worked out in the lives of the saints. We could certainly point to many saints who received this great provision of God in their lives, however, the dependence upon God is quite clear in the lives of the desert ascetics. They left the comforts and certainty of the world behind and pursued the Kingdom of God out into the harsh environment of the desert where food, water and even shelter were scarce. In the desert they found that they were forced to depend upon God for all that was necessary and He did not fail them. Today we remember one such desert father, Saint Onuphrius the Great. Seeking the Kingdom of God, St Onuphrius followed his guardian angel out to a place in the desert far removed from the world. This place was so barren that for a long time the saint “had eaten only earth, and, after that, when he had survived an intense struggle with demonic temptation and when his heart had become utterly established in the love for God, an angel had brought him bread to eat. And besides that, through God’s gracious providence, a palm tree grew up at one side of his cell, that gave good dates and a spring of water began to flow there. ‘But especially,’ said the saint, ‘ my food and drink are the sweet words of God.’” (Prologue of Ochrid) When St Paphnutius, who had found St Onuphrius in the desert, asked whether he had received the Holy Mysteries, St Onuphrius answered that the angel of God brought him Communion every Saturday. See how God provided not only the needs of this world for St Onuphrius but also provided the sustenance of the Most Holy Body and Most Precious Blood of Christ that is necessary for our salvation. St Paphnutius, returning from his visit with St Onuphrius, encountered four more young men living the ascetic life. When he asked them whether they had any chance of receiving the Mysteries, they told him that an angel of God came to them every Saturday and brought them Communion. St Paphnutius remained with them until the following Saturday and witnessed this himself in the following manner: “When the Saturday dawned, the whole monastery was filled with an indescribable, heavenly fragrance. While they were at prayer an angel of God in the form of a handsome young man, bright as lightning, appeared with the Holy Gifts. Paphnutius was terrified and fell to the ground in fear, but they raised him up and he also received Communion at the angle’s hands.” (Prologue of Ochrid).

Here we see how God not only provides the worldly necessities for this life, but also provides the heavenly necessities for the life in the Kingdom of God – that is, the Most Holy Body and Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Did not our Lord Himself tell us of the importance of this Mystery saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him.” (John 6:53-56). Holy Communion is a necessity of spiritual life and without it, according the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no life.

The Fathers tell us that it is by receiving the Holy Mysteries, we are literally united with Christ. St Cyril of Jerusalem says: “…you, by partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ may be made of the same body and the same blood with him. For thus we come to bear Christ in us, because His Body and Blood are distributed through our members.” He goes on to leave us no doubt as to the very literal nature of this Mystery saying, “Learn these things and be fully assured that what seems to be bread is not bread, though sensible to taste, but the Body of Christ; and that what seems to be wine is not wine though the taste will have it so, but the blood of Christ.” Because of the importance of this Mystery for our salvation, the Fathers also tell us that we should receive Holy Communion as often as possible. Do we not pray in the Lord’s prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread”? Often in the writings of the fathers this is interpreted as a call for the daily reception of the Mysteries. St Ignatius of Antioch says to us, “Endeavor to gather more often for the Eucharist and the glorification of God” and St Basil the Great likewise tells us, “It is good and extremely beneficial to partake and receive every day the Body and Blood of Christ.”

Even with this encouragement to receive the Mysteries frequently, there is no suggestion that we should approach the Chalice casually or without proper preparation. There is no single method or regimen of preparation that is prescribed for all to follow. It is certainly a universal expectation that we approach the Mysteries having fasted from all food and drink from the beginning of the day (midnight) but even then there are times and circumstances where that expectation is set aside (for example in illness). There are also prescribed periods of strict fasting for those who do not receive the Mysteries regularly (3 days, a week, even 40 days), but again these expectations vary with the situation and should be applied by one’s spiritual father. There are set prayer rules to be said prior to receiving the Mysteries, however, again they vary depending on the situation. One thing, in the Russian Church, that is also nearly universal is that the sacrament of Confession is a necessary element of preparation for approaching Holy Communion. With all of these different expectations how then should one prepare?

In this parish, the expectation is that those (adults) who wish to receive Holy Communion should follow this rule: First, to cleanse the soul from all known sin by taking the sacrament of confession prior to the day one will receive. Generally this means at the Vigil service the evening before, however, other arrangements can be made to accommodate one’s schedule. In addition to making a good confession, one should fast from all food and drink from midnight onward. In addition, for those who receive the Mysteries less than every other week, one should keep a strict fast on Friday and Saturday (which when added to the total fast on Sunday amounts to three days). One should say at the very least the rule of preparation in the prayer book (which consists of psalms, a short canon and a collection of prayers), however, it is better to add to this preparation three canons (the Savior, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel) and an akathist (the Savior, the Mother of God or the saint of the day). The rule for children is relaxed according to the age and ability of the child, but it is never eliminated completely. After receiving the Holy Mysteries, take a little of the bread and wine provided to cleanse your mouth in case a particle of the Gifts is not swallowed. One who has received the Gifts must also say the prayers of the thanksgiving before going on to other things. These prayers are read aloud in the Church during the veneration of the cross and so those who received should attend to them at this time.

Partaking of the Most Holy Body and Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the sacrament of Holy Communion is a necessary part of our salvation, for in this manner we are literally joined to the Body of Christ and He dwells within us. This sacrament is so important that God sends His angels to give Holy Communion to those who are unable to receive them any other way as we saw in the lives of the saints. Each one of us should receive the Holy Mysteries as often as possible, never neglecting the opportunity to receive. Our Lord gives His own Body and Blood to us – let no one turn away from this all sufficient and necessary Gift. By placing a priority on receiving Holy Communion we fulfill the commandment of our Lord to “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…”

Posted by: David Moser <[email protected]>

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lawrenceop · 4 years

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HOMILY for the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Last November, I had to be in Rome for my first meetings with the Master of the Order as the new Promoter General of the Holy Rosary. While waiting to see the Master, I sat in a chapel that is said to have been the private room of Pope St Pius V in the Dominican headquarters (called Santa Sabina). St Pius V is the Dominican pope who popularised the Dominican Rosary with its joyful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries; this is the pope who instituted today’s feast of the Holy Rosary; and this is the pope who encouraged the Christian people to pray the Rosary for victory and for peace. Now, in this chapel in Rome there is a painting of Pope St Pius V kneeling in his room and praying the Rosary. However, as he is praying, an angel is shown pulling back a curtain in front of him, and the pope is watching a dramatic naval battle unfold on what looks like a wide-screen television. This image made me reflect that, in fact, today’s feast of the Holy Rosary widens our vision in at least three ways.

Firstly, today’s feast widens our historical vision, and so we are reminded of who we are as a Christian people, and of that which unites the countries of Europe. For the painting in this chapel in Rome actually depicts the miracle by which Pope Pius V, while praying the Rosary in Rome, learnt of the victory of the Christian fleet over the Ottoman Turks in Lepanto, which is off the western coast of Greece.

On this day in 1571, as Pope Leo XIII put it so stirringly, “Christ's faithful warriors, prepared to sacrifice their life and blood for the salvation of their faith and their country; [they] proceeded undauntedly to meet their foe near the Gulf of Corinth, while those who were unable to take part formed a pious band of supplicants who called on Mary, and as [with one unified voice they] saluted her again and again in the words of the Rosary, imploring her to grant the victory to their companions engaged in battle”. For if the Turkish forces had won, there is no doubt that the Christian faith would have been extinguished in Europe, as had happened in the Middle East, and in north Africa, and in so many other formerly Christian countries and cities. So, Pope Pius V declared that it was by the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession that this decisive victory was won at Lepanto in 1571, and he instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory on 7 October, which was later renamed the feast of the Holy Rosary to commemorate the fact that victory was won through the praying of the Rosary.

But how many people actually remember the Battle of Lepanto, or remember the fact that the Christian faith was almost lost in Europe? How many of us realise that our identity is in fact dependent on Christian truths, as the historian Tom Holland points out in his bestselling book, Dominion? Memories are important. Think of someone suffering from Alzheimer's disease, who can no longer remember his own history. Such a person has lost his identity. For memories root us, and give us a sense of identity. And yet, is it not the case that Europe, and so many of our contemporaries seems to be suffering from spiritual Alzheimer’s? As Pope Francis has said: “a ‘spiritual Alzheimer’s disease’… consists in losing the memory of our personal “salvation history”, our past history with the Lord and our “first love” (Rev 2:4)… We see it in those who have lost the memory of their encounter with the Lord… in those who are completely caught up in the present moment, in their passions, whims and obsessions…” Today’s feast, therefore, can widen our vision so that instead of focussing on the whims of the present moment, we remember again our history, our deepest identity as a Christian people, as children of Mary, as people redeemed and loved by the incarnate Son of God.

And so, today’s feast of the Holy Rosary widens our vision in a second way by focussing on the Incarnation which is recalled in the Gospel. The traditional Dominican Rosary is focussed on Christ’s incarnation, and its joyful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries contemplate the cosmos-changing effects of Christ becoming Man. For we had been made in God’s image and likeness, but sin had deformed and defaced this image. So God became Man in order to restore the image of God in us. So, by his Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ heals humanity of the wound of sin, and then through grace which flows from Christ, we Christians are remade in the image and likeness of Christ; grace makes us beautiful as Christ is beautiful, loving as he is loving. When we meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary, then, our vision is widened as Christ teaches us how to please God, how to live in friendship with God, how to be more authentically human and truly free by loving more God and one another. Thus Pope St John Paul II said that when we pray the Rosary meditatively, we “contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and experience the depths of his love”. Therefore, the Rosary can help us to widen our vision, looking beyond history, or civilization, and to contemplate the fullness of life itself, and what it means to be human. For the one who leads us to become fully human is Christ, who is true God and true Man.

Finally, this union with Christ that is deepened by the Rosary points to the third widening of vision that today’s feast celebrates. For the end, the goal of the Rosary, is that we should “obtain what they [the mysteries] promise”, and this, of course, is eternal salvation in heaven. The stained glass window in our apse places before us the final mystery of the Rosary; it keeps before our eyes a vision of our destination as Christians. For we are called, alongside Mary and the saints, to see God face to face. Through grace we hope to obtain what we might call the widest vision of all, namely, the Beatific Vision, which is to see God face to face. St Thomas Aquinas explains that for us human beings, to see God face to face means to know God, who is truth, goodness, love itself. And since we are made for the true and the good; made for love, so when we see God face to face in heaven, we shall experience the greatest happiness, joy, and contentment – in a word, beatitude, blessedness.

The truths that we ponder and that we proclaim in the Holy Rosary, therefore, point us to Mankind’s deepest happiness which is found in union with Christ. The Rosary contemplates with Mary, Mother of the Redeemed, all that our merciful Redeemer, Jesus Christ, has accomplished for humanity: God has become Man, so that Man might become God, united to him through the grace of charity. This is the beautiful vision that we Christians have to recall, and the Holy Rosary continually holds this vision of our salvation before us, thus widening our focus from this world and its many worries and concerns, and leading our gaze heavenwards, towards Our Lady, Queen of Heaven. Thus, may the Blessed Virgin, Queen of the Holy Rosary, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

#Rosary #salvation #grace #theosis #divinisation #memory #Lepanto #Christian

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erectiledysfunc · 4 years

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romancatholicreflections · 5 years

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16th December >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Luke 3:10-18 for Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle C: ‘What must we do?’

Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle C

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Luke 3:10-18

'Someone is coming who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'

When all the people asked John, ‘What must we do?’ he answered, ‘If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!’

A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’ As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.

Gospel (USA)

Luke 3:10–18

What should we do?

The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.

Reflections (3)

(i) Third Sunday of Advent

There are certain questions in life that remain important to us all through our lives. One of those questions begins our gospel reading today, ‘What must we do?’ What is the right thing, the good thing, to do? It is a question we will often find ourselves asking. If we have in our hearts the desire to do what is right, what is best, then that question will always be important for us. ‘What must we do, as a church, as a society? What must I do in my own personal life?’ For us as followers of Jesus, as people who have been baptized into Christ, the question, ‘What must I do?’ becomes ‘What does the Lord want me to do?’ ‘What is the Lord asking of me?’ The answer to that question won’t always be easy to find. We may need guidance. We may need to talk to someone who can help us to see what it is we must do, what it is the Lord is asking of us here and now.

The people in today’s gospel reading looked to John the Baptist for guidance. He gave them very clear guidance. He firstly called on everyone to share from their surplus with those in greatest need. Then he had specific guidance for specific groups. He told tax collects not to defraud people. He told soldiers not to use their authority to intimidate people. There was general guidance that applied to all and then there was specific guidance that was relevant to particular groups. John was aware that the call to share, to give generously to others, would find expression in different ways for different people, depending on their circumstances in life. That is true for all of us. The gospel call is addressed to all of us in a general way, the call to love others as the Lord has loved us, to be generous in our dealing with others as the Lord has been generous to us, to forgive as we have been forgiven by the Lord, to serve as we have been served by him. Yet, that general call will take a different concrete shape for each one of us, depending on the situation in which we each find ourselves. We each have to work out what the call of the gospel means for me concretely in my own specific circumstances of life. What must I do in my own unique situation that no one else can do, that no one else is called to do?

What is the Lord asking of me personally here and now? Today’s second reading is taken from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. He wrote that letter from prison. When you read that entire letter it is clear that Paul was asking himself in prison, ‘What must I do?’ What, in these very unpromising circumstances of my life, is the Lord calling me to do? You could say that his options were very limited as long as he was in prison. The experience of prison does not create many choices for people. Yet, Paul was aware that he had options. He could have retreated into himself and become completely self-absorbed. He could have become resentful at the injustice that was being done to him. He did none of those things. Instead, he reached out in love to one of his churches, the church that had recently sent him help while he was in prison, the church in the city of Philippi. He wrote a letter to them and he found someone to take it to them. It is a letter that is devoid of all self-pity, self-absorption. Instead it is full of pastoral care for the members of the church who are going through their own valley of darkness in the form of hostility from the surrounding society. At one point he addresses them as ‘you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown’. Even though his own situation was very unpromising, Paul reached out in love to those he felt some responsibility for. He knew what he had to do and he also knew that he was empowered to do it. Towards the end of the letter he says ‘I can do all things in him who gives me strength’.

Paul can serve as an inspiration to us all. The little snippet from his letter to the Philippians that is given to us this Sunday suggests the importance of prayer in helping Paul to discern what he had to do and in empowering him to do it. He says there, ‘if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving’. We look to the Lord in prayer to help us to discern what it is we must do, what it is he wants us to do. We look to the Lord not as someone who is removed from us, but as someone who, in the words of Paul in that same reading, ‘is very near’. In the words of the first reading from the prophet Zephaniah, ‘The Lord your God is in your midst’. If we open ourselves up to the Lord in prayer, he will guide and direct us as to what we must do, and he will also give us, as he gave Paul, the strength to do it, through the Holy Spirit.

And/Or

(ii) Third Sunday of Advent

We are now only a little over a week from Christmas day. The run up to Christmas can be a sad time for many people, especially for those who have been recently bereaved. Christmas, with its emphasis on family gatherings and celebration, can be a lonely time for those without much family, who may feel that they have little to celebrate.

The emphasis on joy in the readings this Sunday may ring hollow for many people. Zephaniah calls on the people of Jerusalem to ‘shout for joy’, to ‘rejoice, exult with all your heart’. Paul tells the Philippians, ‘I want you to be happy, always happy’. For many people, however, sadness can be more the norm, sometimes with good reason, and not just in the run up to Christmas. The uncertainty of the times in which we leave can leave us feeling very sad, times when innocent people can be blow to bits by someone with a bomb strapped to their body. The hurt that people may have experienced in the course of their lives can leave them disheartened. Our failure to be all we know we could be and to do all we could do can leave us feeling discouraged.

The temptation to sadness is very real. In many ways it can be easier to give in to that temptation than to fight it. We can allow a heaviness of spirit to come upon us, and to impact on those with whom we live and work. The call of today’s readings, therefore, is one that we may need to hear, even if our initial reaction to it may be negative and dismissive. Paul calls on the Philippians to be ‘happy in the Lord’. The happiness he refers to is the fruit of our relationship with the Lord. This is not a naïve kind of happiness that is blissfully unaware of the darker side of life or untouched by the pain and suffering that is all around us. Indeed, at the time Paul called on the Philippians to be ‘happy in the Lord’, he himself was having a very difficult time. He was writing from prison, and he was aware that he could be executed at any moment. He had a lot on his mind as he wrote this letter. Objectively speaking, he had many reasons to be sad and discouraged.

This is why Paul’s own joy and his encouragement to the church in Philippi to be joyful is all the more striking. Paul shows us by his own example that, even in the midst of pain, loss and brokenness, it is possible for those who believe in Christ to be joyful. The source of Paul’s joy is his realization that, in the words of the reading, ‘The Lord is very near’. This is also the reason why Zephaniah in the first reading called on the people of Jerusalem to rejoice, ‘The Lord is in your midst’. The Lord of life is always near to us, especially during those times when the path we take is something of a way of the cross. As believers we always live our lives ‘in the Lord’, as Paul puts it. We have been baptized into him. We remain in him, as members of his body. The Lord is near to us as one who has triumphed over death and who is always at work bringing new life out of our various deaths. The Lord’s power at work within us and among us can do immeasurably more than all we can hope for or imagine. This is why Paul can write towards the end of this letter from prison, ‘I can do all things through him who gives me strength’. We can each make our own those words of Paul.

Paul reminds us that even when, from a human perspective, we may have many reasons to be sad, the power of the Lord’s risen life, the power of the Holy Spirit, is at work within us, and in opening ourselves to that power, we can experience a joy that the world cannot give. Prayer is a privileged time for opening ourselves to the power of the risen Lord. Paul says in our reading this morning, ‘if there is anything you need pray for it’. What do we need? We certainly need the Lord, and that is why the Advent prayer, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’, for all its simplicity, is so much to the point. A related prayer would be, ‘Come Holy Spirit’. In and through these simple prayers of petition, we open our lives to the power of the risen Lord, that same power that one day will transform our lowly bodies into copies of the Lord’s glorious body.

The Lord, the Spirit, whom we invite into our lives, will always prompt us to look outwards, beyond ourselves, to others. In the gospel reading, when people came up to John the Baptist asking, ‘What must we do?’ he called on them to relate to others generously and justly. This is the kind of living that leaves us joyful. It is in giving that we receive, in serving others that we find our joy. When Paul was writing from prison, he was more concerned about the Philippians than about himself. Christmas is a time when we are invited to reach out beyond ourselves to others more than we usually do. Our support of the Vincent de Paul society this morning, for example, is one way of doing that. The custom of visiting others at this time of year is another form of looking beyond ourselves to others. We cannot pray ‘Come Lord Jesus’ without at the same time inviting the Lord to serve others through us. When we allow the Lord to do that, we will experience the Lord’s own joy.

And/Or

(iii) Third Sunday of Advent

Christmas is now only a little over a week away. Many of us are thinking about what we have to do between now and then. There are still cards to be sent, presents to be bought, food to be prepared, arrangements to be made to welcome people home for Christmas. There can be a lot of pressure on people in the coming days. There seems so much to do.

In that context, the question that is put to John the Baptist in today’s gospel reading might find a certain echo within us, ‘What must we do?’ We might ask that question at this time of the year as a way of prioritizing the many things we have to do over the coming days, ‘What will I do today?’ The question as it appears in today’s gospel reading is, however, a much more fundamental one. People are really asking John, ‘How are we to live?’ ‘What path should we be taking?’ Very specific groups ask this question of John, such as tax collectors and soldiers. This was not just a general question. People from various walks of life wanted to know how they were to live, within their very particular life situations.

The question, ‘What must we do?’ ‘How are we to live?’ is one of the fundamental questions of life. We each ask it out of our own particular life situation. The answer to that question will be different for everybody, just as John’s answer to the tax collectors was different to his answer to the soldiers. His answer would have been different again if the question was put by shepherds or fishermen or builders. We each have to discern the answer to that question for ourselves, given the particular circumstances of our lives.

The various answers that John gave to the question, ‘What must we do?’ continue to have something to say to us in our very different situations today. John’s answers anticipate what Jesus himself would say in the course of his public ministry. John calls on people to share their resources with others, ‘if anyone has two tunics he must share with the one who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same’. John was probably speaking to people of limited means and, yet, he calls on them to share the little they have with those who have less. Addressing two groups that had power and influence, tax collectors and soldiers, he calls on them not to use their position in any kind of self-serving way. John knew that those in positions of authority can be tempted to use their influence to enrich themselves and deprive others. All of these groups were asking John, ‘What must we do to find life?’ John is saying, as Jesus will say after him, ‘This is the path to life: Live generously and justly’. John’s challenging answer is as true today as it was then.

Having given his answer, John goes on to speak about ‘someone who is coming’, who is more powerful than he is, who will baptize ‘with the Holy Spirit and fire’. It is the coming of this more powerful one who makes it possible for people to live the kind of life that John is calling for. Jesus’ baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with fire will empower people to live as generously and as justly as Jesus did. The life that the Lord calls on us to live is only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit that he alone can give to us. That is why we always need to pray, ‘Come Holy Spirit’, or to pray the great prayer of Advent, ‘Come Lord Jesus’. In praying this prayer, we are asking the Lord to shape us into the kind of person he has destined us to be.

In today’s second reading, Paul calls on us to pray for what we need. ‘If there is anything you need, pray for it’, he says. We certainly need the coming of the Lord, the coming of the Holy Spirit, because without their coming we cannot live as the Lord wants us to live. Paul also says in that reading that asking God for what we really need is the path to true happiness. Those who ask God for what they need will experience, he says, ‘that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand’. What we really need is help from the Lord to live well; this is the path to life, to peace, to real happiness.

Discerning what it is we really need is one of the tasks of life. We can invest a lot of time and energy in seeking what we do not really need. Having acquired it, we discover that we are not any the happier for it. Happiness can be elusive; it is not always found where we expect it to be. Paul in our second reading suggests that we find happiness not by seeking happiness but by seeking the Lord. He can speak with authority about where true happiness is found. His letter to the Philippians is full of joy, even though he wrote it from prison, with the possibility of death staring him in the face.

Paul also suggests in that reading that in seeking the Lord we will discover that he is not hard to find. ‘The Lord is very near’, he says, or in the words of today’s first reading, ‘The Lord is in your midst’. The Lord is the one who comes; he comes to us to make it easier for us to seek and find him and, thereby, experience true peace and joy.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

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