#Elijah Anointing

[drrus]

Connecting of Generations

Now is the time for a connecting of the generations. In days past the New Wine and the Old Wine have not connected well.

I’m currently working on a book entitled The Ephesian Season. It’s about what I sense the Lord saying to the church in this season and new era. In one of the chapters I write about a Connecting of the Generations. I sense it’s very relevant for today. In other words I believe this is a “Now Word” from God. Continue reading Untitled

[bills-bible-basics]

MECHANICS OF THE SPIRIT -- a Bill's Bible Basics series #Christian #BibleStudy #Jesus This Bill’s Bible Basics 3-part series by Bill Kochman can be read at: https://www.billkochman.com/Articles/mechanics-of-the-spirit-01.html https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/mechanics-of-the-spirit-a-bills-bible-basics-series/?MECHANICS%20OF%20THE%20SPIRIT%20--%20a%20Bill%27s%20Bible%20Basics%20series

[lordgodjehovahsway]

1 Kings 19: Jezebel Sends Messenger To Elijah With The Promise Of Death

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 

2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 

4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 

5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 

6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 

8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 

9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 

12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 

13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 

16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 

17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 

18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

The Call of Elisha

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 

20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

[ohholydyke]

When the prophet Elijah faced a government that wanted him dead, he wanted to die, so God sent an angel—a messenger of the Lord—who put their hands on him, brought him food and said “Arise, eat.”

And when Elijah laid back down because he lacked the strength to continue, the angel came again. They put their hands on him, brought him food and said “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.”

And Elijah got up and ate. Until he was ready to engage in his long journey to the mountain of God.

When he got there, the government still wanted the prophet dead, so Elijah still wanted to die. So God told him to stand on the mountain while He came by, so that Elijah could be near God and see Him.

Elijah looked for God in the roaring wind, but God was not there. He looked for God in the earthquake, but God was not there. He looked for God in fire, but God was not there.

And then Elijah heard a gentle breeze, and God was there. In comfort. In stillness. In gentleness.

And when Elijah left, still despairing over facing a government that wanted him dead, God sent him to Damascus with the promise that Elijah would anoint new kings and a new prophet. He found Elisha, his companion and fellow prophet, who stood with Elijah as they weathered the storm of government, grief and fear together. And then they built a new world.

Elijah outlived those who wanted him dead. But he did not do it alone. Comfort, touch, food—these are the essentials. These get us out of bed. These keep us alive. The message from God when Elijah is lying down in despair isn’t “get to work,” it isn’t “focus on resisting,” it isn’t “mourn,” it isn’t chastisement. It’s “arise, eat.”

Communion, gentleness, stillness, focus—these are what motivate us to do the work. Elijah was driven by despair into God’s arms. Maybe that works for you—I will be spending my day in prayer alongside my local parish and participating in a communal Mincha service. Maybe the communion and gentleness for you is other people. Your friends, family, loved ones. Maybe it’s yourself—sitting in meditation, art, music, screaming, cooking, sobbing, stretching, gardening. Do something to be in communion with someone or something today. If you have no one, commune with yourself. Commune with plants and your pets and the wind and the water and the candlelight and anywhere you feel that gentle breeze. Stillness, focus, connection.

Finally, companionship, organizing, community, action, solidarity—these are what allow us to do the work. The journey is too great for us alone. We need each other. We will weather this storm together. We will weather the grief and mourning and despair and anger and outrage and whatever the next few years have in store for us, and we will do it standing alongside each other.

Remember—if things get overwhelming, return to the basics. Lay down. Eat. Rest. Repeat until you can find communion and stillness. And repeat both until you can find the strength to journey on and create meaningful relationships and resistance with others.

As final thoughts, I will share the prayer I have prayed regularly since I began my own journey alongside God as a blessing to anyone who may benefit from hearing it:

May God give you eyes that you may see, ears that you may hear, and lips that speak the truth in righteousness. May you receive a caring heart and open mind. May the Lord bless the work of your hands and that which you give others.

And, to those for whom Christ may be a comfort:

May the Risen Savior grant you peace. May He help you to become more like Him and find solace in Him and His Passion. May the five wounds of Christ serve as a map guiding you to His gentle breeze.

May the Holy Virgin light your way and intercede for us all, comfort the afflicted, hear our sorrows, and show us the Blessed Fruit of her womb Jesus.

Em nome do Pai, do Filho, e do Espírito Santo,

Amém.

EDIT: This post is blowing up a bit so I feel the need to expressly state (as if my blog isn’t statement enough) that this is a queer leftist message. I stand with Palestine, Sudan, the Congo and all peoples struggling to be free. I stand with Black, Brown and Indigenous peoples suffering under colonialism, racism and imperialism, I stand with queer people, I stand with the houseless, I stand with anarchists and witches and freedom fighters. The idea of self care expressed here is explicitly indebted to Audre Lorde—the act of placing boundaries with yourself in order to have the energy to do the work of fighting for liberation, freedom and equality. Her concept applied to the labor regularly performed by Black women in being forced to advocate for their own humanity, which ought to be acknowledged, but in its principles we may also find a path to guide the rest of us towards a foundation of sustainable movement. My faith is based around the acknowledgment that Jesus Christ did not come to establish a kingdom of man, or a hierarchy of oppression, but a kingdom of God built for the oppressed.

[eesirachs]

negated pronouns in the former prophets, or, the hysteries—sometimes, mostly in moments of formalism heightened unto violence, the hebrew narrative refuses proper pronoun usage. the prophet elijah summons and anoints elisha, hurling his flesh into a nearness of heaven that hurts and ruins, and he uses the feminine singular לָֽךְ. elijah repeats this nonpronouning before his assumption, naming elisha the feminine מֵעִמָּ֑ךְ as a mode of forgetting or farewelling. evinced here is the earlier passage of yephthah who, speech-acting and vowing to sacrifice his daughter, names her with the masculine singular מִמֶּ֛נּוּ. new registers are attached to these sacrifices, these hysterical, excessive, violated things, so unruly and queer that the narrative forgets its own syntax

[albertfinch]

Exhortation - January 10, 2025

The word of the Lord is the storm in your mouth! It's the Spirit of God moving upon you and through your prophecies which releases the resurrection power of God into the lives of others that COUNTERACTS the storms of the enemy!

"He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid me; He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in His quiver." (Isaiah 49:2)

2025 will be a year where you rise above the storm and become the storm. This will be a year of breaking out of confinement, and limitations. This will be a year for you to prophesy, worship, and be the voice of truth!

Watch as God places a strong conviction and an anointing upon you to speak the heart of God into this time.

Your bucket has been empty. Your belly has not felt like it has had rivers flowing from it (John 7:37-39), but soon it will. Maybe you have contended and done everything you could do but you have been severely discouraged, not seeing breakthrough or any advancement at all, while, at times, it may have seemed like the enemy succeeded, the Holy Spirit has faithfully taken you into "Elijah in the cave" moments (1 Kings 19: 9-18) and reminded you of who you are in your Christ identity. The second wind is coming…and it's not going to be some "light change," but a major life interruption that shifts EVERYTHING inside you and around you.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[myremnantarmy]

𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

LK 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,

and went according to his custom

into the synagogue on the sabbath day.

He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll,

he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,

and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.

He said to them,

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

And all spoke highly of him

and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”

He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,

‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place

the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”

And he said,

“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Indeed, I tell you,

there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah

when the sky was closed for three and a half years

and a severe famine spread over the entire land.

It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,

but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.

Again, there were many lepers in Israel

during the time of Elisha the prophet;

yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

When the people in the synagogue heard this,

they were all filled with fury.

They rose up, drove him out of the town,

and led him to the brow of the hill

on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.

But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

[starythewriter]

KINKmas 14 elijah x you

WATTPAD

TW: this is for mature audiences only minors LEAVE.

you woke up feeling amazing because you were in a gigantic mansion with elijah he was your handsome man. you loved him more then anything and of course you also couldnt deny his great skills in bed. it was snowing outside, but you didnt care, the snow to you was the best part of december.

elijah was still asleep you however were ready to spice things up with him. a lot of the times you felt very unsure about your relaintionship to the mikaelson brothers, since they would share you. one time youd be in the hands of klaus and another in elijah sometimes in kol's.

you were not upset at this tho you enjoyed it, but sometimes it was a little hard considering whenever you saw elijah youd see a little bit of kol in him. he was smart and noble, just so sexy. the way he would talk and the way he eats you out elijah felt the same way about you however he also had a strong sexual desire towards you.

elijah loved everything about you especialyl the fact that you were a witch he found it very sexy. you got up to light some candles and set a cozy but sexy mood. as you wanted to ride elijah it had a while since the two of you engaged in any type of intimacy because he was away with klaus on a special mission.

you went down stairs to find klaus, painting it was a potrait of the two of you hugging. it was so cute. "you look very handsome klaus" "shouldnt you be with elijah?" he replied, "well… lets just say im waiting for the ambiance to be right…" you said, you trailed your fingers across his cute vest. klaus was very cute despite his rage and constant pain/ regardless you loved him and he was just so sexy. "lets dance" you both put on some christmas music and began to dance graceful turning around, he lead the way.

occasionally he would surprise you with a kiss which you were not mad about. you stared deep into his eyes. he was entranced by you. "klaus help me with something what gets your brother infatuated?" "well apart from being a sexy witch, using oils on his body, also he likes self pleasure… so id recommend getting off by yourself. trust me itll do the job" he said with a whisper.

you kept dancing, you anointed some oils for klaus. "dont be naugthy darling" "what if i want to be" you smirked, he kissed you as the scent his him hard. you kept dancing the song had ended. "im gonna go now, hes gonna wake up." "no… I- i want you here" "since it is the season of giving, how about you watch us" you smirked.

"fine" he said. you entered as elijah just woke up. "you look and smell sexy… lavender?" he said "yes handsome. relax" you poured some lavender oil onto his chest, rubbing it. "darling what are you doing" he said. "giving you a gift" "klaus is watching" you whispered klaus started to slowly jerk off.

elijah took off his clothe, as did you. you got ontop of his large dick and he pinned you aganist the wall. he quickly started to fuck you. "fuck… I didnt know these oils would work llike this" he said. "relax" "i cant Y/N I need to fuck you" you moaned loudly. he sped up, giving you kisses, at the same time you rubbed oils on his biceps. slowly klaus groaned as he became closer and closer to his peak.

you were enjoying this to much as you were the one in control of 2 of the most feared men. you kissed elijah, "your just so fucking sexy, I feel like i need to breed you till you are filled with my cum" you moaned louder, you both shivered as you were close to reaching your peak.

you grabbed his hair yanking it, he groaned as you held onto him tightly. you were both sweaty, this rough sex was intense but lovely. you stared at his facial features his amazing jawline, his facial hair, his eyes. you also were drawn to his biceps.

he flexed with his right arm and held you with the left. "kiss it" you did just that, he groaned louder as you planted hickies on his large arms. klaus stood to side closer then ever to peaking.

after you finished leaving elijah's arm brusied, he fucked you with vamp speed, "can I… use the both of you… I need to suck that energy…" both elijah and klaus said "yes" as you all reached your peak, you shivered moaning loudly with elijah, as you held eachother tight. klaus came grinding his teeth as he released all over his boxers.

you consumed their wonderful energy as you reached that peak. you felt amazing. elijah set you onto his bed. klaus joined in, you all took a moment to catch your breaths and the two rested, "your both so hot…" you got onto klaus kissing him" the both of you stared at eachother. shortly after, you all took naps.

THE END!

[wisdomfish]

Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. [Matthew 16:13-17]

[drrus]

Doing a New Thing

God is doing a new thing and If we can get new thing right I believe the Lord will release an Elijah anointing on the current leaders.

We find ourselves at an incredible turning point for the Body of Christ. God is doing a new thing and this new thing is, and must be different from the things of the past. For a number of years prophetic voices have declared, “God is doing a new thing.” While this is a true statement, it’s time to discover God’s new thing, not our new thing. Continue reading Untitled

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

2 January >> Mass Readings (USA)

Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops, Doctors  on 2nd January.

2nd January

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I))

(Readings for the feria (Thursday))

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Thursday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading 1 John 2:22-28 Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you.

Beloved: Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. I write you these things about those who would deceive you. As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him. And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.

R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Gospel Acclamation Hebrews 1:1-2

Alleluia, alleluia. In times past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets: in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 1:19-28 There is one who is coming after me.

This is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

-----------------------------------

Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops, Doctors 

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I))

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Thursday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13 For the work of the ministry, for building up the Body of Christ.

I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 23:1b-3a, 4, 5, 6

R/ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff that give me courage.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

R/ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 23:9b, 10b

Alleluia, alleluia. You have but one Father in heaven; you have but one master, the Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 23:8-12 The greatest among you must be your servant.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: “Do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[bills-bible-basics]

MECHANICS OF THE SPIRIT -- a Bill's Bible Basics series This #BillsBibleBasics 3-part series by #BillKochman can be read at: https://www.billkochman.com/Articles/mechanics-of-the-spirit-01.html https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/mechanics-of-the-spirit-a-bills-bible-basics-series/?feed_id=189069&MECHANICS%20OF%20THE%20SPIRIT%20--%20a%20Bill%27s%20Bible%20Basics%20series

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

14th December >> Fr. Martin's Reflections/Homilies on Today's Mass Readings for Saturday, Second Week of Advent (Inc. Matthew 17:10-13): ‘I tell you that Elijah has come already’.

Saturday, Second Week of Advent

Gospel (Except GB & USA) Matthew 17:10-13 Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him.

As they came down from the mountain the disciples put this question to Jesus, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True;’ he replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.’ The disciples understood then that he had been speaking of John the Baptist.

Gospel (GB) Matthew 17:9a, 10-13 ‘Elijah has already come, and they did not recognise him.’

As they were coming down the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, ‘Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?’ He answered, ‘Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognise him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Gospel (USA) Matthew 17:9a, 10-13 Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him.

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Reflections (12)

(i) Saturday, Second Week of Advent

The gospel reading suggests that people often do not recognize the messengers that God’s sends them. Jesus declares that John the Baptist was long awaited return of the prophet Elijah who it was believed would prepare people for the coming of the Lord. Yet the people of Jesus’ day did not recognize John the Baptist for who he was, God’s messenger, and instead of being welcomed he was put to death. Jesus goes on to say that what happened to John points ahead to what will happen to himself. If John was the messenger of the Lord, Jesus was the Lord himself, for whose coming John was preparing people. Yet many of Jesus; contemporaries did not recognize him for who he was, God’s anointed one, and instead of being welcomed he was crucified. We often fail to recognize the messengers God sends us. The risen Lord, God’s greatest messenger because he was God’s Son, comes to us in a whole variety of ways. He once said that he comes to us through children and through the most vulnerable in society. He often comes to us through the stranger, those whose ways are very different to ours. He comes to us through his word and, in a unique way, through the Eucharist. Our calling is to recognize the many and varied ways that the Lord comes to us today, and to respond to his coming with open and welcome hearts. In praying the Advent prayer, ‘Come Lord Jesus’, we are inviting the Lord to open our eyes so that we recognize the many ways he comes to us each day of our lives.

And/Or

(ii) Saturday, Second Week of Advent

We hear a great deal about John the Baptist in the Season of Advent. He has been rightly referred to as the great Advent Saint. He features particularly in the opening two weeks of Advent. After that, the other great Advent Saint, Mary, the mother of Jesus, begins to feature more prominently in the church’s liturgy. In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus identifies John the Baptist with the prophet Elijah. There had been an expectation that Elijah would come just before the Messiah would come. Jesus identifies John as that Elijah figure. Yet, by the time Jesus speaks in this morning’s gospel reading from Matthew John had already been beheaded. In the words of the gospel reading, ‘they treated him as they pleased’. Matthew presents Jesus in our gospel reading foreseeing his own death in the death of John. Both were prophets who disturbed certain vested interests and both paid the ultimate price. Even as we approach the feast of the birth of Jesus we are being reminded of how Jesus’ life would end. The fate of both John and Jesus reminds us that proclaiming the gospel of God in word and deed brings its own cost. It will not always be well received. That is why, if we are to be courageous in our living of the faith, we need to keep asking for the Lord’s help. A verse from today’s responsorial psalm would be a fitting prayer, ‘O Lord, rouse up your might, O Lord, come to our help’.

And/Or

(iii) Saturday, Second Week of Advent

In this morning’s gospel reading Jesus identifies John the Baptist with the prophet Elijah. It was believed that Elijah would come just before the coming of the long awaited Messiah. Jesus says of John the Baptist, the long awaited Elijah figure, that ‘they did not recognize him, but treated him as they pleased’. The experience of John the Baptist would become the experience of Jesus himself, as Jesus says in that reading, ‘the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands’. Both John and Jesus proclaimed the values of God’s kingdom and both of them suffered greatly for doing so. Even as we draw nearer to celebrating the joyful event of the birth of Jesus we are being reminded of the cross that awaited this child. I have a print of a painting of the birth of Jesus by the German artist Sieger Köder and at the bottom of the painting there is an image of the adult Christ under the beam of the cross looking upon the baby. At Christmas we celebrate the good news that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. This morning’s gospel reminds us that God’s giving was a giving-unto-death, a giving that cost not less than everything. It is this costly gift that we open our hearts to receive anew at this time of the year, so that we can give to others as God has given to us.

And/Or

(iv) Saturday, Second Week of Advent

There was a Jewish tradition in the time of Jesus that the day of the Lord’s coming would be preceded by the coming of a messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord’s coming. According to the prophet Malachi, the last book of the Hebrew Bible, that messenger would be the prophet Elijah who would come from heaven to where he had ascended many centuries before. That is the tradition Jesus’ disciples give expression to in their question to Jesus at the beginning of today’s gospel reading, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ This question reflects an objection to Jesus by the Jewish scribes, ‘if Jesus is God’s anointed one, why has he not been preceded by Elijah, as the Scriptures say he will be?’ Jesus replies by saying that Elijah has come; he is none other than John the Baptist, but people have not recognized John as the messenger of God, the Elijah figure sent before the Lord’s anointed one. Jesus draws attention to the human failure to recognize the messengers God sends. We live in the period after the death and resurrection of Jesus and the risen Lord is constantly sending us his messengers. We too can fail to recognize them. Advent is a time when we are invited to become more attuned to the various ways that the Lord comes to us. Very often he comes to us in ways that forces us to rethink who we are and where we stand. We can be tempted to reject the Lord’s messenger as John the Baptist was rejected by many of his contemporaries. Our resistance can sometimes be a sign that the Lord is trying to break through to us in some new way.

And/Or

(v) Saturday, second week of Advent

This morning’s gospel reading makes reference to Jesus and his disciples coming down the mountain. The mountain in question is the Mount of Transfiguration. The disciples have had a wonderful experience of Jesus in all his glory on that mountain, so wonderful that Peter wanted to prolong the experience, ‘Let us build three tents...’ As they come down the mountain, the mood changes somewhat. In response to the disciples’ question about the coming of Elijah before the coming of the Messiah, Jesus identifies John the Baptist as that expected Elijah figure. Jesus goes on to say with regard to John the Baptist, ‘they did not recognize him but treated him as they pleased’. Jesus makes reference there to the recent beheading of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas. He also declares that how John was treated is a forewarning of how he himself will be treated, ‘the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands’. After experiencing Jesus’ glory on the mountain the disciples are now faced with the looming reality of Jesus’ violent death. As we are about to enter the third week of Advent and draw closer to the feast of the birth of Jesus, we are being reminded that the child in the manger, the son of Mary, would become the Son of Man who die on a Roman cross because of his faithfulness to the work that God gave him to do. At Christmas we celebrate God’s giving of his Son to us. This morning’s gospel reminds us that this giving was a giving unto death. As the fourth evangelist expresses it, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’.

And/Or

(vi) Saturday, Second Week in Advent

In the weeks prior to the feast of Christmas John the Baptist features prominently. In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus refers to John the Baptist without mentioning him by name. The disciples ask Jesus about the Jewish tradition that the prophet Elijah will come before the coming of God’s anointed one. This tradition is based on a text in the prophet Malachi, ‘I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me… I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes’. In the gospel reading Jesus declares that Elijah has already come and they treated him as they pleased, which is a clear reference to the recent execution of John the Baptist. Jesus sees in what happened to John a sign of what will happen to him, ‘the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands’. We are about to celebrate the birth of Jesus and prior to that we will read the gospel about the birth of John the Baptist. However, this morning’s gospel reading refers to the death of both John the Baptist and Jesus. We are being reminded that we cannot separate the birth of John and Jesus from their death. The cross casts its shadow over the crib of Bethlehem. When we look at the baby in the crib, we cannot but call to mind the good shepherd who laid down his life for his flock, the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life for all. It is that same self-giving love of Jesus that we celebrate at every Eucharist and that is given to us anew at every Eucharist. As Paul reminds us, as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the Lord’s death. We are sent from the Eucharist to live what we have proclaimed, to give what we have received.

And/Or

(vii) Saturday, Second Week in Advent

When Jesus says in today’s gospel reading, in response to a question of his disciples, that ‘Elijah has come already’, he is referring to John the Baptist. He was the Elijah figure, the prophet whom the Jewish people expected to come just prior to the coming of the Messiah. Jesus says of John the Baptist that ‘they did not recognize him but treated him as they pleased’. By this stage in Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist had been beheaded by the ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas. Jesus is saying that people did not appreciate who John the Baptist really was; he was indeed the prophet who was expected to come just before the Messiah. Because they did not recognize him for who he was, they treated him shamefully. Jesus was very aware that the fate of John the Baptist would be his own fate too. Many people would fail to recognize who Jesus really was, would fail to appreciate his true significance, and, as a result, they would do to Jesus what they please, treating him shamefully. The failure to appreciate others, to recognize their true significance, often leads to their being treated badly. Treating others with respect begins with the recognition of their full significance and dignity before God. How we see others will often impact on how we relate to them. Today’s gospel reading suggests that the way people see others can be very limited, and, so how they treat them can leave a lot to be desired. The gospels keep challenging us to refine our seeing, so that we see others in all their God-given dignity and relate to them accordingly.

And/Or

(viii) Saturday, Second Week in Advent

Today’s gospel reading from Matthew follows on immediately after the story of the transfiguration of Jesus, in which the disciples saw Moses and Elijah speaking with the transfigured Jesus on the mountain. As they come down the mountain, the disciples ask Jesus a question about Elijah, whom they have just seen with Jesus. According to the Jewish Scriptures, Elijah was to return to prepare the way for the Messiah. If Jesus is the Messiah, where is Elijah, they wonder? In response, Jesus identifies John the Baptist with Elijah; John is the prophet who was to come to prepare the way for God’s anointed one. By this time in Jesus’ ministry John the Baptist had been executed by Herod Antipas, and Jesus now announces that he will experience the very same fate. Having witnessed Jesus in all his glory as Son of God on the mountain, it must have been difficult for the disciples to hear Jesus speak about himself as the Son of Man who must suffer as John did. As we approach the feast of Christmas we are being reminded that the baby in the crib became the crucified Son of Man, and that the wood of the manger points ahead to the wood of the cross. Mary’s child was, indeed, God’s loving gift to humanity. ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’. The adult Jesus would, in turn, give himself completely to humanity, out of love, ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’. The same divine love which we celebrate at Christmas is celebrated again on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Both feasts, Christmas and Easter, call on us to share with each other the love which we have so abundantly received from God through his Son.

And/Or

(ix) Saturday, Second Week of Advent

On the mount of transfiguration, the disciples saw Jesus in conversation with Moses and Elijah. In today’s gospel reading, the disciples are coming down the mountain and the disciples ask Jesus about Elijah and the tradition that he would come to prepare God’s people for the coming of the Messiah, the coming of the Lord. If Jesus is Lord and Messiah, where is Elijah, they wonder. Jesus informs his disciples that, in reality, John the Baptist was the promised Elijah. Furthermore, Jesus declares that the fate that John suffered, execution by Herod Antipas, anticipates the fate that he will suffer, ‘the Son of Man will suffer similarly’. It must have been difficult for Jesus’ disciples to hear him talk about his coming suffering, having just seen him in glory on the mount of transfiguration. Yet, that vision they had assured them that there would be glory for Jesus beyond his suffering and death. What people would do to Jesus would be reversed by God. God the Father would bring his Son through death to a new and glorious life. What God did for Jesus, he can do for us all. God can bring new life out of our own experience of death, whether it is the death at the end of our earthly lives, or the various experiences of death and loss that we have in the course of our earthly lives. If we keep entrusting ourselves to God in those dark times of loss, as Jesus did, then we will find God to be trustworthy, as Jesus did. God is always at work bringing new life out of our various deaths, which is why we can always be people of great hope, and hope is the virtue that is associated in a special way with this season of Advent.

And/Or

(x) Saturday, Second Week of Advent

There was a tradition among the Jewish people, present in the Jewish Scriptures, that the prophet Elijah would return to earth just before the coming of God’s anointed one, the Messiah, to prepare people for his coming. That is why, at the end of today’s first reading which was written less than two hundred years before Jesus, the author says, ‘Happy shall they be who see you’, in other words, ‘Happy shall they be who see Elijah when he returns’, because they can be assured that the coming of the Messiah is imminent. In the gospel reading, Jesus identifies John the Baptist as the prophet Elijah who had been promised. He had worked to prepare people for the coming of Jesus. Yet, by the time Jesus spoke in today’s gospel reading, John the Baptist had been executed. As Jesus says, ‘they did not recognize him but treated him shamefully’. People should have been happy to have seen Elijah present in John the Baptist, ‘happy shall they be who see you’. Instead, many wanted rid of him. Jesus goes on to say, ‘the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands’. People should have been even happier to see Jesus, God’s anointed one, and, yet, some wanted Jesus dead. We don’t always respond well to the gifts and graces that God sends us. We fail to recognize the ways that God is blessing us. We reject God’s gifts to us, or carry on as if they are not there. Today’s gospel reading encourages us to grow in our appreciation of all that God is doing for us, all that God is giving to us, all that God is holding out to us in his love. Advent is a season when we are invited to learn to receive all that comes to us from God. The Advent prayer, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’ is one expression of our desire, our openness, to receive the coming of the Lord and all the blessings he brings with him.

And/Or

(xi) Saturday, Second Week of Advent

I noticed from time to time during the Covid pandemic that people I would normally recognize straight away I have failed to recognize because they were wearing a mask. Of course, if we know people really well we will recognize them immediately even if they are wearing a mask. There are other ways we don’t recognize one another. We may see immediately who someone is but fail to recognize that they are distressed. We don’t always see beyond people’s appearance to how they truly are. This is a deeper kind of recognition which goes beyond seeing with our eyes. It is more a seeing with the heart, noticing the true reality of the person at the time, even when they are trying to hide it. In the gospel reading, Jesus says that people didn’t recognize John the Baptist, in this deeper sense. They didn’t see him for who he truly was at the time, namely, the long awaited prophet Elijah whom the prophets had announced would come to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah. If they had recognized John the Baptist as Elijah returned they would not have ‘treated him as they pleased’ in the words of the gospel reading. Jesus draws a lesson in his own regard from what happened to John, ‘the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands’. Just as people failed to recognize John as the Elijah returned, they will fail to recognize Jesus as God’s anointed one, sent by God to bring God’s blessings to all. Some would treat Jesus as they pleased too; as John was beheaded, Jesus would be crucified. We can continue to fail to recognize Jesus today. He is present to us in his word, in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. He is present to us in one another, especially in and through the weak and vulnerable. He is present to us from deep within our own hearts. Yet, although present to us in so many ways, in so many guises, we can fail to recognize him. Just as Jesus’ contemporaries needed to be healed of their blindness, so do we at times. Advent is the season when we are invited to grow in our recognition of the many ways that the Lord is coming into our lives every day.

And/Or

(xii) Saturday, Second Week of Advent

At the time of Jesus there was an ancient Jewish tradition that just before the coming of the Messiah God would send the prophet Elijah back to earth to prepare people for the Messiah’s coming. ‘I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of parents towards their children and of children towards their parents…’ (Malachi 4:5-6). That tradition is behind the question of the disciples to Jesus in today’s gospel reading, ‘Why do the scribes say then that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus identifies John the Baptist as the promised Elijah, and, by implication, he is identifying himself as the Messiah. Yet, as Jesus goes on to say, ‘they treated him (John the Baptist) as they pleased’. John had been beheaded by Herod Antipas. Jesus then announces that he will suffer the same hostile fate as John the Baptist, ‘the Son of Man will suffer similarly’. Jesus announces that his contemporaries have rejected God’s messenger sent to announce the coming of the Lord and they are soon to reject the Lord himself. We can all fail to recognize God’s messengers. We can even fail to recognize the Lord himself when he comes to us. Advent is a time when we pray the prayer, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. We might also need to pray the prayer, ‘Lord, help me to recognize you when you come’. The Lord can come to us in ways that we had not expected. He can come to us even in and through those circumstances of our lives that seem to suggest the Lord is absent. He can come to us through people whom we might not associate with the Lord. The Lord is always coming in a whole variety of guises. He is often most powerfully present at those moments when we sense his absence. We pray this Advent for eyes to recognize his various comings to us.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[saltoftheearth5x2]

Luke 4

Over the 24 days leading up to Christmas, I'm going to be posting a chapter of Luke every day. I encourage you to read through Luke's gospel and reflect on Jesus's time here on earth. Perhaps you'll find something new.

Masterlist

Luke 4 (NIV)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

11 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit

31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.

33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

Jesus Heals Many

38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea

....

All of this was taken from the Bible Gateway, which is an online Bible that you can easily search up. For those of you who do not have Bibles of your own, I encourage you to use online resources like Bible Gateway to read God's word.

Happy Holidays!

If you have any questions regarding the Christian faith, please ask me in my ask box. I am not a perfect person, but I will try and answer your questions as best as I can. We all have much more to learn, myself included. So please, do not be shy.

[ongolecharles]

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS (DSR) 📚 Group, Thu June 20th, 2024 ... Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

Reading 1 

---------

SIR 48:1-14

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah

whose words were as a flaming furnace.

Their staff of bread he shattered,

in his zeal he reduced them to straits;

By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens

and three times brought down fire.

How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!

Whose glory is equal to yours?

You brought a dead man back to life

from the nether world, by the will of the LORD.

You sent kings down to destruction,

and easily broke their power into pieces.

You brought down nobles, from their beds of sickness.

You heard threats at Sinai,

at Horeb avenging judgments.

You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance,

and a prophet as your successor.

You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,

in a chariot with fiery horses.

You were destined, it is written, in time to come

to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,

To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,

and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.

Blessed is he who shall have seen you 

And who falls asleep in your friendship.

For we live only in our life,

but after death our name will not be such.

O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind!

Then Elisha, filled with the twofold portion of his spirit,

wrought many marvels by his mere word.

During his lifetime he feared no one,

nor was any man able to intimidate his will.

Nothing was beyond his power;

beneath him flesh was brought back into life.

In life he performed wonders,

and after death, marvelous deeds.

Responsorial Psalm

---------------

PS 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7

R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;

let the many isles be glad.

Clouds and darkness are round about him,

justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. 

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Fire goes before him

and consumes his foes round about.

His lightnings illumine the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his justice,

and all peoples see his glory.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

All who worship graven things are put to shame,

who glory in the things of nought;

all gods are prostrate before him.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Alleluia 

---------

ROM 8:15BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You have received a spirit of adoption as sons

through which we cry: Abba! Father!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

--------

MT 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,

who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them.

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy Kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,

your heavenly Father will forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others,

neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

***

FOCUS AND LITURGY OF THE WORD

The Lord’s Prayer, or the Our Father as my mother called it, has been a part of my prayer life for as long as I can remember.  She believed it was the most important prayer we offer to God.  It is also called “the summary of the whole gospel (CCC2761).” I understand St. Ignatius of Loyola suggested saying this prayer before beginning the Examen.  Some days, this prayer is my Examen.  Following St. Ignatius’ advice, I modify a few words to be drawn more deeply into a conversation with God.          

Begin by settling into my private prayer space.   

Step One – Relish my day.

Our Father – helps me to put down the busyness of my day, focusing my attention and bringing me into conversation with the One who loves me unconditionally.     

Who is in heaven – I feel the tensions leave my body, mind, and soul as I visualize a place where humans live in harmony with each other and all of creation.  Psychologically, I slow down, easing into God’s space to be aware of God’s presence.

Step Two – Ask for God’s help.

Holy is your name – I ask the Holy One to reveal my day through God’s lens, trusting that Jesus will be with me to celebrate the blessings and offer comfort for the difficulties experienced.

Step Three – Review my day.

Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven  – I notice the events of my day without judgment, such as:  When did I surrender to God’s agenda today, or did I think I am somehow in charge?   Do I trust God’s perfect plan will unfold at the “right time,” or did I lose hope thinking God might not be in charge?  

Give us this day our daily bread – I notice the events of my day without judgment, such as: The  “bread” I freely receive each day (shelter, food, clothing, freedom, the Gospel message, etc.), and I reflect on how I serve (or failed to serve) those who struggle for “bread.” I ask God to provide “bread” that fills each person’s needs.

Step Four – Repent.

Forgive my sins – I ask forgiveness for the damage I caused in my relationships today, especially my relationship with God.  I consider how I am caring for the gift of life God has given me.  I ask, how did I care for God’s creation today?  I praise God for the gift of the day and ask forgiveness for all of my transgressions.

***

SAINT OF THE DAY

St Paulinus of Nola

(354 – June 22, 431)

Saint Paulinus of Nola’s Story

Anyone who is praised in the letters of six or seven saints undoubtedly must be of extraordinary character. Such a person was Paulinus of Nola, correspondent and friend of Saints Augustine, Jerome, Melania, Martin, Gregory and Ambrose.

Born near Bordeaux, he was the son of the Roman prefect of Gaul, who had extensive property in both Gaul and Italy. Paulinus became a distinguished lawyer, holding several public offices in the Roman Empire. With his Spanish wife, Therasia, he retired at an early age to a life of cultured leisure.

The two were baptized by the saintly bishop of Bordeaux and moved to Therasia’s estate in Spain. After many childless years, they had a son who died a week after birth. This occasioned their beginning a life of great austerity and charity, giving away most of their Spanish property. Possibly as a result of this great example, Paulinus was rather unexpectedly ordained a priest at Christmas by the bishop of Barcelona.

He and his wife then moved to Nola, near Naples. He had a great love for Saint Felix of Nola, and spent much effort in promoting devotion to this saint. Paulinus gave away most of his remaining property—to the consternation of his relatives—and continued his work for the poor. Supporting a host of debtors, the homeless and other needy people, he lived a monastic life in another part of his home. By popular demand he was made bishop of Nola and guided that diocese for 21 years.

Paulinus’ last years were saddened by the invasion of the Huns. Among his few writings is the earliest extant Christian wedding song. His liturgical feast is celebrated on June 22.

Reflection

----------

Many of us are tempted to “retire” early in life, after an initial burst of energy. Devotion to Christ and his work is waiting to be done all around us. Paulinus’ life had scarcely begun when he thought it was over, as he took his ease on that estate in Spain. “Man proposes, but God disposes.”

***

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[the-mercy-workers]

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:13‭-‬20