#bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of christ

[cealtrachs]

“ The duty of the moment is what you should be doing at any given time, in whatever place God has put you. You may not have Christ in a homeless person at your door, but you may have a little child. If you have a child, your duty of the moment may be to change a dirty diaper. So you do it. But you don't just change that diaper, you change it to the best of your ability, with great love for both God and that child. ... There are all kinds of good Catholic things you can do, but whatever they are, you have to realize that there is always the duty of the moment to be done. And it must be done, because the duty of the moment is the duty of God. ”

Catherine Doherty

[aspirant1598]

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

"To everyone who needs to hear it: I’m glad you’re here reading this. Give yourself a big hug for making it through this year." #HappyNewYear #KeepMovingForward

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Having Mercy & Pity On Others

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Proverbs 14:16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

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VERSE OF THE DAY

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+ Philippians 2:3- 4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM NOT SELFISH

I HAVE A CHRIST-LIKE MIND

I AM FOCUSED

I AM MINDFUL

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READ TIME: 8 Minutes & 25 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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  We were taught earlier in life to share what we have and not be selfish. I know many of us grew up hearing this, and as we grew up, we realized how rude it is to be selfish. Some of us grew up hearing this, and we refuse to change our ways, but what we must understand is that God wants us to share what we have; a lot of us find this odd, and we find it hard to do because we don’t want to give up our time, or things to help someone in need, some of us will say well if they don’t have it, not my fault or it’s not my job to give unto people that are in need.

• Philippians 2:3- 4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.

 

•1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his good, but the good of his neighbor.

 

•Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

 

  These verses tell us that we shouldn't be selfish and that we have to count other people's needs more important than our own needs; we have to care about what other people have and don’t have, and we have to bear the burden of others that’s what Jesus did when he was here he bore everyone's burden he even healed the sick, he had counseling at night with Nicodemus, he even had a woman wash his feet when he was at someone’s home having dinner , he wanted people to understand who he was and that was someone that loved with the biggest heart and that care for people more then he cared about his self he wasn’t selfish.

  Are you selfish? Do you just care about yourself and not for others? Even though David wanted water from this stream, it was near a gate in Bethlehem, and three men went and broke through the Philistine lines, drew water, and brought it back to David; he got precisely what he wanted. At that very moment, he could have drunk it and been done with it while everyone else suffered, but he didn’t he poured the water out, how many of us can say we will get what we need and say no because someone else doesn’t have . Through that difficult time or moment of having precisely what he wanted, he thought of others, and sometimes that’s hard to do, to think of others when we got exactly what we needed but to have the mind of Christ, we must think of others.

    1 Samuel 23:15-16 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!  So, the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord.

    Sometimes, we are selfish because it’s what we have been through. I was in this tough spot in my life, and I went without for a long time; no one would help me; everywhere I turned to said no, and I was comfortable with that, but when I finally got back up on my feet, and I had plenty to eat and plenty to drink, I had everything I needed. I had started carrying this selfishness about myself. The Holy Spirit came to me one day. He said lui, you must open your hands to give so that you can receive. I was afraid that if I gave what I had, what would I have? We must understand that we don’t have to worry about our sleeves when the Holy Spirit instructs us on how to give and who to give to.

 Romans 1:3 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.

   We must learn to please our neighbors, not look at what we have and look at what they have, because the more we do this, the more we close the door to our blessings. It's so easy to turn away from our neighbors, but when we are strong in God and strong in our walk with him, we must be there for the weak; it tells us Christ didn’t do what pleased him; he didn’t do what made him feel good all the time he did whatever he could to help others see, God is speaking to us to step out of selfishness into a life of pleasing others.

  David had a small moment of selfishness when he saw Bathsheba and wanted her in a way that wasn’t right. He went down this rabbit hole of getting back in good standing with God because he saw what he wanted; he didn’t take into account this woman belonged to someone else; he didn’t take into account his relationship with God, and this happens a lot to us when we set our mind on something or someone we make no regard on how this will taint our relationship with God because we let the enemy blind us, sometimes we must pray for God to take the blinders off our eyes so that we may see, how many of us aren’t seeing our selfish ways because we are too busy looking out for me myself and I , we must make time for others in our lives. 

***Today we talked about it being selfish and a lot of us don’t know where to even begin to remove this out of our lives the first step is prayer, we must go to God and pray that he change our ways and our thoughts process about loving others.

Luke 10:33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

We have to have pity on others but we can’t get to pity until we deal with our rooted issues , we can’t take pity until we let God change your heart condition, some of us have conditions of the heart that can’t be change until we have God change our heart ,

Verse 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

He took the extra step and he bandaged and pour oil and wine on him he went the extra step to make sure this man was taken care of . Do you take the extra step to see about others , do you place your selfish ways to the side to take care of others . How often do we stop and see about even our neighbors .

Verse 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

How much mercy can you give to someone in need ? How many times do we take pity and mercy on others , if we don’t feel any pity or any mercy we might need to ask God to remove whatever in our heart out the way so we can be like Christ even in our actions.

©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, please help us not be selfish but depend on you alone.  Help us not to look at what we have and not want to bless others; help us to desire to bless others regardless of what we think; help us to hear you when you speak, lord we give you every part of ourselves to change, lord we know we have parts of ourselves that need work but we ask you to continue to help us through our challenging time to see you lord we need more of you help us to make time for you in Jesus Name Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

 

+ Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

 

+ Romans 8:2 But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

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FURTHER READINGS

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Proverbs 30

Leviticus 30

Mark 8

Exodus 2

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[velvetvexations]

Gonna have to start making people fill out applications to join Velvet Nation.

And I will, at last, be recognized as the Empress of TMEs.

I've said worse about them in DMs simply because I'm funnier and more creative and they'll never come within a tenth of my anger.

Everyone always goes back to the Nazi well.

Bless you anon, I need it.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

@cursed--alien

And she said I don't have any hobbies lol.

It's exactly what my Actual stalker does and it puts me through a wall.

Based on the replies they do actually seem to believe you should do that.

It's what JKR says every other day.

I've sure thought about it.

[awideplace]

Brethren, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:1-2

[momentsbeforemass]

Pray for them

(by request, my homily from Sunday)

You and I were never meant to do this alone.

That’s what the end of today’s Gospel – the “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them” – is all about.

We are supposed to come together. We are supposed to do this together. That’s how God made us. 

The point of us coming together? As Jesus tells us, it’s to pray.

There’s nothing wrong with praying for ourselves. Whether it’s our hopes, our dreams. What we know we need, what we’re afraid of. The things we don’t want to admit, even to ourselves. All of it.

Take it all to God in prayer. But don’t stop there.

You can give someone the support that they need. You can give someone the strength they need. You have the ability to change their life. And it starts when you pray for them.

This is central to our life of faith, that’s why it’s one of the Four Pillars from our Diocesan Synod, and it’s something that you and I are told to do over and over in the Bible.

St. James tells us to “pray for one another,…for the fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.” (James 5:16). Your intentions for this Mass? That’s a great place to start. But this isn’t just a Sunday thing, or even a when-I-go-to-Mass thing. This is an everyday thing.

Take time every day to pray for others.

Look around you, look at the people in your life, and look at the people who cross your path. Your relative who just got the diagnosis? Your friend whose marriage is in trouble? That neighbor who’s struggling? Someone you barely know who’s headed in the wrong direction? Someone you heard about who lost their job?

That’s who God is calling you to pray for. That’s why God sent them your way.

After the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, what’s the most powerful prayer in the Gospels?

I’ll give you a hint – we say a version of it at every Mass.

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

That’s a paraphrase of the most powerful prayer in the Gospels that’s not said by the Second Person of the Trinity. Here’s St. Matthew’s account:

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.”…And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour [his] servant was healed. (Matthew 8:5-8,10,13).

This is what St. James is talking about, when he tells us that “the fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.” If you want to see God in action, pray for others.

And this is why St. Paul tells us to, “bear one another’s burdens, for in so doing you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2). Paul knows, from his own experience, that you and I need to be praying for others. Why?

Because Paul spent a big part of his life as a self-righteous accuser, and he understands human nature all too well.

And you’re thinking, “I’m not getting paid to persecute people.” I know. I’ve seen your social media. You and me? We are way too comfortable with doing it for free.

Because if you and I aren’t kneeling in prayer for someone, the odds are we’re standing in judgment over them.

It all goes back to our human nature. If you’re praying for someone…

Let’s be clear, I don’t mean the “thoughts-and-prayers” throw-away line that you hear after a tragedy or a natural disaster.

If you’re praying for someone, if you’re really praying for someone? If you’re lifting them up in prayer whenever they come to mind? If you’re taking their needs before the very throne? If you’re bringing them with you to Mass in your intentions?

That will change how you see them. You will start to see them through God’s eyes. And you cannot see someone through God’s eyes without loving them.

When you do, not only will you start to see God at work in their lives. You’ll see the opportunities that God has given you to help them.

To give them a ride to that doctor’s appointment so they don’t miss it again. To help them figure out a confusing website – so they can apply for that grant or scholarship. To watch their kids so they can go to that job interview.

Or to just listen to them and be with them.

And no matter what you do, let them know that you’re praying for them.

Not because you want them to think you’re wonderful. Not because you want them to thank you. Not because you want anything from them.

But because they need to know that you’re there for them. They need to know that you are on their side.

Because you and I were never meant to do this alone.

Sunday’s Readings

[jesuslivingwater]

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

[ursulawhosoever]

«Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.»

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

[just-somehuman]

I AM BACK FROM THE DEAD AND I BRING YOU BIBLE VERSES THAT REMIND ME OF THE OM CHARACTERS ✨✨✨✨✨✨

__________________

Lucifer - Galatians 6:2

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Reminds me of Lulu because he tends to take on everyone's burdens as well as his own. He puts others before himself usually, and that's just mfmfmfmf <333

Mammon - Proverbs 18:24

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

You can't look me dead in the eyes and tell me that Mammon hasn't always been the first to help them whenever MC needed it, and without hesitation too. Bro is so babygirl 🤭💖

Leviathan - Isiah 43:4

"Because you are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you."

Sobbing everytime I read this verse.

These are the words Levi needs to hear because lil bro has a self-esteem the size of a molecule.

AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU NEED TO HEAR IT TOO 🔫🔫🔫

JESUS LOVES YOU, I LOVE YOU, WE ALL LOVE YOU ❤❤

Satan - James 3:17

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

Allow me a little over-analysis time hehe:

So basically Satan can be regarded as "wisdom" since he's the brains of the bros, and he technically came from the Celestial Realm since he was created just before the bros fell (or as they fell).

Ik ik he was created wrathful and vengeful, but he wasn't techincally. That anger isn't his: it's Lucifer's and his dad's. Imagine Satan being like a pure, clean, blank slate that was corrupted within seconds of his creation with anger that wasn't his.

TEARS RN 😭😭😭😭

Asmodeus - 1 Peter 4:8

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

I love this verse sm. Peter cooked, ate and left no crumbs.

Asmo loves the most out of the bros and it's so sweet <3

Beelzebub - Psalm 37:37

"Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace."

Beelie is generally (usually) the most calm out of the bros.

Lil homie so peaceful tho bc all he does is eat, work out, eat some more, love his bros, chill with MC, and eat again 😭

Belphegor - Matthew 5:4

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Homegirl is still mourning the loss of Lilith.

I guess you could say MC was the comfort? 👁👁

Diavolo - James 2:24

"You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone."

AHFJKSJAKDJAK TO EVERY BELIEVER THAT SEES THIS, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!!!!!!

In relevance to Diavolo, it's more of him genuinely being a good person and not just in other demons' words.

Kind of 😭

Barbatos - Romans 12:12

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

And Barbatos is all of the above ✨

Except maybe the prayer one bc I don't think there's any distinct faiths in OM 💀

Luke - Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

I think this is just such a Luke thing to say, especially since he's young and can't do much 🥹

Simeon - 1 Corinthians 13:4

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

ANOTHER FAV OF MINE 💖

I don't think I even need to explain why this reminds me of Simeon.

Solomon - Eccesliates 1:18

"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief."

I present to you my favourite verse AND favourite book.

FUN FACT: King Solomon wrote Eccesliates, so these are the literal words of Solomon.

I guess not much more needs to be said as to why this reminds me of Solobro 💀

Thirteen - Psalm 41:7

"All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me."

Y'know I don't know much about Thirteen but I assume girl's got haters 😭

Raphael - Psalm 34:13-14

"Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."

Honestly I have no idea why this reminds me of him, it just does.

Mephistopheles - Romans 14:21

"It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble."

Homie loves his lil bro more than anything, so he would do just about anything for him.

Pretty sure brother in this verse means neighbour or friend but it's the same thing.

BONUS:

Little D - 1 Corinthians 13:1

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."

I HONESTLY JUST CACKLE EVERY TIME I READ THIS VERSE 😭😭😭

I'm pretty sure that Little D just wants to fit in with the rest of the squad though, so all of its yapping is with love 💖

__________________

OKAY THERE'S MY LIST THINGY. IDK WHAT ELSE TO SAY. I'LL MAKE AN ARR ONE TOO BC WHY NOT.

Also why was half the words cutting off at the end of each line when I made them small text lol 💀

[godslove]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲

The Greek word for the spiritual gift of mercy is eleeo. It means to be patient and compassionate toward those who are suffering or afflicted. The concern for the physical as well as spiritual need of those who are hurting is covered by the gift of mercy. Those with this gift have great empathy for others in their trials and sufferings. They are able to come alongside people over extended periods of time and see them through their healing process. They are truly and literally the hands and feet of God to the afflicted.

All Christians are called to be merciful because God has been merciful to us.

³³ “Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you?”

—Matthew 18:33

⁴ “But God is rich in his mercy, and because he had such great love for us, ⁵ He brought us to life with Christ when we were already dead through sin—it is by grace that you have been saved. ⁶ He raised us up in union with Christ Jesus and enthroned us with him in the heavens,”

—Ephesians 2:4-6

The Holy Spirit gives the spiritual gift of mercy to some in the church to love and assist those who are suffering, and walk with them until The Lord allows their burden to be lifted. The gift of mercy is founded in God’s mercy towards us as sinners and is consistently expressed with measurable compassion. Those with this gift are able to:

¹⁵ “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.”

—Romans 12:15

and

² “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

—Galatians 6:2

They are sensitive to the feelings and circumstances of others and can quickly discern when someone is not doing well. They are typically good listeners and feel the need to simply “be there” for others.

⁸ “...whoever performs acts of mercy should do so cheerfully.”

—Romans 12:8

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.”

—Matthew 5:7

³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him and beat him, and then went off leaving him half-dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be traveling along that same road, but when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³² A Levite likewise came to that spot and saw him, but he too passed by on the other side. ³³ “But a Samaritan who was traveling along that road came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. ³⁴ He went up to him and bandaged his wounds after having poured oil and wine on them. Then he brought him upon his own animal to an inn and looked after him. ³⁵ “The next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Look after him, and when I return I will repay you for anything more you might spend.’ ³⁶ “Which of those three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He answered, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

—Luke 10:30-37

¹⁷ “However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, and considerate, full of mercy and good fruits, without any trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”

—James 3:17

²² “Have compassion for those who are wavering. ²³Save others by snatching them out of the fire. And for still others have compassion mixed with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.”

—Jude 22-23.

[cealtrachs]

“Our neighbor’s cross should be a sword that pierces our soul. To co-participate, co-feel, co-suffer, with our neighbor’s destiny – this is love.”

St. Mother Maria of Paris, Martyr

[aspirant1598]

[coptorthodox]

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

27th February >> Fr. Martin's Reflections / Homilies on Toady's Mass Readings (Inc. Matthew 23:1-12) for Tuesday, Second Week of Lent: ‘You have only one teacher, the Christ’.

Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

Gospel (Except USA) Matthew 23:1-12 They do not practise what they preach.

Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.

‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’

Gospel (USA) Matthew 23:1-12 They preach but they do not practice.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, 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.”

Reflections (12)

(i) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

Jesus is very critical in this gospel reading of those religious leaders who impose unnecessary burdens on an already burdened people through their strict interpretation of the Jewish Law. Jesus had earlier called on those who were overburdened to come to him, promising them rest, declaring that his teaching, his interpretation of God’s will for our lives, was not burdensome. Most people carry burdens of one kind or another. Those burdens can be greatly increased in certain settings, such as the setting of conflict and war. Jesus is clear in this reading that our relationship with God is not intended to be another burden on a burdened people. Jesus allowed himself to be burdened by the constraints of the human condition. Among the burdens he carried was the burden imposed by those who were hostile to all he stood for. Jesus was at his most burdened as he hung from the cross on Calvary. He carried our burdens so that he could help us to carry our own burdens. He released into the world the power of God’s love, the power of the Holy Spirit, which is not an oppressive power but a life-giving, enabling, power. Saint Paul was very burdened as he wrote to the church in Philippi from his prison cell. Yet, he could say to that church, ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me’. The Lord strengthens us to carry our burdens so that we, in turn, can help to carry the burdens of others. As Paul writes to the churches of Galatia, ‘Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ’. The law of Christ, which is the law of love, the fruit of the Spirit, is not about burden imposing but burden lifting.

And/Or

(ii) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

In the gospel reading Jesus refers to the Pharisees as those who tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders. In contrast, Jesus had said earlier in Matthew’s gospel, ‘Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest’. Jesus’ work consisted in lifting unnecessary burdens from people’s shoulders rather than laying such burdens on people’s shoulders. Most of us have to deal with burdens of one kind or another as we go through life. Some burdens are necessary and unavoidable; they are the burdens of love, the burdens that come to us from giving ourselves to others in one way or another. Jesus is critical of those who impose unnecessary burdens on others. We can all be guilty of doing that from time to time. Rather than imposing unnecessary burdens on others, our calling is to help carry each other’s burdens, to make life less burdensome for each other. In doing that we will be acting in the spirit of the one who said, ‘Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest’. The Lord helps us all to carry our burdens, both the necessary and inevitable ones and the unnecessary ones. As St Paul knew from personal experience, he is strength in our weakness, and in times of weakness we can turn to him for strength.

And/Or

(iii) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

In the gospel reading this morning Jesus contrasts the attitude of the religious leaders of his day who wanted and expected to receive various forms of honour with what should be the attitude of his own disciples, namely the readiness and willingness to serve others. As Jesus says towards the end of that reading, ‘the greatest among you must be your servant’. Jesus defines greatness in terms of service of others. Rather than looking for honours from others, Jesus puts before us the ideal of honouring others by serving them. Rather than trying to attract attention to themselves, like the religious leaders of his day, Jesus calls on his disciples to give attention to others. It is those who humble themselves in the service of others who will be exalted, whereas those who exalt themselves and look for honour for themselves will be humbled. Jesus gives expression to his teaching in his own life. Paul says of Jesus that he emptied himself taking the form of a servant and that he humbled himself, even to the point of death, death on a cross. We are called to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. Lent is a time when we try to enter more fully into the mind and heart of Jesus.

And/Or

(iv) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

This morning’s gospel reading shows a reserved attitude towards titles among the followers of Jesus. Matthew portrays Jesus as anxious to ensure that the community of disciples is a community of brothers and sisters, in which all members stand on the same level before Christ, their Lord and Master, and before God, their heavenly Father. ‘You have only one Master and you are all siblings’. Paul understood very clearly this vision of church as one spiritual family in Christ and under God. Even in the letters where he speaks of himself as the spiritual father of the church he addresses the members of the church as his brothers and sisters. As Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, in virtue of our baptism we are all one in Christ Jesus. This morning’s gospel reading brings home to us that in the presence of Christ we are all learners, we are all pupils, because he alone is the authentic Teacher of us all. Together we look to him to show us the path that leads to authentic life.

And/Or

(v) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

In this morning’s gospel reading Jesus seems to speak against the kind of distinctions within the church which would place one person above another. Because we all have the one Father, who is God, and the one Teacher or Master, who is Jesus, then we are all children of the one God and pupils of the one Teacher. We are all brothers and sisters under God and learners under Christ. At the end of the day, we are all looking in the one direction, towards God and towards his Son. We may have different gifts and different roles within the church but fundamentally we are one. We share in the one relationship with God and with his Son. In virtue of our baptism we are one in Christ, in the words of Saint Paul. Within the church there should be no room for seeking after honours or status or position. This is what Jesus criticized the religious leaders of his day for. What we can seek within the church is the opportunity to serve others in whatever way we can with whatever gifts we have been given. In that gospel reading Jesus defines greatness within the church in terms of service. We serve after the example of the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve, who came not to receive honour and status but to empty himself for others.

And/Or

(vi) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

In this morning’s gospel reading Jesus rules out the making of sharp distinctions between his disciples, regardless of their role in the community of believers. He declares that there is only one Master and one Teacher, who is himself, Jesus, and there is only one Father, his and our heavenly Father. Before God and Jesus we are all brothers and sisters and we are all pupils. There are differences within the church. Paul speaks of the church as the body of Christ with a great diversity of members, all of them gifted by the Spirit in a different way. Yet, although there is great diversity among us, there is also great unity and equality there too. Before God and before Christ we are equal. We all come before the Lord in our ignorance and in our need. The Lord’s Prayer is given to us all to say. We are all equally in need of daily bread, forgiveness, God’s help in time of temptation. In today’s gospel reading Jesus was very critical of the religious leaders who acted as though they were more important than others, those who sought out the seats of honour and expected to be greeted as if they were the superior of others. We all have to keep on learning the lesson that it is as brothers and sisters that we journey towards the Lord.

And/Or

(vii) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

In this morning’s gospel reading Jesus is very critical of the religious leaders of his day because in various ways they work to draw attention to themselves and they go out of their way to be honoured, to receive honour from people. Jesus calls on his disciples to have a very different stance towards life. They are not to look for honour or recognition for themselves because there is only one who is worthy of honour and recognition and that is God, more precisely, God our heavenly Father and his Son Jesus whom God sent as our teacher and master. Jesus says, with reference to himself, ‘you have only one Teacher, the Christ’. If there is only one teacher within the family of the church, then everyone else is a learner. Having just one teacher, namely the Christ, has a levelling effect on everyone else and leaves no room for some people to promote themselves as deserving of greater honour and recognition than others in the community. We are always learners before the Lord and we continue to learn from him. The conclusion of the gospel reading suggests that the most important lesson to be learned from Jesus is that greatness within the family of faith consists in self-emptying service of others.

And/Or

(viii) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

In the gospel reading, Jesus warns against giving more honours to religious leaders than is appropriate. Jesus was not opposed to some form of leadership among his own followers. Jesus appointed Peter as the rock on which he would build his church and entrusted to him a share in his own teaching authority. However, elsewhere in the gospels Jesus makes clear that he understands leadership in terms of service, the kind of service that involves becoming as humble as a child. In this morning’s gospel Jesus implies that a religious leader is not in any sense above those he has been asked to lead or guide. As Jesus declares, we are all brothers and sisters, regardless of our role in the church. We are all spiritual siblings and that is because we all have one Father who is in heaven and we all have one Teacher who is Jesus. We all stand under God the Father and his Son. We are all looking in the one direction, towards God our Father and Jesus our teacher. We are called to be a support to one another as we strive to live as sons and daughters of our common heavenly Father and as we try to live out the message of our shared Teacher.

And/Or

(ix) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

The words of Jesus in today’s gospel reading suggest that preaching can be a dangerous business. It leaves the preacher open to the criticism that Jesus levelled against the religious leaders of his day, ‘They do not practice what they preach’. Those who preach need to see themselves as preaching to themselves as much as to others. We are all pilgrims on a shared journey of faith. None of us have arrived; we are all on the way. Hopefully, we are all trying to help each other on this shared journey of faith, with each of us giving from what we have received and receiving from what others have been given. This egalitarian vision of church is reflected in the words of Jesus in the second part of today’s gospel reading. He tells us that we are all brothers and sisters with one heavenly Father and with one Lord and one Teacher, Jesus. Behind this lies Jesus’ vision of his followers as a family. Elsewhere in the gospels Jesus speaks of his disciples as his brothers and sisters. Within this family, Jesus declares that there can be no room for attention seeking, much less honour seeking. Rather, within this family of faith, loving service of others is the golden norm. ‘The greatest among you must be your servant’. As a church, we still have some way to go before this vision of Jesus for his followers comes to pass. Yet, the important value is to keep this vision of Jesus in our sights and to keep coming back to the path he sets before us whenever we stray from it.

And/Or

(x) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

It is evident that the church, since its earliest days, has not taken some of the words of Jesus in today’s gospel reading literally. Jesus calls on his disciples not to allow themselves to be called teachers, since they have only one Teacher, the Christ. We have no difficulty in referring to those who teach, including those who teach the faith, as teachers. Jesus also calls on his disciples not to call anyone on earth their father, since they have only one Father, in heaven. Again, we have no difficulty to referring to male parents of children as fathers, and within the Roman Catholic tradition, priests are often referred to as ‘father’. It is likewise the case that the teaching of Jesus elsewhere in the gospels has not been taken literally by his followers. However, that is not to say that Jesus’ words are not without relevance and meaning for us today. There is a sense in which we have only one teacher, Jesus, and, we have only one Father in heaven. Because Jesus is our one Teacher, we, his followers, are all his pupils, including those of us who might be teachers. We all look to him to teach us about God and about how God wants us to live. Jesus speaks in the gospels with an authority that no earthly teacher has. Because God is our one Father, we, Jesus’ disciples, are all sons and daughters of God. We share in Jesus’ own relationship with God as Father, and, as a result, we are all brothers and sisters of Jesus. Regardless of our role or position in life or in the church, we are all equally privileged to call God our Father and Jesus our brother. We were given this privilege at baptism through the power of the Holy Spirit. This shared privilege makes very relative whatever distinctions of role, rank or position that may exist between us.

And/Or

(xi) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

Jesus is critical of the religious leaders of his time because their teaching, their interpretation of the Jewish Law, is unnecessarily burdensome for people, ‘They lay up heavy burdens and place them on people’s shoulders’. Jesus was aware that many of his contemporaries felt burdened by religious obligations. In contrast to the religious leaders, Jesus calls out to people, ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’. Jesus was saying that his teaching, his interpretation of God’s will, far from burdening people will give people rest. What does Jesus mean by ‘rest’ here? He is not referring to inactivity or sleep, clearly. There is a line in the psalm, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ which might help us to understand what Jesus means by ‘rest’, ‘near restful waters he leads me to revive my drooping spirit’. The restful waters revive and energize those who are drooping. The teaching of Jesus is rest-giving in the sense that it energizes and enlivens us. His word is life-giving, not burden imposing. Certainly, the teaching of Jesus is demanding, even more demanding than the Jewish Law, but what Jesus asks of us corresponds to the deepest desires of our heart, and in coming to him and submitting to his word, that deepest desire will be satisfied and, as a result, we will be revived and energized. Jesus did not come to burden further an already burdened people; he came that we may have life and have it to the full.

And/Or

(xii) Tuesday, Second Week of Lent

We haven’t tended to interpret Jesus’ words in today’s gospel reading literally. He says, ‘you must call no one on earth your father’, and, yet, we speak of our male parent as our father, and within the Roman Catholic tradition, priests have been called ‘father’. Jesus also says, ‘nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers’, and, yet, we refer to those who impart knowledge in our classrooms and lecture halls as teachers. Also, Saint Paul speaks about the presence of teachers in the first local churches. Yet, the prohibition of the titles ‘father’ and ‘teacher’ is really in the service of a more fundamental point, namely, ‘you only have one Father, and he is in heaven’, and ‘you only have one teacher, the Christ’. We are all sons and daughters of one heavenly Father and we are all pupils or disciples of one Teacher, Jesus. This makes for a very egalitarian understanding of church. Even those with a teaching role in the church are pupils of Christ, and all of us in the church, regardless of role, are sons or daughters of God. We are all trying to sit at the feet of the Master and we are all trying to live as children of our heavenly Father. There should be no vying for positions within the church, because, in virtue of our baptism, we all have the same relationship with God and with Jesus, and, anyway, as Jesus says in today’s gospel reading, greatness in the church is defined in terms of service, ‘the greatest among you must by your servant’. Within the church, we are called to serve one another in various ways, so that we enable one another to be faithful disciples of our one Teacher and faithful sons and daughters of our one heavenly Father.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[psalmonesermons]

Lessons from Galatians Part 6

Chapter 6:1-18 How to restore someone from sin

6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

There is in the original Greek an element of being caught out by surprise! However we know from other scriptures that we do not fall into sin in some way without giving our consent. It is a hallmark of our love that we can restore a brother or sister. If it, was you, how would you like to be dealt with? Restoring a brother or sister is like setting a bone back into place so that the body is fully functioning again. But we are warned to be careful unless we fall into the same as the person who has sinned.

2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Let us be there for each other the stronger giving their strength to the weaker.

Place a steadying hand on your brother arm. That is what love is all about and should be what church is about.

3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Pride comes before a fall.

4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

If you must compare yourself to another then compare yourself with Jesus Christ. Only when your eyes are on Christ can you see clearly to monitor your own life and walk. All flesh is grass!

5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

At the end of the day each one of us are accountable to the Lord and to him alone. We will stand in a moral and spiritual sense naked before him, so now is the time to get our lives sorted out before judgement day.

6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

Anyone receiving instruction in the Word of God must share all good things with their teacher. Our teachers bless us in a very tangible and godly way, and it is right we should bless them in every way. There is a strong hint of finance in this verse.

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Do not make excuses!

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.

We need to hang in there in life!

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Let your light shine before men. Remember to bless your Christian family just as much as your natural family. If we give to the poor, then do not forget the poor in the church. Remember the widows and orphans especially those in the church.

11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with my own hand.

The meaning here is a 'grand' letter in the context of he he had personally laboured over this letter. It is nothing to do with bad eyesight!

12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

The Judaizing teachers wanted converts to their own erroneous teaching and gain brownie-points from their friends.

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

The only thing that delighted Paul was when someone had a revelation of what Jesus Christ did at the cross. Paul was dead to the world, including all its so-called pleasures, honours, and temptations and like the world had nothing in common with Paul.

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availed anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

It is the new birth that is the important thing. A new heart and a new mind and having been given a new life for the old sinful one.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

The new birth is the model or pattern to follow. This includes all the spiritual children of Abraham (Jew or Gentile) through faith in Jesus Christ.

17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Literally stigmata! Paul's suffering and injuries on his body were proof that he was in the master’s service.

18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Note Paul calls them brothers!

Amen

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