The Bread of Life

 Hungry?

Time and time again we seek out the Bread of Life to nourish our souls, treasuring the experience and the peace of mind it provides. Each time we do Christ speaks to us through the Word of God. This is the purpose of "The Holy Eucharist", to give us the strength and nourishment we need to follow His commandments.

Each time we return to the table of the Lord and receive this great gift from Jesus Christ, God the Father longs to hear us ask what we can offer in return. When we offer ourselves to God in this way, the Holy Spirit descends upon us to help us in our labors. It is in the asking that we set in motion the fulfillment of God's greatest wish for us, Eternal life.

Each time we sit at the table of the Lord, He will whisper in our ear. It gives Him great joy to see us there. And, when we depart, filled with The Spirit, we know it will not be long before we will be hungry again.

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Wisdom Born of Fear

The wisdom of man is born of fear, whereas the wisdom of God is born of love. It has always been this way. In the early days of the church Christ started, it was fear that drove the Jewish leadership to persecute the Apostles. In the end it was a greater fear that led them to stop.

These apostles were teaching people to love and offering a cleansing called Baptism that offered redemption for their sins, a cleansing far more powerful than the ritual cleansing offered to the people at the Jewish temple. The Pharisees and other religious leaders all feared they were losing control over the people drawn to this new teaching.

As these powerful men gathered to decide the fate of the Apostles, one of them stood and urged caution, caution born of fear. What if the Apostles were right. Surely the wrath of God would descend upon those who stood in His way.

The Pharisee Gamaliel said to the Sanhedrin, "I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God."

There is an important message there we must carry with us as we grow our faith in this world. The things we build will not remain standing for long if they are of human origin. Without God's help and guidance we will continue to use wisdom born of fear to make the decisions that will ultimately decide our fate.

If you hope to build a life that will carry you into the next, wisdom born of love, the love taught by Jesus Christ, should always be your guide. Then, what you build will stand tall and shine brightly for all to see, just as it did for the Apostles and the church they helped build for us.

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High Spirits

Here we are in transition. As our understanding of the immortal nature of the soul given to us God improves, so does our awareness of a great power that emanates from within. Like the pounding pulse of the Risen Christ, we feel the presence of The Holy Spirit.

With each incremental step in the strength of our faith, we feel the power of this Spirit rise up to give us the courage to defend our faith to others. There is no other way, for we are weak and afraid, just as the Apostles were in the days right after the people of Jerusalem crucified Christ. This new found courage comes directly to us as a gift from the Holy Spirit. He is the third person of our Triune God.

Jesus knew that His Church would need The Spirit to grow. Through the scriptures written about the days following Christ's Resurrection we will hear many stories of the coming of the Spirit and the effects it had on the disciples of Christ.

What we learn from these readings gives us a better understanding of the presence of the Holy Spirit within our own selves. Yes, we need the Spirit to grow too. We need the Spirit to follow Christ's teachings. We need the Spirit to give us the courage to stand up for what we believe. Just as it was for the first apostles, we too are a part of the growing Church. It is the Spirit of God that raises our own spirits higher and higher until we reach the entrance to the Kingdom of God.

Prayer:

Most Holy Spirit, Beloved of my soul, I adore You.
Enlighten me, guide me, comfort me, console me.
I promise to submit myself to all You desire of me,
and permit all You wish to happen to me.
Give me Your orders, tell me what to do.
Most Holy Spirit, bring Peace to the world.
Amen.


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The Light of Truth

For those for whom even seeing is not enough to believe, hearing is not different. They hear the teachings of Jesus Christ and withdraw to the darkness, ashamed to be seen in the light of Truth. Unable to speak out against the Word, they remain hidden and silent.

We are no strangers to such people who resist stepping out of the darkness towards the light. We who have accepted Christ as our Savior and Teacher feel the warmth of the Light of Christ shining on our souls. It is this light that draws us back, time and time again the listen to the Word of God.

There will always be those who will turn away from this light for to listen and believe would require that they change their ways and love one another as Christ demanded in His teachings. He shared the Truth with us and called upon all of us the find the Truth in how we are living our lives. Pray for those who are living in darkness and living a lie.
J.Siler

Prayer:
Almighty God, by whose word all things work, by whose guidance all things go, so order our inward life, that we may be enabled to understand the things that we see; and by Thy guidance in the spiritual life and in charity, so order what there is disordered in our lives, so bring our minds to the truth, our consciences to the law, our eyes to the light, and our hearts to Thy true love, that, amidst the seeming discords of life, we may hear the music of the heavenly will, and catch ofttimes the charms of the heavenly order. So give us hope that we may pass on through time, into the higher and better education of the eternal life to come, and that at last we may know those things that are hidden, and which now we cannot know, and learn the glorious beauty and the glorious loving of the eternal years.
 Amen.
George Dawson

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Seeing Is Believing

     There is magic in the moments when we hear His name. Those who believe that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead feel that little uplifting of the Spirit every time we see or hear the name of Jesus. Such power to offer peace and add joy to our lives comes from the knowledge that He walks among us, ready at a moments notice to show His face.

The two men who walked and talked with Him experienced that when, breaking the bread at supper opened their eyes to his presence. So too, some of His follower's attempts to catch fish proved fruitless until He spoke to them. Instructed by Him to cast their nets in a different place, their efforts resulted in a great abundance. Immediately, they recognized Him and rushed to shore to share their joy with Him.

St. Peter, knowing the full power of the name of Jesus, used it time and time again to prove to a doubting world that Christ was there, by his side. His enemies found it impossible to combat such an apparition. The same is true today. Jesus Christ is visible for all to see. Like Peter, He is visible in the actions of His believers. And, we who believe easily see Him in the world around us. This is no apparition. What we see is the risen Christ. For us, having this vision is a source of great joy.

Jesus said to Thomas: "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." Seeing is believing. But, it is in knowing where to look that will lift your spirit and give you comfort and joy at the sight of the Risen Lord, walking among us.

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Foretold

It began long ago with this man, Abraham. Yet, we reach back just a little further in time and we find a priest, Melchizedek. Inspired by God and filled with the Holy Spirit, this priest introduced Abraham to the one true God. And so it begins, a rich history of prophets laying down predictions of what was to come.

It is this history that laid the groundwork for our faith today. How often do we hear an old testament reading and see the symbolism and predictions of a risen Christ and His life on earth? How often do we fail to appreciate the fact that these prophets lives hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was even born?

Abraham lived 2000yrs before Christ was born. He was asked to sacrifice his only begotten son. It was a test of his faith. For us, it was also a symbol of what was yet to come. Onward time marches, and somewhere along the line the people of Moses are spared by the blood of a lamb. Promises are made to be kept only if rules are obeyed, rules cast on two tablets of stone. Again, we see the symbolism.

About 800yrs before Christ great prophets began to give some hope. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and many more foretold the coming of a great king who will save us from our enemies, and free us from our oppression. Little did they know at the time that they, in their sinful ways were their own worst enemy, and only Jesus Christ could save them from the sins that oppressed them. For the peoples of that time, it was a prophesy misunderstood.

Now the words of Moses come back to haunt us as St. Peter scolds those whose faith rests only in those things they can see for themselves. Peter reminded them and us that everything that had been foretold by the prophets had come true in one man, Jesus Christ. Then he reminded them of what Moses had said to the people:

A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.
Everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people.

 

Now two thousand more years have passed since Christ rose from the dead . And, again we hears the words of St. Peter ringing in our ears:

You are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors
when he said to Abraham,
"In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed".

Jesus Christ spoke to His apostles shortly after He had risen from the dead. He said:

"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."

It is this history of prophesy fulfilled that strengthens our faith. So many things have happened as the church Jesus Christ founded has continued to grow from the faith of twelve men gifted with the Holy Spirit. Through this church the promise made to Abraham is renewed. "In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed".

We ask this in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with us, now and forever. Amen

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The Gift

Who has not, at some time in their life, asked God to reveal Himself to them in some way. We all do this, not because we have lost our faith, but because we feel our own personal resolve fading and want reassurance that everything will come out alright. In some ways, it's like a child reaching up for a parents hand when crossing the street.

There will be many times in our lives when our faith in a loving God will be tested by fire. Death is by it's very nature a test of our belief in the Heavenly Kingdom that Christ promised us if we believed in Him. Yet, we seldom look at death as anything more than the end of our mortal lives.

Christ wanted us to see death as a new beginning. He accomplished that in so many ways. Today He offers several important whispered secrets to be found in what happened after He rose from the dead. The first is found in the power of His name, Jesus Christ. That name, when used for the purpose of good, when combined with the strength of our faith, can perform miracles. We see this power used to heal others by the apostles and the saints throughout the ages. Yes, mere mortal men and women can perform miracles when they do it in the service of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The second whisper today was the continual revealing of His Risen Self through the offering of Himself to all of us as the "Bread of Life". There is no more powerful sign of His presence in our midst than in the catholic Mass when we, in our faith, accept this great gift and with it all its healing powers. In this revelation we can now see the wisdom of God's commandment to keep Sunday as a holy day by attending Mass.

God the Father knew that if we did we would recognize His presence among us through the blessing and breaking of the bread. Like a parent reaching down to help a frightened child across the street, "The Bread of Life" will strengthen our resolve and give us the reassurance we need to live our lives as Christians, knowing what awaits us after our own death. Sometimes we think the forgiveness of sins was Christ's greatest gift to us. Actually, His greatest was the gift of Eternal Life with Him.

Many are invited, but few are chosen.(Matt.22:14)  Only those who reach up and grasp the hand of the The Lord lose their fear of death.

Every day I need You Lord
But this day especially,
I need some extra strength
To face what ever is to be.

This day more than any day
I need to feel You near,
To fortify my courage
And to overcome my fear.

By myself, I cannot meet
The challenge of the hour,
There are times when humans help,
But we need a higher power

To assist us bear what must be borne,
and so dear Lord, I pray -
Hold on to my trembling hand
And be near me today.
 
Amen.


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For Generations To Come

    Today’s whisper from God sounded more like a shout. I could hear the anger in His voice as His message came through loud and clear. He called on me, not only to reject the angry and hate filled messages that abound in my society today, but also to redouble my efforts to prevent those same messages from damaging the next generation.

Of course I realize that so many of the social problems we have today still exist because they are either willfully passed down to the next generation, or we continue to look the other way instead of finding a loving solution to these problems.

When I pause to reflect on some of these issues, I cannot help but wonder if racism and class warfare would be a thing of the past, if all the adults in our generation promised to do everything in their power to stop spreading this hate to their children and grandchildren. Even as I wrote those words I struck me that we have been given this power. The fate of the world is in our collective care.

Jesus Christ gave us this power as a gift when He called upon the Holy Spirit to come down and dwell within our souls, souls He had purified by His death on the cross and Resurrection. It is this Spirit that gives us the courage and strength to serve God when He whispers in our ears. Right now He is angry at those who continue to turn a deaf ear. We must be careful or He will become angry with us for hearing His Word and failing to act.

Father, without you we can do nothing.
By your Spirit, help us to know what is right
and to be eager in doing your will.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. 

Amen.

He has risen. What should I do next?

    Invariably, it happens every Easter Sunday. I have just spent many weeks preparing myself for this special occasion. Swearing I would use the Lenten season to find enlightenment, I vow to fast, and give alms, and offer up my trivial sufferings in an effort to show that I somehow deserved what Jesus Christ did for me.

I listened closely to the reading as I joined my fellow parishioners for The Stations of The Cross, but not once did I feel the sting of the lash upon my back or the weight of a heavy cross on my shoulder. And, when we were done I went home to the comfort of my own bed.

On Holy Thursday I watched as my priest humbled himself to wash our feet just as Christ had done at the Last Supper. Slowly, the word humility and service began to strike a cord in my heart. I joined in the celebration of the Mass, and at the end the priest removed the Holy Eucharist from the tabernacle and led me to my own Garden of Gethsemane. In shocked silence I watched as he stripped the alter of it's coverings, the candles snuffed out, the sacred dishes from the Last Supper removed from sight, until all that was left was total silence, and a church growing darker by the minute.

Friday and Saturday brought more of the same as I grew in my understanding, not only what Christ suffered on the cross, but also how much I miss Him as my church grows cold to the touch without His presence in the tabernacle. My preparation is now complete. My heart fairly cries out, as it calls for Our Savior to return. With that cry comes the realization that I don't deserve what He has just done for me. In my shame, I beg for the whip to be laid upon my back and a heavier cross to make up for my failures to love.

Easter Sunday arrives. As I pull open the door to the church' the smell of white Easter Lily's fairly lifts my spirits to the sky. Gone are the purple shrouds that covered the statues that remind me that God will help me become holy if I so choose to ask for His help. Once again, the tabernacle candle is lit to show me that Christ has returned from the dead to fill my church with Truth and Light. As the stained glass windows fairly vibrate with the joyous song of Alleluia, I am reminded that my God is not only a loving God, He is a forgiving God too. It happens every Easter Sunday. So, what do I do next? Why of course, I will love Him in return for all He has done for me. Happy Easter!