Tag: Kingdom Of God

Posted on

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

lord-jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. WIth Love and Gratitude, here is the Gospel of Matthew – MT 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. 
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here, the focus is on being well prepared for the coming of Jesus; who is the bridegroom in the parable. The parable begins, “the kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins.” All who await the coming of the bridegroom are expected to be well prepared. They should have sufficient “oil”, a symbol that can represent all the good works, such as (love), mercy and justice and faithfulness, expected of believers. Those who do not await the bridegroom with a sufficient supply if good works can be expected to be excluded from the great wedding banquet, a symbol of the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven. (see reference) 

 

Reference: Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word 2017

Posted on

Seek First the Kingdom of God…

Jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With Love and gratitude , here is the gospel of Matthew, MT 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

Posted on

Strive to Enter Through The Narrow Gate

Jesus 2

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Luke 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During Mass services today, the Very Reverend Richard Olona had said that the narrow gate is really faith in Jesus Christ, and that it is not just knowing about Christ, or knowing of Jesus, but it is having a relationship with the Lord Jesus. As the people mentioned that they ate and drank in Jesus’ company while He taught in their streets. The Very Reverend said it’s more about a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. It’s about acting on the Word of God, and developing a personal relationship with him. 

Additionally, the Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word, mentions that the narrow gate that leads to salvation won’t remain open forever. God overflows with mercy, but God respects our freedom and won’t force mercy upon us. The master’s refusal to open the door isn’t a metaphor for God’s exhausted patience, but of our diminished capacity to accept God’s Mercy. At some point, we become incapable of asking. We shut our eyes and close our hearts, and the love God still seeks to give us can’t find a home in us. No amount of knocking will be of any use because the door we knock on is our own; only we hold the key, but at that point we are warned, we won’t make use of it. 

The words “I don’t know where you are from” do not imply that God makes an issue of our place of origin; rather they suggest the choices we can make can make us into something unrecognizable. Some will not find a home in the Kingdom because they’ve already made a home somewhere else.

Jesus speaks the truth with great regret that the Gentiles who were the last to hear the Gospel will enter the Kingdom ahead of those (the Jews) who were invited first.

Lastly, the Love and Mercy of God is so great; Jesus had also made reference on the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16, in the Parable of the Workers, that all who enter the Kingdom of God will all receive a handsome inheritance indeed.  

In Jesus’ name- Angel Inspired 

Posted on

Rejoice Because Your Names are Written in Heaven

lord-jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to post on the Gospel for Sundays. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.’
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”

The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joy is with those that proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the nations. This joy is the fruit of a job well done, announcing to those who would and would not hear it that the advent of God’s Kingdom is among us. Jesus is communicating here, that it is not we , but He, who brings the Truth and the fullness of the Kingdom. In fact, the seventy-two are told to speak words both to those who accept and those who reject their ministry, and in each case, the words are the same: “the Kingdom of God is at hand for you.” The Gospel is the saving work of Jesus; it is not an idea but an event, a historical moment that perdures throughout time. 

Paul underscores the Truth in Romans, where he says that, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” and then asks, “But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in HIm of whom they have not heard? and how can they hear without someone to preach?” (Romans 10:14)  Significantly, Jesus sends out these disciples these disciples  to prepare the way for his own ministry to the towns. Through deeds and words they are to till the soil Jesus will sow with seed. 

The instructions Jesus gives are sober and remarkably detailed. After alerting them to the dangers they will face as “lambs among wolves,” he details what they can bring, where they can stay, what they can say and eat, and how they are to respond to inhospitable towns. Little is left to chance. 

They return enthusing at their power over the unholy, but Jesus responds by reminding them their power came from Him and that it is salvation, not power that is the only real cause of rejoicing. [see reference] 

The angels remind us: “We all have this authority through Christ our Lord. Everyone. Rejoicing in Jesus’ name is something for all, for all who call upon the name of Jesus are saved through Him, united in Him and for those that believe the Word of God, there is much rejoicing for both Heaven and Earth. Serving God through the Gospels and helping someone to believe will always triumph.  

Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word 2016

Posted on

“Let the Children Come to Me; Do Not Prevent Them, For the Kingdom of God Belongs to Such As These.”

God's embrace

The angels had asked me to post on the Gospel every Sunday, with love and gratitude, I surely do! Here is the Gospel of Mark with an angel guided message behind it. Mark 10:2-16

The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the first portion of today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses the Pharisees who were testing him.  -This question had been debated by several schools of thought at the time because Mosaic Law permitted divorce and views  of acceptable grounds for divorce varied considerably. Following Jewish religious and cultural thought of the time, the Pharisee inquires only about a man initiating divorce, since women were not allowed to do so. Jesus addressed their question with another question, which they quickly answered with a well rehearsed answer. Jesus roots his response, not in Moses, but in creation itself, pointing out that God’s intent is that husband and wife become one flesh , and form such a bond that they become as one living being, not a loose linkage of easily separated parts. Seeing that Jesus’ response reaches beyond interpretation of Moses to God’s purposes for mankind, the Pharisee make no response. The disciples asked him to further to understand when they were in the house.  Jesus treats each woman or man as equal in marriage, as equal rights and duties, and indirectly reinforcing his essential point that two partners are to become an unbreakable unit.- (-see Reference below-)

God’s love for us is unbreakable, immeasurable, unconditional and eternal.  Nothing could ever break or sever God’s love for us, making us one with God the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. It is through His love that men/women were created, and through His love that we are one with Him, until we reside with Him in the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So should it be with us – asking God to help us make our love perfect- when we serve each other, through marriage vows, through service, through acts of love and charity-being created in His Image and Likeness. 

In the second portion of today’s reading, Jesus become indignant (which means to feel or show anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment) because he loves children. His fondness for children clearly transcends their usefulness as images for the Kingdom of God. His love for them is genuine , as is His love for all who embrace the kingdom and sets the image of children-which is humble, sweet, loving, peaceful, meek of heart, honest, as the image for all to follow. (see Reference below)

All men were created equal, loving – created in the image and likeness of God. All are equally loved by God and it is God’s love that transcends all time and space for everyone. You were created Holy and perfect, you are loved equally and no one can break the bond of love that God has for His people. This bond, is too, unbreakable, and that is why God intended an unbreakable force- for His love cannot be measured- nor that of His Son, Jesus Christ.  The Angel Team

In Jesus Name

Reference: Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and Proclaimers of the Word 2015

Definition of indignant through Dictionary.com

Posted on

Jesus Welcomes the Children 

Jesus

Today’s daily message is dedicated to the Gospels, as the angels had instructed me to write on the Gospels every Sunday . This is from the Gospel of Mark 9: 30-37

GospelMK 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus wants all of us to be like servants of the Kingdom of God. The child not only represents the pure in spirit or the least in the kingdom, but also represents the disciples and the servants of God, which is how the disciples and servants are seen spiritually- as children of God.

Jesus had pointed out this teaching because he knew what the disciples were arguing about and encouraged meekness through this teaching. To understand Jesus, they must understand that the least will be greatest and the greatest will be least- for God even made the small bee , with the noblest of all jobs in His Kingdom.  Even Jesus, who came as the Divine Son of God, humbled himself as a servant of all- representing God accurately with humility, meekness and obedience – even until death. 

This is a great message to all of us, as we are all called to be , and are, children of the Most High. Jesus asks us to be servants in His Kingdom and to welcome those who have the Light of God/the Light of Christ, even unknowing of such, for there are none without his love. 

Inspired by the Angel Team 

Ref: Workbook for Lectors ,Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word 2015

Posted on

God’s Bounty

lord-jesus

The Angels asked me to write on the Gospels on Sundays- so here is the Gospel for Today and a Divinely Inspired Message behind it:

The Parable of the Growing Seed

 Jesus said to the crowds, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God. It is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land, and would sleep and rise, night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.  Of its own accord, the land yields fruit, first the blade , then the ear, then the full full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

He said, “To What shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to for it? It is like a mustard seed, that when it is sown into the ground, is the smallest of all seeds on Earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of all plants and puts forth large branches so that the birds in the sky can dwell in its shade.

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as they were able to understand it. Without parables, he did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything in private.
MARK 4:26-34 Continue reading “God’s Bounty”

%d bloggers like this: