Tag: Word

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“Come After Me”

Jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With Love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of MT 4:12-23. 

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.

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” Previous to this passage, John the Baptist had called the people to repentance, claiming that God’s final rule was drawing near. Jesus will proclaim what appears to be the same message, yet His emphasis differs considerably from that of John. The Baptizer seems to call the people to repent- to completely change their lives, so that the Kingdom of God can come in fullness. Jesus in contrast, approaches those whom many jews regarded as outside of God’s Offer of Salvation, announcing it’s arrival among them. It is as if Jesus proclaims ,”God is already drawing near to you; now you are able to repent, to turn your lives around.”[see reference] 

The disciples recognized Jesus and heard the call of the Lord, following Jesus as the first fruits of the Living Word. 

Jesus loves to see His Call be answered and so does God. Following Jesus even today is just as important as it was then. God calls each of us to Love and serve one another,and to love Him first. ~channeled with the angels 

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

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Since From You Shall Come A Ruler Who is To Shepherd My People

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Awhile back the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Word. With Love and Gratitude, here is the Gospel of Matthew 2: 1-12.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

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Have you ever had an epiphany about something? An epiphany is described as a sudden realization of something; an illuminating discovery; or a sudden perception of the meaning of something. In today’s Gospel, the three Wise Men had an Epiphany of the Lord. A Divine Epiphany, revealing the True Savior coming into the world. They knew this through the Holy Spirit, who had Divinely revealed this to them.  They had studied scriptures, studied the stars, and even had the most unique gifts for the Lord. They knew the precise star to follow , through the Holy Spirit, of the Birth of the Lord, . The gifts they brought were unique because each one represented something. Gold, was a gift given to Kings, so the three Wise Men were recognizing Jesus as “King”. The second gift, Frankincense, was a gift given to High Priests, so they were recognizing  Jesus as “Priest.” The third gift was interesting as Myrrh was often used in burials, and also in a type of anointing, so this gift was given, recognizing His Bitter Passion. 

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So It Will Be Also at the Coming of the Son of Man- with Lectio Divina

Jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels, With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of  Matthew 24:37-44- with a loving message behind it and Lectio Divina for prayerful reading. 

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

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Today’s Gospel stresses that the time  of God’s coming in unknown; therefore believers must always be prepared. As the great flood caught people unawares, the coming of the Son of Man will also arrive in God’s own time. Matthew uses the greek word “parousia”, here translated as “Coming”, which in Roman society, referred to a ruler’s visitation to a city or an arrival of a deity bringing salvation to the people. Christians adopted the word, combining both meanings, to speak of Christ’s Coming to complete God’s final rule, which began in His ministry. For that Coming, Christians must always be prepared.[see reference] 

Today is the first Sunday of advent, which continues through Christmas Eve. Here is a sample of Lectio Divina, that you can practice at home with God’s Word, and is meant for prayerful reading, but also for meditating on God’s Holy Word. 

Lectio Divina for Prayerful Reading 

  1. Lectio: Read a scripture passage aloud and slowly. Notice what phrase captures your attention and be attentive to its meaning. Silent pause.

  2. Meditatio: Read the passage aloud slowly again, reflecting on the passage, allowing God to speak  to you through it.  Silent pause.

  3. Oratio: Read it aloud slowly a third time, allowing it to be your prayer or response to God’s gift of insight to you. Silent pause. 

  4. Contemplatio: Read it slowly a fourth time, now resting in God’s Holy Word. 

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

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God is the God of the Living

Jesus

Awhile back, the angels asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Luke 20:27-38. With a loving message behind it. 

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called out ‘Lord,’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”

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The Pharisees set out to mock the belief in life after death by posing a preposterous scenario, which they believe will undermine the resurrection. But they have chosen the wrong target, for Jesus has no trouble besting their efforts to stump him. 

Jesus easily brushes aside their simplistic logic, asserting that marriage is a thing of this “age” and those found worthy of the resurrection will not be defined or bound by such labels. That Heavenly Life will transcend our categories; there, death will be no more and we will be simply “children of God” enjoying life with the angels, in an angelic existence. 

Jesus then cites their own law, that (Deuteronomy 3:6) how could Moses refer to God as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob if those patriarchs are no longer living? The declaration that the Lord is “not the God of the dead , but the God of the living” is the truth Jesus came to proclaim both through his life and teaching- but most of all, through His own Resurrection from the dead. [see reference]

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

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Faith The Size of a Mustard Seed

Jesus

Awhile back, the angels guided me to post on the gospels on Sundays- with Love and Gratitude, here is the Gospel of Luke 17:5-10. – With a loving message and a channeled angel message. 

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied,
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, ‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

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Jesus taught by example. Though he often spoke of faith, it was how he lived it (and His Authority) that touched the disciples. He demonstrated that it was necessary to have faith to cast out demons, to be forgiven, to experience the healings of limbs and spirit, (to bring life back into someone that had passed away, to rebuke the winds and so forth).  On a daily basis, the disciples saw the fruit of faith manifested int he life and ministry of Jesus. And so they blurted out, “increase our faith.” If faith was who Jesus was, they wanted faith; if faith enabled Jesus to do what he did, they wanted faith; if faith was the pathway to salvation and eternity with their Lord, they wanted faith. So they ask the only one they know to give it to them. Such a request could only come from those already imbued with substantial faith. 

In reply, Jesus says that, “faith the size of a mustard seed” is all that is needed to do the impossible. But Jesus doesn’t stop there, in further response to their request for greater faith, he illustrates the concrete form that faith takes. And that form is service. His no-nonsense example presents a master who expects his servants to do their work without having to thank them for simply doing their duty. Discipleship is its own reward. Those who enter the vineyard can’t stand around waiting to be crowned with laurel. Faith changes us into servants who do what is necessary- love, give witness, repent and forgive- no matter how hard the task. And they do it giving nothing in return. [see reference below]

“Those that have faith in the Lord will shine brightly in this life and the next. Faith is what all disciples are given as a Spiritual Gift from the Most High, Heavenly Father. Faith is what is needed to approach God, to ask for forgiveness and to perform works of the Lord. Disciples of any nation, race and creed , are all faith-filled with the Spirit of God inside them- and this message is for everyone. For all are given the Spiritual gift of faith through the Holy Spirit of God. And so it is, Faith can move mountains- thus saith the Lord!” ~the angels 

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

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Heaven and Earth Will Pass Away But My Words Will Not Pass Away

lord-jesus

Awhile Back – than angels encouraged me to write on the Gospel Readings  on Sunday. With Love, here is the Gospel of Mark 13:24-32~ with a loving message behind it.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

“And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

“Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

“But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

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Today’s Gospel begins with Jesus describing typical cosmic signs when God’s Plan will be nearing it’s culmination. He then quotes Daniel’s description of the Glorious appearance of the messianic Son of Man ( 7:13)

Jesus then shifts to urging the disciples to attend to signs of the Messiah’s arrival. Just as they can read nature’s indications that summer is near, they must also become adept  at perceiving that God’s final rule over all things, accomplished through a chosen Messiah, is at hand in their lives and world. Jesus tell his contemporaries that that they must be waiting and watching for divine presence and action, for the time of completing God’s plan of salvation is known to none but God alone. Those who trust in the final coming must always be awake and watchful, listening to the Word that does not pass away. (See Reference below)

” The Savior our Lord Jesus, who has come to save all, through His coming has saved everyone. His Words are more than insight, they are Spiritual Truth. Insight indeed, however with His Word comes salvation. The True Prince of Peace, God’s Holy Son, will always be with you through this age and the next. Paying attention to the signs of Heaven will help in recognizing the Second Coming of the Savior Jesus Christ;  For God’s Holy Plan is just.”- The Angel Team 

Reference: The Workbook for Lectors and Gospel Readers, and Proclaimers of the Word- 2015 Edition.

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