04/10/2021

The Jonah narrative with dialogue gives me an insight into the mindset of the writers who recorded this interaction between God and man. Each sailor had a God to whom he made entreaty. There was no unity of belief. The sleeping Jonah was awakened to profess his belief and to petition for saving help. The sailors were said to be in utter fear as they realised that Jonah must be guilty of a huge sin, a defiance of the Lord. Jonah offers himself as the sacrifice that will appease the anger that has produced the storm. 

Natural events were considered to be the result of the anger of a god and the key to obtaining divine help was to find the right god to appeal to.

"The only sign you will receive is the sign of Jonah" 

"Who is my neighbour?"

Our Lord accepts the challenge of the smartypants lawyer and the parable of the " Good Samaritan" is heard for the first time. I am sure that there are people in the world who have never heard this parable, But where I am now it is the original source of a social policy that aims to care for the weak and poor of our country. The care for other people that is the boast of our leaders is extended to the poor of all nations and every day we see appeals to help victims of war and natural disasters.

We need not be ashamed of this secular  implementation of Christian values. But what about our neglect of God most obviously seen in the treatment of the unborn? The procreation of a human being is treated as an individual natural disaster and the unborn are destroyed before they complete the first stage of life that has been given to them by God.

How can we face up to our responsibility for this sin. Biden is wrong in his interpretation of his own role in politics; he  puts himself outside the Body of Christ by his words and public deeds; so why does he bother going to mass let alone to communion?

Dear Lord help me to overcome my sins and let me always act in accordance with your teaching. "Where shall I go? You Lord have the words of eternal life.

 03/10/2021

Darwin's Theory of Evolution certainly put paid to the Garden of Eden. The discussion continues to this day. But did it really tell us that God did not create mankind? The explanation of a mechanism does not deny the reality of its maker. All scientific knowledge is about ways and means; but does it answer the questions it raises about God?

Science tells us that humans are one species. The Bible tells us that we are all made in the "image" and "likeness" of God. Jesus tells us that we can choose to follow him in doing the will of the Father. Be we ever so clever, we are miniscule in the presence of God. We do not come before the Lord to show the greatness of our being. God knows all and is our Father. Humanity has a lot to show in the use of the World's resources but it is less than our offsprings' creations in a sand pit when compared to the ocean. Atomic weapons are an unbelievable use of the power that holds atoms together but nothing to our ever expanding universe.

We have to know that we are as children in the shadow of God, and that our Triune God is ever present in the persons Father Son and Holy Spirit. Today the Mass will be celebrated in the presence of millions of individuals  and those millions who are united in their DNA arising from the Love generated by the Trinity will become united in their communions with the Body of Christ; our Church here on earth united with the Mother of God and all the saints who are bathed in the Glory that we cannot imagine.

Dear Lord I know you care for all without favourites let me commend all the illness in my family to you. Thy will be done. Let all my prayers be directed by the inspiration of You Father Son and Holy Spirit.

 02/10/2021

We are always in the hands of God who knows everything that we think and do. We can receive rewards or punishments according to our deserts. Baruch teaches that there is nothing random about Old Testament disasters; they happen in response to the misdeeds of the chosen people.

Jesus teaches that we have to become as innocent as children to receive the Grace of the Kingdom of Heaven. The disciples receive clear teaching directly from God. The Kingdom of Heaven is God and there the human idea of ranking is not valid. 

We can be sure that if all that we do on earth is in response to the will of God taught by Jesus then we too can be protected by Angels who are blessed to be always with God. They are timelessly aware of and worshiping the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Their eternity touches our time. when we become innocent enough to know of them.

Dear Lord you know how far I have strayed from the Grace of my Baptism let the support of my Guardian Angel defend me from the temptations with which the fallen angel always surrounds me. Your Mother and all the saints continuously keep me before you; let the Angels too come to my aid.

 01/10/2021

Today we receive warnings from the Scriptures both old and new. We remember "litle" St Therese whose short life was full of bodily suffereing but whose soul sang as she walked her "little" way to heaven. 

There was nothing "little" about this Carmelite who fought her way into the convent. She stormed the Vatican. What must the Pope have felt about her breach of protocol? Such a short life but with a devotion that is infinitly greater than that of my 80 some years.

Her "Little way" has inspired many of us but with what distate must she and all the other monastic saints view the shenanigans of the monastries of this day and age. The reforms of her namesake have crumbled when faced by the realities of living with "vows" in the 20th Century. How many of her spiritual descendants could look their "Little" sister in the eye given the state of the order of which she is an adornment.

We have always been warned that we all can crumble and miss the only goal of our lives. Today Jesus is no less harsh than Baruch."Little" St Therese has the soubriquet "of the Child Jesus" but her life was devoted to the Crucified Son of God manifest in Holy Spirit which filled her soul with Love.

Dear God let those words keep me true to the Way the Truth and the Life. Give the strength to know that St Therese in heaven and all the other Saints led by your mother continue to intercede for your weakened Church here on Earth and that it will not fall no matter how shaken by our sinful lives.

 30/09/2021

I have often wondered how the crowds who listened to Jesus were able to hear him especially as his teaching was often outside in the open air. Today I find the answer in the Old Testament. Ezra had had a woodern pulpit erected so that his words were not muffled by the multitude of listeners. The priests who were in the crowd translated and passed the sense ot the Scriptures on to the people who received the "Word of the Lord" with joyful hearts.

Jesus' disciples must have performed the same function but there is nothing about  a pulpit in the New Testament. One visible result of Vatican 2 was the removal of pulpits from our churches. I suppose that the advances in technology had made them redundant. 

What happened to the 72 whom Jesus commissioned  to fufill the role of John the Baptist, preparing the way of the Lord.? What is the "peace" that in the event of it returning to them they were to abandon the town to the punishment of Sodom? 

Abandoning me to my deserved punishment is exactly what our God does not do.  The Mercy of the Lord is always with us. The Incarnation, life and death of God  the Son has brought the Kindom of God to this world. The Trinity has revealed the Persons of God. The will of the Father is ever present in that Body that is the Church. The Son has Risen from the dead. The Joy of the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the Peace that is always available.

I have some awareness of God. I can hear the Word. I am yet a sinner in my deeds.

Dear Lord let me not add my bit to the sinful world that you have redeemed. Let me accept with open arms the Love that comes from you and continue from this moment throughout my life with more moments of true worship unclouded by sin.

 29/09/2021

The words of Jesus confirm the words of the Old Testament prophets that there is communication between God and his Creation. He confirms that there is a constant coming and going of Angels between his Father's great house of many rooms and the here and now. The descriptions of this mansion have to be undertaken using human words and so images of visions are created. 

Angels are created beings without our physicality. They have carried messages from time to time and are known by these tasks. "Hail Mary" is the one that shatters Creation. God is with us from that day forth. The Evergreater has taken his place within our humanity. The Incarrnation has brought God to our world. 

The Son teaches and suffers to enable us to be free of the chains of sin. The Holy Spirit constantly feeds our thoughts and guides our consciences. The Father Son and Holy Spirit are totally present in the Sacraments.

Why is it that I know this but still fall into sin?

Dear Lord you know me in your eternity plesase loosen the chains that bind me to my sinful life and let the prayers of your Angels Saints and Holy Mother bear fruit in my sinful soul here in time on earth.

 28'09/2021

The belief in the revelations of Gqd by himself will spread throughout the world and ten will cling to a Jew to learn from him the way to come to the Lord. If we are to take that litterally we have to increase the ten to millions as the number of us who have clung to  Jesus is beyond counting. 

Something is not quite right about this prophesy as the Jews themselves have turned from God. The ultimate rejecton of God took place iin Jerusalem. This event is known to God from all eternity. We know it now as history but we must accept it as being of God even though the enormity of it  is  beyond our comprehension.

The diisciples wanted to call immedeiate punishment on the village that refused to accept them and their master and the rebuke of Jesus is for us all who using human judgement want to see the guilty punished. The Creation is in the hands of God and my life is God's. He has given me freedom to choose but it is sure that he wants me to choose what is right.

My time that passes second by second is not the eternity of God. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are beyond time but that eternity touches our time when the Sacraments are worthily celebrated and received.

I will also touch it at my death. May God be with me.

Dear Lord you know what I am. You know everything including my place in eternity. Let me truly search out your will and do it. Look after all whom I know and turn their minds to right knowledge and good deeds. Hail Mary. Pray for us.