04/04/ 2022

The story of Susannah is not accepted as a God's revelation by all who use the Old Testament. Biblical scholars are able to date the composition to the second century before the birth of our Lord although the events belong to the time of the  Babylonian captivity. Reading scripture becomes extrememly difficult even without the difficulties that the mind gets clustered with when considering text and historical details.

The story's core is a revelation and warning for us and our leaders. Accusation of sin in others is to be well avoided especially by leaders who have in their arrogance ignored the teaching of Christ and misled their charges. The cry " I am innocent of this man's death" is not heard at Jesus trial.  "Crucify him, crucify him" is the voice of the people. He was deserted by all even those who shortly before, had been jostling for a position in his Kingdom. 

Pilate is the one who cannot see the guilt attributed to Jesus by his accusers but he was the only one who could give a lawful sentence of death. Pilate judged by human standards but the High Priests who were the keeper of the Law, the examplar of God's revelation to his people pressured him, again by human standards "No friend of Caesar!" to give the verdict that their jealousy and malice demanded.

In the trial that we will all undergo we can be sure that the verdict will be perfect in Justice, Love and Mercy for it is Father, Son and Holy Spirit who examines us. We can only influence that verdict by being in our lives  true to the Word that is Jesus, our perfect teacher and redeemer,

Dear Lord help me to be ready for my death and judgement. Let my thoughts and words and deeds be without sin and responsive to "the one who sent you". May Mary and all you saints continue to obtain graces for us thy children on earth and for the Holy Souls still waiting for your mercy.

 03/04/2022

Our Christianity depends solely on the person of Jesus. Jesus during his time on earth taught his disciples the message of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He was then on earth true God and true man . He walked through Palestine giving evidence of his holiness. He is the Resurrection and the Life and is the Eternal being in which we can all share; it is the will of God that after experiencing life on earth we will come to see God's Glory as he really is. 

Lazarus is not resurrected in the way that Jesus is. Lazarus was dead and Jesus brought him back to this life. Lazarus' tomb can still be seen in Cyprus. He died again. Jesus is resurrected into the New Life that he distributes to all his people and to guide and help us to be true to his message of Love he has left us the Church in which can be found sacraments which convey to us the body and blood that was  God and man walking, teaching suffering and dying long ago in Palestine.

As Easter approaches I am praying for the sincerity that is all I can offer to my Lord; that my will be truly aligned with his and that I am ready to do penance for all my sins.

Dear Lord you know that I am making efforts to know your will; you also know that my heart is not yet pure and that unloving thoughts are often in my mind and unkind words on my lips. May Mary and all the Saints continue to support your people on earth and place those of mine who are all known to you in your special care.

 02/04/2022

Nicodemus is blamed with listening to the words of Jesus simply because he pointed out the need for Authority to follow its own rules. The Temple guards who are reporting on the disturbance to the Chief Priests are most definitely impressed by Jesus'words to the extent that they indirectly criticize their bosses by insisting that they have never heard words spoken so convincingly.

The Leaders will not listen to the report or to one of their own who only reminds them of their own rules. Their minds are closed to anything other than a condemnation of this Nazarene from Galilee that hotchpotch of Jews Samaritans and Pagans. We are one up here for we know that Jesus is indeed Mary's Son who is of David's line and born in Bethlehem, although in a cattle shelter.

Can we condemn the priests and temple authorities for their iron-necked opposition to God; to Jesus, Father Son and Holy Spirit? They were well versed in scriptures; they knew the "suffering sevant" songs and God had supported them for centuries. Now they refuse to believe even the physical miracles worked by Jesus. God has given us all freedom to decide within the constraints of the 10 Commandments. The continuing persecution of Jesus was based on their interepretation of the Law which Jesus was bringing to fulfillment.

 His are the only words for us and them. "God forgive them for they know not what they do".

Dear Lord we know that you know everything and are all poweful and we but sinful men. We all ask ourselves why it is that evil still exists in our world when Salvation has been won for us. We find it hard to keep on facing this same problem. Let my heart and mind be open to all that you teach us through your Life on Earth and hear our prayers together with your Mother's and all the Saints' that all men might be saved and come to the Eternity that is your promise to us.

 31/03/2022

Moses is faced by an incredible sight when he returns to the camp. For some reason the people have  decided to make their own "god". How can it be that those who received the Word of God through Moses felt that they were lacking a divine protector? God is ready to accept this challenge to his Glory and will confer his blessing only on Moses and his descendants. Moses pleads on behalf of the the degenerates his people are showing themselves to be; he is answered by the Love of God.

Jesus as remembered and written by John can tell us more about our place with God in his Creation. His listeners have studied the Scriptures. They know the history of their ancestors. They are familiar with the cycles of righteousnes followed by backsliding, punishment, remorse and forgiveness but have not yet learnt to love God in their hearts.

It is good to hear his words today. It is good to ponder them in our hearts. They are addressed to Jews, God's favoured ones to whom he has revealed himself, by Jesus a Jew in his humanity but before the touch of eternity that shatters historical continuity. We have even more to ponder for we are living after the Cross and Resurrection. We know that Jesus' words are uttered by Father, Son and Holy Spirit and that they really do bring life.

Dear Lord send your Holy Spirit into the hearts of all your people so that by pondering your Way Truth and Life we will be able to withstand the temptations that surround us all in Godless societies. Evil is being done everywhere as I write this. Forgive us so that You become our only goal on earth that we may behold your revelation in the world to come.

 01/04/2022

The passage from Wisdom was written long ago but it is still true today. Skipping through the internet there are to be found many sites where virtue is condemned, where true comments are scorned and the makers of those comments vilified. There are many sites where the bloggers and commentators praise themselves for having "come out" claiming that their sinfulness is not condemned by God.These sites are all alike in that one man/woman writes them as if they are the only opinion in the world.

I too am one man writing this. I am writing so that I have a remembrance of my prayer; not to praise myself and leave a record of me behind. I am trying to turn my life to God and to avoid the sin that crucifies my Saviour and offends the Holiness that is Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 

Jesus went back to Jerusalem alone. He was not with the disciples but  still taught in the Temple, where he was recognised. The Rabi from Nazareth. In front of many listeners/witnesses echoing their thoughts and words, he proclaimed himself to be "sent by God", "the Messiah". Jesus shouted this out but he was not taken by the guards. His time had not yet come. The Father was not yet ready to accept in our time  that sacrifice made in the eternity of Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Dear Lord, let me be true to you and to your will for humanity. This prayer is me in my secret room trying to do what you have shown to be the way to holiness. There is nothing that I need except your love for all sinners to show the way to Mercy that will modify your perfect Justice. May Mary and all the saints support thy children who today are directly attacked by Satan and his human agents.

 30/03/2022

The Lord is God our Father and full of compassion. He is the Son, Jesus, who is now, then and in all eternity one with the Father. He is the Holy Spirit who is always with the Father and with the Son and with both.

John's reporting of Jesus' words makes it clear that Jesus is identical to the Father; they share the same wills and everything that the man Jesus says is from the Father;is in fact the Father's for the Son is the Father.

The mystery of God's being is not penetrable by any man's intelligence. It is right for me to try to worship worthily the glory of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. "Worthily" means to use all that I am and have in an attempt to "know" God. I am given strict guidance on how to "serve and love" but "knowing" is an open heart ready to be filled by the Holy Spirit. My freedom allows me to be ready but my capacity has been limited by my being, known only to Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Dear Lord you know everything about the billions of souls you have created; you are the Father of all mankind. You even know the dreams present in my brain during sleep. Let me try to be with you each moment of wakefulness. Let me serve and love you in the freedom that you give to me and every individual who has ever lived. Let Mary and all the saints plead for us for the forgiveness won by Jesus in the garden and on the cross.

 29/03/2022

Water is so important to life that it becomes an image of God. The first reading is Ezekiel's vision of the stream of living water flowing out of the Holy of Holies and filling the whole world with the goodness of creation. It is God's love for his people. It is the living water that Jesus offered to the Samaritan woman.

Many are waiting for the movement of the waters in the Sheep pool but the sick need help to get to it to find healing. The man sick for 38 years had in fact outlived his helpers and couldn't make it to the pool. Jesus cures him even though it is the Sabbath and Jesus knows that this will cause him some trouble with "the keepers of the Jewish conscience" particularly with the Pharisees. How far is the Sheep Pool from the Temple? It must be less than a Sabbath Journey as Jesus meets the same man in the Temple on the same day and tells him the reality which is God's message to us all. Sin no more.

St John tells us that it is this and similar  "profanations" of the Sabbath that is the cause of the "Jews"increasing enmity towards Jesus.

Dear Lord today let me live in your Love knowing that all that is good is brought to us by You the Holy Spirit working through Father and Son. May Mary and the Saints continue to plead for us faced with the difficulties and sins of this world to make us ready to be welcomed into the world to come.