14/03/2024

In my own life I have known what it is to act in opposition to what I have recognised and accepted about God. I have, however, never been able to accept that there is anything that can take the place of God. I thank God that I have never been fully captured by any "Golden Calf". 

This could be because I am not gifted enough to become something great in this world and am in human terms a nonentity who turns to God because of  my weakness. I also cannot accept that picture of myself for I know that Our Saviour accepted Crucifixion to save me from my sins. That thought alone makes us all pretty wonderful and there is nothing golden or of any material that can be greater than the wood of the cross.

Moses is warned by God that the people he has led out of Egypt have denied IAMIAM and created a metal "god" to worship. This could have happened because they "had never seen his shape and never heard his voice". They were living in the material world which they could see and believe. IAMIAM always speaks out of his being which we never see but is something like the interior "I" that we all are which is a living spirit that is "seen" only by God who knows and speaks directly to every individual he has ever created.

St John remembers Jesus facing up to the religious leaders of his day. Over the centuries the priests and scribes have turned the revelation of God to Moses into a commodity which they control by heaping ritual observance upon ritual observance. Jesus' preaching has to be counteracted for the people are becoming excited about this new prophet who is continuing that which John had started.

Jesus speaks directly to the believing Jews. You are wrong he tells them and you are kidding yourselves that your external showcase religion is of God. You have to know that you have no belief except in the "Golden Calf" that has now become "The Law". I the Son of God am telling you this for your own good. You have to stop your never ending cycle of Jews approving of each other. You have to break out of the cul-de-sac in which you have lost yourselves and accept the warnings that the Son is bringing from the Father.

That warning is still brought to the whole world and salvation is for everyone who opens his heart to the words of God. The Jews failed to know, love and serve and became overcome by their own beings. Jesus' foundation on St Peter very soon became a worldly institution wielding power and creating wealth and focussed as it was as a worldly institution soon became as corruptible as all the other works of man.

Today, I can bow my head, praying that what fills my being as I use this keyboard is the Love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and that I am open to the Mercy that shows me the Way, the Truth and the Life. Amen

 13/03/2024

God has always loved his creation for it has its being out of the Love and Joy that is the very substance of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our Father knows that we are capable of living in Paradise but the pressure felt by Adam to obey God counteracted by Eve was too much for him and much to his own regret he chose to disobey God.

As I read the first reading, I became all tingly and moved by the power of the words of Isaiah. Perhaps the bodily reaction was the return of caffeine but the loveliness promised to the Sons of Abraham should have kept them devoted to IAMIAM for ever. What more did they want then and still now?

John's recollection of this discourse by Jesus is that of a Jew who has been converted not by signs but by the Resurrection and who has cared for the Mother of Jesus until she was taken into Heaven. Jesus tells all his listeners then and all who hear this Gospel now that IAMIAM is not a fierce Monad alone in his being but that the Son is always with him. 

Jesus really did change the world and that change was impossible for the Jews to accept for even though their history proves them to be liars they claim to know by the revelation of IAMIAM that they are chosen and they only and only they can do the will of God on Earth.

This Jewish attitude to being the only beloved of Our Father was unfortunately taken into the early Church and before the world could begin living by "every word that comes from the mouth of God" there was another set of Scribes and Pharisees who failed the loving trust God has in his people and the Church founded Peter became a kingdom more of this world than of the next. 

Dear Lord, You know that I can never truly understand your being but that I do believe that you want us all not only just to obey but do that with loving hearts informed by your revelation. Our response has to be that of Mary. She was informed of what was to happen so that her personal will was aligned with You. Let me avoid totally the self-satisfied pride that can keep my soul away from You. That same overweening pride is again much in evidence throughout the world where violence still reigns supreme and your beloved children continue to fight over the worldly goods that are here today and gone tomorrow. Jesus spoke in the  long-gone Temple but his words are still the life that is always available to those who ask. May my sins and those of the Holy Souls be forgiven and help me with your grace to avoid sins and to look for your will throughout today.Amen

 12/03/2024

Ezekiel writes of a new beginning for the People of God. There is to be a new temple which will be the dwelling place for the Most High. The holiness of the temple is to be spread throughout the whole world by the river that will carry the fruitfulness of the Creator into the oceans which will diffuse that holiness so that there will be no place on Earth that is not renewed.

The Sheep Pool in the five porticoed Bethzatha  was a place of healing in Jerusalem. It seems that it was fed by an underground source that moved the surface of the water at regular intervals. The cures were obtained by getting into the pool during these movements of the water.

The Incarnation is God's renewal of trust that the epitome of his creation, mankind, is still capable of making the right choices and living in human freedom as his image and likeness. Jesus of Nazareth shows us the way as he accepts the will of the Father and as the perfect man leads a life of prayer and obedience.

God still trusts us to aim for holiness. He gave many chances to our predecessors as his people on Earth. Jesus, however, is the completion of the creative act of Love which is this world and we the souls that people it for he is the Son whom the tenants of the vineyard stoned to death.

Jesus although truly a man was perfectly aligned with the will of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and his prayer made with perfect human faith was answered in "real-time". A  long suffering ( extremely long suffering) man was cured but denounced by the priests. 

We are now preparing for the greatest proof of God's love for sinful man. It however is not a sign, it is not an image nor is it a vision for the Resurrection is Eternal Truth. It is complete reality. In the beginning is the Word and the Word is with God and the Word is God and "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe in him will not perish and have eternal life."

Dear Lord, forgive me my sins and help me to avoid my childish wilfulness which harms all my relationships starting with You. Help me to give way and to avoid hateful thoughts and words. May Mary and all the Saints continue in their joyful praise and help us on Earth and in Purgatory to find true repentance and contrition for sins which do nothing but harm to your only begotten and blacken my soul. May I make a safer journey throughout today avoiding all sin and may all my previous sins and those of the Holy Souls be forgiven by your never-ending merciful Love. Amen

 11/03/2024

I have always had the vague idea that John's Gospel differs from the others in that it is more like a memoir and commentary written long after the events than a journalistic narrative as are the other three. I must have picked up this idea from sermons that I have listened to and books that I have read but it is vague as I have never studied the Bible in a systematic way.

In this morning's Gospel Jesus is remembered on his return from a visit to Jerusalem as coming  back into Galilee. John comments that although Jesus had previously remarked that the Nazarenes had showed no respect for him, he still returned to Galilee and this time was well received as his words and deeds in Jerusalem had also been witnessed by Galileans who had  been present for the feast.

At Cana the "court official" asks for Jesus to cure his son who was sick in Capernaum. Jesus gently reminds him that it is not right to put our God to the test. Jesus shows in his life on Earth that it is possible for us to live a life of righteousness. Our Father knows all of his creation and the official's son who is certainly more than a sparrow,  is cured. 

It is not by the signs and portents that are sought by the Jews, or intellectual discourse dear to the hearts of the Greeks that we will come to the never ending life of heaven but by keeping our minds and hearts uncluttered by the things of this world and by being open to receive every word from the mouth of God for he has created us to receive the Love that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Dear Lord, let me be guided this day only by your Love. Let those events of long ago which were the result of your incarnate presence on earth be remembered with the gratitude that can never be enough to respond to you, the Ever-greater. May Mary join her prayers with those of all the saints that we can come to the purity of atonement that will be the result of Purgatory for all sinners who begin their repentance in their Earthly lives.

 10/03/2024

During our lives on Earth we all have to give "Glory and praise", we have to worship our God who is beyond our comprehension. There is nothing that can limit God who has revealed himself to be a "One" that is a "Trinity" of persons. Jesus prays to the Father and His Prayer is the Holy Spirit who is his begetter in the womb of Mary,Theotokos. That is the Glory that we worship with love in our hearts.

St Paul is a conscientious pastor and his letters are written to his fledgling churches not to be debated but to instruct the pagans on how to receive the free gift of grace, which before was limited to righteous Jews, that will confirm them in the faith that will lead to everlasting life. 

We too should just accept that God has revealed himself completely by the words and deeds of the Jesus who was nailed to a cross and died in agony so that the world could be purged of the damage caused by sin. The death had to precede the  Resurrection to reveal the Justice that is God's. 

That Resurrection provides us with the grace to live our lives in safety. We can know, love and serve our God not because we can serve and be served by a human institution but we can become part of the Spiritual life that is unseen by eyes but is the Body of Christ built up by the God-given mission of St Paul. It is the Spiritual Union of all Saints and repentant sinners alive in their bodies on Earth, God's own in Heaven and those learning how to repent in the Justice of Purgatory .

It is this Church that Jesus promises will never fail. We have only ourselves to blame for the chronic failures that are witnessed to by the accumulated wealth and worldliness of an institution claiming for itself to be the  Body of Christ on Earth and which very soon after its foundation forgot "my Kingdom is not of this World."

Dear Lord, I pray that I am not completely wrong-headed in my reaction to the failings in deeds that the Church cannot hide any longer. Their poor performance at the inquiry into "coverups" should have informed them that the promised inspiration of the Holy Spirit ("when men take you before tribunals the Holy Spirit will speak for you") was nor there for them. Even a resignation would have done more for their credibility . May the hierarchy of England and Wales review first of all their own faith and then guide their sheep in the truth that results in the way to life. May Mary than whom there is no other human closer to Our Father who is her son and the Holy Spirit beseech you to help all sinners to open their hearts to the infinite grace that You Father, Son and Holy Spirit bestow on all of creation.

 09/03/2024

We are all part of this world created by God. There has never been an era in times past when the world was as full of the works of man as it is today. Mankind is the greatest of God's creatures. We are the image and likeness of Our Father and this is revealed in the works of man which have come into existence out of the freedom God has given to us.

Jesus tells us that the Pharisee in the Temple stands before God and thanks him for his self-satisfied moral superiority. 

In the world of today we lose ourselves in creating new wealth out of the material of the Universe, in the delights of uncreative sexual pleasure and calm any disquietude we might feel by altering the function of our brains with chemicals which we ourselves manufacture. For the most part mankind does not give a thought to anything beyond the material of this Universe even though we all know that our bodies are not everlasting and will wear out. Mankind has become its own god until that moment of departure, the end of this life, death.

Jesus also tells us that the Publican in  the Temple is despised by the Pharisee but is favoured by God. 

As a publican he is not short of material wealth but the simplicity of his prayer tells us that he has the Hebrew awareness of God who has revealed himself to his people. He knows that in his life it is only his personal conduct that has any importance for he has to be the guardian of his soul which is the image and likeness of God. He knows that he has transgressed in his way of life. He feels guilt and knows that it is only God who can clean his spiritual slate of all his debts. He knows that there is an evergreater power and is in the Temple to confess his sins and seek the mercy of God.

Dear Lord, please forgive me for all my sins and let trust in you not become the self satisfied religiosity that you have warned us about so many times. As always it is in deeds that we follow you so let this, my morning prayer set the tone for today's living and help me to avoid sin today. May the prayers of Mary the Mother of your Son together with all the saints continue their pleas for us the sinners on Earth to open our hearts to your mercy and for those in Purgatory to welcome the Justice that is your will for them.

 8/03/2024

Hosea's images taken from the wonders of Nature celebrate God's creative fruitfulness. There is a very gentle warning, more of a reminder, that when we "stumble" we loose touch with the source of all that is fulfilling in our life on Earth.

The Psalmist hears a voice that he does not recognise in the depths of his being. He is inspired in his soul and realises that it is God who is addressing him in his spirit; Supreme Spirit speaks to his created image; to all the hearts that open to hear and recognise him as the one Source.

In the Gospel the one Source, incarnate on Earth, gives a straight answer to the question that is probably asked with ill intention. Jesus' charisma when speaking as Father, Son and Holy Spirit to his creatures is irresistible and the scribe who witnesses these words of Moses received from the Father now spoken by the Son is converted by the Spirit from guile to awesome agreement.

Our Lord blesses him accordingly. 

Dear Lord may the blessing received by the scribe in today's gospel have fruit in the hearts of all who this day hear it. May those who have lost their way to you in the tangles created by themselves and all mankind who should have learned by now that Salvation only comes from you and it is always there for us when we ask. May Mary, who has never been alienated from you, continue to guide from heaven the spiritual body of whose Head she is the Mother which we can all join in the spirit to cooperate in your praise in Heaven, Mercy on earth and Forgiveness in Purgatory.