blessed are the peacemakers

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat; 

The calf and the young lion shall browse together, 

with a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall graze, 

together their young shall lie down; 

the lion shall eat hay like the ox. 

The baby shall play by the viper’s den, 

and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

They shall not harm or destroy on all my holy mountain; 

for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,

as water covers the sea. 

Isaiah 11: 6-9

"I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the “do nothingism” of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest." 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]

image by Scripture As Art

https://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptureasart_/15293329627/

self control

I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 

Galatians 5: 16-23 

historians believe that paul wrote his letter to the galatians between 48 and 55 a.d. (paul's conversion was believed to be between 33 and 36 a.d.)

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold into slavery to sin. What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I concur that the law is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if [I] do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 

Romans 7: 14-20 

historians believe that paul wrote his letter to the romans from corinth in greece, between 56 and 58 a.d. 

paul knew that being virtuous isn't easy. being virtuous requires self control. 

image by QuotesEverlasting

''But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patienc… | Flickr

why all the fear and pessimism? 2 Corinthians 4:13 - 5:1

Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we too believe and therefore speak, knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God. Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.  

2 Corinthians 4:13 - 5:1 

image by wretched, saved by grace

A Light Momentary Afflictions (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) | Flickr

Audrey Assad - How Can I Keep From Singing (Lyrics) - YouTube 

         faith 

                      hope 

                                    love

Holy Saturday: when Jesus descended into hell

The Lord's descent into hell "What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.  Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam's son.  The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: 'My Lord be with you all.' And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.  ‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.  ‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person. ‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.  ‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.  'See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.  `I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.  ‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.  "The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages." A reading from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday Prayer Almighty, ever-living God, whose Only-begotten Son descended to the realm of the dead, and rose from there to glory, grant that your faithful people, who were buried with him in baptism, may, by his resurrection, obtain eternal life. (We make our prayer) through our Lord. (Through Christ our Lord.) Prepared by Pontifical University Saint Thomas Aquinas

From an ancient homily for Holy Saturday: The Lord's descent into hell 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duccio_di_Buoninsegna_-_Descent_to_Hell_-_WGA06819.jpg 
Commons:Copyright tags - Wikimedia Commons

Philippians 2, "he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross."

If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others. 

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. 

Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me. 

Philippians 2 

         faith 

                      hope 

                                    love 

Jesus, the centurion and faith

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour [his] servant was healed." 

Matthew 8: 5-13 

"When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health." 

Luke 7: 1-10

there is much that we can learn about God and faith from the centurion. 

who was the centurion? he was a foreigner, and an agent of conqueror Rome. he was a soldier, sent to Israel to enforce Roman law--pay taxes and give allegiance to conqueror Rome and crush any who might challenge Rome's authority. (from Luke's account we know that the centurion was a builder--"...he built the synagogue for us..."--analogous to an officer in our army corps of engineers.)

the centurion was also a lover. he loved his servant, who was paralyzed and suffering dreadfully. the centurion recognized the goodness in Jesus, and he believed. he had faith that Jesus would cure his servant. the centurion was humble. he didn't abuse his authority by commanding Jesus to heal his servant. 

let us pray.

God, we love you. 
we pray that we will always love You like the centurion loved You. 
we pray that we will always believe in You like the centurion believed in You. 
we pray that we will always love others like the centurion loved his servant. 
we humbly pray in your holy name, Lord Jesus Christ. 
Amen.

image by Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gospel_of_Luke_Chapter_7-3_(Bible_Illustrations_by_Sweet_Media).jpg

         faith 

                      hope 

                                    love 

Matthew 25

Villanova University Surpasses $750 Million in Support for Comprehensive Capital Campaign, For the Greater Great: The Villanova Campaign to Ignite Change | Villanova University 

1. $750 million capital campaign ($600 million goal)
2. annual donations in excess of $100 million per year for the past 5 years
3. $100/$100,000,000 = .000001 or .0001%, $200 = .0002%, and so on (less than a drop in the bucket)
4. hunger, homelessness, and other critical needs exist locally, nationally and globally  

Matthew 25: 31-46

image from feed my starving children

FMSC Distribution Partner - Philippines | For more info on F… | Flickr

true religion

True religion can be summed up in the wise, unadorned words of Micah: "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) The book of James adds on to this with the only passage in which the word 'religion' actually occurs: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)

True religion happens when the gospel takes root in a person’s heart. When that happens, desires change. Instead of trying to find satisfaction in gods who do not answer and things of this world, believers find contentment, joy, and peace in relationship with God—and his promise of eternal life. This is the essence of what is often called the greatest commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) 

And love for God leads to love for others. The second greatest commandment is simply to "love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39) This love works itself out in our lives in a number of ways, not the least of which is in caring for the poor and pursuing what the Bible calls holiness—harkening back to the directive to be unpolluted by this world. 

Love for God leads to tangible action. People who love the one true God will begin to see themselves as less important and will put the needs of others ahead of their own. They will freely sacrifice time, talent, energy, and money to care for those around them who need help, whether spiritually or materially. And they do it not because they feel a need to earn God’s approval or pay him back for what he has done in their lives, but simply because they want to; they feel compelled by their love for the Lord. 

This is the essence of true religion. 

The pursuit of true religion—a life lived out of thankfulness for what God has done for us in sending Jesus Christ to live perfectly, to die for our sins, and to rise from death to give us the promise of eternal life—brings glory and praise to God. A life lived in relationship with God is what we are called to pursue if we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

A Deeper Look at What the Bible Says about Religion 

The Cry of the Poor by John Michael Talbot - YouTube

              faith 

                      hope 

                               love 

more good news

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 
Romans 8: 14-17 

image by Kahunapule Michael Johnson

1 John 3:1a | See how great a love the Father has given to u… | Flickr

       faith 

                     hope 

                                     love

life in the 4th quarter

Loving Lord we thank You for the thrill of life and all the mercies that You give to each of us day by day, but Lord as we advance in years our bodies begin to lose their strength - our fingers lose their dexterity and our knees begin to tremble. And Lord the time comes all too fast, when we are not able to care for ourselves as we would like to, but have to rely on help from other people to do the basic things of life – like eating and drinking – bathing and generally caring for our homes and ourselves.

Loving Lord – we bring before You all the elderly and infirm... not only those who we know, but all who are facing this stage of their life. Draw those who have never placed their trust in You into a saving relationship with Jesus, and give those who are of the household of faith Your peace that passes understanding in their heart - as they fulfil Your purpose for their lives, in whatever condition or situation they find themselves.

Give grace to those who find it difficult to come to terms with other people caring for them, knowing that Your grace is sufficient - and as they grow older I pray that in Your love and mercy You will draw each one into closer fellowship with Yourself, in Jesus name I pray, Amen 

https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Prayers-for-the-Elderly 

        faith 

                      hope 

                                     love

push back

a popular song in the new millennium is the 2003 song "it's a jungle out there". it became the theme song for the popular TV series "Monk". 

often it it seems that we live in a jungle--rude people, annoying people, dishonest people, dangerous people (most of the time, the real jungle seems mild in comparison to the "human" jungle!). it makes you want to "push back".

what does Jesus say about "pushing back"?

“But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful." 

Luke 6: 27-36 

         faith 

                 hope 

                          love

Come, Holy Spirit

"Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul's most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue's sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen.
Alleluia." 

May 20, 2018 - Pentecost Sunday - Mass during the Day

"Brothers and sisters, live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, lust, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit." 

Galatians 5: 16-25

How to Be Good in a World Gone Bad: Living a Life of Christian Virtue: James S. Spiegel: 9780825436956: Amazon.com: Books 

Come Holy Spirit - YouTube

fear death? faith is the answer

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life." John 12: 24-25 

Unless a Grain of Wheat By Bernadette Farrell - YouTube 

image by Darren Calhoun

wheat - John 12:23-28 | Except a Single Grain of Wheat fall … | Flickr

          faith 

                       hope 

                                     love

God gives me everything that I have

overcomplicating the simple

most of us would agree that the universe is complex. brilliant men and women have spent their lives studying the universe, but there is still much that baffles the scientific world about how the universe works. 
Top 10 Unsolved Mysteries of Science | IFLScience 

the same can be said of religion. theologians write scholarly books, using language that most people can't understand, to describe God and how God works.

Albert Einstein, recognized as one of the most brilliant scientists and mathematicians in history, spent his life studying the mysteries of the universe. He developed theories and spent many years developing complex mathematical formulae to prove them. Most of that work ended up in the wastebasket.

The theory that Einstein is most recognized for combines two of the most fundamental elements of the universe, mass and energy, into one. Einstein's simple mathematical formula proves his theory: E=mc² (Energy=mass times the speed of light squared). 
NOVA | Einstein's Big Idea | Library Resource Kit: E = mc2 Explained | PBS 

I've purchased books in the recent past with simple titles, such as "Providence" and "Nothing Greater, Nothing Better", in an attempt to know more about God. I wasn't able to finish them. Even though I consider my vocabulary good, I realized early on that I needed a PhD in vocabulary to understand them. 

won't it be wonderful one day, after this life on earth is over, when we learn that, with an all-knowing God, everything is simple? 

image by European Southern Observatory (ESO)

File:Screenshot from IMAX® 3D movie Hidden Universe showing the Carina Nebula.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

"The Pharisees and Sadducees came and, to test him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He said to them in reply, '[In the evening you say, ‘Tomorrow will be fair, for the sky is red’; and, in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to judge the appearance of the sky, but you cannot judge the signs of the times.] An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.' Then he left them and went away." Matthew 16 1-4

image by Billy Hathorn

File:Religious sign in Shamrock, TX IMG 6137.JPG - Wikimedia Commons

         faith 

                 hope 

                          love

divine praises

Blessed be God. 

Blessed be God's Holy Name. 

Blessed be God, Creator. 

Blessed be God's sovereign power.

Blessed be God's infinite love. 

Blessed be God's mercy.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. 

Blessed be the Name of Jesus. 

Blessed be Jesus' Most Sacred Heart. 

Blessed be Jesus' Most Precious Blood. 

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. 

Blessed be Jesus' obedience to God our Father.

Blessed be Jesus' incarnation.

Blessed be Jesus' public ministry.

Blessed be Jesus' redemption for our sins.

Blessed be Jesus' glorious resurrection.

Blessed be Jesus' glorious ascension.

Blessed be Jesus' Word.

Blessed be Jesus' holy church.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. 

Blessed be the Holy Spirit's grace.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit's counsel.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy. 

Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception. 

Blessed be her Glorious Assumption. 

Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. 

Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. 

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.

Holy God we praise thy name - YouTube

human words that are used to describe God, e.g. supreme, awesome, mighty, perfect, king, etc. are all inadequate because humans use these words to refer to other things too. God should be a word that is reserved for only God--a word that is analogous to no other word. blessed be God's holy name.

has the ban on prayer in public schools in the USA finally reached congress?

REPORT: Chaplain for House of Representatives Forced to Resign 

SCOTUS 101: Prayer in Public Schools | HistoryNet

Patrick J. Conroy - Wikipedia

God help us.

faith healing

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away." Revelation 21:4 

6 Bible Verses for Healing of Mind, Body and Spirit | Guideposts 

patience

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, because “the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” 

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No,” that you may not incur condemnation. 

James 5: 7-12 

The Virtue of Patience | Christian Bible Studies 


Patience People - John Foley, S.J. - YouTube

         faith 

                      hope 

                                     love

amazing grace

 Insights on Romans: NIV - Charles R. Swindoll - Google Books 

"...all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus..." Romans 3: 23-24 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8 


Amazing Grace - Best Version By Far! - YouTube

image by Patrick Slaven

rom 3 23 field 1680x1050 | A desktop background made from Ro… | Flickr