Wisdom and Mighty Deeds

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. 

Consideration: Jesus returned to his native place only to be rejected. Though they marveled at his wisdom and deeds. 

We know the history of Jesus through the Gospel. All of his words and deeds have been documented for all people. Yet, even with the vast information able to reach all people around the world many still reject him today.

Lord Jesus, shower your graces upon all Christians that we may never waver in our duty to make you known and loved in a world where many still reject you today. Amen.

The Collection Net

Jesus said to the disciples: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus, it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." "Do you understand all of these things?" They answered, "Yes." And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old." When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.

Consideration: From the time of Jesus to the time we live in today very little has changed. Though, violence, hatred, murder, and every other form of sin, have expanded to levels that have the cup of abominations overflowing. The world is at the brink of disaster. The analogy that Jesus describes in this parable is very fitting for the times we live in. We have two choices: To work for the good of mankind, or for its destruction. We are free to choose our direction with no strings attached. When the angels are sent to separate the wicked from the righteous; decisions we make today will determine the destination where we will spend all of eternity. We are free to choose! Amen.

Radiant Face of Moses

As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord. When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses and noticed how radiant the skin on his face had become, they were afraid to come near him. Only after Moses called to them did Aaron and the other rulers of the community come back to him. Moses then spoke to them. Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him, and he enjoined on them all that the Lord had told him on Mount Sinai. When he finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses entered the presence of the Lord to converse with him, he removed the veil until he came out again. On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel all that had been commanded. Then the children of Israel would see that the skin of Moses was radiant; so he would again put the veil over his face until he went in to converse with the Lord. 

​Consideration: The Glory of the Lord was radiating from the face of Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai. Was this grace given to Moses as a foreshadowing of the glory of heaven? Will we too shine as brilliant as the stars of heaven when we enter into his glory?

Weeds in the Field

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are the angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

​Consideration: Jesus explains to his disciples the parable of the weeds in the field. In doing so, he is telling his children to be righteous; and lead good lives. Also, Jesus warns those who are unrighteous evildoers and lead others to sin that the angels will gather them at the end of the age; the good will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father; and the evildoers will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Whoever has ears ought to hear.

Leavened by Nature

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. "The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.' " He spoke to them in another parable. "The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

Consideration: Once again Jesus speaks in parables to the crowds. Many of his parables speak of sowing seeds in good soil and the abundance it brings forth. The mixing of yeast with the flour and how it becomes leavened. It is clear to see through these words of Jesus; all of these require the gifts of the earth that come from God; and the labor of man to bring forth the abundance of all good things that we are blest with in our lives. The natural order of things is truly a blessing from our Father. Amen.

Come up to Me

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them." So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you.
Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and a cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 
So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Consideration: Moses is totally obedient to the Lord. Forty days and nights in the awesome presence of Almighty God!!! 

Heaven is a Treasure

Jesus said to his disciples: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys the field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

Consideration: God is giving to all of his children who love him, a treasure like nothing that anyone is capable of comprehending. We need only to love him more than anything this passing world has to offer us. Remember these words, "No eye can see; no ear has heard; or has it entered into the heart and mind of any person, what God has prepared for those who love him." Amen.

Exodus 20

20:1 The Ten Commandments 

 

And God spoke all these words, saying: 

 

2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

 

3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. 

 

4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 

 

7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 

 

8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 

 

12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 

 

13 "You shall not murder. 

 

14 "You shall not commit adultery. 

 

15 "You shall not steal. 

 

16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 

 

17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." 

 

18 The People Afraid of God's Presence 

  

Now all the people witnessed the thundering, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." 

 

20 And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.  

 

22 The Law of the Altar 

 

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make anything to be with Me — gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. 26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.' 

Exodus 19:21-25

And the Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. "Also, let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them." But Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up the Mount Sinai; For You warned us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it." Then the Lord said to him, "Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them." So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them. 

Consideration: The Lord, God, sets bounds around Mount Sinai; smoke, thunder, and lightning shake the mountain. Moses tells the commands of God to the people and priests. Moses goes back up the Mountain as commanded by God.

Moses was not prepared for what was about to occur on Mount Sinai.

See and Hear Truth

The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Why do speak to the crowd in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look and do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaish's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: 

You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them. "But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." 

Consideration: Jesus clearly explains that many will see and hear things, but will not understand, because they lack the true faith. This continues to be true in the world today; people see but are blinded by their own passions and concerns; and hear but are deaf to the truth and pretend not to hear. But there are those who are blessed with the true faith, because they see and hear with their hearts that beat in rhythm with the Lord.

God Summons Moses

In the third month after their departure from the land of Egypt, on its first day, the children came to the desert of Sinai. After the journey from Rephidim to the desert of Sinai, they pitched camp. 

While Israel was encamped here in front of the Mountain, the Lord told Moses, "I am coming to you in a dense cloud, so that when the people hear me speaking to you, they may always have faith in you also." When Moses, then, had reported to the Lord the response of the people, the Lord added, "Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Make them wash their garments and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of the people." 
On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lighting, so all the people in the camp trembled. But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. The Trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking and God answered him with thunder. When the Lord came down to the top of the Mount Sinai, he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain.

Consideration: The Lord, God, made himself known to the people of Israel, so that they would have faith in Moses; and his testimony, when he returned to them from the top of the mountain; and his encounter with God.

The Will of the Father

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you." But he said in reply to the one that told him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Consideration: When we are in tune with the will of our Lord, we are one with him. The family of our Father in heaven is comprised of those who have lived their life doing his will, and caring for, and loving, one and other. Amen.

A Sign

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights. At the judgement, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgement the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here."

Consideration: An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign. Jesus seeks repentance from people who need to repent for their sinfulness. In repentance we will see the sign of mercy, transformation, and redemption. Amen.

The Good Seed

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: "The kingdom of God may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. When everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, "No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn. "'" 

Consideration: While the good have been complacent and unconcerned, the weeds have gathered among them. The enemy has now intertwined itself into the root system of every aspect of life. We must return to the Master Sower and pray for the remedy for this situation we are in today. In the end we shall be separated; the good from the bad. The good shall inherit everlasting life; and the bad thrown into the fire for burning. Amen.

Behold, My Servant

The Pharisees went out took council against Jesus to him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he wanted them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet. Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope. 

Consideration: Jesus, knowing that the council conspiring to put him to death withdrew. Out of love and compassion he cured all that followed him out of that place; because his time had not yet come.

Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him. "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are not innocent? I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath. 

Lord, Jesus, you are the Lord of all things. The Father has handed over all things of heaven and earth to you. The sun is your lamplight; the stars, galaxies, and beyond are the masterpiece mosaic of the cosmos; each placed by the hand of God; and all was given to you by the Father. Grant us the grace of understanding to realize, the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath; and the Lord of mercy as well. Amen. 

Take My Yoke Upon you

Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." 

​Consideration: Do we labor and carry heavy burdens in this life? If so, we have a friend in Jesus. He tells us to yoke with him, and he will guide and direct us through this cumbersome time. Jesus loves us so much that he invites us to yoke with him, not to go it alone. He carried the cross for our sins, and the yoke for are difficulties. Amen.

Revealed

At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." 

Consideration: To be childlike at heart is truly a blessing. The pure at heart have not been influenced by this troubled world. And the Father reveals his desires and love to hearts conformed to his will. Amen.

Woe to You

Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of the mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. "Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgement than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to Heaven? Will you go down into the nether world. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the lands of Sodom on the day of judgement than for you."

Consideration: We are all guilty of doing deeds not pleasing to God. But the love of God surpasses all human understanding; and his mercy is from generation to generation. We need to humble ourselves and call upon his holy name for forgiveness. If we do so, our loving Lord will never abandon us, and his mercy will flourish in our lives. Amen.  

"Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"

Jesus said to his Apostles: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household. "Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."  

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Consideration: The message of Jesus is clear; we are to sacrifice everything; all the lures, temptations, comforts, and relationships in this world; even family relationships, if we love him. We must endure all things; the pains, sufferings, and disappointments this world has prepared for us; to enter into the "Divine Love" of our Lord. Amen.

Within These Walls

There, the life-giving water flowed
Upon my head, it set me on fire
There, the Holy Spirit sowed
A lifetime of love filled with desire
 Within these walls 
Upon my knees
Within my soul 
You give me peace
And I'm aware…I’m aware…I’m aware
Lord, you are there
 There, in the arms of my loving mother
There, at my father's side passion grew
There I learned to love you as no other
There, my Lord, I fell in love with you
 Within these walls 
Upon my knees
Within my soul 
You give me peace
And I'm aware…I’m aware…I’m aware
Lord, you are there
 There, the Spirit’s presence felt 
There, mercy cleansed sin away
There, my heart began to melt
There, love took my breath away
 There, in the arms of my loving mother
There, at my father's side passion grew
There I learned to love you as no other
There, my Lord, I fell in love with you
 Within these walls 
Upon my knees
Within my soul 
You give me peace 
And I'm aware…I’m aware…I’m aware
How much I love you…My Lord, Jesus…I love you!

Seeds for the Kingdom of God

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into the boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A Sower went out to sow; And as he sowed; some seeds fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Ome fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Consideration: The parable of the talents tells us that we are all blessed with gifts; and we are not to waste them, but to use them to bear fruit for God's Kingdom. We are to go forth into the places the Spirit of the Lord may choose to lead us; and to use the talents that the Lord has given us for his glory. Every one of us is able to go out and to sow the seeds of faith with trust in the Lord. Our efforts will not go unnoticed: and will bear fruit according to God's will. Amen.

Proclaim on Housetops

Jesus said to his disciples, "No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! "Therefore, do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on housetops. And do not be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." 

Consideration: We are children of our heavenly Father. He knows that we are imperfect and flawed in many ways. But, if we heed his words, and trust in his will, then shall be made new. We will boldly proclaim his words without fear and acknowledge him before all people. Be not afraid, in the end all will be revealed; and because of our faith and trust, he will call us home to proclaim his glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Imagine

Imagine the stars without a sky
 
Or the air without birds to fly
 
Imagine the earth without trees to dwell
 
Or a book without a story to tell
 
Imagine being asleep and never having a dream
 
Or water not flowing through a beautiful stream
 
To think of time that does not pass
 
Or eternity that will never last
 
If we stopped to see the little things
 
As we passed along the way
 
We will see the truth in this life
 
Each and every passing day
 
Our lives are full of beauty
 
That we can touch, and all can see
 
The resting place within our hearts
 
Is where will always find this truth to be
 
Imagine the awesome presence of love
 
When we need someone special as a friend
 
Or a true lasting peace that will never ever end
 
All things are possible when faith is in control
 
The spirit will guide us in every direction we go
 
Lasting treasures in this world will always be free
 
If we place our faith in the great, I Am, of all eternity!

The Poverty Shrine

A child wondered while at play

Seeing the same people every day

On the same park benches all alone

Sad faces, crying moans and groans

 I did not understand it then

And still wonder why today

Why people waste life away

Morning to night, day after day

 Ragged clothes with dirty faces

No home or dwelling places

Cheap whiskey and bottles of wine

Welcome to the poverty shrine

 Mainline junkies all spaced-out

Street walking ladies all about

Talking trash, yelling; screaming

Some catching a serious beating

 Evil casting out a lifelong spell

Trapped inside this living hell

Stoned hippies giving the peace sign

Welcome to the poverty shrine

 Another world in living time

Begging for a nickel or a dime

A sad state for a person to be

A vision still living inside of me,

 The less fortunate down on their luck

Passing around another bottle of Duck

Lord, extend mercy one more time

Living hell at the poverty shrine.

A Bold Proclamation

Jesus said to his Apostles: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words-go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town." 

Consideration: Jesus directs his Apostles on their mission. This mission was to be conducted without taking payment of any sort. The gift that they were blessed with was to be given freely; as it was given to them. They were to boldly proclaim: "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." Leave their peace with the households that received them with love; and shake the dust from their feet from those who did not receive them and the message they were sent to deliver. Peace!

Jesus sends the Twelve

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. 

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" 

Consideration: The Lord, Jesus, sends forth his Apostles into enemy lines. Instructing them to go directly to those of the house of Israel to boldly proclaim: The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus knew that it was there that they would encounter the greatest resistance. 

Do we have the courage to go into our spaces and boldly proclaim that we are Christians; not only with words, but by our actions as well?

The Laborers are Few

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the prince of demons." 

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."

Lord Jesus, we ask you to send your people an abundance of true shepherds to guide us through this journey of life. We also ask for the graces necessary to send us out into our communities and wherever you may lead us to witness to those we come in contact with on a daily basis. The evil one is cunning and wants to destroy the peace within families; fill us with your love and peace that will have the ability to fight off the forces of darkness and, restore peace to those we love the most; the family. Amen.

"Courage Daughter"

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, "My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, "if only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage daughter! Your faith has saved you." And from that hour the woman was cured.

When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping." And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And the news of this spread throughout all of the land.

Consideration: The official who knelt down before Jesus; the woman suffering for twelve years with hemorrhages, believed in Jesus; in his words, and his works. How many people were miraculously healed by Jesus? By their faith they were delivered from, sickness, demon possession, fornication, adultery; even death. 

Do we possess the courage, humility; and the childlike simplicity to approach the Lord with faith, and to lay upon his cross our countless petitions and needs? He is waiting patiently for us to believe, trust; and love him above all things, our hearts on fire for his tenderness, and love. Amen. 

“America the Beautiful” 

We the people, inherited a land carved to perfection by the Creator's hands. Nestled between two vast bodies of water; this treasure, refined like nothing else before it; and nothing on this earth ever to come. Rich and fertile soil to bring forth an abundance of vegetation, to nourish all living creatures who would roam the land. Crystal clear, rivers, lakes, and streams hidden between majestic mountains high and valleys low. Timber from every species of tree as far as the eye can see. Beauty so magnificent and mesmerizing that the awesome power of God is seen in all of its majesty.

"America the Beautiful" God shed His grace on thee. A "Blessed Nation" to live in Peace, Freedom, and Liberty! Happy 250th America! Amen.

My Yoke is Easy

At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Lord Jesus, call us to yourself, that with you, we shall always be. Yoke us to yourself Lord, that being attached to you in all things, the evil one will not be able to detach us from being one with you for all of eternity. Amen.