Monday, August 24, 2015

Lectionary: 629 Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle




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9One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”*10He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.11It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal.12 It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates Folks will apparently be going in and out of this city; otherwise, why the gates? where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, [the names] of the twelve tribes of the Israelites.13 There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west.14 The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Isaiah 6:1-5, Ezekiel 47:1-12 and the rest of Revelation 21 & 22 describe many more details that show the magnificence of God and what He creates.

10All your works give you thanks, LORD and your faithful bless you.11 They speak of the glory of your reign and tell of your mighty works,12 Making known to the sons of men your mighty acts, the majestic glory of your rule. Like the magnificent city described in Revelation 21:9-14. 13 Your reign is a reign for all ages, your dominion for all generations.

The LORD is trustworthy in all his words, and loving in all his works. Perfect goodness, even if we cannot see/understand their goodness at any moment in time. 14 The LORD supports all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look hopefully to you; you give them their food in due season.

16 You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is just in all his ways, merciful in all his works.18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. God wants relationship with all.

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”46 But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.”

48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”

 Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

50Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told. you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” We can’t imagine how good the things are that God prepares for us—if we will only follow Him.  See, Isaiah 55, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 , Ephesians 3:20-21, & Philippians 4:7.  An understanding of the magnificence and goodness that lies behind all that might inspire us to emulate David’s confidence dealing with Goliath in 1 Samuel 17,  Elijah’s boldness in confronting the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:20-39, and act on St. Paul’s statement in Philippians 4:13  that he could do all things through Christ. 51 And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

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