John 15:1-8 is today’ gospel reading. It is a rich, rich, passage. Below are links to meditations on it from a gardener’s perspective. I hope they “bear much fruit.”
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Friday, April 27, 2018
God is faithful even in fear/doubt producing circumstances; how to respond to those circumstances (readings for April 27, 2018)
What these passages tell us about God
What these passages tell us to do
Commentary
Hyperlink
Reading 1 ACTS 13:26-33
When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue: “My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets that are read sabbath after sabbath. For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him put to, and when they had accomplished all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are now his witnesses before the people. We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our fathers he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11AB
R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
“I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
“Ask of me and I will giveyou the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
“I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
“Ask of me and I will giveyou the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
Alleluia JN 14:6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; No one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; No one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 14:1-6
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
1. God is trustworthy. He comes through on His promises, In spite of the efforts of seemingly powerful earthly forces (i.e. the Romans & the Jewish authorities of Jesus’ time) and seemingly insurmountable natural obstacles (death)(first reading).
2. There are however times when circumstances cause us fear and doubt. Think of the 100-year-old Abraham wondering where his promised child was, the Hebrews on the banks of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army closing in, Hezekiah confronted with the Assyrians. Those were truly scary times where godly folks were understandably afraid, BUT GOD CAME THROUGH, overcoming seemingly impossible circumstances.
3. So how do we respond when we are confronted with fear provoking circumstances?
A. “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (emphasis added). Jesus’ statement implies that we have some control over our emotions; we are not helpless before them. That’s consistent with the many scriptural exhortations to fortitude; God would not have exhorted us to something we could not do. Some of those exhortations are collected at Wisdom Principles--Fortitude.
B. “[H]ave faith in God; have faith also in me.” As Sirach 2:10 instructs, think back on all the times in scripture that God came through for His faithful ones. Recall also all the things that have brought youto faith and the many ways God has been faithful to youin the past. Psalm 34:5
C. “Serve the LORD,” as today’s psalm says. Get busy with whatever God has tasked you with. That will get your mind off the fear. God has tasked each of us with something, however mundane those tasks may seem; we should focus on them when fear occurs. Psalm 37:3 & Psalm 37:27give us similar advice.
D. Today’s psalm also tells us to “[R]ejoice before him,” even if we have to do so while “trembling.” Intentionally look for things in your life that prompt joy, savor them, and give God thanks for them. That too will get your mind off your fear.
4. I speak from experience. I woke up this morning upset about issues my teenage daughter is confronting that I do not know how to deal with. Focusing on today’s readings (considering How God has been faithful in the past), putting this post together (getting busy on God’s work), and savoring the process of doing so (rejoicing) has brought me peace. Your prayers would also help and would be much appreciated.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
God is faithfully, consistently, good; we should therefore follow Jesus’ examples (readings for April 26, 2018)
Key:
What these passages tell us about God
What these passages tell us to do
Commentary
From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and returned to Jerusalem. They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the synagogue officials sent word to them, "My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation for the people, please speak."
So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said, "Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. With uplifted arm he led them out, and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert. When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance at the end of about four hundred and fifty years. After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king. God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. Then he removed him and raised up David as their king; of him he testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'" This illustrates God's faithfulness over centuries.
So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said, "Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. With uplifted arm he led them out, and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert. When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance at the end of about four hundred and fifty years. After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king. God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. Then he removed him and raised up David as their king; of him he testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'" This illustrates God's faithfulness over centuries.
Responsorial Psalm PS 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 AND 27
R. (2) Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, "My kindness is established forever"; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, that my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong."
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. He shall say of me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.'"
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever; through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. For you have said, "My kindness is established forever"; in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, that my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong."
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted. He shall say of me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.'"
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Alleluia SEE RV 1:5AB
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, you have loved usand freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, you have loved usand freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 13:16-20
When Jesus had washed the disciples' feet, he said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
the goodness of the Lord.
your faithfulness.
your faithfulness.
My kindness is established forever
you have confirmed your faithfulness.
the goodness of the Lord.
my hand may be always with him,
you have confirmed your faithfulness.
the goodness of the Lord.
my hand may be always with him,
my arm may make him strong.
the goodness of the Lord.
My faithfulness
the goodness of the Lord.
My faithfulness
my mercy
through my name shall his horn be exalted.
my father,
my God,
the Rock,
my savior.
the goodness of the Lord.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness
the goodness of the Lord.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness
you have loved us
freed us from our sins by your Blood
no slave is greater than his master
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it
believe that I AM.
Receive[] the one I send
Receive[] me
Receive[] the one who sent me
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Jesus’ grace and wisdom are like a river
Jesus’ grace and wisdom are like a river. If we get in it we are carried along to the best possible destination, the ocean of His love (i.e. eternity with God in Heaven). If we swim with its current we will get there faster. If we swim against the current it will take longer to get there and we will have far more difficulty along the way.
Although we will ultimately get to the ocean if we go with the current, we will likely still encounter difficulties along the way. Consider the storms, snags, rapids, and waterfalls one encounters if he/she follows the course of a long river from its headwaters to the ocean. However, the longer we swim with the current the more adept we become at navigating those things, and the power of the current itself helps us through them.
In order to get to that destination, we must first come to the river, we must first set out to approach God, we must first go in His direction. Heading to the mountains or desert (sin) will affirmatively prevent us from reaching the eternal ocean of His love, regardless of how beautiful those alternate destinations may appear to be.
God, in His wonderful mercy, helps us with that; just as we are all drawn to water, we all need God and are innately drawn to Him. Hence, we are given a natural pull towards the river. Although we are free to go other directions, it is that God given pull that eventually gets most of us to the river’s edge.
We must get into the river once we reach its banks. This requires a “leap of faith,” requires us to surrender to God. Otherwise, we end up just walking along the banks, missing the help of the current and stumbling over rocks, roots, etc. Furthermore, we can never get to the destination (the eternal ocean of God’s love) unless we get into the water. Even if we were to struggle along the banks all the way to the ocean we still wouldn’t get all the way there unless we got in, in spite of the effort expended along the way. We’d just be standing at the shore looking at, but not fully experiencing, the ocean.
Along our journey down the river it is possible to get into an eddy and lose momentum, or even move back up stream. The way out of such eddies is to realize you are in one and rededicate yourself to the journey (repent and confess), seek after the current (pray for help), and make the effort to swim back into the current. It will take some time and effort, but you will get there and notice the difference as soon as you do.[1]
One final point. The river we have been considering is not the only water available to us, but it is the only one that will get us to where we need to be (the eternal ocean of God’s love). There are plenty of swimming pools, ponds, and lakes around; they will get us wet and floating, but they will not get us to the ocean. Instead we will be trapped within a far more limited, and inadequate, body of water until we get out of it and get into the river.
[1] This dynamic is explored more fully in A good confession is like restarting your computer, Confession also seems to be a lot like composting, and What We Can Learn About Sin from Back Aches.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
God loves us with an active, watchful, love; He offers us refuge (readings for April 22, 2018)
Key:
What these passages tell us about God
What these passages tell us to do
Commentary
Reading 1 ACTS 4:8-12
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: "Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."
Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
R. (22) The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderfulin our eyes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD; we bless you from the house of the LORD. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his kindness endures forever.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderfulin our eyes.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD; we bless you from the house of the LORD. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his kindness endures forever.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
Reading 2 1 JN 3:1-2
Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Alleluia JN 10:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 10:11-18
Jesus said:
"I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my lifein order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father."
1. God loves us with an active, watchful, love. He knows our situations and cares about and for us (gospel, second reading).
2. That love causes Him to hear and to lead us (gospel, psalm). This wonderful dynamic is further described in the scriptures collected in Wisdom Principles—God Loves and Calls Us to Him, In Spite of our Sin.
3. That love is sacrificial (gospel); remember the cross and all that came before it.
4. That love extends to those in all cultures and times. It extends to people that society rejects (gospel, second reading).
5. So how should we respond to that wonderful love?
A. “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good” (psalm).
B. “Know” Him (gospel). Indeed, regular, specific, thanksgiving helps us to know Him better by becoming more aware of His actions and nature.
C. “[T]ake refuge in the LORD” (psalm). Go to Him in prayer. Spend time with him in adoration and/or the scriptures. He wants to engage you and will meet you there, providing refuge from your troubles. That dynamic runs throughout the scriptures collected in Wisdom Principles—God is a Refuge for Those Who Love Him.
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