Sunday May 6, 2018

Epistle: Acts 16: 19-36

Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37

Psalm 70/71 “In thee, O’ Lord, I have hoped

My Friends,

It is now time to introduce the Days or Rogation, this is a Western Christian celebration that has actually been removed from the church calendar and is rarely celebrated in the United States. So what are the Rogation Days? Rogation is simply an English form of the Latin rogatio, which comes from the verb rogare, which means "to ask." The primary purpose of the Rogation Days is to ask God to bless the fields and the church geographic area that they fall in.

Starting at the church, (whether inside or outside, either one), the congregation would begin the Litany of the Saints and proceed to walk the grounds, not just the building itself but the whole of the property. This would be repeated as necessary depending on the size of the property and the length of time that it took to walk it. Or rather than repeating the Litany they would supplement it with some of the penitential or gradual Psalms. Thus, the entire church and property would be blessed, and the boundaries of the church would be marked.

After this a worship service would be held in which all were expected to attend. Rogation Days are tied to the spring planting. The Rogation days end on ascension day which is May 10, 2018. The Rogation Days are days of prayer, and formerly also of fasting, instituted by the Church to ask protection in calamities, and to obtain a good and bountiful harvest.

In the readings today we see troubles, there are health issues; a man is brought to Jesus who is deaf and has a speech impediment, Jesus heals the man. This healing may also be symbolic of the healing of mankind through the acceptance of Jesus the Christ. We first must hear the word and understand it before we can go out and explain it. The fact that the man's friends came to Jesus bringing the man along and the fact that the man agreed and allowed Jesus to put His fingers into the ears of the deaf man and then also to touch the man's tongue shows a faith in Jesus, his friends had the faith to lead him to Jesus and then the man had the faith to believe and so he was healed. The same as we and all who come to Jesus and believe are healed of our sins.

Notice that Jesus groaned before He healed the man; we have read this before when Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb. We have read that Jesus wept. This in fact shows that Jesus was not only God was was man as well. A man with emotions, one that could feel pain and hurt, one that demonstrated love physically for all people. Jesus is the God/Man.

We see the Apostles are imprisoned because St. Paul cast an unholy spirit from a girl who was being used for profit by her keepers because she could divine or tell the fortunes of those who she came into contact with. This young girl was annoying the Apostle by following them around and constantly announcing who they were and what they were dong.This of course made those who were her keepers much money. While the Apostles were in prison they began praising God, an earthquake came and shook the prison, the doors of the prison were opened and the bands fell off of all of the prisoners.

God can do all things, there is no situation that we get ourselves into that God cannot help us out of. We simply must have the faith and believe. Keep in mind however, God's plan is far above ours. we suffer and we have plenty based on what God Himself has in store for us whether it is for purging, for testing, or for reward or necessity for our life. God is in control.

Our Psalmist speaks of his troubles and of those who seek his life and cause him great grief. Yet in spite of these things, even though his life is in peril, he praises God. He glorifies Him as savior and protector, he believes the promise of God, and he has great faith. The Psalmist as well as the Apostles, who are imprisoned after being beaten, never stops praising God in spite of their life being in great jeopardy. These are lessons for us today. Regardless of our life and its many difficulties, we are loved and helped. We cannot know how much more difficult it would be for us if our Lord Jesus did not love us. Jesus groans at the healing of those who ask, Jesus weeps at the grave of His friend. Jesus does indeed love us to the point of giving His life for us.

Notice however that all of these people faced great challenges in their life. They had no easy life because they praised and preached Jesus, no, their life was indeed difficult. The world does not want anyone to live in eternal glory because the world is ruled by Lucifer the devil. He was and is the first to defy Almighty God and he suffers greatly for it. So how can he rule the world that God created? Because man allowed him into the world and followed him, this is how. Man continues to allow Lucifer to control him and the world system. Because we have been given free will by the Father, this will continue. We need to struggle against the devil and live for Jesus on this earth. There will come a day when man no longer praises the Creator and when this day comes it will finally signal the end. Currently people are still being born who turn to the Savior Jesus the Christ. Enough so that Almighty God has not instituted the end of the world as we know it and a new earth begins.

We do not know when this end and the new beginning will be, in spite of the many modern prophets who make a living selling Jesus and the destruction of the world; we have no clue when it will be. In the meantime, it rains on us all, haters and lovers of Jesus. The sun shines on us all, haters and lovers of Jesus. We remain together in this world until that day. So take a lesson from the readings. Continue to praise and worship Jesus the Christ and the Father through Him. Never cease to pray and live according to the gospel. Allow the Holy Ghost to guide you. Love God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength; love your neighbor as yourself. You never know whose life you will change because of this love of God in you.

The light has entered the world and the times; they are a-changing.

If one does not have love for the soul of mankind and the desire that all come to the truth than one does not have Christ in them fully.

Little children, love one another; because this is our Lord’s command and if you fulfill this, nothing else is needed. Through love and because of love we will follow all of the commandments that we have been given. They are written on our hearts by the hand of Almighty God. We simply need to see them within us and follow.

Remember; if we confess our sins and repent, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus the Christ be with you throughout this day and the rest of your life. May the Holy Spirit fill us all to overflowing so that everyone in whose path we cross may receive a blessing from our Lord Jesus the Christ.

Blessings

In Christ.