Saturday, April 29, 2017

2nd Sunday after Resurrection

 2nd Sunday after Resurrection  

                                      









Greetings in Christ Jesus,

Sunday April 30, 2017


Epistle: Acts 3: 1-13

1 Now Peter and John went up into the temple at the ninth hour of prayer. 2 And a certain man who was lame from his mother's womb, was carried: whom they laid every day at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, that he might ask alms of them that went into the temple. 3 He, when he had seen Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked to receive an alms. 4 But Peter with John fastening his eyes upon him, said: Look upon us. 5 But he looked earnestly upon them, hoping that he should receive something of them. 6 But Peter said: Silver and gold I have none; but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise, and walk. 7 And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up, and forthwith his feet and soles received strength. 8 And he leaping up, stood, and walked, and went in with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 And they knew him, that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened to him. 11 And as he held Peter and John, all the people ran to them to the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

 12 But Peter seeing, made answer to the people: You men of Israel, why wonder you at this? or why look you upon us, as if by our strength or power we had made this man to walk? 13 The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus, whom you indeed delivered up and denied before the face of Pilate, when he judged he should be released.

Gospel: John 3: 16-24

16 For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him. 18 He that believes in him is not judged. But he that does not believe, is already judged: because he believes not in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil. 20 For every one that does evil hates the light, and comes not to the light, that his works may not be reproved. 21 But he that does truth, comes to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.

 22 After these things Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea: and there he abode with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Ennon near Salim; because there was much water there; and they came and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison.

Psalm 66/67

1 Unto the end, in hymns, a psalm of a canticle for David. 2 May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us. 3 That we may know Your way upon earth: Your salvation in all nations. 4 Let people confess to You, O God: let all people give praise to You. 5 Let the nations be glad and rejoice: for You judge the people with justice, and direct the nations upon earth. 6 Let the people, O God, confess to You: let all the people give praise to You: 7 the earth has yielded her fruit. May God, our God bless us, 8 may God bless us: and all the ends of the earth fear him.


My Friends,

“Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into”. When I was a child, Laurel and Hardy were a popular comedy act on the big screen. The first line here is a famous catch phrase that Oliver Hardy would say to Stan Laurel every time they got into trouble; the reality was that most of the trouble that they got into was in fact a result of Oliver Hardy’s scheming. The team made a film called “Another Fine Mess”, the media and especially the newspapers took up this title as a caption for many cartoons, using Oliver and Hardy. But in fact, even in this film they never spoke the words “another fine mess”, Oliver Hardy’s catch phrase in every film was always “another nice mess”. So what does this have to do with today’s readings?

This misquoting of comedians applies to Holy Scripture. The Bible is so misquoted that truth is almost unknown today. Fairy tales and Hollywood films have so filled the minds of the people that these things are often quoted as scriptural truth and the wording of actual Scripture is accused of being false if spoken and if shown in writing then the accusation goes on to say that scripture has been changed. Even if the quotes themselves are spoken accurately they are taken out of context and so destroyed and twisted into some kind of nonsensical meaning that it becomes absurd at times. In today’s readings we are talking about the love of God. Is this love used to destroy truth by much of the media and the people today? Even from the pulpit? I will tell you that yes it is.

In our first reading we see Peter and John healing a crippled man, how could this be? The love of the Christ working through these two apostles who were connected to Jesus the Christ through the spiritual bond and love is how it works. This love of the Christ can also work through those who do not truly love the Christ themselves but use His Holy name for financial gain. Because of the great love of Jesus the Christ for the people, there are healings done even through those who do not believe.

We see this clearly on the scripture regarding the Day of Judgment when the people are separated to the left and to the right and those who are put to the left complain, Jesus the Christ says; Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’…

In the Gospel reading we see this love of God the Father come to life when He sends His Only Begotten Son in the flesh to give up His flesh for man. We see this love exemplified in the Son; Jesus the Christ, as He indeed suffers for man, dies, is buried, and rises, defeating sin and death for our sake. What do we read in the Psalm today? We read what the church teaches, confess and praise God for salvation. This is not an invention of the church for the Psalms existed centuries before what is known as the church today although the church has always existed in time in the mind of Almighty God.

Because God loves us He tells us to repent, confess, come back to Him and praise Him. Because of His love for us He will not lie. Love does not lie to us, it tells us the truth. Sin separates us from God, it does not separate us from love, God still loves us even though we sin, but, our sin turns us away from God, this is the separation, we separate ourselves through our sin. We are a witness to the love of God and when we lie to someone who asks an honest question regarding sin so that we do not lose their friendship or so that we do not hurt their feelings, we do them great harm. They will continue in their sin. Often times the answer to the question that is asked is in fact already known to the asker, but they do not want to change from their sin so when asking the question their desire to remain in their sin is simply confirmed by one who claims the Christ but gives a false answer.

Sometimes there may not be an exact answer or we simply may not be sure or know the answer. We need to be honest here as well and then seek the answer from God. Jesus the Christ loved the people, He gave His life for all. He ate with sinners, He walked and talked with them, He was spoken against by the leaders of Israel for this, but read carefully the words; He never lied but always gave the truthful answer when asked. He spoke with love and concern but always the truth was given. We cannot change the truth. We must ask God for the courage to speak truth when asked a question. If the question asked has anything to do with the salvation of someone’s soul. The truth must be given to them. There is no other way.

This my friends is true love for the soul of another human being.


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




  




















For Monk Michael's videos; http://www.youtube.com/user/HieroMonkMichael













Many Blessings!

+William

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Resurrection Sunday


 Resurrection Sunday

                                 
     






   Greetings in Christ Jesus,



 Sunday April 16, 2017

The Feast of Feasts

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 5: 6-8

6 Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven corrupts the whole lump? 7 Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover is sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gospel: Matthew 28: 1-20

1 And in the end of the Sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. 2 And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. 3 And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow. 4 And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. 7 And going quickly, tell his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you. 8 And they went out quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples. 9 And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him.
10 Then Jesus said to them: Fear not. Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, there they shall see me.

 11 Who when they were departed, behold some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all things that had been done. 12 And they being assembled together with the ancients, taking counsel, gave a great sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying: Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away when we were asleep. 14 And if the governor shall hear this, we will persuade him, and secure you. 15 So they taking the money did as they were taught: and this word was spread abroad among the Jews even unto this day. 16 And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

 17 And seeing him they adored: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. 19 Going therefore, teach all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the end of the world.

Psalm 65

1 Unto the end, a canticle of a psalm of the resurrection. Shout with joy to God, all the earth, 2 sing a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise. 3 Say unto God, How terrible are Your works, O Lord! In the multitude of Your strength Your enemies shall lie to You. 4 Let all the earth adore You, and sing to You: let it sing a psalm to Your name. 5 Come and see the works of God; who is terrible in his counsels over the sons of men. 6 Who turns the sea into dry land, in the river they shall pass on foot: there shall we rejoice in him. 7 Who by his power rules for ever: his eyes behold the nations; let not them that provoke him be exalted in themselves. 8 O bless our God, you Gentiles: and make the voice of his praise to be heard. 9 Who has set my soul to live: and has not suffered my feet to be moved: 10 For You, O God, has proved us: You have tried us by fire, as silver is tried. 11 You have brought us into a net, You have laid afflictions on our back: 12 You have set men over our heads. We have passed through fire and water, and You have brought us out into a refreshment. 13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings: I will pay You my vows, 14 which my lips have uttered, And my mouth has spoken, when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer up to You holocausts full of marrow, with burnt offerings of rams: I will offer to You bullocks with goats. 16 Come and hear, all you that fear God, and I will tell you what great things he has done for my soul. 17 I cried to him with my mouth: and I extolled him with my tongue. 18 If I have looked at iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. 19 Therefore has God heard me, and has attended to the voice of my supplication. 20 Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

Psalm 150

1 Alleluia. Praise the Lord in his holy places: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to the multitude of his greatness. 3 Praise him with sound of trumpet: praise him with psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with timbrel and choir: praise him with strings and organs. 5 Praise him on high sounding cymbals: praise him on cymbals of joy: 6 let every spirit praise the Lord. Alleluia.


My Friends,

Christ is risen, death is defeated, sin has been overcome, all of this done by our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ through sinless life, His crucifixion, death, and resurrection.  This is a glorious day for those who believe. Praise God and glorify His holy name. I pray that on this day that there is a true awakening in each and every one of us. I pray that as the Psalmist says we have been proven, that during the days leading up to this day we have been tried by fire as silver is tried,  I pray that we have had afflictions laid upon our backs, and that we all have passed through fire and water, and have been brought out into a refreshment. My friends, this is how our faith grows, this is what kindles the fire within us.

By overcoming we gain wisdom and knowledge. So today praise Him that has tried us through fire, glorify the name of the one who teaches us and purifies us and has by His crucifixion, death, and resurrection, given us the ability to attain this new life through His blood. He is our strength; He is our High Priest and Mediator between us and the Father. Jesus the Christ unites us to the Father.

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.


   




For Monk Michael's videos; http://www.youtube.com/user/HieroMonkMichael









Many Blessings!

+William

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Great Lent!

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Great Lent!

                      
                







Greetings in Christ Jesus,

Wednesday April 5th 2017


Hosea 6

In their affliction they will rise early to me: Come, and let us return to the Lord:For he has taken us, and he will heal us: he will strike, and he will cure us.He will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. We shall know, and we shall follow on, that we may know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning light, and he will come to us as the early and the latter rain to the earth.What shall I do to thee, O Ephraim? what shall I do to thee, O Juda? your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goes away in the morning.For this reason have I hewed them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and Your judgments shall go forth as the light. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts.But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant, there have they dealt treacherously against me.Galaad is a city of workers of idols, supplanted with blood.And like the jaws of highway robbers, they conspire with the priests who murder in the way those that pass out of Shechem: for they have wrought wickedness. 10 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel: the fornications of Ephraim there: Israel is defiled. 11 And you also, O Juda, set thee a harvest, when I shall bring back the captivity of my people.


My Friends,

What is the prophet saying here? From the very start we see the words saying to return to the Lord and He will heal and cure. Return to the Lord, this has been the theme throughout all of Holy Scripture, in all generations man has only needed to return to the Lord and yet it is the one thing that many have refused to do. Man now has science and logic, intellectualism. For the most part man has abandoned the spirit; St. John Chrysostom spoke these very words regarding the church back in the fourth century, how much more so today? Intellectualism prevails throughout the Body of Christ. It is the Spirit that we should be pursuing.

The prophet says; He will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. We shall know, and we shall follow on, that we may know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning light, and he will come to us as the early and the latter rain to the earth. We will soon enough be celebrating this raising of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ on the third day. In the meantime let us continue our cry to find the spirit.

As we continue reading through the reading we see the results of not turning back to the Lord, seek wisdom, seek the truth which is Jesus the Christ, seek Him through the Holy Spirit. We see here the words of the Lord; for I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts. Does this passage mean that God does not want worship?

Of course not, Israel and now the church turned worship into mere ritual, worship has become the only goal and because of this many find the liturgy to be boring. Worship and ritual is not the end result that we want, it is not done simply for the sake of worship and ritual.

We seek communion with our Creator, a return to Almighty God, this is done by joining in spirit to our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, this is the meaning and purpose of the worship. Seeking God is the purpose. This is our cry to Almighty God in all worship, reunion with Him. We have lost that communion since the fall, it is through our Lord and savior Jesus that Christ that we regain it.  For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts. This is what we are to share with the world, the love of God, mercy and compassion.

This is what we seek from our Creator and this is what we give to others.

Continue this time of repentance and renewal; let us strengthen ourselves in spirit.

Blessings

In Christ.




   


















Many Blessings!

+William

Sunday, April 2, 2017

5th Sunday of Great Lent

5th Sunday of Great Lent!

                                      










Greetings in Christ Jesus,

Sunday April 2nd 2017


Jeremiah  18:

13 Therefore thus says the Lord: Ask among the nations: Who has heard such horrible things, as the virgin of Israel has done to excess? 14 Shall now the snow of Libanus fail from the rock of the field? or can the cold waters that gush out and run down, be taken away? 15 Because my people have forgotten me, sacrificing in vain, and stumbling in their ways, in ancient paths, to walk by them in a way not trodden: 16 That their land might be given up to desolation, and to a perpetual hissing: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and wag his head. 17 As a burning will I scatter them before the enemy: I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their destruction.

 18 And they said: Come, and let us invent devices against Jeremias: for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words. 19 Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries. 20 Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in Your sight, so speak good for them, and turn away thy indignation from them. 21 Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle. 22 Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for You shall bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet. 23 But You, O Lord, know all their counsel against me unto death: forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from Your sight: let them be overthrown before Your eyes, in the time of Your wrath do destroy them.

Romans 6:

17 But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin, but have obeyed from the heart, unto that form of doctrine, into which you have been delivered. 18 Being then freed from sin, we have been made servants of justice. 19 I speak an human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity, unto iniquity; so now yield your members to serve justice, unto sanctification. 20 For when you were the servants of sin, you were free men to justice. 21 What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting. 23 For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 11:
47 The chief priests therefore, and the Pharisees, gathered a council, and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles? 48 If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. 49 But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing. 50 Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. 52 And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God, that were dispersed. 53 From that day therefore they devised to put him to death.

 54 Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews; but he went into a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples. 55 And the pasch of the Jews was at hand; and many from the country went up to Jerusalem, before the pasch to purify themselves. 56 They sought therefore for Jesus; and they discoursed one with another, standing in the temple: What think you that he is not come to the festival day? 57 And the chief priests and Pharisees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he was, he should tell, that they might apprehend him.

Psalm 52/53

1 Unto the end, for Maeleth, understandings to David. The fool said in his heart: There is no God. 2 They are corrupted, and become abominable in iniquities: there is none that does good. 3 God looked down from heaven on the children of men: to see if there were any that did understand, or did seek God. 4 All have gone aside, they are become unprofitable together, there is none that does good, no not one. 5 Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread? 6 They have not called upon God: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear. For God has scattered the bones of them that please men: they have been confounded, because God has despised them. 7 Who will give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when God shall bring back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.


My Friends,

Let us continue our journey towards that glorious day of the Feast of Feasts, the Day of the Resurrection of our Lord and savior Jesus the Christ. Our readings today have a couple of themes, while we are seeking truth and wisdom, both of which are Jesus the Christ, our readings speak of what the world seeks against those who speak the truth. The prophet Jeremiah was sent to speak the truth to Israel and the leaders as well as many of the people begin to devise ways to kill Jeremiah because the truth is not what they wanted, they wanted their ears tickled and their senses delighted with pleasing words of greatness and power for them. The fact that they had strayed was of no importance to them. Self delusion, pride and arrogance filled their heart.

Our Lord and Savior, the vey truth itself, the Word of God who came in the flesh to not just give us the truth but to suffer and die for us, defeating sin and death so that we may have life abundantly was also hated by those in power, they did not want truth, they were also full of self delusion, pride, and arrogance and chose to plot the death of our Lord for speaking truth. Today is not much different, many in the hierarchy of the church in any of it’s so called denominations may not be plotting physical death of others but the lies that are spread about one to another; the self deluded importance of many, the pride in denomination or understanding, the arrogance in the attacks on others, these are the same as death, many of the religious have become legalists, juridical in their understanding, intellectualism reigns in the church rather than the conscious and the heart, the spirit is not what is followed, compassion does not rule, it is the following of the letter of the law according to whatever law any group lays claim to.

This time of reflection and repentance should lead us to a better understanding, we will never be perfect of course until that day comes but we can continue to strive towards that perfect love that is in Christ Jesus. There is indeed truly nothing else in Christ Jesus except perfect love. As the Apostle Paul states in the readings from the letter to the Romans; we were once slaves to sin, but now have obeyed from the heart.

If we indeed obey from the heart we should be ever more striving towards that perfect love that can only be found in the Christ Jesus.  

Continue this time of repentance and renewal, let us strengthen ourselves in spirit.

Blessings





In Christ.


   






For Monk Michael's videos; http://www.youtube.com/user/HieroMonkMichael















Many Blessings!

+William