Saturday, July 11, 2015

Genesis, Chapter 50, Verse 15

Now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful and thought, “Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us and now most certainly will pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!”

Joseph’s reaction to his brothers was complete confidence in God. “Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve this present end, the survival of many people” (v. 20) When we are fearful we are showing a lack of confidence in God.

God asks us to boldly go where no man has gone before…for a man must be heroic to live always in faith, hope, and love. Joseph believed and had confidence in a God he could not see. We are the receivers of this confidence and blessed are we that we can see God the Father through His son Jesus. Jesus asks us to believe in His love. His love calls for love. How do you give Jesus love for love? Be great in your faith; before all and above all, by your confidence in Him. Therefore we must have confidence, not in spite of our miseries, but because of them, since it is misery which attracts mercy. We must be as confident as the good thief at the crucifixion. The good thief also teaches us humility and confidence. A whole life of crimes, a whole life of sin: a few minutes before dying, one word of humility and confidence, and he is saved. Be confident that God will save you: How many young people have lost the Faith, not from having fallen, but from not having been helped, with love, to pick themselves up again as many times as was necessary. Jesus needs nothing but your humility and your confidence to work marvels of purification and sanctification in you. It is this confidence which works all miracles.[1]

---

[1] d'Elbée, Jean C.J. (2013-12-10). I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux (p. 51).  . Kindle Edition.

Friday, July 10, 2015

Genesis, Chapter 46, Verse 3

Then he said: I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you a great nation.

Sometimes God asks us to go down into our own personal Egypt's so He can make us MORE; by raising us up.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Revelation, Chapter 2, Verse 12

Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Revelation, Chapter 1, Verse 17-18

¹⁷ When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld.

All have sinned; all are unjust. Have you ever thought “Now comes the reckoning for his blood” as Josephs brothers did in today’s first reading.

Yet, the Lord has touched us, and it is important to note that he has touched us with his right hand; signifying power, forgiveness and authority saying, “Do not be afraid”.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Jude, Chapter 1, Verse 22-23

²² On those who waver, have mercy; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.

Save others by snatching them out of the fire. Jude is advising us to be prudent when you save others. There is almost no way you can pull others from a fire without being burnt; unless you are wearing protective garments.

You cannot save unbelievers by hanging out in the bar with them or partying with them.

Jude states the even the very garments of the godless are to be abhorred because of their contagion or in more simplistic terms we cannot have the same lifestyle as the godless. No we must be in the world but not of the world. Christ in His Sermon on the Mount taught us how our lifestyle is to be.

1.  Be not afraid but be brave in the world loving even the loveless.
2. Do not become prideful and self-important but show humility; reverence and respect to all: for they are created by the hand of God.
3.  Do not envy the wicked; but let your desire be to be kind remembering they must account for themselves before God; respect and be loyal to them.
4. Let your anger be at injustice; showing patience, compassion and forgiveness to the sinner.
5. Be temperate and do all things in moderation; do not greedily take things to yourself but share your wealth with those in need. Remember to show true charity by helping them with their troubles thus empowering them to become greater; to pursue righteousness.
6. Do not become slothful or failing to resist evil but be diligent to build the Kingdom of God; one day and one person at a time: begin with yourself.
7. Do not be gluttonous; avoid excess and exclusivity (the country club mentality) but be temperate sacrifice, give up and surrender to the Spirit of God.
8. Do not look on others as objects to be used for lustful needs but see them as created by the hand of God; your chase purpose is to help them achieve God’s dream for them.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Jude, Chapter 1, Verse 12

These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they carouse fearlessly and look after themselves. They are waterless clouds blown about by winds, fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead and uprooted. 

My father always had a great devotion to St. Jude. He always sworn it was St. Jude’s prayers and intercession that brought him home from the war in the pacific and maybe it was. He got my grandmother to sign the papers and he was in combat before his 18th birthday. He was a ghost diver; his job was to scuba dive in before invasions set up radio beacons for the invasion and avoid detection or capture. He went on 26 missions with 11 others in frogman teams. The normal mortality rate for these teams was 50%.  

After the war; my father drank a lot to forget. As his disease of alcoholism ramped up he stopped going to church refusing to go to church drunk. I don’t know if my father was aware of this verse where St. Jude admonishes false teachers who used the church as a sort of country club and caroused fearlessly looking after themselves. My father did not see the church as a social institution but as a place where one encounters our Holy God, our Holy mighty one; our Holy immortal one.

My father knew he was a sinner. He always said that St. Jude was his patron saint because; St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes and my father swore that’s what he was. As his disease progressed he stopped going to church but built a shrine to our Mother Mary. Every day he would cut fresh roses for the shrine and sit at twilight, with beer and cigarette in hand; silently staring at the shrine.

In the end my father did receive his last rights and was ushered into our Lord by our Lady and St. Jude.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

1 John, Chapter 4, Verse 18

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.