The Daily Eudemon

I just found this blog - The Daily Eudemon - I think I'll start checking this blog more often. I like this guys approach to things. Example:

Fr. de Souza cogently condemns video games:

Video games take what is most precious — time and thought. And they are making kids fat.

Video games are like a black hole into which time disappears. Students today often confess to wasting a couple of hours a day on them. Corporate Canada likely loses whole weeks of productive work to those who are playing games at work. Video games have some kind of addictive allure that means any number of hours is not enough. It is always possible to play again — to rise to that “next level” which somehow acquires near-mystical importance. They are the crack cocaine of the electronic world.

My response: He’s right, kinda. But I’d call video games the Red Bull and Vodka of the video world. The stuff is addicting, in the sense that it gets kids hooked on the dopamine ups and downs and the low-impact thrill of a video world. But lots of things are like that: golf, bowling, sex, any absorbing hobby. The answer to any such threat is moderation, not abstinence. I think video games pose a greater risk than bowling, but I think it’s a difference of degree, not kind.

I think it’s an important distinction. De Souza wasn’t allowed access to video games at all. When he got to college, he got hooked on Tetris. My parents allowed me to play video games while growing up, all the while warning me against excessive play time and threatening to police my use if I couldn’t police it myself. When I went to college, I got hooked on . . . nothing (beer excepted).

This is important. If you over-state the risk (calling it “crack cocaine”), kids will stay away while living in the shelter of their parents’ home, but when they go to college and see friends playing video games without ending up on the Bowery, they’ll try it. Once they try it and discover that their world isn’t coming to an end after all, they’ll conclude everything they heard before wasn’t true . . . and they’ll charge in and play to excess. That’s when they become addicts.

Finally, the total abstinence approach gives video games an allure that they don’t deserve. Video games are stupid (often fun, but at bottom, stupid). They don’t deserve as much attention as effective prohibition requires, and by enforcing prohibition, you make the chance of their abuse much higher. They say drunks come from two types of households: the soused and the teetotaling. I suspect a similar thing can be said about the video game obsessed. They come from two types of households: The household that keeps a TV on all the time and never questions whether the screen media could be harmful (the soused) and the puritan-like household that doesn’t allow screens.

Moderation in all things, except the intrinsically evil and the holy. Any other approach will lead to problems.

Quote of the day...

“It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it.”

poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

O Love that wilt not let me go

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Another Find your Candidate test...

http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_results.php

My top guy was Huckabee

Today's Gospel

Gospel
Jn 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.

The first thing that caught my eye in this reading was Jesus statement that "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man". Why would He say that if there are examples in scripture of people being taken to heaven? eg Moses, Elijah, possibly Enoch? Haydock's commentary says that Jesus was showing that He is Devine - He descended from heaven..no one else has done that.

Oh well I just read Saint Augustine's comments on this scripture and now I have been awed by his meditation on this passage.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

My first thoughts about this passage are the physical aspect of this passage. When Israel was in the desert complaining to Moses about their suffering, God sent snakes to punish the people. God told Moses to make a snake and put it on a pole and the people will be healed when they look at the snake on the pole.

This was one of the passages that I've seen Catholics point to when defending the crucifix. Not very deeply but I think I remember someone pointing to this scripture and saying "this sound a lot like a crucifix".

The whole idea of looking at a man holding a pole with a bronze snake mounted on the top to heal you from a snake bite seems kind of ridiculous to a rational thinking person. But these are the kind of story's that are littered through out the Bible. This is the history of God's dealings with man that we trust in by faith. It seems very far fetched to a 21st century man living in the USA but this is what comes with being a Christian. Some Christians mock other Christians for believing in wild far fetched ideas about all kinds of things but maybe they are forgetting some of these story's that are all scattered throughout the Bible.

Now on to my exegeses of this passage. As we look to Christ on the Cross and trust in God's mercy so to did the Israelites look to God's mercy when they repented of their sin and looked to Moses holding the bronze serpent mounted on the pole. This was a foreshadowing of the the crucification of Christ on the cross. Amazing how God takes the failing of the people to foreshadow an event that is yet to occur.

Gospel for Saturday April 28th

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter Psalm: Saturday 15

Reading 1 Responsorial Psalm Gospel

Reading 1
Acts 9:31-42

The Church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
was at peace.
She was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,
and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit she grew in numbers.

As Peter was passing through every region,
he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas,
who had been confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Peter said to him,
“Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.”
He got up at once.
And all the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him,
and they turned to the Lord.

Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha
(which translated is Dorcas).
She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving.
Now during those days she fell sick and died,
so after washing her, they laid her out in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa,
the disciples, hearing that Peter was there,
sent two men to him with the request,
“Please come to us without delay.”
So Peter got up and went with them.
When he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs
where all the widows came to him weeping
and showing him the tunics and cloaks
that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed.
Then he turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.”
She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
He gave her his hand and raised her up,
and when he had called the holy ones and the widows,
he presented her alive.
This became known all over Joppa,
and many came to believe in the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

R. (12) How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 6:60-69

Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

Hilarious

Last week at Mass Isabel said "Daddy are these people pretending to be in Jesus land where the Angels live?" All I could think to say was Yes.

And...

Last night we went to a Mexican restaurant that we like. They happened to have a guy playing a guitar close to our table. James Patrick stands up in his seat and say while looking straight at the guy "Daddy why is that pirate playing a guitar?"

The guy just laughed and said something. He had a pony tail and was dressed in black. I guess he looked like a pirate to a 2 1/2 year old.

Gospel for Tuesday, February 27th

Gospel
Mt 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

Reflection:
Jesus tells us to be aware of the fact that the Father always knows what we need. There is no need in babbling like the pagans. How do I put this in todays language? I think that I might be tempted to babble like a pagan by having the idea in my mind that I can do certain things that will automatically make God do certain things. Maybe in my mind I might think that by performing certain acts that this will make God do something for me. Maybe the pagans thought that if they babbled these mantras long enough that God will do thus and so.

Jesus proceeds to give the perfect prayer for us. This prayer has been repeated by His Church for two millenia.

Gospel for Tuesday, February 20th

Gospel
Mk 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Thoughts:
Jesus is taking his disciples on a journey with him through Galilee and He doesn't wish anyone to know about this. It seems that Jesus is taking time to personally teach His Apostles something about how to lead in the Church He is establishing. When they arrive at the house in Capernaum they are faced with the reality that they had their eyes on the wrong ideas. They were arguing about which one on them was the greatest. Jesus as always takes a moment of defeat in their lives and turns it into the greatest teaching opportunity. The truth that has continued since the beginning of the Church. He teaches the grown men that humility comes before glory. We must put ourselves in the back of the line. We must go to the despised and reach out to the unwanted. I tell my daughter when she starts to argue with her little brother about who going to go first that she should let him go first and then she'll be the winner.

I hope she always remembers this.

Amen.

Encountering Jesus

The Importance of Personally Encountering Jesus

February 12, 2007

Again Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us." Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people (followed) from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God." (Mark 3:1-11)

Sometimes even Catholics have lost or never had the chance to experience Christ personally; not Christ as a mere "paradigm", but the Living Lord: "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). John Paul II's address to American Bishops

Early in Jesus' public ministry, two groups of people who met him were keenly aware that something special was going on. The religious and political leaders recognized that Jesus' power to heal people and draw them to following him posed a threat to their authority (Mark 3:6). And the "great multitude," also recognizing Jesus' power, pressed around him seeking healing and deliverance, insight and transformation (3:7-11).

But apart from these two groups, how many people simply missed the opportunity to "experience Christ personally"? Perhaps they were too busy to waste a day chasing some miracle worker. Perhaps they were unable to believe the stories they were hearing. Perhaps Jesus didn't interest them because he didn't fit their expectations. Perhaps they were content with life as they knew it, or unable to imagine it as any different.

Others probably came to Jesus, found the healing they were seeking, and went back home. They may not have stayed long enough to listen to his teaching, or to be challenged to change. They got what they wanted, but missed the bigger thing God wanted to do for them.

Day after day, Jesus waits for us by the sea. He waits for us in the tabernacle, in the Scriptures, in the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit, in the challenging words of those we love, in the needs of those who reach out to us. Are we too busy to set aside time to meet him?

Perhaps you've met Jesus once in a definite moment of conversion. That's a wonderful beginning. Now what more does Jesus have in mind for you? How does he want to carry forward the healing he has begun in you? To whom does he want you to extend his mercy? Perhaps you have taken a further step and scheduled time with Jesus in daily prayer and daily or weekly Mass. But what are your expectations during those times? Do you "press upon him to touch him" (Mark 3:10)? Do you expect him to speak to you, to heal you, to challenge you?

Jesus is always waiting to meet us in a personal way — in the snatch of a song that comes to our minds, in a line from Scripture that we recall, in a person who needs prayer. Never overlook the Lord! Instead, run to meet him and allow his love for you to heal and transform you. He will run to meet you just like the Father of the prodigal son ran to meet him.

"Lord Jesus, I don't want to miss you. I want to personally experience more deeply your love and mercy. Open my eyes, enliven my heart so that I can recognize all the ways you want to touch and heal me each day."

Gospel for Tuesday, February 6th

Gospel
Mk 7:1-13

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.

(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
He went on to say,
“How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
‘If someone says to father or mother,
‘Any support you might have had from me is qorban/’
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things.”

Reflection:
The scribes and pharisees went to where Jesus was to spy out this rebel. Maybe they were intrigued at the Man who spoke with such authority. Surely they felt they were being threatened. Many people were beginning to follow Jesus. When they saw how the men acted around Jesus and how they broke the traditions of the Jews they felt they had a sure reason to expose Jesus as a fraud.
Jesus as always takes the scriptures and shows the "scripture experts" how they were violating the original intent of the scriptures.
There was a bit of a controversy on Jimmy Akin's and James White's blog a year or so ago about this passage. I'll try to research it.

Gospel for Saturday, February 3rd

Gospel
Mk 6:30-34

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

Reflection:
Jesus always calls us to come closer to Him. He has compassion on us. He sees us as we truly are. He knows that we are but dust. Help me to

Bible Quiz

This was too easy....

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Gospel for Tuesday, January 30th

Gospel
Mk 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
“My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live.”
He went off with him
and a large crowd followed him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?”
But his disciples said to him,
“You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, Who touched me?”
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,
“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,

he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
“Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep.”
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child’s father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,”
which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.

Reflection:
We should take our burdens to Jesus. Jairus is exercising the faith that is he is given. What a blessed thing to exercise our faith in Christ. Jesus shows His divinity by raising this little girl from the dead.

Why does Jesus give strict orders that no one should know this? I think because it was not His time to reveal Himself to the world yet.

Gospel for Sunday, January 28th

Gospel
Lk 4:21-30

Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying:
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.

Comments:
The first thing that stands out is how fickle the people are. One minute they all were speaking highly of Him amazed at the graciousness of His words and the next minute they want to throw Him off a cliff.

It seems like Jesus was trying to provoke the people when He tells them that they will say to Him "physician cure yourself" and "do here what you did in Capernaum"

Gospel for Saturday, January 27th

Gospel
Mk 4:35-41

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

Comments:
One thing that jumps out is that they were probably in Peter's boat. How many events did the writers of the Gospels mention concerning Peter's boat and the sea of Galilee. A quick search on boat in the Gospel's shows 45 hits. I'm researching Sea of Galilee.

Gospel for Friday, January 26th

Gospel
Mk 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”

He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Comments:
Jesus is speaking in parables about His Kingdom which he is inaugurating. In both of these parables He speaks of His Kingdom beginning as a seed. Surely I can see how the Church can be compared to a seed which grows into a field of wheat or a great tree.

I thought about this some last night. I thought about the Church being compared to a field of wheat. I thought about the Church in its divided state. I thought about the individual as being compared to a single grain of wheat in an entire field of wheat. How can the individual consider himself from the field. Surely we are connected in this analogy. We must not separate ourselves in from the rest of the field. How dangerous it would be for one grain of wheat to try to grow all by itself apart from the rest of the field.

Also how can one part of the field separate itself from the rest of the field? How can the Church divide and say that another part of the field is not really the field? This follows the thinking of the apostle Paul in saying that one part of the body cannot say to another part "I have no need of you".

It is also interesting that Jesus speaks to the crowds in parables but he explained everything to His disciples in private. Why does He do this? Why does God show this favoritism? Surely God's ways are mysterious. Was it because God wants us to be dependent upon His chosen vessels? Maybe God doesn't give everyone all the information so we must humbly go to the ones He has chosen. Maybe this is a gift to everyone to keep us from becoming proud.

St. Timothy and Titus,
Pray for me.

Gospel for Monday, January 22nd

Gospel
Mk 3:22-30

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and
“By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
“How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Comments:
The scribes and pharisees are in a head on clash with the Lord Jesus Christ. The spiritual realm is also in a head on clash with Jesus. He has arrived on the scene and is showing His authority over everything. The scribes and pharisees are following him around trying to trip him up or catch him doing some unlawful thing.

Jesus was angered and grieved at their hardness of heart. He knows the hearts of all men. It seems that the scribes and pharisees were afraid of losing their authority with the people. They could see that their authority was coming to an end. The demons also recognized their time was coming to an end. Jesus this newcomer from Nazareth, this uneducated carpenter from just a poor small town was showing everyone that he was and is the final authority. The King of the world has arrived. This is God in the flesh. It took many years for this great truth to sink in and many in the world still do not recognize this truth. Jesus Christ is God and also Man. The second Adam. He has come to restore everything and save us from our sins.

Jesus says to me the same thing he said to these scribes. "whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
How can I blaspheme the Holy Spirit? By not acknowledging His presence. By attributing the miracles that he performs to just chance. By knowing what I should do and continuing to make excuses to avoid doing it. By persisting in my sin when I know this grieves the heart of God.

Lord Jesus Christ; Son of God; Have mercy on me a sinner.

Gospel for Friday January 19th

Gospel
Mk 3:13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Comments:
Jesus called the men who would be his Apostles up to the mountain. God seems to meet his people on the mountain for important events. Its amazing to look at a map of Israel and see all the Mountains and the important events that have taken place in history on these mountains.

Jesus chose 12 Apostles. The number is 12 is used by God throughout salvation history. The number 12 has mystical meanings.

Gospel for Thursday, January 18th

Gospel
Mk 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.

Comments:
This is awesome. People were coming from everywhere to see Jesus. The people who had diseases were trying to touch him. We all have our diseases; spiritual and physical. How can I go to where he is today? We can go to him in many ways. Prayer. Other Christians. We can seek him in every day occurances. We can also go to him in the Church that he instituted. He says to the Apostles "behold I am with you always, till the end of the age". Jesus says to us "blessed are those who believe but have not seen me".

Some of these people traveled from very far distances with many inconveniences and burdens along the way. We should put aside our irritations and inconveniences to do what ever it takes to go to where he is today. Only with eyes of faith can we see him today. Unless we put our faith into action we will not see him. We will continue to live with our diseases unless we touch him.

The unclean spirits fell down before him. All spirits and all creation will fall down before the King. I should fall down before him everyday. How often I fail to fall down before Him when I have the opportunity. Lord help me to see past the physical and into the spiritual world where spirit is united with flesh. Let the scales fall from my eyes to see into spiritual realities. Even the demons recognized you as the Son of God. How often I fail to see this.

Gospel for Tuesday, January 16th

Gospel
Mk 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

Comments:
The disciples began eating the heads of grain while they were passing through someone's field. In Deuteronomy 23:25 it shows that it was lawful for travelers to eat the heads of grain while passing through even though the fields belonged to someone else. It seems that that the Pharisees were spying on Jesus and His disciples in order for them to know about this.
When they accused the followers of Jesus he appealed to the scriptures. "Have you never read"
The Pharisees were the scripture experts but Jesus is Lord of everything. Even Lord of the sabbath.

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. The Church has changed the day of obligation to Sunday instead of Saturday. Sunday is the resurrection day. Jesus has the authority to make this change. He gave this authority to His Church. Oh how many people have failed to see this. To worship on Sunday instead of Saturday is testimony to one's belief in this Church that Jesus founded.

Gospel for Friday, January 12th

Gospel
Mk 2:1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
“Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”
--he said to the paralytic,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Comments:

Gospel for Tuesday, January 9th

Gospel
Mk 1:21-28

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Comments:
Jesus came to Capernaum with His followers.
Alot of Jesus' ministry was around Lake Galilee. Capernaum was located on the north shore of the famous lake. Jesus was intent on entering the synagogues and bringing the truth to His chosen people the Jews. As Saint Paul says "to the Jew first and then to the Gentile". Jesus was a Jew and he loves His people to the end.

The people were astonished at His teaching. The people were always amazed at the words that flowed from the Lord Jesus lips. We will also be amazed if we listen to Him.

He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
There is no higher authority that the words of Jesus. The scribes were the people whose job it was to copy the holy scriptures. The people looked to these men as the ones who could surely teach the truth to the people. But the words of Jesus were authoritative like nothing these people have ever heard. This was God in the flesh speaking to the people.

In the synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit.
This proves that unclean evil demons can even enter places of religious worship. We should never doubt where the unseen world of evil may show up.

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
The demons know what their final fate will be. How easy we are convinced that evil will always be with us. But the fallen angels know there time is short. We would do well to remember that they are going to be banished forever. Let us never follow them in their lies.

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
Even if demons speak the truth - Jesus stops them and doesn't allow them to speak. He doesn't allow the father of lies to have any part in what he is doing in the world. The demons are screaching because they know they are forever fallen from the presence of God.

All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
The people were amazed. We will always be amazed by the power of Jesus and His authoritative teaching. We should submit ourselves constantly to listening to Him as he speaks to us everyday.

His fame is still spreading throughout the world. His kingdom will have no end. We should pray everyday - Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We can see his Lordship over all the earth. We can be participators in His kingdom today.

Gospel for January 6th

Gospel

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Comments:
John the Baptist said "One mightier than I is coming after me". The people must have been really amazed at the power that shown by John the Baptist. He surely was a great man. People came from all around to hear him speak. God gifts people with other people. It has always been this way. God sends messengers to his creation that He loves dearly.

Great speakers can capture an audience. Great speakers can hold entire populations of people in awe of their powerful speaking ability. But John was unique. He was humble with his gift. He realized that he was very small compared to the King that was coming. John was the fore-runner to the King. He was humble enough to realize that he was not worthy to stoop down and touch his sandals. John was also humble and resigned to God's will. He showed this when he was taken to prison. He was bold. He was brave. He was faithful. He was a martyr for faith in the Lord Jesus. Jesus said there was none born of women greater than John the Baptist, but the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than him.

John said that Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to his followers. The Holy Spirit - The third person the the blessed Trinity. How mysterious is this teaching! John came proclaiming a baptism of repentance. Jesus gives a baptism of the Holy Spirit. A baptism of cleansing.

The Gospel for January 4th

Gospel
Jn 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.

Comments:
John the Baptist saw the Messiah and cried out "Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world".

An issue not directly related to this passage:
I found out today while reading another blog that John's Gospel is addressing a problem in the early Church. The problem was that some groups thought that John the Baptist was the Messiah. One of the Apostle's reason for speaking the way he did was to show that John the Baptist was the fore-runner to Jesus Christ. He pointed to Christ. He, John the Baptist, was not the Christ. John's Gospel reiterates this over and over. It really stands out and one can see that this is the message that John was trying to get across. Jesus was the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world.

What are you looking for?
Jesus' question rings throughout the centuries. What are we looking for? God knocks on the door of the heart of every person. Everyone hears the faint small voice of God calling them to Himself. He always seems to be saying - What are you looking for?

Peter and Andrew respond to Jesus. "Rabbi - where are you staying?"
We should have the same response to Jesus' question. Where are you staying? We should always be looking for Jesus in our lives. To find out where he is staying. A devout Christian is always looking for Christ in everything and everyone. As the deer pants for the stream our souls thirst for God.


"It was about 4 in the afternoon". I don't know why the Apostle John mentioned this but I'm sure there was a good reason.

Andrew heard John the Baptist say "Behold the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world". Andrew heard John and believed him. Jesus is the Messiah. Many people thought that John was the long awaited Messiah of Israel. John stated that I must decrease and He must increase. God's servants are always gifted with humility. We should pray for this kind of humility. What kind of humility John was displaying when he declared this! He stepped away from being the center of attention. He could have resisted and kept his followers. He could have rationalized in his mind that God had given him this ministry and all these followers needed him. But he knew it was his time to step aside and so he did. The Messiah has arrived.

Andrew the Apostle chosen by Christ to be one of the 12 pillars of the Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia - The Churches in Greece, Turkey and that region were led by the Apostle Andrew.

Andrew went and told his brother "we have found the Messiah".
The Messiah had been prophesied from long ago. Israel had waited for their Messiah for so long. The time has finally come. The Messiah has begun His work and is choosing his followers to build His Kingdom. He chooses the pillars of his Kingdom from such an unlikely place from such unlikely people. These are the ways in which God acts and it boggles our minds. Just ordinary fishermen on a lake in Galilee.


He then took Peter to Jesus. We should take the people who are the closest to us to Jesus. The people who know us should see that we have been with the Messiah. People will know when someone has been with Jesus. It is undeniable.

Jesus says to Peter - "You are Simon son of John; You will be called Cephas or Peter". Jesus surely has foreseen this event since time immemorial. I can envision that when God saw his creation being torn apart by the fallen angels and man give in to the temptation of the Devil, he foresaw this day of meeting with this man Peter. Peter the man to whom Jesus said "you are Rock and upon you the Rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it". This is God continuing to reconstruct what fallen Angels and fallen men have torn down. The perfect truth, beauty and goodness of creation is beginning to see the true light shining even brighter with this announcement from the Lord Jesus.

Peter, pray for us.
John the Baptist, pray for us.
John the Apostle, pray for us.