Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Sunday's Message for 11-14-10 - The Here and Now and the Hereafter

The first reading is from Malachi 3:19-20a

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear My Name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

The second reading is from St. Paul, 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Brothers and sisters:
You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone.
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.
We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others. Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.

The gospel according to Luke 21:5:19

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."
Then they asked Him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"
He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in My Name, saying, 'I am He,’ and 'The time has come.’ Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."
Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.
"Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of My Name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I Myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of My Name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Sunday's Message for 11-07-10 - Life After Human Death

A shortened reading from 2 Maccabees chap. 7 where some were suffering religious persecution.

Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by Him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life."

The second reading is from 2 Thessalonians 2:16 - 3:5

Brothers and sisters:
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through His grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.
Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith.
But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you are doing, and will continue to do. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.

A shortened gospel according to Luke 20:-34-38

Jesus said, "They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out 'Lord', the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive."

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

All Soul's Day Message on11/02/10 - The Promise

The first reading is from the Old Testament's Book of Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of Himself.
As gold in the furnace, He proved them, and as sacrificial offerings He took them to Himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; they shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in Him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with Him in love: because grace and mercy are with His holy ones, and His care is with His elect.

The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 5:5-11

Brothers and sisters:

Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by His Blood, will we be saved through Him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by His life.
Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The gospel from John 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to Me, because I came down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of the One who sent Me.
And this is the will of the One who sent Me, that I should not lose anything of what He gave Me, but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”

Friday, November 12, 2010

Quote

If you want to make a conservative angry, tell a lie.
If you want to make a liberal angry, tell the truth.
-Rush Limbaugh

Monday, November 1, 2010

Sunday's Message 10/31/10 - He Loves You!

The main message for this week is that God is loving and merciful to us all.  Jesus came to save what was lost.

The 1st reading from the Old Testament is from the Book of Wisdom 11:22 - 12:2
God loves everything He's created!

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But You have mercy on all, because You can do all things; and You overlook people's sins that they may repent.  For You love all things that are and loathe nothing that You have made; for what You hated, You would not have fashioned.  And how could a thing remain, unless You willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by You?  But You spare all things, because they are Yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for Your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore You rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in You, O LORD!

The 2nd reading is from the second letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians 1:11 - 2:2
Let God work His goodness through you....and be wary of false prophets!

Brothers and sisters:
We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with Him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

The Gospel is from Luke 19:1-10
God hears and answers the prayers of the repentant sinners, instead of those who are filled with pride.

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see Him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.
When He reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."  And he came down quickly and received Him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."
And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."