I have been on a wierd spiritual bender recently. I stopped last night when I got home and thought, "what have I done differently this past week to encourage such behavior? such a withdrawal from God? a self-removal from a godly lifestyle?" Turns out, the only thing that I have done differently is take off my medals (one of St. Benedict, the other of the Blessed Ever Virgin Mother).
Maybe you have read this blog long enough to recall a similar episode last semester. It seems that these medals are more than a springboard for prayer or a daily reminder that I belong to God. Neither of them are blessed. I do not consciously go around thinking "I'm not wearing my medals, let me cuss and talk about things I wouldn't normaly even think about thinking of."
A large portion of this thought process occurred during dinner. We got home late last night and mom was more upset than I was that I'd gotten rejected from the USC Clinical Psychology program. She was yelling about me, so I stayed up in my room until she came upstairs to shower. I was not about to eat dinner while she dragged me through the mud. I eat dinner alone around 9pm, so I brought an old, unfinished Bible study book I had bought upon just returning to the faith.
The back of the book has the 6 chapters of Ephesians. In the first chapter, I rested my eyes on a few verses.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world...(Eph. 1:3-4)
He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His Grace, which He lavished upon us. (Eph. 1:5-8)
We are to be soldiers for Christ, spreading His Gospel of Peace, and walking circumspectly, avoiding the Devil as best as we can. Soldiers need two forms of information: (1) information on the terrain, and (2) information pertaining to the enemy.
I wasn't walking circumspectly. Fool me once, shame on him. Fooled me twice, the shame is now on me. I'll take it, because you know that I don't take Satan lightly. I don't give him undue power, but I also do not ignore the very real fact of his existance.
I love reminding myself that St. Thomas More once said that the foolish Devil cannot stand to be mocked. I'm wearing my medals now, and I'll mock him throughout the day. He's the only one I can tease, chide, mock and lie to without it all being a sin.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
Jasmine
I have been smelling the scent of Jasmine in various places for about a month. I thought nothing of it until three nights ago I was waiting for the parking center tram and smelled jasmine. There was no wind and I'd been sitting there for about 10 minutes and there hadn't been any scent when I first sat down.
I've also had it at my dresser where I have a statue of the Virgin Mother along with a candle, a cross, and some dried flowers. These flowers have no scent. It smells like lavender because I have dried lavender sprigs and lemon verbena at her feet. However, neither smell anything like jasmine. Last night I went to my dresser, smelled nothing.
Last night waiting for the tram 20 minutes. Did not smell anything for about 15 minutes, then a slight inhale of it and it was gone. Then right before the tram came it was there again, enough so that Monkey noticed. I have walked by the stop many times in the daytime and nighttime and there are no jasmine plants nearby. It doesn't always smell like jasmine either.
I have no idea what this means, if it has a significance or not. Ancient_Scribe suggested I pray about it. However, I don't understand this scent, so ... someone care to clue me in?
I've also had it at my dresser where I have a statue of the Virgin Mother along with a candle, a cross, and some dried flowers. These flowers have no scent. It smells like lavender because I have dried lavender sprigs and lemon verbena at her feet. However, neither smell anything like jasmine. Last night I went to my dresser, smelled nothing.
Last night waiting for the tram 20 minutes. Did not smell anything for about 15 minutes, then a slight inhale of it and it was gone. Then right before the tram came it was there again, enough so that Monkey noticed. I have walked by the stop many times in the daytime and nighttime and there are no jasmine plants nearby. It doesn't always smell like jasmine either.
I have no idea what this means, if it has a significance or not. Ancient_Scribe suggested I pray about it. However, I don't understand this scent, so ... someone care to clue me in?
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Luke 16:19-31
the holy Gospel according to Luke 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used t ocome and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father, Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you recieved what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise recieved what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'" Amen.
I should like to know, O rich man, if you in your suffering excuse even your own self. You would not have come to these evils if on earth you had given a crumb from your huge barns and a drop from your great wine presses. What the flesh needs, and nature demands, and suffices for life, is littel. Avarice is the reason why a man stores up many great possessions, not for himself but for others, and that clearly to his present or future suffering.
But you object, O rich man: "Even if I did refuse to give wine, what I ask for is water, which the Creator himself of all beings and nature gave as something common to all human beings." I think, O rich man, that you refused even water to the poor man. You exposed him to as many dogs as you could to keep him from entering your door and coming to your well.
"Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water." What is the meaning of this which you say if he is not to bring the water? Evidently, that water is nearby to you. And if it is near, why do you not take it from nearby? Why? Because your hands are rightly bound, O rich man. Because you spurned to give help to Lazarus' hand when they had lost their strenght through weakness. Man should certainly share his members with the weak. When Job was not so much giving them as giving them back, he spoke as follows: "I was an eye of the blind, and a foot of the lame. I was the father of the weak." O man, if you do not have a coin, give a poor man your hand, because he shows greater mercy who by his own hand leads a poor man who is weak to his table. He gives his very self to the poor man who devotes himself to his service, makes himself the poor man's servant. -- St. Peter Chrysologus
***
Perhaps what struck me the most strongly in this Gospel reading are the last lines: "'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'" For some individuals are so steadfast in thier ways and beliefs that no amount of our efforts will turn them towards Christ. How pitiful!
Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used t ocome and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father, Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you recieved what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise recieved what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'" Amen.
I should like to know, O rich man, if you in your suffering excuse even your own self. You would not have come to these evils if on earth you had given a crumb from your huge barns and a drop from your great wine presses. What the flesh needs, and nature demands, and suffices for life, is littel. Avarice is the reason why a man stores up many great possessions, not for himself but for others, and that clearly to his present or future suffering.
But you object, O rich man: "Even if I did refuse to give wine, what I ask for is water, which the Creator himself of all beings and nature gave as something common to all human beings." I think, O rich man, that you refused even water to the poor man. You exposed him to as many dogs as you could to keep him from entering your door and coming to your well.
"Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water." What is the meaning of this which you say if he is not to bring the water? Evidently, that water is nearby to you. And if it is near, why do you not take it from nearby? Why? Because your hands are rightly bound, O rich man. Because you spurned to give help to Lazarus' hand when they had lost their strenght through weakness. Man should certainly share his members with the weak. When Job was not so much giving them as giving them back, he spoke as follows: "I was an eye of the blind, and a foot of the lame. I was the father of the weak." O man, if you do not have a coin, give a poor man your hand, because he shows greater mercy who by his own hand leads a poor man who is weak to his table. He gives his very self to the poor man who devotes himself to his service, makes himself the poor man's servant. -- St. Peter Chrysologus
***
Perhaps what struck me the most strongly in this Gospel reading are the last lines: "'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'" For some individuals are so steadfast in thier ways and beliefs that no amount of our efforts will turn them towards Christ. How pitiful!
Friday, March 2, 2007
Brain Vomit
http://www.institute-christ-king.org/AdorersRoyalHeart.htm
An order that is set up to service a particular parish, if I read it correctly. The Generalate, is in Rome, of course as many are! But I can't tell if they are only in Rome, or in the United States as well, because a vocation inquiry was sent back to me requesting that all vocation inquiries be sent to Rome! That's cool, but also impossible to visit them if that is the case. On the plus side they are often doing Mass, Divine Office, &c much like the SMMEs. Similar to the Augustinian nuns, they work with thier hands, making embriodered and embellished priest garments and other fabric based items for use in the Mass and church. I don't like needlepoint, but embroidery and hardinger and extended hems I've always wanted to do. We shall see.
***
At the local USC parish, they replaced the holy water in the font on Ash Wednesday to mininature rock/sand gardens. Solution is below in the red tone font. You can copy this, paste in it Word, and send it to your own parishes because this practice is new-age-y and against the teachings & views of the Vatican. Complaining to the Pope will not fix things, you've got to get off your duff and express your discontent. I think I'll try to send on to Cardinal Roger Baloney as well (aka Mahoney).
***
Going to Religious Education Congress supported by the Los Angeles Archdiocese this Saturday. I have been scrambling the past few days to finish my take-home midterm essay exam as much as possible so that I only have to clean it up and still have time to study for my other exam on Monday evening. Crazy? Yes, but this is a way for me to meet with other Sisters and learn about thier communities as well as attend seminars/workshops about the church. Some of them I don't approve of like (EWWWWWWWWWWWWW) Liturgical Dancing?!?!??!?!?! or the removal of celibacy from the priesthood is another topic (addressed by a Protestant minister) Nothing against Protestants, but this is a Roman Catholic Church event; hence I thought we would adhere to the traditions and scriptures of the Catholic Church; must be my mistake, my bad. And you wonder why people say "Mahoney is a phoney" or "Mahoney is Baloney." He strays far away from Catholic teaching, liturgical reverence, and have you taken a look at the Los Angeles Cathedral? You can't tell that the statue of the Virgin Mother is of the Virgin Mother, the Angels look demonic and torn to shreds.
***
One thing I do not understand is why the Blessed Sacrament is no longer kept on the altar. Christ is the center of our lives, He is the purpose of the Mass, thus to remove Him from the center of the celebration makes little sense. The Mass is not about "fuzzy wuzzies" or "feel good about yourself, you sorry sinner." The Mass is about coming together in community to hear the Word of God and to "do this in remembrance of Me."
At my home parish I don't like the Crucifix ... sorry, the resurrifex. It is a cross with what looks like Christ peeling off of it and about to saunter off! Either depict him as crucified or resurrected, but melding the two together looks kinda funky. I don't think "funky" is what Christ had in mind.
***
Came across this in some vocational mail packages I got:
"Why I am a Priest"
by Father Joseph McCarthy
God's trouble-shoter I am to dire
distress.
My days are spent in the thick of
humaness...
Nancy has cancer, another countdown
has begone,
The doctors operated and sewed her
up again.
She has a month to go.
Her husband asked me to tell the kids
-- she doesn't know.
So all with all we try to make believe
And share our unshared secrets.
As priest and firiend I rack my brain
To find a word to fill this void.
In thier afflicted awe I clutch a
straw --
And offer them the Crucifix.
Some seek a sign, others want
wisdom;
All there is to offer
Is Christ Crucified.
Is my life all sadness, all a lonely
sigh,
Is it all blackness as the world goes
by?
No gratitude, no friendship, no
reward,
No love but waiting on a tardy Lord?
No -- at thousand times No!
Mostly saints come my way,
Not frozen saints of plastic made,
But living, loving men and women
Who dedicate thier joys to God
And struggle hard to keep thier vows
to one another
PEOPLE are my source of strength
--The reason I am, and shall
remain, a priest.
***
"God doesn't 'zap' us into a vocation. He doesn't say: 'Listen, I have this one speical slot picked out for you; and if you don't find it, you're going to lose your soul -- or at least be miserably unhappy.' "
"I said earlier that the centeral vocation of religious is to live generously the Gospel counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Diocesan priests, by the way, do not live under vows, except the solemn promise not to marry. That's the meaning of 'celibacy.' So religious live is something quite unique."
--Father Martin W. Pable, OFM Cap. In "Religious Vocation: is it for Me?"
***
And that is all for now. Please, please do not take offense to anything I have written above; it's entirely unintentional if there is anything to be taken offense of; except of course if you're Cardinal Roger Mahoney or any other priest who has put sand and rocks and twigs in the holy water font or practice outside of the teachings and traditions and reverence of the Holy Roman Catholic Church!
An order that is set up to service a particular parish, if I read it correctly. The Generalate, is in Rome, of course as many are! But I can't tell if they are only in Rome, or in the United States as well, because a vocation inquiry was sent back to me requesting that all vocation inquiries be sent to Rome! That's cool, but also impossible to visit them if that is the case. On the plus side they are often doing Mass, Divine Office, &c much like the SMMEs. Similar to the Augustinian nuns, they work with thier hands, making embriodered and embellished priest garments and other fabric based items for use in the Mass and church. I don't like needlepoint, but embroidery and hardinger and extended hems I've always wanted to do. We shall see.
***
At the local USC parish, they replaced the holy water in the font on Ash Wednesday to mininature rock/sand gardens. Solution is below in the red tone font. You can copy this, paste in it Word, and send it to your own parishes because this practice is new-age-y and against the teachings & views of the Vatican. Complaining to the Pope will not fix things, you've got to get off your duff and express your discontent. I think I'll try to send on to Cardinal Roger Baloney as well (aka Mahoney).
Prot. N. 569/00/L
March 14, 2000
Dear Father:
This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:
1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.
2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the [sic] of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The "fast" and "abstinence" which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil,
and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
[signed]
Mons. Mario Marini
Undersecretary
***
Going to Religious Education Congress supported by the Los Angeles Archdiocese this Saturday. I have been scrambling the past few days to finish my take-home midterm essay exam as much as possible so that I only have to clean it up and still have time to study for my other exam on Monday evening. Crazy? Yes, but this is a way for me to meet with other Sisters and learn about thier communities as well as attend seminars/workshops about the church. Some of them I don't approve of like (EWWWWWWWWWWWWW) Liturgical Dancing?!?!??!?!?! or the removal of celibacy from the priesthood is another topic (addressed by a Protestant minister) Nothing against Protestants, but this is a Roman Catholic Church event; hence I thought we would adhere to the traditions and scriptures of the Catholic Church; must be my mistake, my bad. And you wonder why people say "Mahoney is a phoney" or "Mahoney is Baloney." He strays far away from Catholic teaching, liturgical reverence, and have you taken a look at the Los Angeles Cathedral? You can't tell that the statue of the Virgin Mother is of the Virgin Mother, the Angels look demonic and torn to shreds.
***
One thing I do not understand is why the Blessed Sacrament is no longer kept on the altar. Christ is the center of our lives, He is the purpose of the Mass, thus to remove Him from the center of the celebration makes little sense. The Mass is not about "fuzzy wuzzies" or "feel good about yourself, you sorry sinner." The Mass is about coming together in community to hear the Word of God and to "do this in remembrance of Me."
At my home parish I don't like the Crucifix ... sorry, the resurrifex. It is a cross with what looks like Christ peeling off of it and about to saunter off! Either depict him as crucified or resurrected, but melding the two together looks kinda funky. I don't think "funky" is what Christ had in mind.
***
Came across this in some vocational mail packages I got:
"Why I am a Priest"
by Father Joseph McCarthy
God's trouble-shoter I am to dire
distress.
My days are spent in the thick of
humaness...
Nancy has cancer, another countdown
has begone,
The doctors operated and sewed her
up again.
She has a month to go.
Her husband asked me to tell the kids
-- she doesn't know.
So all with all we try to make believe
And share our unshared secrets.
As priest and firiend I rack my brain
To find a word to fill this void.
In thier afflicted awe I clutch a
straw --
And offer them the Crucifix.
Some seek a sign, others want
wisdom;
All there is to offer
Is Christ Crucified.
Is my life all sadness, all a lonely
sigh,
Is it all blackness as the world goes
by?
No gratitude, no friendship, no
reward,
No love but waiting on a tardy Lord?
No -- at thousand times No!
Mostly saints come my way,
Not frozen saints of plastic made,
But living, loving men and women
Who dedicate thier joys to God
And struggle hard to keep thier vows
to one another
PEOPLE are my source of strength
--The reason I am, and shall
remain, a priest.
***
"God doesn't 'zap' us into a vocation. He doesn't say: 'Listen, I have this one speical slot picked out for you; and if you don't find it, you're going to lose your soul -- or at least be miserably unhappy.' "
"I said earlier that the centeral vocation of religious is to live generously the Gospel counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Diocesan priests, by the way, do not live under vows, except the solemn promise not to marry. That's the meaning of 'celibacy.' So religious live is something quite unique."
--Father Martin W. Pable, OFM Cap. In "Religious Vocation: is it for Me?"
***
And that is all for now. Please, please do not take offense to anything I have written above; it's entirely unintentional if there is anything to be taken offense of; except of course if you're Cardinal Roger Mahoney or any other priest who has put sand and rocks and twigs in the holy water font or practice outside of the teachings and traditions and reverence of the Holy Roman Catholic Church!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Lenten Bible Study for the Gospel of Mark (3)
Chapter 2
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 thorugh, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "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 thinkingsuch 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 teh sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."
Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus heard this and said to them, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees werw accustomed to fast. People came to him and objected, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.
As he 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."
Amen.
***
Verse 1: In other accoutns of Jesus returning home, the people despised Him or ran Him out of town. Why here do the come to Him?
Verse 4: How like this opening of the roof to lead to healing, as the opening of the heavens to send down the holy Spirit to Christ at his baptism in Chapter 1:10!
Verse 5: Faith becomes a prerequisite for healing.
Verse 9: Well, which one is easier to say? What is the meaing of this particular verse?
Verse 13: Christ followed the sea; fishing settlements. Is there a meaning to following fishing settlements, other than them being centers of commerce?
Verse 14: What is the original conjugation/Latin/Greek/Aramaic (?) of "follow me"? The strict translation?
Verse 16: Why do scribes presume that they themselves are not sinners as well? All people are in need of redemption.
Verse 19: New expression of God's relationship to His people; Christ to disciples. Wedding, Bridegroom: Joy of messianic fulfillment/time. Why fast/share in the suffering that has yet to occur? Why repent to God when you can do it to Christ by physically following Him?
Verse 25: Can break the sabbath if it means you live to serve God. A servant is no use to his Master if incapacitated or dead.
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 thorugh, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "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 thinkingsuch 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 teh sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."
Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus heard this and said to them, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees werw accustomed to fast. People came to him and objected, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.
As he 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."
Amen.
***
Verse 1: In other accoutns of Jesus returning home, the people despised Him or ran Him out of town. Why here do the come to Him?
Verse 4: How like this opening of the roof to lead to healing, as the opening of the heavens to send down the holy Spirit to Christ at his baptism in Chapter 1:10!
Verse 5: Faith becomes a prerequisite for healing.
Verse 9: Well, which one is easier to say? What is the meaing of this particular verse?
Verse 13: Christ followed the sea; fishing settlements. Is there a meaning to following fishing settlements, other than them being centers of commerce?
Verse 14: What is the original conjugation/Latin/Greek/Aramaic (?) of "follow me"? The strict translation?
Verse 16: Why do scribes presume that they themselves are not sinners as well? All people are in need of redemption.
Verse 19: New expression of God's relationship to His people; Christ to disciples. Wedding, Bridegroom: Joy of messianic fulfillment/time. Why fast/share in the suffering that has yet to occur? Why repent to God when you can do it to Christ by physically following Him?
Verse 25: Can break the sabbath if it means you live to serve God. A servant is no use to his Master if incapacitated or dead.
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