If we knew how to look at life through God's eyes,we would see it as innumerable tokens of the Creator seeking the love of his creatures. The Father has put us into the world, not to walk through it with lowered eyes, but to search for him through things, events, people. Eveything must reveal God to us.
Long prayers are not needed in order to smile at Christ in the smallest deatails of daily life....
Tuesday 15 September 2009
big god
In Time of Difficulties, don't ever say "God I have a Big Problem". But instead say
"Hey Problem,
I have a big God".
"Hey Problem,
I have a big God".
Monday 14 September 2009
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
SEPTEMBER 15, 2009 MEMORIAL,
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
1 TIMOTHY 3:1-13
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled,
respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family,
how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them,
let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives are to be
women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and
trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be the husband of but one
wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who
have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in
their faith in Christ Jesus.
JOHN 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's
sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw
his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother,
"Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your
mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
REFLECTION
Today's feast focuses on the way Mary shared in the suffering of Jesus her Son. Our Lady of Sorrows is one of her many titles. She is also the Queen of Martyrs because she suffered a new kind of martyrdom. As a mother, Mary witnessed her innocent Son, the one whom she loves with her whole being cruelly tormented and put to death. According to St. Alphonsus, this was the 5th sword that pierced her heart. When Mary presented the infant Christ in the temple, Simeon prophesied that a "sword will pierce her heart." Pope John Paul II commented in
Redemptoris Mater that this was the 2nd Annunciation. "She will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering at the side of the suffering Savior and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful." "Every torture inflicted on the body of Jesus", says St. Jerome "was a wound in the heart of Mary". Under the cross Mary was offering the life of her Son to the Father for our salvation. She was cooperating with Christ for our redemption. By her sorrow she was leading us to eternal salvation.
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
1 TIMOTHY 3:1-13
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled,
respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family,
how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them,
let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives are to be
women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and
trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be the husband of but one
wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who
have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in
their faith in Christ Jesus.
JOHN 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's
sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw
his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother,
"Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your
mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
REFLECTION
Today's feast focuses on the way Mary shared in the suffering of Jesus her Son. Our Lady of Sorrows is one of her many titles. She is also the Queen of Martyrs because she suffered a new kind of martyrdom. As a mother, Mary witnessed her innocent Son, the one whom she loves with her whole being cruelly tormented and put to death. According to St. Alphonsus, this was the 5th sword that pierced her heart. When Mary presented the infant Christ in the temple, Simeon prophesied that a "sword will pierce her heart." Pope John Paul II commented in
Redemptoris Mater that this was the 2nd Annunciation. "She will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering at the side of the suffering Savior and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful." "Every torture inflicted on the body of Jesus", says St. Jerome "was a wound in the heart of Mary". Under the cross Mary was offering the life of her Son to the Father for our salvation. She was cooperating with Christ for our redemption. By her sorrow she was leading us to eternal salvation.
Saturday 5 September 2009
Believe
Believe
Are there any answers to all these question
Are there thoughts in my mirrored reflection
Beneath the sound of thunder "Is it any wonder"
Why my heart's alive
Beneath the city street this night
Am I truly lonely, do you really think so
Are there thoughts beyond my window
Do they understand me in twilight
In the distant echoes of yesterday "calling"
Beneath the a seed of passions lust
Will my thoughts be turn to dust
So long have I waited
Within the vessel of my heart
To watch and wonder, and then to ponder why
Is there reason behind what we learn
As the planet slowly turns
Believe "Is there an answer"
For in the solitude of twilight
I shall watch the stars
Like pin holes in the night
Are there any answers to all these question
Are there thoughts in my mirrored reflection
Beneath the sound of thunder "Is it any wonder"
Why my heart's alive
Beneath the city street this night
Am I truly lonely, do you really think so
Are there thoughts beyond my window
Do they understand me in twilight
In the distant echoes of yesterday "calling"
Beneath the a seed of passions lust
Will my thoughts be turn to dust
So long have I waited
Within the vessel of my heart
To watch and wonder, and then to ponder why
Is there reason behind what we learn
As the planet slowly turns
Believe "Is there an answer"
For in the solitude of twilight
I shall watch the stars
Like pin holes in the night
God is my Father
God is my Father
Can you say.........
"God is my Father and I am his child.
Matthew 6:9
I am part of the Family of God.
Ephesians 3:15
My Father is the creator of the universe, the maker of heaven and earth, yet he knows me by name and I am unique and special to him.
Psalm 121:2
He meets all of my needs - body, soul and spirit.
Philippians 4:19
He watches over me and cares for every area of my life.
Matthew 6:25-33
When I fall down, my Father lifts me up.
Psalm 40:2
When I am weak, he strengthens me.
Psalm 18:32
He loves me unconditionally even when I mess up.
Romans 5:8
My Father is for me and encourages me to fulfill the dreams and desires in my heart.
Psalm 37:4
He loves to communicate with me. His love letter, the Bible, was written for me.
2 Timothy 3:16,17
My Father wants me to prosper in all areas of my life and to be in health.
3 John:2
He has prepared a place for me in heaven to live with him forever when I pass from this earth.
John 14:2,3
My Father desires to always give me good gifts because he loves me and I am part of his Family."
Matthew 7:11
God the Father invites everyone to be part of the Family of God, to know him and his love, and to receive a wonderful plan for their life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, Jesus Christ, that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but have eternal life and enter into the Family of God.
‘God is my Father’
Can you say.........
"God is my Father and I am his child.
Matthew 6:9
I am part of the Family of God.
Ephesians 3:15
My Father is the creator of the universe, the maker of heaven and earth, yet he knows me by name and I am unique and special to him.
Psalm 121:2
He meets all of my needs - body, soul and spirit.
Philippians 4:19
He watches over me and cares for every area of my life.
Matthew 6:25-33
When I fall down, my Father lifts me up.
Psalm 40:2
When I am weak, he strengthens me.
Psalm 18:32
He loves me unconditionally even when I mess up.
Romans 5:8
My Father is for me and encourages me to fulfill the dreams and desires in my heart.
Psalm 37:4
He loves to communicate with me. His love letter, the Bible, was written for me.
2 Timothy 3:16,17
My Father wants me to prosper in all areas of my life and to be in health.
3 John:2
He has prepared a place for me in heaven to live with him forever when I pass from this earth.
John 14:2,3
My Father desires to always give me good gifts because he loves me and I am part of his Family."
Matthew 7:11
‘God is my Father’
Is Jesus a Carpenter?
Nowadays it is quite common to refer to Jesus as a carpenter from Galilee. You might even see people driving around with a bumper sticker that says, “My Boss Is a Jewish Carpenter,” by which they mean Jesus.
But is Jesus really a carpenter? Let’s examine the gospels and see.
They asked, “Is not this the carpenter?”
Right away we find that the words “Jesus” and “carpenter” occur together only once in the New Testament:
On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary [Other ancient authorities read “son of the carpenter and of Mary”] and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
—Mark 6:2-3 (NRSV)
There are some interesting aspects to this passage.
Depending on which ancient manuscript you read, the people are either asking if Jesus is a carpenter or if He is the son of a carpenter. Either way, they were asking because they were surprised to see someone whom they thought was a carpenter functioning as a rabbi. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath; in other words, He was preaching the sermon. Since they thought He was a carpenter usurping the role of a rabbi, they understandably took offense. If He were a carpenter, as they wondered, His ability to preach would be quite amazing.
However, the only people who thought this situation was remarkable and offensive were the people who were mistaken. Obviously, the synagogue authorities had allowed Him to preach, which means they knew that He was not a carpenter.
The New Testament calls Jesus ‘rabbi’ about 13 times
Here are three examples.
Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
—Mark 9:5-6 (NRSV)
Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”
—John 1:48-50 (NRSV)
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.”
—John 4:31-34 (NRSV)
When people called Jesus “rabbi,” He never corrected them. Unless He is being deceptive, this means He is a rabbi.
The New Testament calls Jesus ‘teacher’ about 47 times
You can look these up on your own; I will give you one example.
On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, ‘My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”
—Matthew 26:17-19 (NRSV)
Notice that in this passage Jesus is referring to Himself as a teacher, which is really interesting because the same gospel discloses that it uses “teacher” to mean “rabbi.”
The New Testament uses ‘teacher’ to mean ‘rabbi’
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he 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 see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.
—John 1:38-39 (NRSV) See also Matthew 23:8 and John 3:2
Matthew was writing in Greek, but ‘rabbi’ is an Aramaic or Hebrew word, so he explains to the reader what ‘rabbi’ means and that he uses it ‘teacher’ as a translation of the title ‘rabbi.’
So here is our evidence:
In the gospels, total strangers walk up to Jesus and ask Him cast out demons, heal the sick, settle disputes, and probate wills. Carpenters don’t have that job description, but rabbis do. This also means, incidentally, that Jesus had to have been dressed like a rabbi; otherwise, the people wouldn’t know to ask.
In the gospels, there is no incident where a Pharisee invites Jesus to fix a wobbly table, but He overhears the dinner conversation, interrupts with His observations, and amazes them with His wisdom. That’s what would happen if He were a carpenter. Instead, the Pharisees keep inviting Jesus to dinner to discuss His teachings. So obviously the Pharisees perceive Jesus as a rabbi, because carpenters do not have teachings, but rabbis do.
In the gospels, Jesus has disciples. Carpenters don’t have disciples, but rabbis do.
Matthew informs us in Matthew 23:8 that when he uses ‘teacher’ as a title, he is translating the word ‘rabbi.’ That means Jesus is calling Himself as a rabbi in Matthew 26:17-19. Nowhere does He call Himself a carpenter.
So it is very romantic to think of Jesus as a carpenter, but not very scriptural.
Jesus is a rabbi.
by the Rev. Kenneth W. Collins.
Acknowledgements
Bible quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV® ©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.
My God Died Young
My God Died Young -a book
Sasthi Brata burst on the literary scene in the late 1960s with My God Died Young, an autobiography. Its unassuming style and youthful angst spoke to a whole generation and the book was an instant publishing success.
In this explicit and irreverent autobiography, Sasthi Brata tells his life story, his increasing sense of alienation from his wealthy and extremely conservative Brahmin family, his traumatic experiences at school where the housemaster’s moral lessons almost made a psychological wreck of him, his intense love affair with a girl whose parents married her off to the man of their choice, and his agonized search for roots which took him to England. Alternately tender and brutal, he lays bare the shams of tradition-bound society in India as well as in the West with his no-holds-barred honesty and astonishing insight and understanding.
This new edition, with a new introduction by the author, brings this cult classic to a new generation of readers. The questions Sasthi Brata raises and the issues he addresses—faith and superstition, logic and science, fatalism and the freedom of choice—are as relevant today as they were nearly forty years ago when this classic was first published.
Sasthi Brata burst on the literary scene in the late 1960s with My God Died Young, an autobiography. Its unassuming style and youthful angst spoke to a whole generation and the book was an instant publishing success.
In this explicit and irreverent autobiography, Sasthi Brata tells his life story, his increasing sense of alienation from his wealthy and extremely conservative Brahmin family, his traumatic experiences at school where the housemaster’s moral lessons almost made a psychological wreck of him, his intense love affair with a girl whose parents married her off to the man of their choice, and his agonized search for roots which took him to England. Alternately tender and brutal, he lays bare the shams of tradition-bound society in India as well as in the West with his no-holds-barred honesty and astonishing insight and understanding.
This new edition, with a new introduction by the author, brings this cult classic to a new generation of readers. The questions Sasthi Brata raises and the issues he addresses—faith and superstition, logic and science, fatalism and the freedom of choice—are as relevant today as they were nearly forty years ago when this classic was first published.
Friday 4 September 2009
God and the poor
The Bible is full of God’s demands on behalf of the poor. Isaiah 58:6 onwards talks about loosing chains of injustice, freeing the oppressed, sharing food with the hungry, sheltering the homeless and clothing the naked. Micah 6:8 calls for a just and merciful life. In the Psalms, God uses many words in connection with the poor that suggest they are high on his agenda.
Defend - Psalm 10:18
Give - Psalm 146:7
Fill - Psalm 107:9
Stand - Psalm 109:31
Raise - Psalm 113:7
Lift - Psalm 113:7
Justice - Psalm 140:12
1. HEART OF GOD
A concern for the poor is at the very centre of who God is; you could say it is at the very ‘heart of God’. Not simply in terms of his love, as we often refer to the heart, but also in his actions - the heart is a ‘doing’ organ after all! Someone whose feelings don't lead to outcomes is often referred to as half-hearted. God’s heart simply overflows with love in action in the Old Testament, and doesn’t stop in the New…
2. JESUS
Colossians 1:15 describes Jesus as the visible likeness of an invisible God. In which case you’d expect him to have his father's heart for his people. Jesus was the ultimate demonstration of feelings in action. From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus makes it clear that he is the Messiah and the evidence of this will be seen in the transformation of the lives of the poor, outcast and marginalised.
'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.' (Luke 4:18-19).
3. ME
That's all great but what about us? Well, the scary thing is that Jesus' pre-departure left us with this challenge:
'I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these' (John 14:12 ).
So it’s clear then - God has a heart for the poor. Jesus expresses this through his life of action and we are called to do even more on his behalf. Getting involved with Tearfund is one way you can take part in God’s mission to his world.
my pictures
Jesus the alien
Consorting with Aliens
Consorting with Aliens
(Luke 24:13-35; 1 Peter 1: 17-23)
First of all, Jesus is a truechild of Israel; living in exile was in his blood, so to speak. His ancestors -- Abraham, Jacob, Jeremiah -- all lived as ....
my drawing for Suday Shalom- a sunday News paper in Malayalam
The appearance of an alien, however, is not just a contradiction which the believer is to overcome in order to perceive the real Christ; it is a fitting form for the manifestation of the Lord. First of all, Jesus is a true child of Israel; living in exile was in his blood, so to speak. His ancestors -- Abraham, Jacob, Jeremiah -- all lived as aliens at one time or another. Diaspora and pilgrimages were not just part of the corporate memory of his people; they belonged to his own personal history, as Matthew’s narratives of Jesus’ exile in Egypt show (Matt. 2:13-14).
Second, though the world came into being through him, Jesus was not of this world; he came from above, and for this reason he was an alien in his own country.
Finally, it seems fitting that Jesus would be recognized as an alien because he is not bound to one culture or region. One does not travel to the holy land to see Jesus: he is made known in the breaking of the bread and in this way makes all lands holy.
Is this association of Jesus with an alien a fleeting one that becomes irrelevant once he is recognized? The unknown author of 1 Peter (let’s call him Peter) doesn’t think so. Peter charges his reader to "live in reverent fear during the time of your exile." Christian time is time of paroikia, of living as an alien. Peter and the early Christian community believed that the church was a paroikia (the root behind the words "parish" and "parochial"), a community of aliens gathered to commemorate the death of one who died outside the gate, one who died as an illegal. This is not simply a ghetto of resident aliens, but an assembly of illegal aliens, meaning people who literally have no citizenship here because, as Paul says, "Our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20). In other words, Jesus’ alien form does not vanish -- it is assumed by the church.
So perhaps "alien" is not such an ugly word. Perhaps those two Mexican men saw more clearly than most of us what the church both is and is called to be. Maybe if I walked with some illegal aliens for awhile, listened to what they have to say and invited them to stay, my eyes too might be opened and I too might confess: The Lord has risen indeed!
This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock.
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