Gospel Mystery of the Day      Tuesday, September 29, 2020
                                                                               
Good Morning!      
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)
 
Luke 9:51-56

                                       
On their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover  - and for Jesus, his pilgrimage to the Cross for the salvation of the world – Jesus and his disciples were needing a place to stay. The Samaritan village where they intended to stay locked them out ‘because Jesus’ face was set towards Jerusalem’. What a lame excuse!  The disciples became distracted with  their own consternation at being rebuffed and even encouraged Jesus to turn aside to curse the village. But Jesus rebuked the disciples and continued towards another village. By doing so, Jesus demonstrated for all time that no amount of antipathy is worth attention, even the misguided antipathy of a whole village of distant relatives. (The Samaritans and the Jews had common Hebrew ancestors). What is worth our attention is maintaining a steady course along the path of our ‘pilgrimage’, whatever the destination we have been assigned for our journey.  When I am rebuffed or shut out of common courtesy will I turn around to curse those who are unkind, or will I continue on my journey with the Lord to the destination we are on together?  Holy Spirit of God, help me not be deterred by cursing, but stay the course of my pilgrimage.
 
O send forth your light and your truth; let these be my guide. (Psalm 43:3)
 
(S)he who would valiant be, ‘gainst all disaster,
Let her/him in constancy, follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement, shall make her/him once relent.
Her/his first avowed intent: to be a pilgrim.
John Bunyan et al. “To Be a Pilgrim”                           
 
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Soli ad gloriam Dei
 

Luke 9:18-20

                                       
Human life is tenuous at best!  That is why we need to know and follow  our Redeemer, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God who was the Son of Man, to find our way through this minefield of temptations and tests that we call ‘the world’. Although things might be ‘good’ one day, very quickly anyone’s life can be upset by a sudden death, a catastrophic natural disaster, even a slip in the bathroom, or any kind of overwhelming and unexpected event.  Seemingly ‘out of the blue’ Jesus notified his disciples that they must remember what he was telling them… that he would suffer and be put to death – but that he would rise again.  Of course they protested!  Of course they thought he was kidding!  Of course they dismissed it as some odd quirk of their Master.  However, when our Lord gives us any kind of warning such as this, it is ‘for real’ and is designed to help us accommodate things that might otherwise drown us in despair.  When the disciple recalled that Jesus knew about his own upcoming death, it took the ‘over’ out of ‘overwhelming’ and transformed the trauma of his crucifixion to become more an exercise in faith than a debilitating catastrophe.  Yes! It took them days to ‘accommodate’ his death by crucifixion. But as they accommodated the events they lived through and recalled his warning, they exercisedtheir faith – and went on to become the 12 Apostles ‘throwing the Fire of the Holy Spirit’ into the lives of many first century people, so that they, too, became followers of Jesus.  Will I learn from the Holy Spirit what I need to know in order to trust Jesus through all of the challenges ahead of me in my life?  Holy Spirit of God, teach me how to accommodate traumatic turns!
 
Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)
 
A Christian, in terms of his or her deepest identity, is a saint, a spiritually born child of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. Every man, every woman, is somebody because he, because she, is a child of God.
Martin Luther King, Jr. in You are a Child of God                 
 
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Luke 9:18-20
                                     
Who am I, each of us asks at critical junctures of our lives. Where do I come from, where am I going? I can explore a wide variety of possibilities, by thinking, conversing with others, and doing all kinds of things, and still be no closer to an answer. But when Jesus asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” he was in fact not trying to find out who He was – he already knew that he was the Son of God, who was the Son of Man  –but rather, inviting the disciples to know who they were. The more I realize who Jesus is, as the only begotten Son of God, consubstantial with the Father, Son of Mary, Prince of Peace, proclaimer of the Kingdom of Heaven, healer of the sick, Redeemer of the world, and etcetera, the more I real-ize who I am. When I know that I am the ‘younger sibling’ of Jesus, as a beloved daughter of God, I have my older brother to look up to, to learn from, and tolead me into becoming the woman of God I am designed to be. Will I rely on my own devices or on Jesus’ example to help me realize who I am? Holy Spirit of Jesus, help me realize, help me real-ize, who you are. 
 
Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)
 
A Christian, in terms of his or her deepest identity, is a saint, a spiritually born child of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. Every man, every woman, is somebody because he, because she, is a child of God.
Martin Luther King, Jr. in You are a Child of God                 
 
www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca  
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Soli ad gloriam Dei
 
 
 

Luke 9:7-9
                               
King Herod could do almost anything he desired – but was unable to resolve the question of who Jesus was, or to even see Jesus.  St. Luke tells us that Herod ‘kept trying to see Jesus’, perhaps by ordering, and then inviting, Jesus to come to his palace, to be entertained on the King’s on terms, on his own turf.  Interestingly, the poor, the lame and the dis-enfranchised members of Herod’s own subjects had no problem seeing Jesus; they just went to where the Master was, and found their way as best they could to his side, to listen to him proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God and to be healed. They met up with Jesus face to face, person to person, as one child of God meeting up with another. Herod, unfortunately, had neither the humility nor the openness to be able to step away from his own kingdom to meet up with the King of Creation. Should I, like Herod, require Jesus appear to me on my own terms, on my turf, I, too, will not be able to see him.  But if I approach the Lord of Life with the humility and openness of the crowds of Judeans who came to Jesus each day of his ministry, I, too will not only ‘see’ Jesus, but will know, without a doubt, Who he is.  Will I choose to keep on ‘trying to see Jesus’, or will approach Christ Jesus on his terms, on his turf, with faith, by hope and through love?  Holy Spirit, help me choose to approach Jesus.    
                                                       
Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)
 
Lord you have my heart, and I will search for yours,         
Worship Song by Derlerious?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIRPDwwO8mw
 
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Soli ad gloriam Dei

 
Luke 8:16-18
                                      
I can so easily take for granted the words of God’s wisdom written in scripture, in the ordering of nature, and in the lives of others. “The Word of the Lord,” I can repeat casually along with everyone else at church after the proclamation of the word – and promptly forget what was said, or minimize the words of God while I think about ‘more pressing’ temporal desires, issues, or passions. But Jesus urged his listeners, urges me, to listen carefully to the wisdom of God, to constantly ‘give heed according to your word (Psalm 119:9). When I hide God’s word in my heart and cultivate it to grow into fruitfulness, then I can become fully aligned with God’s will and walk in his ways all the days of my life.  Will my heart, mind, soul and strength remain void of God’s word, or will my being become so infused with God’s wisdom that I become more full of his love and mercy?  Holy Spirit of God, help me be careful how I listen to your word. 
                                                       
How can young people keep their lives pure? By taking heed according to your word… Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.   (Psalm 119:9&11)
 
Lord you have my heart, and I shall search for yours,
Jesus, take my life and lead me on…             
Worship Song by Derlerious?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIRPDwwO8mw
 
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Soli ad gloriam Dei