Called Christians Acts. 11:19-26
It was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians.
That is because the grace of God was with them and obvious fall all to see.
When people look at our towns,
Do they see and experience the Christian Faith?
And call us Christians?
Only if the grace of God with us and obvious for all to see as it was in Antioch !
The Good shepherd. Jn. 10:11-18
There are many people trying to lead us down different roads.
Self help books; TV Evangelists; Politicians;
Sometimes even our friends.
How do we know if we should follow them?
If they are willing to lay down their life for us?
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.
If they are not willing to lay down their life for you,
Then they are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
The Master’s Voice Jn. 10:1-10
Pets and farm animals know their owners voice.
A stranger can talk to them, and there is very little response.
But when the owner speaks they come running.
Our voices are unique and distinctive.
We identify others by the sound of their voice.
The sound of a person’s voice tells us if we know them or not.
If they are a friend or a stranger.
This is why Jesus says,
His sheep recognize His voice and follow Him.
The Pharisees however did not recognize His voice,
And therefore did not follow Him.
How could the religious leaders of Israel not recognize His voice?
Because they did not want to hear what Jesus had to say.
They were listening to their own desires and wants.
Are there times when we ignore what Jesus is saying to us,
Because we want to do something or go somewhere else?
Every Sunday we hear the voice of Jesus;
Do recognize His voice?
Do we remember what He said after we walk out of the doors of the church?
Or do we listen to other voices?
Telling us what to do and where to go?
As the Scriptures say
An ox and an ass knows its Master’s voice.
Do we?
From Saul to Paul Acts. 9:1-20
Saul went from breathing murderous threats against the followers of Jesus,
to Paul the greatest preacher of Christ.
Most people would not pick a murderer to be their friend let alone the promoter of their cause.
But when Jesus calls,
He transforms!
He transforms the person in to what he needs them to be be.
So do not be afraid if you feel that you do not have what it takes to follow Jesus or share His message.
If Jesus can change Saul to Paul,
He can do the same with us.
Living Bread Jn. 6:44-51
When one goes to the grocery store there are all kinds of bread to choose from except one.
The Bread of Life!
The Bread of Life can only be found at Mass.
for at Mass the Bread from Heaven comes down to us on the altar;
So that one may eat it and not die.
This bread is the Flesh of Christ that He give for the life of the world.
The bread from the grocery store may taste good,
But those who eat of it will surely die.
While those who eat the Bread of Life,
The Flesh of Christ that He feeds us from this table,
Will live forever.
Persecution Acts 8:1-8
The early Church was based in Jerusalem until there was a persecution.
Then they fled to the countryside of Judea and Samaria.
The persecution however had the opposite effect.
Instead of stamping out the Faith.
It only planted the Faith in other places.
Sometimes Peace can lull the Faithful to sleep
While Persecution can awaken it,
And spread it like seeds on the wind.
Lord, receive my spirit. Acts 8:1
The way in which we die is different for everyone.
The time we go is different as well for everyone.
Death is a totally unique and personal experience.
But one thing that seems to be common for many,
Is seeing the Light……
This Light is Christ for He is the Light of the world.
As St. Stephen was being stoned,
The Heavens opened and He saw the Light,
The Son of Man standing at the right had of God,
And he prayed “Lord receive my spirit.”
Like Stephen we can pray,
Every night, before I sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Religious arguing. Acts. 6:8-15
Nothing gets people going more than a good religious or political argument.
Both sides are trying to prove the other wrong.
The Sanhedrin hauled Stephen into court and put him on trial.
Rather than respond, Stephen remained silent with the face of an angel.
Sometimes silence is the best response,
Especially when the other side has no intention of listening!
Walking with Jesus Lk. 24:13-35
Where are you going today?
Work?
Home?
An Errand?
Visiting someone?
Or just A Walk?
Will you see the Risen Lord walking next to you?
The disciples on the road to Emmaus did not see Him. Lk. 24:15-16
Yet Jesus was walking right beside them
but they did not notice it was Him.
But their hearts were burning as they listened to Him.
It was not until the Breaking Of The Bread that they recognized Him. Lk. 24:30-31
What prevents us from seeing Him?
For the disciples on the road to Emmaus it was their sorrow.
For others it might be the distractions of life.
Others might be in too much of a hurry.
And others might not even be looking for Him
That is why we come to Mass.
To see Him in the Breaking of the Bread.
That is why the Eucharist is called “The Real Presence”
For Jesus is really here in a way that he is not Present anywhere else.
For Mass is where we walk with Jesus like the disciples on the road.
And listen to Him.
Where we gather around the table of the Lord
And Jesus breaks the Bread.
Every road therefore should lead us back to here.
For Only then will our hearts burn,
And will we see Him in the Breaking of the Bread.
Rejoice in Suffering Acts. 5:34-42
The disciples in the book of Acts were beaten, imprisoned and
Rejected.
And They rejoiced that they had been found worthy to suffer for the Lord.
Isn’t that odd?
They found joy in suffering for the Lord!
Not in money or popularly or power but in suffering.
In the eyes of the world,
The cross represents suffering and death,
But for Christians it is joy and life.
Obedience. Acts. 5:27:33
The Sanhedrin hauled Peter in court and questioned him as to what he believed.
Peter told the Sanhedrin that they had to obey God rather than men.
This is easier said than done!
The world tells us many things.
And if we do not do as we are told there will be serious consequences.
We will lose our job.
We will lose our place on the team.
We will be canceled.
The world is going to haul us into court;
Into the bar and social media and the street;
The grocery store and work;
and question us
As to what we believe.
Are we willing to pay the price
And obey God rather than the world?
God so Loved the World Jn. 3:16-20
God so loved the world that He sent us His only Son.
His only Son who Who was scourged and crowned with thorns for us.
Who died on the cross for us.
Whose heart was pierced with a sword for us.
There can be no doubt therefore that God loves us.
For God has clearly shown His love for us.
But Do we love God?
We may say we do,
But Do our actions show our love for God?
As God’s actions showed His love for us?
The early Christian community was of one heart and mind.
No one claimed anything of their own.
And if someone was in need, another would go and sell his property in order to help that person.
Have we progressed or regressed in our Faith since the early days of the Church?
Are we too of one heart and mind?
Not always.
What keeps us from being so?
How can the Church of St. Patrick’s Be Of one heart and mind?
How can We be of one heart and mind with the Church in Wenona, or Toluca or Lostant?
Through Love.
Love others as the Lord has loved us.
Through forgiveness
Forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven us.
Through prayer
Prayer that we all might be one One Body, One Spirit in Christ.
Just as Jesus has loved us, so we must love one another.
Born of Water and The Spirit Jn. 3:1-8
Everyone is born of flesh and blood.
But not everyone is reborn of Water and the Holy Spirit.
Those born of flesh and blood are of this world.
Those reborn of Water and the Holy Spirit are of heaven.
Jesus reminds us that what is born of the flesh is flesh and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
He therefore, places a choice before us.
Flesh or Spirit.
This world or the Kingdom of Heaven.
If we want the Kingdom of Heaven, then we must be born again of Water and the Holy Spirit in Baptism.
Through Baptism the flesh becomes filled and led by the Holy Spirit.
And the Holy Spirit blows where He wills.
In other words, those born again leave aside their fleshly desires and allow them selves to be "blown" by the Holy Spirit wherever He wills.
Mercy not Justice
There was a man who once tried to kill Napoleon.
But was caught before he could do so.
He was to be executed in the public square.
But his mother came running up to Napoleon and fell
At his feet begging him to pardon her son.
And Napoleon responded by saying,
“Your son does not deserve pardon.”
And she answered by saying,
“That is why they call it Mercy.”
Mercy is a gift,
given only to those who do NOT deserve it.
If a person deserved it, then Mercy would not be necessary.
That is the Great Gift of Mercy.
It is given to those who do not deserve it.
Who do you know that does not deserve Mercy?
A politician?
A religious leader?
A criminal?
Someone who hurt you?
Yourself?
Those who do not deserve Mercy are the ones who need it the most.
How willing are we to give it to them?
What makes Mercy Divine
Is that it is offered even before someone asks for it.
So do not wait!
Be Merciful as your Heavenly Father is Merciful. Lk. 6:36
Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven)
Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray.
O God, who have been pleased to gladden the world
by the Resurrection of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we pray,
that through his Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may receive the joys of everlasting life.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We will catch nothing
No matter how hard they tried
And how long they worked through the night;
The disciples had very little to show for all their effort.
That is how it is in life.
Most people spend their lives working morning to night
And in the end what do they have to show for it?
If only we would listen to Jesus telling us where to cast our nets!
They would be filled to overflowing.
Overflowing with Love, Peace, Hope, Confidence, Courage and Faith.
These are riches far beyond silver and gold.
These are riches that will see us through any crisis or difficulty;
These are riches that bear fruit far beyond what the sweat of our brow and our little intelligence and planning can accomplish.
And All we have to do before we cast our nets is to ask Jesus,
Where!!!
Touch Me! Lk. 24:35-48
After Jesus had risen from the dead,
His body changed.
He now had a glorious body.
A body so glorious that the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost.
But Jesus assured them that they were not,
By taking a piece of fish and eating before their eyes.
In the creed we profess that we believe in the resurrection of the body.
Just as our bodies are united with our souls here on this earth,
So On the Last Day,
Our bodies will be reunited with our souls,
In the resurrection of the dead.
But with one difference,
Our bodies will be glorified.
And no longer bound by time and space;
But a body nonetheless.
