Together

 Feast of the Holy family, New Year's Eve

Together.

Gospel LK 2:22-40

The Lord made it possible for Zecchariah to see the infant Jesus and recognize Him. Blessed are we who may obtain such a boon from the Lord and  to recognize Him in His infancy.

The Lord makes promises to those He loves, and since He loves everyone, the covenant is with everyone, and the benefits of His love flow freely to all who love in return.

No matter what we have set our hopes on, it cannot be more important to us than the Lord is to all men. To learn holy desire, we are tried in our hopes and the affections of our hearts until we learn to discern what is good from what is evil, from that which brings health and that which is most foully diseased and pernicious.

It was sin that robbed us of our ability to see and hear the Lord; it was death that robbed us of our life, for our life was different before we sinned.

Just as He was tried in the garden of Gethsemane, so too we will be tried; rest will not descend on us and there will be no delight such as we may seek, so long as there remains any particle of us that is not given over to Him in our hearts.

He came to the garden to pray, to be lifted up and seek the words of His Father and His pleasure. He was prevented from resting and His hopes were dashed, because it was more important that we obtain redemption and are saved than that He should escape the horrors of the death decreed for Him

In the violation of His Body lay the Will which desired only His Will.

This world is destined to be changed and replaced by something wonderful and something blessed. Thus, our hearts need to be set on God who alone can institute what is new and right; something great and perfect which is fitting for the just and righteous.

He has pointed out the just and the righteous , not so they may be seen as excellent to lord over us, but to be rightly disposed in their hearts as example for us, so that the world might be fitting for the Lord and His presence can be our eternal consolation.

It is indeed a gift to be wounded, to be pierced through, and it is adaptable to the needs of the Lord for our brothers and sisters. He needs them to be happy, serving Him, praising His Name, and giving our lives over to Him.

We need everything because our sin has stripped us of our heritage.

The heritage He holds for us will be perfect and complete. Thus the inheritance is divine, the joy to come.

Will our sacrifice be any less? To be perfect it must be total and not held back or reserved by us in any way, regarding Him. Thus, a nail driven in a hand or foot is total, and the act of imparting them is total. The pain is perfect pain, for it washes sins away, the sins of brothers and sisters. And now that you know what He is asking, establish peace in your hearts. In His peace rest undisturbed, and your joy will be complete. He will give what you need to give all for Him and be at peace, resting in His Will. When they came for Him in the garden, He surrendered Himself to them and made Himself known so they would not take the wrong man, for He alone could be available for the cross and the nails were His alone, and so He had to ensure that He received what was His. He received for us what He would not impose on us, even if He had the right and the power, which He did.

Thus the world is subject to the Lord, and all will be disposed according to His pleasure, because He did not insist on His own rest and pleasure, but desired what was held in store for Him which would redeem us.

would He give us so much and not enable us to receive it and accept it without reservation? He enables us to do His Will, and has already made allowance for our weaknesses, so that His Will might be accomplished anyway.

A day is coming when the whole world will see Him, His glory and His  peace which accompanies Him everywhere. The world will be glad to see the establishment of what He held in hiddenness for us.

If we could see the invisible, it would be impossible to understand without our union with the Lord. So let us not fret about signs and wonders, but realize that peace and light accompany Him and the day of revelation gladden our hearts. Peace be yours in all things.

Together

 Feast of the Holy family, New Year's Eve

Together.

Gospel LK 2:22-40

The Lord made it possible for Zecchariah to see the infant Jesus and recognize Him. Blessed are we who may obtain such a boon from the Lord and  to recognize Him in His infancy.

The Lord makes promises to those He loves, and since He loves everyone, the covenant is with everyone, and the benefits of His love flow freely to all who love in return.

No matter what we have set our hopes on, it cannot be more important to us than the Lord is to all men. To learn holy desire, we are tried in our hopes and the affections of our hearts until we learn to discern what is good from what is evil, from that which brings health and that which is most foully diseased and pernicious.

It was sin that robbed us of our ability to see and hear the Lord; it was death that robbed us of our life, for our life was different before we sinned.

Just as He was tried in the garden of Gethsemane, so too we will be tried; rest will not descend on us and there will be no delight such as we may seek, so long as there remains any particle of us that is not given over to Him in our hearts.

He came to the garden to pray, to be lifted up and seek the words of His Father and His pleasure. He was prevented from resting and His hopes were dashed, because it was more important that we obtain redemption and are saved than that He should escape the horrors of the death decreed for Him

In the violation of His Body lay the Will which desired only His Will.

This world is destined to be changed and replaced by something wonderful and something blessed. Thus, our hearts need to be set on God who alone can institute what is new and right; something great and perfect which is fitting for the just and righteous.

He has pointed out the just and the righteous , not so they may be seen as excellent to lord over us, but to be rightly disposed in their hearts as example for us, so that the world might be fitting for the Lord and His presence can be our eternal consolation.

It is indeed a gift to be wounded, to be pierced through, and it is adaptable to the needs of the Lord for our brothers and sisters. He needs them to be happy, serving Him, praising His Name, and giving our lives over to Him.

We need everything because our sin has stripped us of our heritage.

The heritage He holds for us will be perfect and complete. Thus the inheritance is divine, the joy to come.

Will our sacrifice be any less? To be perfect it must be total and not held back or reserved by us in any way, regarding Him. Thus, a nail driven in a hand or foot is total, and the act of imparting them is total. The pain is perfect pain, for it washes sins away, the sins of brothers and sisters. And now that you know what He is asking, establish peace in your hearts. In His peace rest undisturbed, and your joy will be complete. He will give what you need to give all for Him and be at peace, resting in His Will. When they came for Him in the garden, He surrendered Himself to them and made Himself known so they would not take the wrong man, for He alone could be available for the cross and the nails were His alone, and so He had to ensure that He received what was His. He received for us what He would not impose on us, even if He had the right and the power, which He did.

Thus the world is subject to the Lord, and all will be disposed according to His pleasure, because He did not insist on His own rest and pleasure, but desired what was held in store for Him which would redeem us.

would He give us so much and not enable us to receive it and accept it without reservation? He enables us to do His Will, and has already made allowance for our weaknesses, so that His Will might be accomplished anyway.

A day is coming when the whole world will see Him, His glory and His  peace which accompanies Him everywhere. The world will be glad to see the establishment of what He held in hiddenness for us.

If we could see the invisible, it would be impossible to understand without our union with the Lord. So let us not fret about signs and wonders, but realize that peace and light accompany Him and the day of revelation gladden our hearts. Peace be yours in all things.

Reflection

It was a privilege to be in this place
when I took this photo of a creek in 
eastern washington.

In reflecting lately, and how can you avoid reflection in this season of penance and rejoicing? In certain things I have improved and gained certain victories, and in other aspects, I did not, let us say.

Of the positive outcome, I am certain. Of other aspects, I am not so sure. One thing seems to be certain, and that is things are not very clear. The obfuscation is resultant from things beyond our control.

The instinct is to preserve what is shown to be irrefutably right and good, and to reject what is obviously speculative and untried. There are dangers in both directions. Like the island of Iceland, now being torn apart by sea floor spreading, nothing is standing still. But excessive rigidity threatens our peace of mind as much as throwing away everything including the baby in the bath water. 

Beyond a certain point, parents discard the diapers and rubber pants, to try potty training their child. The delicate act of encouraging and discouraging must be full of love to work. The rewards are great. It is a lot less work and bother to have a child gain control of body functions. That is a good thing, but it was unavoidable to have a child pooping in his diapers, and necessary; just as necessary as for an adult. but the adult knows where to go and what to do when the time comes for evacuation of the bowels.

The modern times produced disposable diapers, whereas, in the past, diapers were put in a diaper pail full of bleach water and were rinsed  clean later then there was time.

We need the ability to judge our actions in the light of God. Even for someone who rejects God, a person  needs to look at where they have been and to decide where they are going, and I submit, that it is impossible to get anywhere without God. So what if He imposes restraints on us? It is better for us to be restrained than to get killed by our indiscretion. And in time, a child restrained recognizes that it was a good thing to have been restrained so as to avoid injury.

Pain has an indispensable part to play in learning, although, pleasure has a role to play as well. How much we gain from one another when we learn from one another, and to give way mutually.

What a great matter it is when we learn to do what is right and good, and choose to live that way, rather than to embrace the path of personal pleasure in everything. We gain a great deal by our abilities, especially, to learn to love others even at the cost of pain to ourselves. 

It is a great thing to refrain from displeasing God and others, even loved ones. It may seem unnecessary whilst we lack context by which to judge, a viewpoint only gained by time and distance. When we begin to love Him, He blots out all the rest with love, filling our whole horizon, as it were, in every direction, and reassurance rises from our be-ing, and God overflows into us with delight and bliss.

Regardless how infrequently that may be, the delight is so intense that it can outweigh all else. Then we must love Him even more, in order to love Him more than ourselves or even our pleasure at having tasted His bliss again. One cannot be happy otherwise.

If we only arrive at the moment of divine pleasure and stop growing or changing, we have been suffocated by ourselves, and we won't last long that way, for there is a blessing in breathing cool, clean air again.

A new year presents itself, with all the changes and variations in the theme of our living. Some of these things will undoubtedly be painful and unpleasant. Not to worry, it is all under His supervision and in His care.

We can be part of the happiness of others if we choose to do the things that will make them happy. The sounds of love don't just happen, you have to make them :) What sensation did it bring you when you saw someone troubled, smile? Surely there was pleasure in helping? Sometimes we get the chance, and we certainly can pray for opportunities. 

It had been written that Jesus, on the cross, would drink wine one last time, and it happened just before His death, so that He Himself could proclaim that it had been done, and finally all things required had been accomplished. We share in that moment too, from time to time.

Reflection

It was a privilege to be in this place
when I took this photo of a creek in 
eastern washington.

In reflecting lately, and how can you avoid reflection in this season of penance and rejoicing? In certain things I have improved and gained certain victories, and in other aspects, I did not, let us say.

Of the positive outcome, I am certain. Of other aspects, I am not so sure. One thing seems to be certain, and that is things are not very clear. The obfuscation is resultant from things beyond our control.

The instinct is to preserve what is shown to be irrefutably right and good, and to reject what is obviously speculative and untried. There are dangers in both directions. Like the island of Iceland, now being torn apart by sea floor spreading, nothing is standing still. But excessive rigidity threatens our peace of mind as much as throwing away everything including the baby in the bath water. 

Beyond a certain point, parents discard the diapers and rubber pants, to try potty training their child. The delicate act of encouraging and discouraging must be full of love to work. The rewards are great. It is a lot less work and bother to have a child gain control of body functions. That is a good thing, but it was unavoidable to have a child pooping in his diapers, and necessary; just as necessary as for an adult. but the adult knows where to go and what to do when the time comes for evacuation of the bowels.

The modern times produced disposable diapers, whereas, in the past, diapers were put in a diaper pail full of bleach water and were rinsed  clean later then there was time.

We need the ability to judge our actions in the light of God. Even for someone who rejects God, a person  needs to look at where they have been and to decide where they are going, and I submit, that it is impossible to get anywhere without God. So what if He imposes restraints on us? It is better for us to be restrained than to get killed by our indiscretion. And in time, a child restrained recognizes that it was a good thing to have been restrained so as to avoid injury.

Pain has an indispensable part to play in learning, although, pleasure has a role to play as well. How much we gain from one another when we learn from one another, and to give way mutually.

What a great matter it is when we learn to do what is right and good, and choose to live that way, rather than to embrace the path of personal pleasure in everything. We gain a great deal by our abilities, especially, to learn to love others even at the cost of pain to ourselves. 

It is a great thing to refrain from displeasing God and others, even loved ones. It may seem unnecessary whilst we lack context by which to judge, a viewpoint only gained by time and distance. When we begin to love Him, He blots out all the rest with love, filling our whole horizon, as it were, in every direction, and reassurance rises from our be-ing, and God overflows into us with delight and bliss.

Regardless how infrequently that may be, the delight is so intense that it can outweigh all else. Then we must love Him even more, in order to love Him more than ourselves or even our pleasure at having tasted His bliss again. One cannot be happy otherwise.

If we only arrive at the moment of divine pleasure and stop growing or changing, we have been suffocated by ourselves, and we won't last long that way, for there is a blessing in breathing cool, clean air again.

A new year presents itself, with all the changes and variations in the theme of our living. Some of these things will undoubtedly be painful and unpleasant. Not to worry, it is all under His supervision and in His care.

We can be part of the happiness of others if we choose to do the things that will make them happy. The sounds of love don't just happen, you have to make them :) What sensation did it bring you when you saw someone troubled, smile? Surely there was pleasure in helping? Sometimes we get the chance, and we certainly can pray for opportunities. 

It had been written that Jesus, on the cross, would drink wine one last time, and it happened just before His death, so that He Himself could proclaim that it had been done, and finally all things required had been accomplished. We share in that moment too, from time to time.

Rest

 

We are spent too soon for lack of rest.

Christmas Day December 25th, 2023 Seattle, Washington

If you can see that someone urgently wants to talk to you, don't push them aside and walk away. Find out what is on their mind. In that mind might be the answer to a problem you have been worrying about. Who knows, it could save you a lot money, or make you very rich, and a whole lot of people might be bettered by the moment you shared with someone on your very busy day.

While some people are genuinely busy, most are not so busy they can't notice someone else itching with something on their mind. 

Distractions in prayer might be an opportunity for God to point out to you someone He wants closer to Him dearly. How is He supposed to do that if neither the other person, nor yourself are open to communication. Obviously, if you push someone aside you are laying a cross of pain on their shoulders when you had it in your power to open the heavens themselves to the joy of sharing with someone.

I use the metaphor of a garden often because it is so apropos. People go to gardens to relax, enjoy the flow of the fresh air and the warmth of the sun shining down; they like be with the ducks and eagles and just relax in the peace flowing through. Surely a soul who has been crucified is worthy of the rest?

On the night when He was betrayed, Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane, and olive orchard where He could plead with His Father for some way out of what He was confronting in His mind the next day. So He knows a thing or two about what you and everyone is going through. How can one find courage if he also cannot find hope of a respite. I assure you if you come to the garden to rest within yourself and fix your gaze upon His Face, He will fill you with peace no matter what the pain. I have had ample opportunities to experience that in my life when I so often felt pinned down, nailed to the cross and overwhelmed with despair and no light to indicate another way.

I drank my cup and allowed my Lord to do what He had  in mind. There is strength in such things such as dying men desire desperately.

So perhaps we have reached a point today when we can appreciate just how much He wishes to reveal Himself to world so dedicated to killing everyone off. It is the Lord's wish that people reconsider where they stand.

Rest

 

We are spent too soon for lack of rest.

Christmas Day December 25th, 2023 Seattle, Washington

If you can see that someone urgently wants to talk to you, don't push them aside and walk away. Find out what is on their mind. In that mind might be the answer to a problem you have been worrying about. Who knows, it could save you a lot money, or make you very rich, and a whole lot of people might be bettered by the moment you shared with someone on your very busy day.

While some people are genuinely busy, most are not so busy they can't notice someone else itching with something on their mind. 

Distractions in prayer might be an opportunity for God to point out to you someone He wants closer to Him dearly. How is He supposed to do that if neither the other person, nor yourself are open to communication. Obviously, if you push someone aside you are laying a cross of pain on their shoulders when you had it in your power to open the heavens themselves to the joy of sharing with someone.

I use the metaphor of a garden often because it is so apropos. People go to gardens to relax, enjoy the flow of the fresh air and the warmth of the sun shining down; they like be with the ducks and eagles and just relax in the peace flowing through. Surely a soul who has been crucified is worthy of the rest?

On the night when He was betrayed, Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane, and olive orchard where He could plead with His Father for some way out of what He was confronting in His mind the next day. So He knows a thing or two about what you and everyone is going through. How can one find courage if he also cannot find hope of a respite. I assure you if you come to the garden to rest within yourself and fix your gaze upon His Face, He will fill you with peace no matter what the pain. I have had ample opportunities to experience that in my life when I so often felt pinned down, nailed to the cross and overwhelmed with despair and no light to indicate another way.

I drank my cup and allowed my Lord to do what He had  in mind. There is strength in such things such as dying men desire desperately.

So perhaps we have reached a point today when we can appreciate just how much He wishes to reveal Himself to world so dedicated to killing everyone off. It is the Lord's wish that people reconsider where they stand.

Interesting

 I have noticed something interesting. If misfortune strikes and it is everywhere, it has to be the hand of God trying to get our attention and spare  us something worse. Injuries and losses happen all the time to people, but it is not every day that the whole planet is either turning lush meadows into deserts, or lush deserts are being turned into meadows. Simply put, there is no substitute for obedience, and any disobedience is corrected so that we can learn right habits. Of course, we are free to do as we please, but if crops wither in the sun and cattle die for lack water, you are going to get very hungry.

Our civilization cannot survive too unpredictable climate. Economies cannot survive the disruption of desertification or the ravages of the stupidity of wars. It is, plainly, a time of repentance. We cannot prosper without the help of the Lord, and He is not going to help war mongers kill millions to satisfy some idiot's lust for blood, or to aid his greedy schemes trying to bring all power and wealth in one man's hand.

It is a time to pray for healing of climate, end of wars and the reconstruction of nations. While you are rebuilding, make a time to listen to the Lord stock-still in silence dedicated to Him alone. It is so beneficial to do so, that it is ludicrous that anyone should think they can stay safe and sound in their home without the nearness of the Lord. He is closer than what we know.

Peace be with you, and may all illness be healed and all souls blessed.