Dear Lord God, Eyes of Faith, Power of Prayer is what I seek today, in today’s readings we are reminded how our enemies mock us with taunts of ‘where is your God now?’ in times of turmoil and tribulation; we are also reminded how easily we misinterpret Your divine works if we lose sight of Your heavenly presence and let our thoughts be consumed by the things under the sun. For we must practice Your presence to strengthen and sharpen our Eyes of Faith, and we must turn to You in all things with prayer and supplication knowing that You are the Source of Source and that in and through You all things are made whole through love, knowledge and understanding. So it is with Eyes of Faith and through the power of prayer that I ask for Your guidance, strength and perseverance for as Source of Source all things are within Your power as You will; I call upon You to use me to open the eyes of the blind, and to rebuke my enemies, to heal the pain and illness that surrounds us, and that through my (our) love for You, You grant us understanding that we my be purified and strengthened by and through these times. O Lord I lift up believer and non-believe for we are all afflicted by doubt and fear, doubts that can only be present if we are disconnected from You our Source, fear that comes when we take our eyes off of You, reach down from Your heavenly throne this day and pick us up, holding us firmly in Your arms, help us to see Your divine presence and works in all that we look at. These things I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.
The greater and more persistent your confidence in God, the more abundantly you will receive what you ask.
— St. Albert the Great
5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to molest them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycao’nia, and to the surrounding country; 7 and there they preached the gospel. 8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting, who could not use his feet; he was a cripple from birth, who had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking; and Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he sprang up and walked. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycao’nian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, because he was the chief speaker, they called Hermes. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the people. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out among the multitude, crying, 15 "Men, why are you doing this? We also are men, of like nature with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways; 17 yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." 18 With these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
Bible Study: [8-18] In an effort to convince his hearers that the divine power works through his word, Paul cures the cripple. However, the pagan tradition of the occasional appearance of gods among human beings leads the people astray in interpreting the miracle. The incident reveals the cultural difficulties with which the church had to cope. Note the similarity of the miracle worked here by Paul to the one performed by Peter in Acts 3:2-10.
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to thy name give glory, for the sake of thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness! 2 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" 3 Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 15 May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth! 16 The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the sons of men.
Bible Study: [Psalm 115] A response to the enemy taunt, "Where is your God?" This hymn to the glory of Israel’s God (Psalm 115:1-3) ridicules the lifeless idols of the nations (Psalm 115:4-8), expresses in a litany the trust of the various classes of the people in God (Psalm 115:9-11), invokes God’s blessing on them as they invoke the divine name (Psalm 115:12-15), and concludes as it began with praise of God. Psalm 135:15-18 similarly mocks the Gentile gods and has a similar litany and hymn (Psalm 135:19-21).
21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Bible Study: [22] Judas, not the Iscariot: probably not the brother of Jesus in Mark 6:3 // Matthew 13:55 or the apostle named Jude in Luke 6:16 but Thomas (see the note on John 11:16), although other readings have "Judas the Cananean."
/ raangulo
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