One Walk

Dear Lord God, the world turns, the sun rises, the sun sets, night becomes day, and day becomes night, our bodies are a day older; what have we done, what have we learned, who have we helped. Today on this 4^th of July I cannot help but think of the rebellion which lies within me. It is this rebellion which as caused me and those I love much pain and up until 2002 kept me from knowing You. But it was in August of 2002 that my son started at HCS and my life soon changed. I do not look at the world under the sun the same, nights and days have new meaning, my body is a temple, though still under renovation, and my mind, well my mind is more conscious of the heart, and my heart has taken responsibility for my spirit.  Here I sit as close to disaster as anyone can be, but as any reference to things under the sun all is relative, because I also sit as close to everything I need. It is now, in this time with You that I seek to open myself and communicate on the essence of what is happening within me. This collision of yesterday become now and now becoming tomorrow, all the time fully aware of the fact that neither yesterday or tomorrow are real, only now is real, only now can I control my thoughts and actions. I catch thoughts of things I have failed and forgotten to do, an reflect on the things I have been able to do, wrestle with myself on the fringes of now, all the while realizing I must stay centered with You in now.  O Lord You know me better than I know myself, You know what awaits me, help me to use now to make the right choices, to do the right things, to be prepared to see and do Your will now. Lord I have decided to trust You, as if that is a decision that is up to me, but I mean wait on You, seek You above and first, to truly try a reflect Your image and I see it is hard if not impossible at least for me to do so under the sun walking in the ways of the sun rather than the Son, So Lord I peg You, strengthen my body, cultivate my mind and produce fruit of the spirit in whatever trials and tribulations lie ahead. Help make this moment this time this now repeat itself with You; help take this conscious exercise of spirit – heart, mind and body and teach me how to duplicate it, to practice it with the mind and heart – spirit throughout this day, so that when I am unable to use the body to help focus the mind and heart by actions like typing or writing to You, I will learn how to use the voice of the mind and heart to speak to You and as I write You now. O Lord Jesus I ask that You bless me indeed, and that You help enlarge my territory, and that You will keep me from evil, and from causing pain, and that through and in it all You help me do it for You so that in me others will see You at work. In Your Holy name Jesus I ask and pray for this today, Amen.

God is so good and merciful, that to obtain Heaven it is sufficient to ask it of Him from our hearts.

— St. Benedict Joseph Labre

Isaiah 58:6-11

6 "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. "If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11 And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Bible Study: [2-14] Merely external worship does not avail with God; it must be joined to internal sincerity.

Psalm 107:2-9

2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; 5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; 7 he led them by a straight way, till they reached a city to dwell in. 8 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men! 9 For he satisfies him who is thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.

Bible Study: [Psalm 107] A hymn inviting those who have been rescued by God to give praise (Psalm 107:1-3). Four archetypal divine rescues are described, each ending in thanksgiving: from the sterile desert (Psalm 107:4-9), from imprisonment in gloom (Psalm 107:10-16), from mortal illness (Psalm 107:17-22), and from the angry sea (Psalm 107:23-32). The number four connotes totality, all the possible varieties of rescue. The same saving activity of God is shown in Israel’s history (Psalm 107:33-41); whenever the people were endangered God rescued them. The last verses invite people to ponder the persistent saving acts of God (Psalm 107:42-43).

Matthew 25:31-46

31 "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.‘ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ 45 Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Bible Study: [31-46] The conclusion of the discourse, which is peculiar to Matthew, portrays the final judgment that will accompany the parousia. Although often called a "parable," it is not really such, for the only parabolic elements are the depiction of the Son of Man as a shepherd and of the righteous and the wicked as sheep and goats respectively (Matthew 25:32-33). The criterion of judgment will be the deeds of mercy that have been done for the least of Jesus’ brothers (Matthew 25:40). A difficult and important question is the identification of these least brothers. Are they all people who have suffered hunger, thirst, etc. (Matthew 25:35, 36) or a particular group of such sufferers? Scholars are divided in their response and arguments can be made for either side. But leaving aside the problem of what the traditional material that Matthew edited may have meant, it seems that a stronger case can be made for the view that in the evangelist’s sense the sufferers are Christians, probably Christian missionaries whose sufferings were brought upon them by their preaching of the gospel. The criterion of judgment for all the nations is their treatment of those who have borne to the world the message of Jesus, and this means ultimately their acceptance or rejection of Jesus himself; cf Matthew 10:40, "Whoever receives you, receives me."  [32] All the nations: before the end the gospel will have been preached throughout the world (Matthew 24:14); thus the Gentiles will be judged on their response to it. But the phrase all the nations includes the Jews also, for at the judgment "the Son of Man . . . will repay everyone according to his conduct" (Matthew 16:27).  [37-40] The righteous will be astonished that in caring for the needs of the sufferers they were ministering to the Lord himself. One of these least brothers of mine: cf Matthew 10:42.  [41] Fire prepared . . . his angels: cf 1 Enoch 10, 13 where it is said of the evil angels and Semyaza, their leader, "In those days they will lead them into the bottom of the fire–and in torment–in the prison (where) they will be locked up forever."  [44-45] The accursed (Matthew 25:41) will be likewise astonished that their neglect of the sufferers was neglect of the Lord and will receive from him a similar answer.