Morning Coffee Meditations.

HE IS NO LONGER AFRAID…

Tobit 1:3; 2:1-8
3 I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I performed many acts of charity to my brethren and countrymen who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nineveh.1 When I arrived home and my wife Anna and my son Tobias were restored to me, at the feast of Pentecost, which is the sacred festival of the seven weeks, a good dinner was prepared for me and I sat down to eat.
2 Upon seeing the abundance of food I said to my son, “Go and bring whatever poor man of our brethren you may find who is mindful of the Lord, and I will wait for you.”3 But he came back and said, “Father, one of our people has been strangled and thrown into the market place.”4 So before I tasted anything I sprang up and removed the body to a place of shelter until sunset.
5 And when I returned I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow.6 Then I remembered the prophecy of Amos, how he said, “Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your festivities into lamentation.” And I wept.7 When the sun had set I went and dug a grave and buried the body.8 And my neighbors laughed at me and said, “He is no longer afraid that he will be put to death for doing this; he once ran away, and here he is burying the dead again!”

Mark 12:1-12

1 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country.
2 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.3 And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully.5 And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed.
6 He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’8 And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others.10 Have you not read this scripture: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner;11 this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”12 And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away.

MEDITATION

TOBIT THE PROPHET testify that he reconciled with his wife and son upon his return from Nineveh where he was doing works of charity whilst remaining righteous. Upon seeing that a great dinner was prepared for him by his servants, Tobit instructed his son to go find the God fearing poor and invite them to be partakers of the feast.

Sadly this festive occasion was turned into a lamentation when the son returned with the troubling news that he found a man who was strangled. Without fearing the possible reactions of the enemy, Amos collected and buried the body of this man who happened to be one of his people who was looking forward to dine with him.

St MARK present our Lord’s narration of the story of an entrepreneur who set up a fortified farm with a wine press managed by tenants, hoping that they would work the farm and produce a great harvest. Regrettable the workers mismanaged the farm, rejected and beat the owners servant who came to harvest the fruits of their labor.

Today’s readings are prophetic in so far as we who have been baptized and confirmed are expected to be diligent honest virtuous servants of Christ who; live, apply and make use of the natural and supernatural gifts of grace we have received to grow God’s kingdom. In other words, if our way of living and doing doesn’t yield good fruit, then our conscience have been compromised and numbed. We are called to be; virtuous, gracious, righteous, merciful and charitable servants who continuesly produce good fruit. If the latter is true about our way of being doing and living, then we should not be afraid to die for that which is veritable just and honorable, because we can look forward to our heavely banquet!

LET US PRAY: Psalms 112:1-6

1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!2 His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.3 Wealth and riches are in his house; and his righteousness endures for ever.4 Light rises in the darkness for the upright; the LORD is gracious, merciful, and righteous.5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered for ever.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.

FEED MY LAMBS…

Acts 25:13-21
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus.14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix;15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information about him, asking for sentence against him.16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any one before the accused met the accusers face to face, and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.17 When therefore they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in.18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed;
19 but they had certain points of dispute with him about their own superstition and about one Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them.21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

John 21:15-19

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.”19 (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Sometime after Christ rose from the dead He appeared on the beach to conclude His mission to officially install Peter to head up the Petrine office and to share a morning breakfast, in thanksgiving of Peters huge catch.

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: Festus the Roman governor of Israel who found no case against Paul at his arraignment before the tribunal hearing in Jerusalem, apprised King Agrippa that Paul was found not guilty because he is a Roman, wherefore Paul insisted that he be judged by Ceasar the Roman King. Festus explained that he did not know how to deal with the excessive credulous belief that Paul met Jesus whose death was certified when the soldier pierced Jesus side with a sword.

THE GOSPEL READING: After having breakfast with the eleven post His resurrection, Christ single out Peter to examine his conscience with the ‘three charge rule!’ Upon affirming his love for Christ on all three counts, Peter is absolved from his misdemeanors and reaffirmed in his office to feed and tend to the flock!

Knowing that we are fallible and prone to err by sinning which is a form of denying and our rejection of Christ living in us, we do however have a recourse to have our sins washed away by the supernatural breakfast Christ has prepared for us in the Upper Room. You see whenever we pray the penitential act “I confess my sins to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned…,” We beat our chest three times as Peter did before we can sit at the table to have ‘breakfast’ with Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Let us sincerely mediate and genuinely pray the Lord to forgive our sins to qualify us to sit and be fed by Christ Himself. To wilfully deny that Christ is fully and truly present and not able to heal our sins in the Eucharist, is a crime that shall cause our arraignment and possible imprisonment.

LET US PRAY:Psalms 103:1-2,11-12,19-20

1 A Psalm of David.Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget notall his benefits,11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his

THE ASSEMBLY WAS DIVIDED…

Acts 22:30;23:6-11
30 But on the morrow, desiring to know the real reason why the Jews accused him, he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

6 But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am on trial.”7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
9 Then a great clamor arose; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?”10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks.11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome.”

John 17:20-26

20 “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word,21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world.25 O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me.26 I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: Paul a jew but also a Roman citizen, volunteered to travel to Jerusalem to face the Sanhedrin who handed him over to the Roman tribunal to be prosecuted for rebelling against them, who ordered him to persecute the people of the way. Upon discovering that Paul was a Jew and a Roman citizen, the Pharisees withdrew their guilty charge whilst the Sadducees who did not belief in the resurrection, disputed Paul’s evidence that he encountered the Christ whom the Romans put to death! When placed back in prison to stand trail in Rome for sedition, Christ visited and informed Paul that he must also testify about Him in Rome!

THE GOSPEL READING: Our Lord secluded Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane after gifting His glory to the eleven, praying the Father that those whom He chose and appointed to establish His Church, “may become perfectly one” a united ‘Qahal,’ and that they shall be reunited with Him in heaven. Christ furthermore pray that the Apostles be also showered with the same love—forebearance, fortitude and restraint—‘ when facing difficult painful situations, so like Him they not splinter their unity and destroy the Church from within.

We are most prone to forget our call to be charitable, virtuous, respectful and pious, when facing adversarial opponants and or interlocutors be they strangers or loved ones who level misplaced or false charges against us. Personal attacks against a loved one is the primary tool Satan apply to hurt destroy and kill, be it relationships, marriages and an assembly that were built on truth. Uncharacteristic behavior is the predominant weapon Satan use to divide congregations, families and loved ones. When wrongly accused, let us pray to receive the “Spirit of an angel” to discern between propositions that aims to hurt and destroy, instead give an ear to that which is; loving, charitable, objectively true and rooted in Christ! Like the Pharisees we must also humble ourselves and withdraw our false dogma and espouse objective truth whilst representing Christ in all circumstances in our way of living, doing and speaking!

LET US PRAY: Psalms 16:1-2,5,7-11

1 A Miktam of David.Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge.2 I say to the LORD, “Thou art my Lord; I have no good apart from thee.” The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot.7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.
10 For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit.11 Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

HE WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR…

Revelation 21:1-5
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband;3 and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;
4 he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”5 And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

John 10:22-30

22 It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem;23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me;26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me;28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.”

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: John the apostle adduced that God has established a new holy city on earth as it is in heaven that is by far more magestic than the temple of Solomon.This revelation accords with the prayer our Lord taught the twelve when He (Lk 11: 1-4) foreshadowed that His dwelling place shall be both in heaven and on earth, where the bride—the people of God—shall permanently have direct access to the Groom in and through the Holy Sacraments.

THE GOSPEL READING: Whilst walking in the temple on the Feast of dedication also refered to as “Chanukah” a festival that commemorated the cleansing of the temple after this holy place was desecrated by the Hellenists who sacrificed pigs, the temple dweller essentially sought to know when Christ and His disciples would launch an attack against the pharisaical hierarchy. Christ quashed the false proposition noting that He represents and is loyal to the will of the Father. Christ is very confident that the Apostles under His care shall not be lost, unless they launch a mutiny against Him!

If indeed we have compromised our christocentric principles by not living or doing the faith according to the teachings of Christ as handed down by the Magisterium, then we have essentially desecrated our soul which leave us with the choice to repent and rededicate ourselves to Christ. The sacrament of reconciliation and the thanksgiving sacrifice are the formative means where our tears are wiped away and our sins forgiven, failing which we will not be taken up into the Holy City, the new Jerusalem upon Christ’s second coming!

LET US PRAY:Psalms 95:1-7

1 O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it; for his hands formed the dry land.6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would hearken to his voice!

I DO NOT ACCOUNT MY LIFE OF ANY VALUE…

Acts 20:17-26
17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.
18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you all the time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which befell me through the plots of the Jews;20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what shall befall me there;23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.
24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
25 And now, behold, I know that all you among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom will see my face no more.
26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you,

John 17:1-11

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee,2 since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him.3 And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.4 I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do;5 and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.
6 “I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word7 Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee;8 for I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine;10 all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.11 And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: St PAUL gathered the disciples, evangelists, catechists and ecclesiatical servants of the Chuch in Ephesus to thank, inspire, strengthen and pray for them, because his mission is complete, for he must return to the Ecclesiatical hierarchy situated in Jerusalem where he would likely be arrested by the enemiesof the Church. Paul sympathize with his fellow workers who like him will likely be percecuted by the enemies of the Church for proclaiming the gospel, wherefore he unapologetically cannot take responsibility for them who humble obeyed to serve Christ in good and bad times notwithstanding the plans of the enemies of the Church.

THE GOSPEL READING: Christ lifted His gaze up to heaven, appraising the Father in the first person present, that He has completed His mission, acknowledging that He has received the power to give eternal life to those whom the Father has given to Him—that is the apostles. Jesus propound that the apostles belong to Him and that He will glorify them, meaning the apostles will devote themselves to; serve Christ, glorify God, evangelize the people, bear fruit, remain one, united with one hope, one baptism and one faith as the Father, Son and Spirit is One.

We who find ourselves between a rock and a hard place for whatever reason, should stop our self depreciating victim mentality, reflect upon our lives and give thanks to God for the graces, goodness, charity and love we received up to that moment when things appear to fall apart and stop playing the blame game! This is certainly not the time to be selfish by giving in or give up but to reach out to a priest, a servant of Christ, for our soul is of much value. Also bend the knee and indulge Christ to appeal to the Father to rescue us and shatter the head of our enemy who tempt us to walk in his guilty ways!

LET US PRAY:Psalms 68:10-11,21,

10 thy flock found a dwelling in it; in thy goodness, O God, thou didst provide for the needy.11 The Lord gives the command; great is the host of those who bore the tidings:20 Our God is a God of salvation; and to GOD, the Lord, belongs escape from death.21 But God will shatter the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.

AH, NOW YOU ARE SPEAKING PLAINLY…

Acts 19:1-8
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus.There he found some disciples.2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.7 There were about twelve of them in all.8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God;

John 16:29-33

29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure!
30 Now we know that you know all things, and need none to question you; by this we believe that you came from God.”31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?
32 The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.
33 I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: Upon Pauls first arrival in Ephesus he found twelve disciples who only received the baptism of repentance from John the Baptist in preparation for the coming of Christ. With this said, Paul insisted that they receive the baptism of Christ whereby he dispensed them with the supernatural gift of tongues, making it possible for them to proclaim and draw people beyond their borders with other languages, into the kingdom of God.

THE GOSPEL READING: Still in the Upper Room where Jesus transformed bread and wine into His body and blood, the eleven Apostles finally came to the realization that everything He taught was not smoke and mirrors when He spoke in parables. At this juncture they saw the full picture to the extent that they now believed that He did in fact come from God above, meaning that He is the fulfillment of the promised long awaited Messiah! With this said Christ charitable apprised the eleven not to worry, but to go home, be of good cheer and leave Him alone so He can converse with the Father.

Most if not all of us will have that final moment to discern whether we believe that Christ is and was always truly and substantially present to us in the mystery of His Word and the Holy Eucharist, our daily nourishment as taught and offered to us by the mouths of His consecrated ministers who validly baptized, confirmed and anointed us to speak plainly about our faith in Christ and His Church! We were certainly not confirmed to be rebellious undercover small “c” Christians, but to be jubilant joyous believers who shall never deny Christ. For should we lose our way, He will search, find and retrieve us from the wilderness and restore us to Himself!

LET US PRAY:Psalms 68:2-7

2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before fire, let the wicked perish before God!3 But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy!4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds; his name is the LORD, exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
6 God gives the desolate a home to dwell in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 O God, when thou didst go forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness, [Selah]

WELL VERSED IN THE SCRIPTURES…

Acts 18:23-28
23 After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the scriptures.25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and expounded to him the way of God more accurately.
27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,28 for he powerfully confuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

John 16:23-28
23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name.24 Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.25 “I have said this to you in figures; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father.
26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father.
28 I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

MEDITATION

St LUKE recount the story of Apollos a jew from Alexandria who was baptised by John and well versed in the scriptures, save for the fact that He was not baptized under the Rite of Christ although by Gods grace he brought many into the Church. Because Apollos wished to officially be received into the Church, Priscilla and Aquila reached out to the Apostolic leadership in Jerusalem to obtain their consent, because they were satisfied that he knew the faith without teaching error as per their witness in Achaia

THE GOSPEL READING: Our Lord appraised the eleven that they still have the opportunity to ask anything in His name whilst He is still with them. Christ do punctuate that upon His departure, they must direct any future requests to the Father, however they must reference Him!

Today’s readings beautifully illustrate that a hierarchical ecclesiatical structure who oversee, adjudicate and ratify requests that emminate from the local ministers were in existence. We can thus infer that the local diocese were subject to a higher authority the Petrine office currently situated in Rome, who authorize the ordination or consecration of priests and bishops. On the other hand, the local bishop is the “competent Superior” who shall ratify the reception of neophytes and candidates for the diaconate. It does not suppose that anyone who is well versed in the scriptures qualify to teach or preach nevermind be ordained to the diaconate, priest or bishopric, for Christ has established and put in place an Ecclesiastical structure to oversee the work of salvation.

LET US PRAY:Psalms 47:2-3,8-92 For the LORD, the Most High, is terrible, a great king over all the earth.3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!

HE CUT HIS HAIR…

Acts 18:9-18
9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent;10 for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.”11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack upon Paul and brought him before the tribunal,13 saying, “This man is persuading men to worship God contrary to the law.”
14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, I should have reason to bear with you, O Jews;15 but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I refuse to be a judge of these things.”16 And he drove them from the tribunal.17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to this.18 After this Paul stayed many days longer, and then took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchre-ae he cut his hair, for he had a vow.

John 16:20-23

20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.21 When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world.22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name.

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: Paul received a preemptive visionary message to not be afraid for he would be arrested for teaching the word of God. Upon hearing the accusation that Paul contridicted Gods teaching, Gallio the governor rejected the charge and ordered Paul’s release which allowed him to take with him Priscilla and Aquila to continue his evangelium work in Achaia.

Luke minute Paul’s decision to take a Nazarite vow when he shaved his hair, to observe a fast over a period, to consecrate and set him apart, discerning that he was perhaps not prudent and virtuous in his dealing with his interlocutors, so he be strengthened in his resolve to sing Gods praises, and rejoice in the Lord.

THE GOSPEL READING: Our Lord descibe the joyful journey that an expectant mother traverse, using such an auspicious event as a metaphor to not only uplift, fortify and strengthen the eleven Apostles to persevere and rejoice, but to foretel that should they abide in Him in their earthly journey, they shall be victorious, birthed, see and glorify Him in the hereafter in Heaven!

We who undergo stress, pain, persecution and vilification for obeying, teaching and remaining true to the word of God must take comfort in the Word, that we shall prevail if we honorable obey and live Christ the Nazarenes vows. To qualify to meet Christ at His second coming, we need to continuously cut off hair; sinful behavior, and obediently honor our Sacramental vows and be in a state of grace, when our Spouse Christ Jesus return. Unless we fast, pray, avoid the occasion to sin, denounce Satan’s allures and be a righteous people, we shall not be rebirthed in Heaven at Christs second coming!

LET US PRAY: Psalms 47:2-7 2 For the LORD, the Most High, is terrible, a great king over all the earth.3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. [Selah]5 God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!7 For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!

THROWN INTO THE OVEN…

Acts 2:44-47
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common;45 and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need.
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts,47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Luke 12:22-31

22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on.23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
25 And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life?26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?27 Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith!29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind.30 For all the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you need them.31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well.

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING beautifully display an ordered level of social cohesion where the needs of the whole community is recognized. Those who had property, sold their riches so that the less fortunate may also share in the joys of life. Moreover the communities acts of charity were motivated by their being in communion’ with the Father Son and Holy Spirit in the daily Eucharistic meal, sharing the body blood soul and divinity of Christ in one spirit, one body—meaning one ‘Qahal,’ or Church, one hope, one faith and one baptism, because they served and worshiped; one Lord.” Eph 4:4-6

THE GOSPEL READING: Our Lord address the psychological matter of anxiety; uncertainty, nervousness, worry, tension, fear and suspense, conditions that can come about when we are jobless, in a godawful place, conflicted or afflicted with a dreaded disease or when our marriage is in distress! Such non-physical emotional states more often than not paralyze our cognitive faculties, to the extent that we morph into being; unreasonable, irritated, highly strung and at worst suicidal!

You see, the “Bible alone” is not sufficient if we have deliberately cut ourselves off from the mystical body of Christ, His Church and not being in communion with Him by being in service of others, generously expending, applying and sharing our labor, gifts and talents. If the former is the case, then it can rightly be deduced that we are people of the world and a prime target for Satan to throw us into the oven! We are to be as a child who seek nourishment from the mothers breast—the Church—who by the abundant generosity of Christ’s transformative supernatural Sacramental gifts of graces, wish to heal us and still our anxious lives so we be favored by all people of good will.

LET US PRAY:Psalms 131:1-3 1 A Song of Ascents. Of David.
O LORD, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a child quieted at its mother’s breast; like a child that is quieted is my soul.3 O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER. Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days

YOU ARE VERY RELIGIOUS…

Acts 17:15,22-34;18:1
15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. 22 So Paul, standing in the middle of the Are-opagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man,25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything.
26 And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation,27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us,28 for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man.30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.”32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.”33 So Paul went out from among them.34 But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Are-opagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.1 After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

John 16:12-15

12 “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING: Upon arrival in Athens Paul complemented the community for having a devotion to a god, judging from their use of statues or images. With this said, Paul observed an altar with the inscription “To an unknown god,” a truism which opened the door for Him to proclaim the Good News, the fulness of the Christian faith to this religious community.

Paul inform the community that their “unknown god” was in fact revealed when God send His Son, who lived taught and offered His life in death so men repent of their former ways and become a righteous people who worship Him alone. Whilst not all listeners believed Paul, he did however recruit some men who decided to be discipled by him and in so doing they joined the apostolic entourage.

THE GOSPEL READING: Still in the Upper Room, Christ makes it known that there’s much more He wish to tell them, however He reserved to reveal the fulness of the faith to them at the ‘Feast of Shavuot’ or Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit will declare to them the things that were to come! Herein we can rightly deduce that the Church is a Holy infallible God ordained institution with consecrated priestly leaders, who were given the faculties and authority to deal with any future matter so as to remain united and obedient to the teachings of Christ!

The two thousand year old religious institution established by Christ has delivered hundreds of saints, who left their place of birth to take the Good News to people from different tongues who were waiting for the formerly unknown God, who became man. Moreover we are able to actually and verifiable meet this God in and through the Son, each time when we approach the Altar of Sacrifice where Gods name is exulted when bread and wine is transformed into His body and blood—food for the journey— to remit venial sin, sustain and make us a religious—meaning persistent holy “Amen” people—For we are to not remain like a statue that is irredeemable, but must become what we eat, drink and worship!

LET US PRAY: Psalms 148:1-2,11-14
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together, old men and children!13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the LORD!