Saturday April 28, 2018

Well, I’m back.  Had to spend time checking on a project Bell is doing in the “Little Apple” – Manhattan, KS.  I had a few minutes between checking on the job, putting a bid together in the hotel room and playing 9 holes of golf, so I took a walk in the park.  The path was alongside a river and while crossing over a bridge I heard some sounds coming from the water.  I looked down to see about 18+ turtles sunning and swimming in the river.  I sat and watched them for about a 1/2 hour.

I found today’s first reading had some sobering words in it.  Paul and Barnabas were speaking to a large crowd in Antioch and again, were challenged by the Jews who were jealous at the number of people who were listening to them.  Paul replied back stating that God had chosen the Jews first to reveal His son but they had rejected Him so now they were taking the message to the Gentiles – who were being converted in great numbers.  This is the line that caught my eye…

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region. 

All who were destined for eternal life came to believe.  Am I destined for eternal life?  Are you destined for eternal life?  If it is eternal life we want, then we MUST believe.  As we continue on with the Gospel, Philip asks that if you (Jesus) would only show us the Father, then we would believe.  (Side note, have you ever been the one thinking of asking a question like that but thankful someone else asked it before you could?  I think the other 11 apostles were feeling that same way because it sounds like Jesus gave Philip an earful.).

How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

Thank goodness Jesus goes on from there…what He says after that is quite remarkable.  If we truly believe, the works we can do can be better than the works Jesus did…wait, what?  Don’t believe me?

Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father. 
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

So now comes the age old question – I’ll ask it but I know all of you are thinking it…How come I haven’t won the lottery yet?  How many times have I asked to win the Lottery – in Jesus’ name and  – nothing.  Well that isn’t a true statement for Sarah and I.  Sarah played the lottery a few months back and called me at work the following day.  I was in a meeting and couldn’t take the call, so she left a message – “Call me – we won the lottery last night.”  Praised be Jesus.  I asked  – in His name – and He followed through.  I learned something very important that morning – specify an amount – we won $4.  I digress – thought you might like that story.  I don’t think what Jesus is asking us to ask of Him is to win our lottery – I think He is asking us to ask of Him to win His  – eternal life.  We have to believe.  Not just some of what He taught but we have to believe ALL of what He taught.  Live your life in His love and watch the wonders you can do for others.  Believe in Him and let Jesus work for you.  Ask for His strength and He will send you the Holy Spirit.  He will shower you with gifts the lottery cannot give you…charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self control, chastity.  Read the good book and believe in the message it is delivering to you…glorify the Lord, be destined for eternal life, believe in Jesus and ask anything in HIS name.

Peace.  To define peace, I turned to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and typed into the search engine – how does the catechism define peace – pretty basic question.  Many choices came up, but the hyperlink I am posting here was very definitive as to how the Church defines PEACE and it wasn’t what I was expecting at all…curious? – put your mouse over  this and read.

Do something great for our Lord today.

God’s will, not mine be done.

Be not afraid.

Jesus, I trust in You.