One Way

John 21:15-17 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep”.

Feeding
Heb. 5:12-14 & 6:1-3 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.

Watering
Genesis 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

Grooming
Matt. 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Shearing
Duet. 18:4-5 You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, for the LORD your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD’s name always.

Delivering Lambs
Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Leading
Ps. 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Wandering Sheep
Luke 15:4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Protection
John 10:1-13 “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Conclusion
Those who are called to be servant under shepherds in the body of Christ must take that responsibility seriously. There are far too many who claim to be called to servant leadership, but demonstrate clearly that they are not qualified to be shepherds according to God’s criteria. We need to be feeding the lambs and the sheep, bringing them to good pasture lands and water, grooming and clipping them, delivering new lambs, leading them and teaching them to stay together, going off after the wandering lost ones, and protecting the sheep in the field and in the fold.

All Souls Day, commemorates the faithful departed, those who die in God’s faith and friendship.
However, Catholics believe that not all those who die in God’s grace are immediately ready for the Beatific vision, i.e. the reality and goodness of God and heaven, so they must be purified of “lesser faults,” and the temporal effects of sin. The Catholic Church calls this purification of the elect, “purgatory.” The Catholic teaching on Purgatory essentially requires belief in two realities:
1. that there will be a purification of believers prior to entering heaven and
2. that the prayers and masses of the faithful in some way benefit those in the state of purification.
As to the duration, place, and exact nature of this purification, the Church has no official dogma, although Saint Augustine and others used fire as a way to explain the nature of the purification. Many faithful Catholics, including Pope Benedict XVI, grant that Purgatory may be an existential state as opposed to a temporal place. In other words, Purgatory may be something we experience instantaneously, because it is outside of the confines of created time and space. Many non-Catholics, have believed in Purgatory, and the official dogma of Purgatory is hardly offensive, even if the popular understanding of it has led to confusion. As a more everyday explanation, many liken Purgatory to a place to “clean up” oneself before going into the presence of Almighty God.

All Souls is the day to remember, pray for, and offer requiem masses up for these faithful departed in the state of purification. Typically Christians will take this day to offer prayers up on behalf of their departed relatives and friends. Often this office is prayed on the anniversary (or eve) of the death of a loved one, or on All Souls’ Day.

There are many customs associated with All Souls Day, and these vary greatly from culture to culture.

Visiting a Graveyard and Decorating Graves
Remembering and Praying for Departed Souls
Giving Orphans Food and Clothing

The Feast of All Saints is a holy day of the Church honoring all saints, known and unknown.
While we have information about many saints, and we honor them on specific days, there are many unknown or unsung saints, who may have been forgotten, or never been specifically honored. On All Saints Day, we celebrate these saints of the Lord, and ask for their prayers and intercessions. The whole concept of All Saints Day is tied in with the concept of the Communion of Saints. This is the belief that all of God’s people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification (called Purgatory in the West), are connected in a communion. In other words, Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe that the saints of God are just as alive as you and I, and are constantly interceding on our behalf. Remember, our connection with the saints in heaven is one grounded in a tight-knit communion. The saints are not divine, nor omnipresent or omniscient. However, because of our common communion with and through Jesus Christ, our prayers are joined with the heavenly community of Christians. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 350) testifies to this belief:

We mention those who have fallen asleep: first the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition…(Catechetical Lecture 23:9).

The Catholic Catechism concisely describes this communion among believers, by which we are connected to Christ, and thus to one another:

“Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness…They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us…So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.”

“…as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself: We worship Christ as God’s Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord’s disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples (CCC 956, 957)!

There are thousands of canonized saints, that is those individuals officially recognized by the Church as holy men and women worthy of imitation. Because miracles have been associated with these people, and their lives have been fully examined and found holy by the Church, we can be assured they are prime examples of holiness, and powerful intercessors before God on our behalf. There are also many patron saints, guardians or protectors of different areas and states of life. All of these saints are celebrated throughout the year, as many have their own feast days.

Can one imagine a more perfect prayer than the Holy Rosary of the Queen of Heaven, the Blessed Virgin and Mother Mary? It would require large volumes or even an entire library to narrate the graces and miracles that have been obtained by its humble recitation.

In the Ave Maria or Hail Mary, we repeat the words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1:18), repeated and augmented by Saint Elizabeth at the Visitation (Luke 1:42), adding the invocation of the Church for Her aid at the present moment and at the formidable hour of our death.

After each decade, we add the Gloria Patri or Doxology, to honor the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity.

I am the Way, Truth and Life

In John 14:6, which is spoken in the larger context of Jesus’ farewell discourse with the disciples, he answers Thomas’ question about the way to where Jesus is going (his Father’s house) by saying: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” In other words, he personifies the way, and the truth, and the life.

Jesus the way prevents us from getting lost amidst so many ways.
Jesus the truth reveals all that we need to know concerning himself, God, others, the world, his Church, and heaven.
Jesus the life provides us with everything that we need to live in this world and beyond.

The universe as well as every human who is graced with faith in Jesus is given this way, this truth, and this life.
Eventually, Jesus the way, truth, and life shall gather all of his followers into his Father’s house. It is with eager longing that we await that time, even as we live in the here and now.

A man has been in business for many, many years and the business
is going down the drain. He is seriously contemplating suicide
and he doesn’t know what to do. He goes to the Priest to seek
his advice.

He tells the Priest about all of his problems in the business
and asks the Priest what he should do. The Priest says,

“Take a beach chair and a Bible and put them in your car and
drive down to the edge of the ocean. Go to the water’s edge.
Take the beach chair out of the car, sit on it and take the
Bible out and open it up. The wind will rifle the pages for a
while and eventually the Bible will stay open at a particular
page. Read the Bible and it will tell you what to do.”

The man does as he is told.

He places a beach chair and a Bible in his car and drives down
to the beach. He sits on the chair at the water’s edge and
opens the Bible. The wind rifles the pages of the Bible and
then stops at a particular page. He looks down at the Bible and
sees what he has to do.

Three months later the man and his family come back to see the
Priest. The man is wearing a $1,000 Italian suit, the wife is
all decked out with a full-length mink coat, and the child is
dressed in beautiful silk.

The man hands the Priest a thick envelope full of money and
tells him that he wants to donate this money to the church in
order to thank the Priest for his wonderful advice.

The Priest is delighted. He recognizes the man and asks him
what advice in the bible brought this good fortune to him.

The man replies: “Chapter 11.”

For our international subscribers that might not understand,
“Chapter 11.” Chapter 11 is the American term for bankruptcy.

Spiritual Bouquet: God is faithful and will not permit you to be tempted beyond your strength. I Cor. 10:13

God does not abandon to what we call “chance,” any of His creatures. By His essence and providence He is everywhere present; not a sparrow falls to the ground, nor a hair from our heads, without His consent. He is not content, however, with assisting His creation daily and at every moment, with sustaining His handiwork, which without His continuous support would return to dust. His divine and infinite Love, not only maintaining the existence which He gives and perpetuates in living beings, has charged His Holy Angels with the ministry of watching and safeguarding each one of His rational creatures.

The Angels, divided into nine hierarchies, have varied obligations. Their intelligence and prudence are penetrating like the beam of a lighthouse; so it appears even when we compare it to the best of human intelligences, which are like the light of a little candle in contrast. An Angel, visualizing an end to be attained, sees instantly the means necessary to achieve it, whereas we must pray, study, deliberate, inquire, and choose during many phases of effort, in order to reach our proposed ends.

Kingdoms have their Angels assigned to them; dignitaries of the Church and of the world have more than one Angel to guide them; and every child who enters into the world receives a Guardian Angel. Our Lord says in the Gospel: “Beware lest you scandalize any of these little ones, for their Angels in heaven behold the face of My Father.” Thus the existence of Guardian Angels is a dogma of the Christian faith, based on Holy Scripture itself.

Reflection: This being so, what should our respect be for that holy and sure intelligence, ever present at our side? And how great should our solicitude be, lest, by any act of ours, we offend those eyes which, without losing the divine vision, are ever turned upon poor creatures in all their ways!

“If we have ever needed the Lord we sure do need Him right now.”

The above statement was in a Prayer Request.
That was the whole prayer request.

I assumed they were referring to a situation where things had gone wrong in their eyes.

It made me think.”Is there ever a time when we don’t need the Lord?”

In the Bible it was usually in the good times that the people forgot about God and did what they wanted.

I spoke about that in a message called, “The Good Time Devil.”

If there is ever a time when we need the Lord it is in the good times.

Bad Decisions

I had a few bad decisions that I made recently.

When I went back and thought about it, I said,
“Wisdom was crying out to me when I chose to make those bad decisions.”

If I had only listened!

How many of you ever felt like just kicking yourself?

If you had only listened to the voice of reason; to the voice of wisdom,
Godly wisdom down in your heart, down in yourspirit…

…that tried to warn you,
that tried to save you, that tried to preserve you.

Get wisdom; get understanding. Forget it not; neither declinefrom the words of my mouth.

Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee.
Love her and she shall keep thee.

Then What?==

What if you won the lottery?
What if you won a big one, like 100 million or so?
What would you do? Let’s go down the usual list.
Pay off the home (no make that buy a mansion – cash).
Buy several exotic cars
Buy clothes
Travel to exotic places Hire servants (maids, chefs and chauffeurs)
Take care of relatives (mama at a minimum)Invest
Then what?
What do you mean “Then What?”
I hear many of you asking, “Isn’t that enough?
How can there be a “then what” after all of that?”
You see people; it’s the “then what” stuff that makes the real difference in life.
All of the stuff on the above list, you will get tired of in six months or less.
The excitement will wear off.
You will get bored.
People will be after you for your money.
You will get paranoid.
You will discover relatives that you didn’t know existed or at least you hadn’t heard from in years.
They all will want one thing and it won’t be your companionship.
So, you will get paranoid, as everyone wants your money.
Then what?
We often make the mistake of assuming that money will solve all of our problems.
Money will only solve money problems. In my experience in business and in ministry,
I usually find that it’s the “other stuff” that’s the real problem, not money.
Often the “other stuff” is the reason for the money problems.

If you’ve understood this, congratulations on winning the big one.

THE BEAUTIFUL HANDS OF A PRIEST

We need them in life’s early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek them when tasting life’s woes.

At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness;
Their dignity stands all alone.

And when we are tempted and wander,
To pathways of shame and of sin,
It’s the hand of a priest that will absolve us–
Not once, but again and again.

And when we are taking life’s partner,
Other hands may prepare us a feast,
But the hand that will bless and unite us–
Is the beautiful hand of a priest.

When the hour of death comes upon us,
May our courage and strength be increased,
By seeing raised over us in blessing–
The beautiful hands of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress;
When can a poor sinner do better,
Than to ask Him to guide them and bless?

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago.
They had assured their wives that theywould be home in plenty of time for Friday night’s dinner.

In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding. All but one.

He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings,and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved goodbye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the sametime helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one topping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display.

As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to thegirl, “Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?” She nodded through her tears. He continued on with,”I hope we didn’t spoil your day too badly.” As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, “Mister”. He paused and turned to look back into thoseblind eyes. She continued, “Are you Jesus?”

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: “Are you Jesus?”

Do people mistake you for Jesus? That’s our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the differenceas we live and interact with a world (shopping, working, reacting to others that are serving us) that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It’s actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for ourdamaged fruit.

Let us live like we are worth the price He paid.