Notes of meeting on 12 January 2016
Picture of Jesus right here amongst us. He showed us may fruit trees, grain fields, animals and vines that His Father had supplied for us. These are to feed and fortify our bodies and we should avail ourselves of these with great thanksgiving to the Father.
In the same way as we take in sustenance we are to open our hearts to the spiritual food provided by the Father. Jesus then showed us the Book of the Holy Word, the gift of Himself in the Eucharist and openness to the Holy Spirit so that all can grow in our hearts giving our spiritual bodies sustenance. This in turn brings forth the flowering of the seed firmly planted a baptism nurturing and growing within us sustaining our spiritual bodies so that in time the likeness of the Father becomes profound within each soul and this in turn will make us more able to draw other souls to the Father and Jesus.
Jesus says:
"Be open to My Spirit, be fed by Me and in turn you will feed our brothers and sisters. My little flock so dear to my heart, I bless you with the Father's grace. Draw all men unto Me."
Ezekiel 34 v 11-17
11 "For the Lord Yahweh says this: Look, I myself shall take care of my flock and look after it.
12 As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is with his scattered sheep, so shall I look after my sheep. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered on the day of clouds and darkness.
13 I shall bring them back from the peoples where they are; I shall gather them back from the countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the inhabited parts of the country.
14 I shall feed them in good pasturage; the highest mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing grounds; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel.
15 I myself shall pasture my sheep, I myself shall give them rest -- declares the Lord Yahweh.
16 I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the injured and make the sick strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.
17 "As for you, my sheep, the Lord Yahweh says this: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats.
Heavenly Father I ask you to bless our group Theotokos. Send your Spirit upon us so that we will be witnesses to the living light of Jesus in our lives. You chose Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit to become the first tabernacle to hold your Son Jesus in her womb, therefore I ask Mary, Mother of God and Our Mother, to bear us into holiness. Teach us to listen to the voice of God in the stillness of our hearts and live in his presence offering all our joys and sorrows for his honour and glory. Teach us to pray for the conversion of our hearts and the conversion of the world so that we may become faithful ambassadors of your Son, Jesus.
Amen
Showing posts with label I shall look for the lost one. Show all posts
Showing posts with label I shall look for the lost one. Show all posts
Sunday, 17 January 2016
Sunday, 14 December 2014
Behold I come to you who were lost but are now saved
Notes of meeting on 9 December 2014
Picture of a road full of light leading to The Holy City on the mountain. Many people were travelling to the City with angels lighting the way because it was so dark.
The people on the road were of every nation, creed and colour. As they reached the entrance to the City they could see a large army of light getting ready to go out and attack it's foe the Evil One and his cohorts.
Jesus was with them ready to go too. Then the Blessed Mother knelt down in front of Jesus and asked for more time and help to find the lost ones. Jesus put up his hand to stay the army. He then called on all of Heaven's assistance to accompany his Mother and the angels to go looking for the lost.
Jesus put down his sword and took up his lantern and led the search, he went into the darkest of places, buildings, fields caves, mountains, deserts, ships on the seas and craft on rivers even down mines. he lit up the dark places and people came forth to him. When they saw him and his Loving Heart it caused such repentance that the faces which were sorrowful became instantly full of gratitude and joy. Their faces showed wonder and transformation, their hearts so very full now that had been empty before this meeting. All joined the road to the heavenly place singing and praising.
Jesus says:
"Behold I come to you who were lost but are now saved, you who were dead to me are now fully alive to me, my beloved did you think I would leave you orphans, I would not for my Heart bursts with love for you."
Revelation 7 v 13 -17
13 One of the elders then spoke and asked me, 'Who are these people, dressed in white robes, and where have they come from?'
14 I answered him, 'You can tell me, sir.' Then he said, 'These are the people who have been through the great trial; they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.
15 That is why they are standing in front of God's throne and serving him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 They will never hunger or thirst again; sun and scorching wind will never plague them,
17 because the Lamb who is at the heart of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.'
Matthew 18 v 12-14
12 'Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray?
13 In truth I tell you, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all.
14 Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
daily reflection from Bible Alive:
What is the Christian faith all about? There are many answers to this question, but at its very heart the Christian faith is about salvation – what we are saved from, why we need salvation and the purpose for which we are saved. We are saved from sin, death and eternal damnation; we are saved for a relationship with the living God.
Now sin, death and eternal damnation are subjects we don’t hear too much about these days but they remain at the very core of the Christian message. Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and God, our heavenly Father, as we are told in today’s Gospel, is not willing that even one of his little ones should be lost (v. 14). In other words, no one is beyond salvation or redemption, and salvation and redemption are vital in understanding the Christian faith. On the Day of Pentecost Peter proclaimed: ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12).
Salvation is a gift which we receive supremely when we are baptized but continue to work out throughout our lives, as Paul emphasized: ‘Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil. 2:12, emphasis added). We cannot earn our salvation; we don’t deserve our salvation; we cannot buy our salvation or secure it in any other way than through the sheer kindness and mercy of God, which we graciously receive in the gift of baptism.
What we can do, though, is cultivate an interior attitude of gratitude for our salvation. It is our birthright as baptized believers to know the joy of salvation – joy and salvation go hand in hand. The season of Advent invites us to spend time reflecting on what a wonderful gift salvation is – ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…’
(Isa. 9:6).
‘For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.’ (Eph. 2:8-10)
2 Tim 2 v 14-26
14 Remind them of this; and tell them in the name of God that there must be no wrangling about words: all that this ever achieves is the destruction of those who are listening.
15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who has no need to be ashamed, but who keeps the message of truth on a straight path.
16 Have nothing to do with godless philosophical discussions -- they only lead further and further away from true religion.
17 Talk of this kind spreads corruption like gangrene, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18 the men who have gone astray from the truth, claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting some people's faith.
19 However, God's solid foundation-stone stands firm, and this is the seal on it: 'The Lord knows those who are his own' and 'All who call on the name of the Lord must avoid evil.'
20 Not all the dishes in a large house are made of gold and silver; some are made of wood or earthenware: the former are held in honour, the latter held cheap.
21 If someone holds himself aloof from these faults I speak of, he will be a vessel held in honour, dedicated and fit for the Master, ready for any good work.
22 Turn away from the passions of youth, concentrate on uprightness, faith, love and peace, in union with all those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.
23 Avoid these foolish and undisciplined speculations, understanding that they only give rise to quarrels;
24 and a servant of the Lord must not engage in quarrels, but must be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient.
25 He must be gentle when he corrects people who oppose him, in the hope that God may give them a change of mind so that they recognise the truth
26 and come to their senses, escaping the trap of the devil who made them his captives and subjected them to his will
Isaiah 40 v 1-11
1 'Console my people, console them,' says your God.
2 'Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and cry to her that her period of service is ended, that her guilt has been atoned for, that, from the hand of Yahweh, she has received double punishment for all her sins.'
3 A voice cries, 'Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh. Make a straight highway for our God across the wastelands.
4 Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be levelled, every cliff become a plateau, every escarpment a plain;
5 then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed and all humanity will see it together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.'
6 A voice said, 'Cry aloud!' and I said, 'What shall I cry?' -'All humanity is grass and all its beauty like the wild flower's.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of Yahweh blows on them. (The grass is surely the people.)
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.'
9 Go up on a high mountain, messenger of Zion. Shout as loud as you can, messenger of Jerusalem! Shout fearlessly, say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God.'
10 Here is Lord Yahweh coming with power, his arm maintains his authority, his reward is with him and his prize precedes him.
11 He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
Picture of a road full of light leading to The Holy City on the mountain. Many people were travelling to the City with angels lighting the way because it was so dark.
The people on the road were of every nation, creed and colour. As they reached the entrance to the City they could see a large army of light getting ready to go out and attack it's foe the Evil One and his cohorts.
Jesus was with them ready to go too. Then the Blessed Mother knelt down in front of Jesus and asked for more time and help to find the lost ones. Jesus put up his hand to stay the army. He then called on all of Heaven's assistance to accompany his Mother and the angels to go looking for the lost.
Jesus put down his sword and took up his lantern and led the search, he went into the darkest of places, buildings, fields caves, mountains, deserts, ships on the seas and craft on rivers even down mines. he lit up the dark places and people came forth to him. When they saw him and his Loving Heart it caused such repentance that the faces which were sorrowful became instantly full of gratitude and joy. Their faces showed wonder and transformation, their hearts so very full now that had been empty before this meeting. All joined the road to the heavenly place singing and praising.
Jesus says:
"Behold I come to you who were lost but are now saved, you who were dead to me are now fully alive to me, my beloved did you think I would leave you orphans, I would not for my Heart bursts with love for you."
Revelation 7 v 13 -17
13 One of the elders then spoke and asked me, 'Who are these people, dressed in white robes, and where have they come from?'
14 I answered him, 'You can tell me, sir.' Then he said, 'These are the people who have been through the great trial; they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.
15 That is why they are standing in front of God's throne and serving him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 They will never hunger or thirst again; sun and scorching wind will never plague them,
17 because the Lamb who is at the heart of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.'
Matthew 18 v 12-14
12 'Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray?
13 In truth I tell you, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all.
14 Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
daily reflection from Bible Alive:
What is the Christian faith all about? There are many answers to this question, but at its very heart the Christian faith is about salvation – what we are saved from, why we need salvation and the purpose for which we are saved. We are saved from sin, death and eternal damnation; we are saved for a relationship with the living God.
Now sin, death and eternal damnation are subjects we don’t hear too much about these days but they remain at the very core of the Christian message. Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and God, our heavenly Father, as we are told in today’s Gospel, is not willing that even one of his little ones should be lost (v. 14). In other words, no one is beyond salvation or redemption, and salvation and redemption are vital in understanding the Christian faith. On the Day of Pentecost Peter proclaimed: ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12).
Salvation is a gift which we receive supremely when we are baptized but continue to work out throughout our lives, as Paul emphasized: ‘Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling’ (Phil. 2:12, emphasis added). We cannot earn our salvation; we don’t deserve our salvation; we cannot buy our salvation or secure it in any other way than through the sheer kindness and mercy of God, which we graciously receive in the gift of baptism.
What we can do, though, is cultivate an interior attitude of gratitude for our salvation. It is our birthright as baptized believers to know the joy of salvation – joy and salvation go hand in hand. The season of Advent invites us to spend time reflecting on what a wonderful gift salvation is – ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…’
(Isa. 9:6).
‘For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.’ (Eph. 2:8-10)
2 Tim 2 v 14-26
14 Remind them of this; and tell them in the name of God that there must be no wrangling about words: all that this ever achieves is the destruction of those who are listening.
15 Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who has no need to be ashamed, but who keeps the message of truth on a straight path.
16 Have nothing to do with godless philosophical discussions -- they only lead further and further away from true religion.
17 Talk of this kind spreads corruption like gangrene, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18 the men who have gone astray from the truth, claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting some people's faith.
19 However, God's solid foundation-stone stands firm, and this is the seal on it: 'The Lord knows those who are his own' and 'All who call on the name of the Lord must avoid evil.'
20 Not all the dishes in a large house are made of gold and silver; some are made of wood or earthenware: the former are held in honour, the latter held cheap.
21 If someone holds himself aloof from these faults I speak of, he will be a vessel held in honour, dedicated and fit for the Master, ready for any good work.
22 Turn away from the passions of youth, concentrate on uprightness, faith, love and peace, in union with all those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.
23 Avoid these foolish and undisciplined speculations, understanding that they only give rise to quarrels;
24 and a servant of the Lord must not engage in quarrels, but must be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient.
25 He must be gentle when he corrects people who oppose him, in the hope that God may give them a change of mind so that they recognise the truth
26 and come to their senses, escaping the trap of the devil who made them his captives and subjected them to his will
Isaiah 40 v 1-11
1 'Console my people, console them,' says your God.
2 'Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and cry to her that her period of service is ended, that her guilt has been atoned for, that, from the hand of Yahweh, she has received double punishment for all her sins.'
3 A voice cries, 'Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh. Make a straight highway for our God across the wastelands.
4 Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be levelled, every cliff become a plateau, every escarpment a plain;
5 then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed and all humanity will see it together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.'
6 A voice said, 'Cry aloud!' and I said, 'What shall I cry?' -'All humanity is grass and all its beauty like the wild flower's.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of Yahweh blows on them. (The grass is surely the people.)
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.'
9 Go up on a high mountain, messenger of Zion. Shout as loud as you can, messenger of Jerusalem! Shout fearlessly, say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God.'
10 Here is Lord Yahweh coming with power, his arm maintains his authority, his reward is with him and his prize precedes him.
11 He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL - THE KERYGMA
"Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you." Pope Francis
Sunday, 23 November 2014
for the Son of man has come to seek out and save what was lost
Notes of meeting on 18 November 2014
Luke 19 v 1 - 10
1 He entered Jericho and was going through the town
2 and suddenly a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man.
3 He kept trying to see which Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd;
4 so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your house today.'
6 And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.
7 They all complained when they saw what was happening. 'He has gone to stay at a sinner's house,' they said.
8 But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, 'Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.'
9 And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham;
10 for the Son of man has come to seek out and save what was lost.'
Jesus thank you that you came to save the lost, even those whom we may think of as beyond saving.
Thank you that you love all wherever they are, even those lost in darkness and sin.
Help us to see that all can be saved, help us not to write people off, to deem them beyond your love and mercy. Draw all people to yourself.
The love of Jesus can shine through the cracks in our lives to touch others.
Luke 19 v 1 - 10
1 He entered Jericho and was going through the town
2 and suddenly a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man.
3 He kept trying to see which Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd;
4 so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your house today.'
6 And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.
7 They all complained when they saw what was happening. 'He has gone to stay at a sinner's house,' they said.
8 But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, 'Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.'
9 And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham;
10 for the Son of man has come to seek out and save what was lost.'
Jesus thank you that you came to save the lost, even those whom we may think of as beyond saving.
Thank you that you love all wherever they are, even those lost in darkness and sin.
Help us to see that all can be saved, help us not to write people off, to deem them beyond your love and mercy. Draw all people to yourself.
The love of Jesus can shine through the cracks in our lives to touch others.
Monday, 10 February 2014
I shall look for the lost one
Notes of meeting on 21 January 2014
Picture of Mary making flat bread. Jesus arrived bringing wine and water.
We were all invited to take a place around the table. Mary seemed to be Jesus' helper and server. Jesus took the bread, water and wine and said grace and then the bread was distributed. Everyone was famished and the bread tasted good. Then Jesus offered us the mixed wine and water. We were so thirsty our tongues were sticking to out mouths. When we drank the wine and water we felt completely filled up and our thirst completely quenched.
We felt as though our spritual body was alive, as though some great need had been satisfied.
Jesus and Mary got up to go but said they would be back. Jesus said "I will send you souls to help, bandage and bind their wounds, feed them, give them drink, act as loving brothers to one another".
We hadn't been invited to His house He had come to ours.
Ezekiel 34 v 11 -16
11 "For the Lord Yahweh says this: Look, I myself shall take care of my flock and look after it. 12 As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is with his scattered sheep, so shall I look after my sheep. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered on the day of clouds and darkness. 13 I shall bring them back from the peoples where they are; I shall gather them back from the countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the inhabited parts of the country. 14 I shall feed them in good pasturage; the highest mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing grounds; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself shall pasture my sheep, I myself shall give them rest -- declares the Lord Yahweh. 16 I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the injured and make the sick strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.
John 10 v 1 - 16
1 'In all truth I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a bandit. 2 He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; 3 the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all those that are his, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognise the voice of strangers.' 6 Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus spoke to them again: In all truth I tell you, I am the gate of the sheepfold. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep took no notice of them. 9 I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: such a one will go in and out and will find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. 12 The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and runs away, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep; 13 he runs away because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. 16 And there are other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and I must lead these too. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be only one flock, one shepherd.
Romans 5 v 12
Well then; it was through one man that sin came into the world, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned.
Picture of Jesus with light from His eyes upon the Earth and light coming from His hands as in the 'Divine Mercy' picture.
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