Miracles and Wonders

Good Morning, dear reader, and happy Friday!! It would seem that our readings this morning are full of the hope that resurrection brings!! And, again, Jesus is looking for food! lol 

Our message in Acts is one of faith over fear! The people are no longer afraid of persecution and there are now even more followers of Christ! We see that nothing can stop the power of Christ! Isn't that amazing?!!?!?!! Like most people in history, it is only in death that they become famous!! Jesus is starting to become like a rock star! More and more crowds gather, more and more believers are coming forward, yearning for more. The members of the Sanhedrin were becoming worried. Peter's speech to them was brave and bold! These men may have physically killed The Messiah, but He is so powerful that even death couldn't stop Him! And to further illustrate this point, the man who had been healed of his disability shows up, and he's standing up!!! Can you just imagine the look on the faces of those men in the Sanhedrin!?!!? This guy was living proof of the immense power of Christ! You can't hide that or cover it up!! 

The quote I shared in the above image is precisely the idea of our reading in Acts. Don't be afraid to share your faith. Don't be afraid to speak out with His name! Let His word spread to others so that they may share in the loving wonder of Jesus Christ! Be His disciple, His follower! Let your faith shine like a beacon for others to see! 

Now, on to John's Gospel, we hear about the miracle of the fish and Jesus once again showing Himself to His disciples. This time, however, they did recognize that this was Jesus making Himeself known to His disciples. They were no longer afraid. 

The men had been on the beach trying to catch enough fish in order to feed everyone. They left the nets to soak overnight in hopes of a good harvest, but the fish just weren't biting. So now, as the sun is coming up, there's Jesus, ready and waiting to help them out. He tells them where to cast their nets so they will get plenty of fish. While they're doing that, Jesus builds a fire and prepares to eat. I guess being raised from death made Him hungry! 

When the men tried to pull in the net, it was so full of fish that they just couldn't lift it. More men came over to help and together they pull in the multitude of fish. The weight of the fish should have put a strain on the net and possibly cause it to rip, but it never happened. There was more than enough fish to feed the whole town for quite some time. In this tale, we see the symbolism of the Last Supper, with Jesus breaking the bread. Jesus was telling them, through the food, that He can quench any hunger, that this food should remind them that He gave up His physical body for them so they could have eternal life in heaven. 

Wow! These have been some powerful stories! Death is overcome, hunger is satisfied, faith is strengthened, and hope abounds! If this doesn't make you rejoice, nothing will! There is no denying the awesome power of Jesus Christ! If you need proof, well then, there it is! Spend some time today to really meditate and think about these readings. What is your soul hungering for? Is there anything you think is hopeless or difficult? Ask Jesus for nourishment. Let His love and His words fill you up. And use this as a reminder to be a nice human! 😇

Father Bill explains today's reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV8ED4xU-PQ&ab_channel=hsccwyo

A reminder of who I AM is, "I Am" by Mark Schultz: https://youtu.be/hILaSh78yHQ

Saturday after Lent

 

Read: Isaiah 58: 9-14; Luke 5: 27-32

Did you ever wonder why Jesus hung out with the lowliest of people? It was because He knew that those people needed Him more than those who followed His word and His expectations. As He remarked in Luke, "I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but the sinners." (Luke 5:32, NAB). 

Think of it like this, when you are sick, you call a doctor. You are in need of some form of healing. Well, Jesus is that doctor. He heals your sins. But, you also see the doctor regularly to make sure you stay healthy. You want to prevent yourself from getting sick in the first place. Same deal with Jesus, except you see Him on a daily basis. You ask Him to keep you on the straight and narrow. However, try as we might to stay on this path, we are all human. We are all sinners. So, back we go to Dr. Jesus to once again heal us, to make us better. 

When you go to the doctor, at the end of your visit you are expected to pay for your visit. For some, this can be a costly venture. For others, not so much. Well, guess what?! Jesus doesn't heal us for free, either. He expects some sort of "payment". Only this payment comes from our heart and spirit. He wants us to work for that healing. He expects you to come to Him willingly and admit your wrong doings, admit your faults, ask forgiveness. This means giving of ourselves, whether it be in doing for others or through prayer and repentance or both. 

From the moment we are born, we are already in debt to Jesus. He had to die so that we could live through Him. He already knew we were sinners. He already knew what it was to suffer. So, for us to want to "give back", to pay down that debt, it is the least we can do for Him. This is precisely why we come to Him with humility and a grateful heart for His sacrifice. 

At the end of the day, when we look back on money we spent that day, when we balance out the checkbook, make sure you look back on what you did that day. Make sure you "make a payment" to Jesus. This way, you start tomorrow with a clean slate. 

God Bless and keep Jesus in your heart. 

March 3, 2022 Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Read: Deut 30: 15-20; PSALMS 1:1-4,6; LUKE 9:22-25.

Many people dream of winning the lottery. And oftentimes, the dream is for many millions of dollars. Imagine what you would do if you became an instant millionaire or an instant billionaire. Do you find yourself daydreaming about this?

If so, perhaps the question above is a good one to ponder. What good is it if you win the biggest lottery in history, become the wealthiest person on the face of the Earth, but lack the grace of God in your life and lack faith? Would you trade your faith for being exceptionally wealthy and gaining the whole world? Many people probably would or else Jesus would not have asked this question.

Very often in life we have the wrong priorities. We seek instant satisfaction and gratification over eternal fulfillment. It's hard for many people to live with an eternal perspective. Some may say "Well, I choose both! I want the whole world and the salvation of my soul!" But Jesus' question presupposes that we cannot have both. We must pick which one we choose to pursue. Choosing a life of faith and salvation of our souls requires that we let go of many things in this world. Even if God were to bless us with much in this world, we must strive to live in such a way that we are ready and willing to "give it up" if it were beneficial to our eternal salvation, or the salvation of others. This is hard to do and requires a very deep love of God. It requires that we are convinced, on the deepest level, that the pursuit of holiness is more important than anything else.

Reflect, today, upon this profound question from Jesus. Know that He poses it to you. How do you repsond? Do not hesitate to make God and His abundant mercy the centeral focus of your life. Lent is one of the best times of the year to seriously look at the most fundamental desire and goal of your heart. Choose Him above all else and you will be eternally grateful you did.

My eternal Lord, as we enter into this Lenten season, give me the grace that I need to look at my priorities. Help me to honestly discern that which is the most fundamental and central driving motivation of my life. Help me to choose You above all else so that You will help everything in my life become ordered in accord with Your Holy Will. Jesus I trust in You.

**Today's commentary comes courtesy of My Daily Bible Reflections on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/mydailybiblereflections