Followers of Christ

 Good Afternoon, dear reader. A blessed Monday to you! Rejoice for the sun is shining and the weather is warming!! ☀️☀️

As I learn about the different things in the Bible, you are learning right along with me! So, this morning I wanted to clarify the difference between a Jew, a Gentile and a Christian. Basically, being Jewish is a matter of birth. A Christian is anyone who is reborn into the belief in Jesus Christ. A Gentile is pretty much everyone else. 

It would seem in Biblical times people were hung up on staying within one's own religious community. Their beliefs were so strong that they would view others not of their faith as "unclean". This doesn't mean they didn't shower or wear clean clothes. They were considered morally impure. It is much like when we see Jesus sitting with those who were lepers, prostitutes, and unbelievers. Why would He lower Himself like that? So, when Peter was confronted by the Jews, they were not very happy with him. This was an affront to Jewish law.

How could he dine with immoral people? Such barbarians! Peter then explained to them how he had had a vision and in that vision, he was told that any creature created by God was not unclean or unworthy. This was an irrefutable argument. Chalk one up for Peter!

The sheep and the shepherd are back again, but this time Jesus compares Himself to the gate of the pasture. He is the one who keeps the sheep in place. It's much like when we first come to Jesus. We open the gate of our soul to Him. We allow Him to come into our lives. We know that He will not harm or deceive us. We come to Him willingly. Think of it this way, the beginning of the 23rd Psalm.. "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." The Psalm is all about the peace of God, of knowing we will be fulfilled by Him. He will give us rest, nourishment and everlasting life.

Sorry, this is so brief. I'm still feeling under the weather and a little fuzzy-headed. Hopefully, I will be feeling better soon. Remember to always remain a nice human. 😇

Father Bill gives us a deeper understanding of today's readings:

https://youtu.be/sBsW7T242lk

The Shepherd and The Lamb

Good Morning, dear reader! Happy Mother's Day to all you moms! I hope your day is blessed with love! 

Yesterday, we saw Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus. Today, we see God has chosen Paul (Saul) and Barnabas to spread the word of Jesus among the people of Greece. They visit the various churches, but, in some, they are not well received. The Jews are a hard crowd. They don't want to hear about Jesus. They consider this blasphemy against God. However, Paul and Barnabas are not flustered by this. They basically tell the Jews "Fine, go off and believe what you want. You are denying yourselves eternal life, but whatever...." So, off they go to preach to the Gentiles, who are more than receptive to our friend's message. They joyfully receive this and praise Jesus's name. The Jews, however, still are angry. They try to incite others, who carry more clout in the community, to get rid of Paul and Barnabas. "This can't continue. We must band together and get rid of these two rebels before they stir up trouble." They begin their protest and manage to push Paul and Barnabas out of the city. But this did not upset our two disciples. They accomplished their task and are filled with joy. 

Our reading in Revelation and in John shows Jesus as both the Great Shepherd and the Lamb. This can be confusing. How can He be both? It is because these are
metaphors. The Lamb symbolises Jesus's death upon the cross, His sacrifice for our sins. The Shepherd is symbolic of Jesus's love for us, and how He cares for each and every person. 

The reading in Revelation gives us a glorious picture of heaven! It inspires hope and feelings of comfort. To think we will all be in heaven with no pain, no infirmity, no loneliness or feeling cast aside. 

"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress" (v14) refers to the Christians who were persecuted by the Romans. But, it could also mean those who have survived just about anything. It's our reassurance that no matter what we have suffered through in our lives, it will all be redeemed once we get to heaven. God will know each of our stories. Our sins are wiped clean, and our hearts are made pure. And, forever we will remain a nice human. 😇

Father Greg Friedman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, gives us his reflection on today's readings: https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/video/2022-05-08-reflection-51

I have chosen a video that really goes with our readings. "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe. It's a song about what we would do when we see Jesus. Will we dance or be so overwhelmed by His majesty that we sit in complete adoration? It gives you something to think about, that's for sure. https://youtu.be/N_lrrq_opng