“The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Posts from the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Apr 12
“He took prisoners captive.” “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Mortal life is full of obstacles to stumble over, covered with the snares of deception (…) And because the enemy had spread out these snares everywhere and caught practically everyone in them, it was necessary that someone stronger should appear to master and break them and thus destroy the path of those who were following them.
For this reason, before coming to unite himself with the Church as his bride, our Savior was also tempted by the devil. (…) In this way he taught the Church that it is not by luxuriousness and pleasure but through many trials and temptations she must come to Christ. Indeed, there was no one else who could have overcome these snares. «For all have sinned», as it is written (Rm 3,23)… Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, is the only one who «committed no sin» (1Pt 2,22).
But the Father «made him to be sin for our sake» (2Cor 5,21) so that «in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin» (Rm 8,3). Thus Jesus walked into these snares but was not himself entangled in them. More, when he had broken and destroyed them, he heartened the Church to the extent that, from now on, she would dare to crush obstacles underfoot, climb over the snares and say, in all happiness:
«Our soul, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowlers. The snare has been broken and we have been saved» (Ps 124[123],7). However, he himself underwent death, yet voluntarily and not, as we do, bound by sin. For he is the only one to have been «free among the dead» (Ps 87,6 LXX). And because he was free among the dead he conquered «the one who had the power of death» (Heb 2,14) and «took prisoners captive» from him (Eph 4,8), those who were held in death.
It was not just that he himself was raised from the dead but, at the same time, he «brought to life those who were captives in death and seated them with him in the heavens» (Eph 2,5f.); «ascending on high, he took prisoners captive» (Eph 4,8).
Origen (c.185-253)
priest and theologianCommentary on the Song of Songs, III, 27-33 ; SC 376
The days will come (…) when they will fast.
My dear children and brothers, God, who in his wisdom governs all things, who in an excellent and sensible way leads the seasons and years to a successful end, has also given us to understand this: the salutary days and profitable to one’s soul are already here. (…)
And may thanks be given to the one who has revealed these days to us and judged us worthy of coming to them. This is why we should always lead a holy and pure life and observe all the commandments of God, and particularly now. (…)
So as it is the time for purification, let us purify ourselves! As it is the time for abstinence, let us abstain, and not just from food – that is not enough – but let us abstain (…) from envying the good reputation of our brother, from getting angry or being irritated with our neighbor, not holding back our tongue and letting it run on as it wishes. But let this latter give itself limits so that one does not speak too much or whenever and of suitable subjects.
Let our looking keep itself from shameless looks and our ears be closed, only opening to hear what is pleasing to God and what he loves. Yes, dear children, yes, I exhort you, make of yourselves an instrument, a pleasing harp of the Holy Spirit. (…) Keep peace among yourselves. The most venerable Lent is tiring to the body, it is true, but do not stop, lest your courage wavers from it! (…) A little patience and, as by habit, you will no longer feel its weight!
Saint Theodore the Studite (759-826)
monk at Constantinople Catechesis 46
The Lord’s House
This is where I come to pray.
This is where He listens to me.
This is where I find rest.
This is where I find His silence.
This is where I feel His presence.
This is where we gather.
This is where He is present amongst us.
This is where He listens.
This is where we are heard.
This is where we must be.
This is where He waits.
This is where we seek Him.
This is where He finds us.
This is where we hear The Word.
This is where we find forgiveness.
This is where His love abounds.
This is where we find rest.
This is where our brothers and sisters are.
This is where salvation awaits us.
The House of God.
To proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord
When the harvest is at its greatest.
Lead us not into temptation
Lest we fail a martyrdom.
The Magi – The three kings
The came to Bethlehem together, the magi, under the star they had been told to follow. They came from the east with gifts of gold incense and myrrh and laid them on the ground under the crib of God, our Lord, Jesus.
Three men bidden by the light of a star.
In The Beginning ..
There Was The Word
And The Word Was With God
And The Word Was God
‘Let There Be Light.’
A lonely God
I was sitting in a crowd of over thirty-thousand people, all watching a game of football. Row upon row, every seat taken. Sometimes silent, other times roaring.
I wondered if anyone was praying .. anyone of the thousands of men women and children around me .. so just in case none of them were, I did.
I didn’t like the thought of God being lonely.
Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus was a powerful man, feared in Jericho as the chief of tax collectors in the time of Herod. Known well by the city’s inhabitants. As a result of his power over the city’s purse Zacchaeus was able to accumulate great wealth, both by legal and illegal means and all at the expense of the population he served.
He was reviled by those he made destitute. Pandered to by the elite who wished his favours.
Zacchaeus was a small man, undersized, and on the day Jesus passed through his city he wished to see the man who commanded such huge followings, the man of whom it was said could cure the sick and heal the blind.
But the streets of Jericho were overcome with the city’s inhabitants as they too sought what Zaccheus sought. To see Jesus. To lay eyes upon him. But Zacchaeus was unable to do so and he hurried ahead and climbed into the lower limbs of a Sycamore tree that grew beside the road. This man of great power and wealth, perched on a branch like a small boy*, waiting to see the Son of Man pass by.
Jesus saw him up there and called Zacchaeus by name.
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”
And once there, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord, enlightened by his presence, and swore to return all he had stolen four times over, and give away half of his possessions.
~~
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”
~~
Matthew 18:3 And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Witness 