Monday, June 30, 2014

June 29, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Peter and Paul


...  in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us from our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name’s sake.  Lord have mercy (three times).

June 29, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Peter and Paul

Introductory Scripture

Exodus 20:2, 12

I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

Psalm 119:12, 18

Blessed are You, O Lord: teach me Your Statutes.

Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.

The Epistle

2 Corinthians 11:21-33; 12:1-9

I speak concerning reproach, as though we were weak.  If anyone is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.  Are they Hebrews?  So am I.  Are they Israelites?  So am I.  Are they the seed of Abraham?  So am I.  Are they ministers of Christ?  (I speak as a fool) I am more.

I am in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.  From the Jews I received five times, forty stripes save one.  Thrice I was beaten with rods.  Once I was stoned.  Thrice I suffered shipwreck.  A night and a day, I spent in the deep.  I was on many journeys: in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own countrymen, in perils from the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brothers, in weariness and painfulness, on watch often, in hunger and thirst, in fasts often, in cold and nakedness.  Beside those things that are external, that which comes on me daily, the care for all the churches.  Who is weak, and I am not weak?  Who is offended, and I do not burn?

If I must glory, I will glory of the things which concern my infirmities.  The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knows that I do not lie.

In Damascus the governor under king Aretas guarded the city of the damascenes with a garrison, seeking to arrest me.  I was let down outside the wall through a window in a basket, and escaped his hands.

It is not expedient for me to glory about myself.  I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.  I knew a man in Christ more than fourteen years ago, (Whether in the body, I cannot tell; or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows.).  This man was caught up to the third heaven.  I do not know how this man (Whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows.) was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to speak.[1]

I will glory over such a person: yet, I will not glory about myself, except in my infirmities: for though I might desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; because I must tell the truth.  So now I must show restraint, lest anybody should think of me above what he sees me to be, or above what he hears from me.

Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.[2]  I begged the Lord three times to take this affliction away from me.  He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  Most gladly, therefore, I will prefer to glory in my infirmities, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The Gospel

Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus came to the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”  They replied, “Some say that you are John the Baptist; some, Elijah; others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

He asked them, “Who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus responded to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Jonah’s son: for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.  I say to you as well, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church.  The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.  Whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The Homily

This is a busy week.  The Matins Gospel honors Mary Magdalen, about whom we sing, in the beautiful hymn, “I Come to the Garden Alone.”

It is also the third Sunday after Pentecost, as we continue to remember the great work of the Holy Ghost among us as He leads us into all truth.

It is the Sunday of Peter and Paul, about which we will have more to say, very soon.

Monday introduces the Apostles Fast.  Then Friday, Independence Day is upon us.

The common theme of all of these events is freedom: for Christ lived and died, then prayed that the Father would send the Holy Ghost, thereby setting us free indeed.

Peter will be the first to receive “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”  We hide behind theological constructs with little success.  The pronouns are singular.  It is Peter who is named, and Peter who is delegated.  Peter will receive (and does) receive the keys first.  The text does not say that the keys will be delegated to a plurality.  Nor does the text say that no one else will ever receive the keys.  The text also says that the keys are for binding and loosing.  Nowadays, we would say locking and unlocking.  In general such locking and unlocking would apply to prison chains, and to doors or gates.  Nowhere, does the text say that the keys are about rule, and the only hint of leadership is that Peter will receive the keys first.  So we must look elsewhere to increase our understanding.

We soon learn that Peter unlocks the doors of the Jewish Church with the baptism of around three thousand people in one day: obviously, Peter had a lot of help after his sermon (Acts 2).  Shortly after that Peter unlocks the doors of the Gentile Church (Acts 10 and 11).

In Acts 7 we learn that Stephen has received a delegation of the keys, but it appears that he is casting the wicked into prison, rather than unlocking their chains.  The principal difference is that Stephen’s audience refused to listen, except for one man.

Even before Peter unlocks the doors of the Gentile Church, the keys are delegated to Philip who unlocks the doors of the Ethiopic Church (Acts 8).  We remember that Ethiopia has been a Jewish kingdom since the days of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10).

The last part of Acts is devoted to the work of Paul.  Paul is delegated the keys for the purpose of leading three evangelism tours, during which he unlocks the doors of new churches in several Greek cities, in Rome, and most likely in Spain and in Great Britain.  However, when he seeks to go north, farther into Asia, he is forbidden to go (Acts 16:6).

Because of this historic development, Peter is remembered as the Apostle to the Jews; while Paul is remembered as the Apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13).

Elsewhere we learn that Andrew unlocks the doors of the churches of northern Asia; while Thomas unlocks the doors of the churches of India.  It is not necessary that we multiply examples.[3]

Even so, when we view the very first ecumenical council, the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, it is James who presides rather than Peter.

We conclude that the Holy Ghost rules over The Church.  Any number of men can be called to preside in His honor.  The delegation of the keys applies primarily to gifts of evangelism, which may be held by wide numbers of people at the same time.  The Apostles and the bishops that succeeded them enjoy a wide range of collegiality: indeed they are commanded to wash each other’s feet (Matthew 20:24-28; John 13:12-17).  Even so, from the record of Acts, we freely concede that the bishop of the See of Peter and Paul, should have the first place of honor in presiding over the bishops as first among equals.  What is the duty of the presidential honor?  The president announces the conclusion of the will of the bishops, usually expressed by voting, and first proclaims it to the world officially.

Christ has set us free.  The Holy Ghost makes us free.[4]



[1] This is a perfect description of John’s Revelation, but that idea presents chronological problems for us.
[2] Since Paul was struck blind because he murdered Christians, God reminded Paul of how and why he was saved, by afflicting him with weak eyesight.  This prevented Paul from becoming prideful over the magnificent ways God used him.
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle_(Christian)
[4] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.  No rights are reserved.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Psalm 95:7-9


... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Psalm 95:7-9[1]

Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, as the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work.[2]



[1] God called out to Adam, to be a Father to Adam and a friend; but Adam didn’t listen very well, so Adam was driven out of the garden of Eden.
God called out to Cain, to be a Father to Cain and a friend; but Cain didn’t listen very well, so Cain condemned himself by killing his brother Abel.  Seth was a better listener, so Seth was chosen.
God called out to all the world’s people, to be a Father to the people and a friend; but the people didn’t listen very well, so the people condemned themselves.  Noah and his family were better listeners, so Noah and his family were chosen, and the world’s population was reduced to eight people, because the people condemned themselves by not listening.
Noah’s family settled in the plains around Ur of the Chaldees and multiplied to become a great people.  God called out to all the people of Ur, to be a Father to the people and a friend; but the people of Ur didn’t listen very well, so the people of Ur condemned themselves.  Abraham and his family were better listeners, so Abraham and his family were chosen, and Abraham and his family wandered in one wilderness after another as aliens and pilgrims in a foreign land, because the people of Ur condemned themselves by not listening.
In a time of overwhelming famine Abraham’s descendants settled in the land of Egypt and multiplied to become a great people.  God called out to all the people of Egypt, to be a Father to the people and a friend; but the people of Egypt didn’t listen very well, when Israel might have become a priest of the living God to them, so the people of Egypt condemned themselves.  Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites were better listeners, so the Israelites were chosen, and the Israelites were brought out of Egypt with a mixed multitude to form a new nation, because the people of Egypt condemned themselves by not listening.
The Israelites didn’t listen very well, and condemned themselves to wander in the wilderness for forty years.  The people during the Judges didn’t listen very well either, nor did Saul, nor the Northern Kingdom, nor the Southern Kingdom….  Finally, God sent His Son, because He knew that His Son would listen on behalf of all the people; and God could at last be a Father and a friend to all people.
The Chosen People are called the Chosen People because they listen to the Father.  Because they listen, they also obey.  How can they possible do this, when all people have failed so obviously and repeatedly?  For Jesus sake, the Father freely gives His Holy Ghost to all who ask.  All who ask, the Holy Ghost joins to Jesus in such a way that they become mysteriously like Jesus, and like Jesus, by faith, they are now empowered to obey.  God receives all who listen, so that He can be their Father and their friend….
Do you listen?  Do you listen very well?
Know this.  God is patient, and God is kind.  He has an intense love for those who will only listen.  The humblest listener is His treasured child.  So we must concern ourselves with praying through our Bibles, listening to see the world from God's perspective.  It matters not that we live or die, but that we will live again.  Are you listening?
Blessed are You, O Lord; teach us Your commandments.
Blessed are You, O Lord; teach us Your statutes.
Blessed are You, O Lord; show us how to love You.
Blessed are You, O Lord; help us love our neighbors.
Blessed are You, O Lord; provide us with Your manna.
Blessed are You, O Lord; crush the deception of the nations.
Blessed are You, O Lord; set your people free.
 
[2] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.
These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Psalm 73:2-12

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.
O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.
Psalm 73:2-12[1]
But as for me, my feet were almost gone.  My steps had well near slipped: for I was envious at the foolish, [when] I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
There are] no pangs in their death.  Their strength [is] firm.  They [are] not in trouble [as other] men.  Nor are they plagued like [other] men.  Therefore pride circles about them as a chain.  Violence covers them [as] a garment.  Their eyes bulge out with fatness.  They have more than heart could wish.  They are corrupt, and speak wickedly [of] oppression.  They speak loftily.  They set their mouth against the heavens.  Their tongue walks through the earth.  Therefore his people return here.  Waters of a full [cup] are wrung out to them.  They say, “How does God know?  Is there knowledge in the most High?” Behold, these [are] the wicked, who prosper in the world.  They increase [in] riches.[2]


[1] This is, among other things, a political commentary for all time.  It shows quite plainly how the hidden agendas of politics really work.
It explains why our anti-Constitution Supreme Court has decided on its own volition, not by any real law other than its own invention, has unilaterally decided that money is the equivalent to the right to vote.  This is no mere deduction or induction or other contrivance of logic.  Our Supreme Court has made such declarations in the public news.
It explains why our elected and appointed officials are no longer public servants, but our masters, overlords, and tyrants.
Pity the freshman politicians, who take office believing that they are public servants; that they will, with experience, become statesmen and women.  In relatively short periods of time they, for the most part, will be perverted by this system that worships wealth as the supreme god.  The few that do survive will be quickly marginalized, so that they are without real influence.
Pity, the wealthy: for all they really have is their wealth.  Soon they will discover that what they have been hoarding as gold is nothing but worthless sand.  This loss is already evident in 1933, and amplified in 1963, today our fiat wealth is nothing more than worthless paper, electrons, not even sand.  Its only value is the faith we, the people put into it.  Nevertheless, the wealthy have broken faith with the people, they have lost all sense of noblesse oblige, and more and more rule with an iron fist.  They suppose, because God is very patient, that He does not observe their folly, and judge it.
Know this.  God is patient, and God is kind.  He has an intense sense of noblesse oblige.  The poorest of the poor is His treasured child.  So we must concern ourselves with praying through our Bibles, learning to see the world from God's perspective.  It matters not that we live or die, but that we will live again.
Blessed are You, O Lord; teach us Your commandments.
Blessed are You, O Lord; teach us Your statutes.
Blessed are You, O Lord; show us how to love You.
Blessed are You, O Lord; help us love our neighbors.
Blessed are You, O Lord; provide us with Your manna.
Blessed are You, O Lord; crush the deception of the nations.
Blessed are You, O Lord; set your people free.
 
[2] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations in Psalms, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.
These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Prayer of the Day



LORD,

Nothing much seems to be going right in our world. We are confronted by anger and war at every turn. Even Your truth is cause for derision and malice.

We beg of You, Send Your Holy Ghost into every heart on earth, all seven billion plus of us. Destroy our inventions: for they are evil. Cast down our imaginations: for they are wicked. Break our hearts because of our rebellion and lack of prayer.

And lift up every broken heart to Yourself: that we might be healed; that we might find the path of unity and peace in Christ; that we might not learn war anymore; that our only concern in life would be growing in love and obedience toward you and with our fellow man.

Blessed are You, O LORD, teach us Your commandments.
Blessed are You, O LORD, teach us Your statutes.
Blessed are You, O LORD, show us how to love You.
Blessed are You, O LORD, help us love our neighbors.
Blessed are You, O LORD, bring the healing of the nations.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

June 20, 2014 Friday Foil, The Jesus Prayer


... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us from our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name’s sake.  Lord have mercy (three times).

June 20, 2014 Friday Foil, The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.”[1]

The Source of the Jesus Prayer

The earliest form of this prayer that I could find, and its unquestionable origin is Psalm 123:3:

Have mercy on us, Lord.  Have mercy on us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

It is also found in Mark 10:47-48[2] in this form:

When [blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus] heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.”  Many demanded that that he be silent: but he cried all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me.”

Again it is found in Luke 18:13:

The publican, standing far away, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but beat on his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

In the Kyrie[3], which is at least as ancient as Egeria[4] (381–384):

Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.

In the Trisagion[5] (434-446), which is thought by some to be a combination of Isaiah 6:3[6] with meditations from the Psalms.[7]

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

In the Agnus Dei[8] (687–701):

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Or:

Oh Christ, Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Oh Christ, Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Oh Christ, Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, grant us your peace.

In the Prayers of the People and numerous other litanies as the response of the laity:

Lord, have mercy.

And on many other occasions and places as simply:

Mercy!

Our Sermon Prayer

Exodus 20:2

I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Psalm 119:12, 18

Blessed are You, O Lord: teach me Your Statutes.

Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.

The Homily

Isn’t it clear that all who pray this prayer in sincerity and truth, claiming by it their absolute allegiance and unquestioned obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, that all are joined together inseparably in Christ?  Isn’t it clear that the Holy Ghost Himself exercises all His unlimited power to protect this Unity of the Church, in spite of what men may do or say?  This prayer does not tolerate any such thing as a separated brother or sister.

This means that you are my brother or sister in Christ if this is the prayer of your heart.  If I meet you on the street, I just might be compelled to give you a hug, and greet you with the kiss of peace, no matter what church name you bear.

This means that you will cast aside as refuse all those modern popular discussions that tamper with what God so clearly condemns.  If I have committed wicked deeds, and I have, I will be ashamed of them, and calling upon God’s rich and abundant mercy, trust in His strength to abandon them.

This means that you will come to God on His terms, not yours.  God does not negotiate with sinners, but He forgives those who cry out for His mercy, and learn from Him to hate their sin, and forsake it.

This means that such unity proclaims The Church, which is visible, not merely spiritual: for the events of Pentecost were done in public; for we are joined by public baptism, communion, and worship; for we are joined especially by this prayer.

Therefore, let us strive to eliminate those walls of partition that divide us: for Christ has “broken down the middle wall of separation.”[9]  God forgive us that we have dared to put back up again, that which God has torn down.  Moreover, we have erected such barriers in the very name of this prayer, and in defiance of the meaning of the word, catholic.




[1] http://jonathanscorner.com/jesus-prayer/
[2] See also Matthew 9:27-31; 20:29-34; Luke 18:35-43; and John 9.
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrie
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egeria_(pilgrim)
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisagion
[6] The Sanctus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanctus; see also Revelation 4:8.
[7] Wybrew, Hugh, The Orthodox Liturgy (St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY, 1996) makes such a claim on page 77, but the references are in error.  There is no good reason to doubt the traditional explanation of origin found in the menologium.  It is not unthinkable that a child would blend the Sanctus with other thoughts about God, gleaned from adults.
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnus_Dei_(liturgy)
[9] Ephesians 2:14
[10] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.
These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.

Monday, June 16, 2014

June 15, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Father’s Day


... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us from our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Your Name’s sake.  Lord have mercy (three times).

June 15, 2014 Sunday Sermon, Father’s Day

The Scripture

Exodus 20:2, 12

I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

Psalm 119:12, 18

Blessed are You, O Lord: teach me Your Statutes.

Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.

Hebrews 11:32-12:2

What more shall I say: for time would fail to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, grew valiant in fight, made the armies of aliens flee.  Women received their dead raised to life again.  Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.  Others had trials of cruel mocking and scourging; yes, even chains and prison.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, tempted, slain with the sword.  They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented (of whom the world was not worthy).  They wandered in deserts, mountains, dens, and caves of the earth.

These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.  God has provided some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect without us.

Therefore seeing we are also surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Gospels

Matthew 10:32-33

Whoever confesses me before men, I will also confess before my Father Who is in heaven.  Whoever denies me before men, I will also deny before my Father Who is in heaven.

The Homily

Hebrews 11 refers many of the exemplary Old Testament fathers and mothers.  It also seems to refer to several of the early martyrs of the Church.  If we compare ourselves too closely with these, we might draw some wrong conclusions about our own faith.  Even so these are examples for us and Paul indicates that they look down from heaven and are keenly interested in our welfare.  It’s as if Paul is picturing the Roman arena, the stands are filled with our fathers and mothers of the faith, who have hone before us.  Many of these have faced grave danger, confronted terrifying wickedness, and even conquered through death.  We are on the arena floor, we are on the area floor facing whatever hell can throw at us.  But our Champion, Jesus is on the arena floor with us.

Nevertheless, when we come to the Law, we frequently see a list of don’ts, forgetting that these things are for our freedom in Christ.  Two things are often overlooked and underemphasized in the Law.  First, is the introduction which emphasizes the Loving Father, Who has set us free from the slavery of sin.  That’s verse 2.  Second, is the perfect Son Who honors His heavenly Father, and His earthly mother, The Church, as no other child has ever honored father and mother so gloriously.

The Law is similar to other ancient covenant documents in which, after a king’s brief introduction a list of stipulations are given, the requirements for staying under the king’s protection.  In the middle of the covenant the king may represent himself, in this case in the image of his son.  Jesus is that perfect Son, that Champion, Who fulfills all of the Law’s righteous demands.  It is He, Who provides the gift of victory on the arena floor.

The Law is a perfect Father and Son, painting not only a picture of our example, but the promise of His gift of victory in Christ.

The path to being a better father or mother, is by becoming a better son or daughter in Christ.  As Jesus conforms us to His image, we become better sons and daughters by grace.  That is the perfect Father’s Day.  This is what the Gospel lesson teaches us, isn’t it?




[1] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.
These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.