Christmas Meditation

Holy is God’s name

My Soul bursts with love for the Living God

Morning pause, morning chill

Warmth in my heart, helping to warm the morning

Rejoice, Rejoice

Children and Lovers of God

Sun splashes the top branches and houses

Birds greet the morning, warming the sound.

 

“The Beloved has exalted me by a gift so great,

so unheard of,

that language is useless to describe it,

and the depths of love in my heart can scarcely grasp it.

I offer then all the powers of my soul in praise and thanksgiving.

As I joyfully surrender my whole life, my senses, my judgment…

for my spirit rejoices in the eternal Godhead (Beloved) of that JESUS, that SAVIOR, whom I have conceived in this world of time.”

(Mother Mary through Venerable Bede, priest)

Thank You God, my Father, my Mother, my Lover for the Gift of your wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, reverence, courage and wonder/awe…

Truly the best Christmas ever!

 

So for Christmas, God has prepared a gift for the World, You and Me.

God has wrapped us in swaddling clothes after Baptism in water and fire.

We are confirmed in the Holy Spirit and sent as Good News to the world.

The Spirit of the Beloved is upon us because Our Beloved God has anointed us to bring Good News to the Poor.   God is sending us from this Christ-Mass (Chrism Mass)

to proclaim liberty to captives (emotionally, economically, psychologically, physically), recovery of sight to the blind (especially inward and of the soul),

to let the oppressed go free,

and a Year (of mercy and love) acceptable to the Beloved God.

 

Everyone is looking for you!

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you!” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

The Gospel according to Mark 1:29-19

When I was growing up, my whole family went to church every Sunday. The nine kids took up a whole pew! On the way home, we often would talk about the Gospel as we either got donuts or prepared the Sunday brunch that was usually around 2 p.m.

Crushed by Love

Many times, we would be in New Hampshire skating on Lake Winnipesaukee or in the small boat as a family. The consistent factor of all Sundays was that those over the age of 7 had the Body of Christ in their own body and soul. Missing Mass was unthinkable. Those who hadn’t received their First Communion yet were very close to Jesus in a very special way. We literally walked, splashed and played with Jesus throughout our lives.

Can you see Jesus?

When Jesus went “home” with brothers Simon, Andrew, James and John, they must have lived in a similar way. They talked about the Jewish readings. If someone got sick, everyone in the family knew about it. Jesus entered the life of the people to let them know that we are all part of an even larger family where God is our Father and Jesus’ mother is our Mother. Families need to pray and play together in order to grow in deeper love and appreciation.

Jesus healed a lot of people that day. The religious leaders were upset and jealous with Jesus. They accused him of breaking the laws because he healed people on the Sabbath. The people waited until the Sabbath was officially over before they had the courage to bring the sick and addicted to Jesus. I wonder if Jesus was somehow multiplying the loaves and fishes so that he could feed the people after he healed them.

But early in the morning, before the sunrise, Jesus took off to pray.

When is the last time you “prayed” to God or Jesus and didn’t ask for something? When is the last time you got up early to just sit with God with no expectations? How often do you simply say, “Good morning Jesus, it is great to be alive. Where do you want to go today?” Simon and those who were with him pursued Jesus until they found him. Their prayer was a petition so that the people could experience miraculous healings. “Everyone is looking for you!”

Ron and Diane after Mass

Jesus knows when we are sick. When people ask me to pray for healing for them, my prayer is usually for the person to just relax and accept their cross. I truly look forward to my death, but I also look forward to living here on earth. With regards our health, if we are honest, we sometimes are under-responsible for it. And then we are over-responsible for others’ health. Personally, I believe that Jesus is the best health insurance we could ever obtain…and it is free!

Whenever I have been sick physically, mentally or spiritually, I thank God for my sickness, my cross. It wasn’t easy when I got shingles a few years back. In some ways, it gives me time to appreciate my usually good health. I simply breathe in… and then I breathe out…

Jesus has been beside me, above me, below me and within me all my life. I have no fear when I realize that Jesus, my beloved, won’t let anything harm me. When I was in Iraq, I realized the incredible power I had. I can tell Jesus about the need for healing…and I actually do. However, Jesus usually asks me to help Him in the healing. I could see well beyond the war that the people I served would need the healing of Jesus. Once I find Jesus, he is already going on to other places.

“Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.”

We are Called to...

Jesus our Savior is counting on you and me to follow him. If you noticed, the disciples never got sick while they were with Jesus. Most of them died because they were murdered. Jesus is on a mission. If you truly follow him you will be healthy. It will require great faith. Jesus is approaching you at this minute, grasping your hand, and helping you up.

Trust Jesus.

Go with him as he spreads the Good News to all nations and peoples.

“The Spirit of the Beloved is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. God sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to Our Beloved God.”

Let us all have the best week ever as we play and pray with Jesus.
Love, joy, peace,
Father Ron Moses +

Jesus with me...always!

Ronnie

God loves the poor…in the New Year of 2012

God hears the cry of the poor…in the New Year of 2012!

After Jesus was baptized and was driven into the desert by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil, he entered the synagogue of his hometown. He stood up to read the Scriptures and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

“The spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He sent me to proclaim liberty to captives,
recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

Happy New Year! Next Sunday is the Feast of Epiphany, a celebration of Light in the World and in our minds. The time between Christmas and Easter is a time to understand the real meaning of Christmas. Jesus came to bring Good News to the poor. God loves the poor. After the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ during the darkest days of the year, the days will get longer and lighter for the next six months. Hopefully, our minds will likewise get more enlightened.

It amazes me how much money and energy is spent on football and playoffs. As soon as a team (and city) wins a Super Bowl, we immediately strive for another. One is not good enough. We don’t take the time to really enjoy our accomplishments. Our moods and emotions are determined on whether our team wins or loses. Don’t get me wrong, sports and entertainment are good for us, but addiction is not.

How many things of this world are we truly addicted to? Computers and the Internet are wonderful inventions, but now we keep pushing the limits. How often would we prefer to “text” someone, rather than speak to them? Then there are the times we are driving and being absorbed in talking on a cell phone or worse, texting, is truly a serious problem. We get so absorbed and distracted that we would put another person’s life at risk for that immediate gratification of responding to the mad dash of fingers on a tiny phone.

Of course as I say this, I convict myself. It is so easy for me to put off the work I need to be doing while I surf the web or Facebook for unreasonable lengths of time. There are so many “conveniences” and gadgets that take me away from prayer and simple silence that truly are food for our souls. Now that seems to be the problem. Our souls are starving to death. We don’t watch or attend just one football game a week, we keep feeding our eyes with the game that would feel empty if we didn’t have replay.

I hate to break this to many of you, but real life doesn’t have replay. Our sins are not overruled on the field. The only remedy for a bad play…is forgiveness from God. Let us ask ourselves: “How much time and energy have we expended to relieving the cry of the poor?”

If we truly desire to live in Heaven for all eternity, we need to follow the example of Jesus. We must detach and love the poor. Be creative. I suggest beginning with silence, taking a walk, singing and journaling. I will end with my journal entry from December 29th this past week.

To kneel before a poor person’s baby, born in the most unfortunate circumstances…
That’s what Christmas is for us.

Good morning Jesus, I thank God for another year of You!. And yet, you are God!
Here I sit, just an hour before celebrating Eucharist at St. John’s in my own town.
The year is almost over,
the growing darkness has ceased
as we begin to realize that we are on our way home.
As we walk with You, we can’t help but notice the blood dripping from your body.
Your heart is pierced.
Your hands and feet are still pierced and bleeding profusely.
You didn’t just die from asphyxiation,
You died from your blood pouring out from your body.
You were being embalmed while you still were living
And some how You managed those seven last gifted words:

“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

“Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Is it possible that the thief realized there was no life from you? To watch those last moments before you died must have been excruciating. And then those moments between the death of Jesus and his own death must have been beyond terror. Involuntarily they stood beside you at the cross. “Jesus told me that today I would be with him in Paradise…what joy!”

“Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.”
“I am Jesus’ brother!”
Jesus, we have the same mother and father!
We are brothers!
Joseph is my father too!
My God and Your God, my Father and your Father!
Amazing!

“I thirst!”
…for the Poor, the lonely, the oppressed and the rejected.
Jesus thirsts for you and me…o my!

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
I trust you Jesus. In God we must trust!

“It is finished.”
Mass is ended. God in Peace.
The Mass never ends, we take it with us.
Jesus is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

Have a most wonderful New Week in 2012!

Love, joy, peace,

Father Ron Moses +