taken aug 15 2006

 

aug 16 2006

Ez 9:1-7; 10:18-22 The LORD cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city! With that I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces the north,each with a destroying weapon in his hand. In their midst was a man dressed in linen,with a writer’s case at his waist. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar. Then he called to the man dressed in linen with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him: Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it. To the others I heard the LORD say: Pass through the city after him and strike! Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy! Old men, youths and maidens, women and children—wipe them out! But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple. Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain; then go out and strike in the city. Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple and rested upon the cherubim. These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,the wheels rising along with them. They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the LORD’s house,and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.

Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.or:R. Alleluia.Praise, you servants of the LORD,praise the name of the LORD.Blessed be the name of the LORDboth now and forever.R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.or:R. Alleluia.From the rising to the setting of the sunis the name of the LORD to be praised.High above all nations is the LORD;above the heavens is his glory.R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.or:R. Alleluia.Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.or:R. Alleluia.

1 Cor 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

Mt 18:15-20 Jesus said to his disciples:“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church,then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you,whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

The gospel tells the Christian how to resolve the experience of being sinned against. It is simple and most important to speak directly with the person who has sinned with me first and privately. Others are to hear the issue if it has not been resolved. The Word here does not say to unconditionally accept all sins of others against me without prayer and involving others in prayer.

It says steps to follow and if the steps are still not resolved that whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. If two agree on earth to pray for something it will be granted them by the heavenly Father. This means to me that unresolved issues of sins against myself should not only be brought to God in prayer but in prayer in gathered together with others.

Forgiveness is an important part of the response and in other parts of the gospel Jesus teaches that it should be done seven times seventy, a very large number of times. It is much easier to love those who are good to me. It is Christian to love those who sin against me and are unkind to me. I believe that all people are children of God and no person is better than anyone whether it be a saint or sinner God loves all and calls all to be in love with one another. Whatever sin a person may commit, it is an act that all human beings are capable but for the grace of God. Seeing this, I can see the good in all also and look beyond the sin with compassion and mercy in my heart.

My heart at times grows weary but when I know that God is with me and that there are those who love me praying with me in unison and I am not alone, my strength and faith are renewed. My heart is open to all and I have no hatred or anger to anyone on this earth. This is a gift from God but also from the prayer of my fellow Christian friends who are an invaluable blessing. To love God and love one another is a guiding commandment that leads to a peace that surpasses all understanding that is given from God.