Clothe yourself with Love Col. 3:14

  Sunday 083020 the 13th after Pentecost Each one of us without knowing it, does read the Bible with our own lenses. Depending on where we are at in life, it is possible that at each reading we may see different things that we hadn’t seen before, even after reading the same passage for years. I wonder if Israelites had the same feeling when they read prophecies from years before them. Today I want to share with you my lenses, but if they don’t fit, I beg you to forgive my naivete. Lately, I have been experimenting how to marinate meat. Friends helped me to find out various methods. I chose beer. I am learning that the meat becomes tender and flavorful, in order words, the best! Sorry Vegetarians! This process of marinating caught my attention when I was thinking about Jesus words: “ If you want to follow me, take up your cross and follow me .” What did Jesus mean when he said take up your cross? I really hope that today, we can find out together. The more I thought about the

FRI Evening Prayer Reflection 082820 (Ps 17; John 7: 37-52) Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like you were pinned down? Where you could not move because circumstances have grounded you? This expression is mostly used for those at war, where they are left as sitting ducks with no way of defending themselves. Today’s scripture seems to speak to situations like that. You have nowhere to turn to, no plan B no Plan C and you realize that to get out of the situation would really take a miracle. That’s where Job was. Job’s words indicate that he felt pinned down in his experiences. Job 9:13 “ God will not turn back his anger …” or v. 34 “ If he would take his rod away from me, and not let dread of him terrify me. ” The Psalmist ‘s prayer comes as a comforting way out: “ Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings. ” Job had an intense faith in His God, whose capabilities is indisputable. Sort of like, even if you won’t save me Lord, I won

  THU Evening Reflection 082720 (John 7: 14-36) “ Anyone who does the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own .” Could this be a plumb line for us to detect the fake from the true? I know there are countless videos out there with people claiming to bring a prophetic word. I am of the opinion that we should listen, but also we should discern. Jesus does talk about this later. Jesus had decided to finally go and join everyone else at the Festival and he went straight into the Temple to preach as usual. Again, his main concern was the Kingdom of God, not the empty worldly fame that his brothers were suggesting prior to the Feast. Jesus comes in the middle of the Feast. Why the delay? It may have been because friends and enemies were looking for him at the very beginning, so now those who would listen were well disposed to listen. In my last reflection, I asked a question: “Was Jesus afraid of his fellow Jews?” Will we ever know?