Terse Verse - John 12:24

As I try to get back on schedule here after having a lot on my plate for the past couple weeks, especially now that the Monk Rock concert is over, I'm going to use a verse that I heard last night. This verse was mentioned by Tom Booth last night before he sang one of his songs, which was inspired by it, called "Slipping." And it just got me thinking, alot, during his singing last night.

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

God is calling us each and every day to die. Not necessarily die in a physical way, of course we are all going to die someday. But, God calls us to let go of something, let go of ourselves each day. Only by letting go and letting that part of ourselves die, will we provide fertile ground for God to cultivate us so that we can bear much fruit. What is it that God is calling you to let go of, which part of you do you have to let die?

Paix du Christ!

Terse Verse - 1 John 4:16

We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

If this verse sounds fairly familiar from recent events, it should. This verse is the very first line of Deus Caritas Est. As christians, we should take this verse to heart. Christians believe that God can be found in all of creation, especially the perfect creation of man. If God resides in all of us and we say that we love God, then we should only love others. However, sin exists and seduces us with jealousy, greed, etc. that makes people hate one another. If we find ourselves in that situation, then we must stop and remind ourselves, that we would be saying we hate God himself. "Whoever remains in love remains in God." Without God there is no room in one's heart for love, which only leads us to emptiness and evil. The writer in 1 John is responding to people who feel betrayed, he tells them to respond with love instead of anger. We should definitely take heed of his words when it's hard to see God's love around us.

Paix du Christ!

Terse Verse - Jeremiah 1:5

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

Yesterday was the 33rd anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision and today was the 33rd March for Life in DC. God formed and created everyone of us from the beginning, God is the only one who has the right to take that life away. Even the Constitution protects these rights. It states that all humans have inalienable (no one can take them away) rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It doesn't say only Americans, or only those outside of the womb, or only the fittest, but ALL humans. God dedicated us all to a special and unique way of life to be a prophet of God in our own way. By denying the essential right of life, the right of liberty, happiness, or the rest afforded in the amendments are meaningless; there is no right to privacy or right to choose when the right to life is taken away. Today should be a call to prayer for all in the cause for the culture of life. Take some extra time out of your day, even a few minutes to ask God's forgiveness to those who support the culture of death and to ask God to change people's hearts so that they may know Him better and protect all life, especially innocent life. I know I'll be visiting a local adoration chapel armed with a rosary.

Paix du Christ

Terse Verse - John 6:53

Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.

This verse kept appearing last week. From Paul's sidebar, to 3ABN (the Seventh Day Adventist Channel), to Catholic answers, to spots on EWTN. It just seemed to be everywhere. This verse is one of the things that makes Catholics differ from protestants. "Unless you eat the flesh...and drink his blood." Nowhere does it mention the word SYMBOL, there's nothing symbolic about it, it's all REAL. John Martignoni on EWTN Radio reminds us when Jesus says that he will give his flesh for the sins of the world that no one claims that it's a symbol, but that Jesus would actually die on the cross for the sins of the world. If he uses the same word for flesh in both of these passages, why then would one really mean flesh while the other was just a symbol? Don't forget, if you continue to read through verse 66, some find it hard to believe, leave, and don't follow Jesus anymore. Jesus doesn't run after them and apologize. He said what he meant and if people can't handle it then let them go. They aren't the ones called to him by the Father. In the bible, no where does it ever say or elude to a symbol.

Paix du Christ!

Terse Verse

Over Christmas, Zak asked me to post a short bible verse to think about kinda often. I believe his intentions were just a one-line verse (let me know if that's what you meant, Zak) which I find a bit of a challenge, but will try my best to adhere. Since it's a verse from the bible and it's short I find it only fitting to call this segment Terse Verse. So, let's begin.

Mark 1:11
And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord; therefore, the verse comes from today's Gospel reading (it was really hard to choose just one of the 5). These words are spoken by God in approval of Jesus taking up his ministry. Although, the heavans probably don't open and we may not hear a booming voice, I believe that in our spiritual selves, God says these words at our own baptism and confirmation as we take on the mantle of our own ministry, seeking to do God's will.

Paix du Christ!