a reflection by: MARK GATES
Reading 1, Ezekiel 33:7-9, “Thus says the LORD: ‘You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.’ If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his sinful way, the wicked shall die for his guilt. But I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him away from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall surely die for his guilt!! But you shall save yourself.
This word from Ezekial and the next from Psalms presents us with that age-old question, “What is it that God wants me to do?” The excuse that Ezekial and our Psalmist heard directly from God, which made their following God that much easier, lands just as all excuses do, ‘flat’.
For me, yeah, been there, done that. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and on and on, was my ‘excuse’ for not paying attention. God never spoke ‘directly’ to ME.! Maturing in faith made me realize what a load of horse-hockey that was. Listening is a key, paying attention is a key, being open and willing… jingle-jangle right along with the other keys hanging from our spiritual tool belt.
I have recently been abruptly reminded of the difference between valleys, pinnacles and perseverance through attentive prayer. Mountain top times are so easy, which makes prayer just as easy. That’s okay! Good times serve as an oasis for our spiritual and physical rest and deep appreciation of our Blessed Trinity’s Love.
Hard times are by definition, self-explanatory. When I was young, I would convict God, for my perceiving of His absence during all of my trials. Well, at least I was remembering God in some way. **Negative attention is better than ‘no’ attention. My understanding of this concept, was simply, GOD (good times) and absence of God (hard times). For all of the times that I either read or heard the scripture where Jesus tells Peter straight to his face that Satan has asked to sift through the Apostles, like so much chaff in the wind… It was never made clear to me.
Satan’s presence in our world is real. Evil is real, especially when a person is weak. God’s presence is equally and more significantly real. Goodness and Eternity are real.
Our Lord speaking to us is also real, we must listen to stay strong. Google the poem “Footprints in the Sand.” This poem says it all, presence.
Psalm 95:1-9, If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts… Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
In this next reflection from St. Paul, to the Romans 13:8-10, we are gently encouraged to keep our faith and our intentions simple. **Love, Jesus is love, the commandments are love, ancient prophecies are love, martyrdom is given through love. My Lady Wisdom’s love for me draws me ever more deeply ‘in love’ with my Father and Brother.
“Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
In today’s Gospel, to me, Matthew lays out the teaching, that Jesus himself laid out, for never having or keeping grudges against our ‘brothers’. I also see this scripture as supporting the immense value of a ‘priest interceding’ in the sacrament of Reconciliation. By encouraging the involvement of witnesses and eventually the community, Christ is encouraging the reality that we do NOT walk alone. We are part of a community.
Gospel, Matthew 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 Catholic priest acts as a two way super-highway, a ferry of our needs, of God’s tender mercy and then God’s subsequent forgiveness. The Catholic priest represents the greater community in understanding and comfort. Freedom is wonderful. Cleansing forgiveness is both empowering and glorious. Please, go to Reconciliation…. ***JOY- JOY- JOY, Thank you, for being a fan. **Stayed tuned for a huge announcement in the weeks to come. Mark Gates… aka: Brother BLU, 😊
Brother BLU is a servant of God. He currently lives with his wife in Peosta, Iowa, and is retired. He was a blue-collar laborer for fifty years. He has spent his whole life as a God-fearing Christian, Mass lector, and cradle Catholic. In 1996, after a Charismatic conference, his spirituality “exploded.”
He had begun feeling anxious about wanting to be one of God’s positive influences on lives beyond his immediate family. He yearned to be more of an example, the way that teachers or camp counselors can be.
The Holy Spirit has since rocked his world. She has blessed him with personal revelations (Dreams) and events (Visions) in times of needed admonishment, teaching, or encouragement. Having a personal belief and true affection for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and a very sweet, tender, and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, he believes that the world is in dire need of good news. **BLU wants his spirituality to create conversations and prays that these musings will start meaningful conversations in your lives.
