This reflection was written by Mark Gates. Thank you Mark for filling in.
10/25/2025
Romans 8:1-11 Brothers and sisters: Now there is no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the ‘spirit of life’ in Christ Jesus has freed
you from the law of sin and death. For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was
powerless to do, our God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh; so that the righteous
decree of the law might be fulfilled within us! We, who live not according to the
flesh but according to the spirit.
Original sin began with a flesh and blood man, Adam. Subsequently after one
complete re-start, then a few millennia of God yearning for voluntary love and
obedience from His creation, the time had come! So, what is God supposed to do?
Should he leave us to rot in our own sin and debauchery? Should He pick one of
the ba-zillion other stars throughout the galaxies to start over? NO! God loves
US… So Much, that He decides to send His only Son as a God-given ransom for
our failures!! Flesh pays for flesh. Then, as an added bonus… God makes us aware
of, & gives us, The Holy Spirit to live IN our lives and guide us. I personally am
unspeakably humbled at the thought of all that love, for me. Thank you, Lord!!
Praise You, God!!
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is
alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your
mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Psalm 24: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face!! The
LORD’s own possession are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who
dwell in it! For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who
can ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He
whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. He
shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior.
YES, Yes, yes, wow, how wonderful and true that lovers of God yearn to see
His Face!! This is so simple and true that the entire world and everyone in it,
(especially us) belongs to God!! He will always work/direct our lives towards love,
success, and Salvation… despite ourselves.
Gospel Luke 13:1-9, Some people told Jesus about the Galileans, whose blood
Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do
you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way, they were greater
sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people, who were killed when the
tower at Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than everyone else
who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will
all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree
planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this
fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’
The servant said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also. I shall cultivate the
ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it
down.’”
This scripture reminds me of two others. First, we have JUSTIFICATION. Of
course, I’m reminded of another parable about the wealthy man -vs- the tax collector in
the temple. The wealthy man justifies himself by ‘reminding’ God that at least he’s not a
tax collector. Left-handed alms are like left-handed compliments, they’re worthless. We
wonder where the Us -vs- Them mentality came from, Hmmm.? Just because
someone else is doing something or worse, (sin), doesn’t make it o.k.! We will all be
held to judgement individually! Ignorance of the law is no defense.
Jesus is also continuing His mission and ministry more forcefully now. Jesus
hearkens back to his cousin’s own ministry, Repentance. My second reference was the
scripture regarding good trees and good fruit, also bad trees equal bad fruit. This
scripture from Luke grabbed me by the heart. For me, the orchard owner is of course
God, and the gardener is Jesus. A great many years, too many, have gone by and I
wasn’t producing ‘good fruit’. Thankfully for me, the owner has let the gardener
continue to prune me, fertilize me! May all of God’s Joy be yours, Mark “G”
A Catholic Moment BIO
I am Mark Gates, your servant. I currently live with my
wife in Peosta, Iowa and have retired. I have spent my
whole life as a God-fearing Christian, Mass Lector and
cradle Catholic. In 1996 after a Charismatic Conference,
My Spirituality ‘Exploded’. The Holy Spirit has since,
blessed me with personal revelations and events in times
of needed admonishment, teaching or encouragement.
Having a personal belief and true affection for The Real
Presence of Christ in Eucharist, and also a very sweet,
tender, and special relationship with our Holy Spirit, I
believe that our world is in dire need of Good News. I
want my spirituality to create conversations! I pray that
you allow these musings to start your own conversations.
