May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. EPH 1:17, 18
AMOS 7:12-15
My Soul's Beloved,
Amos was rejected because he did not fit their ideas of what a prophet should be. But God called him from the fields, from shepherding his flock, and entrusted him with a mission. It was not something he particularly wanted to do as he was a shepherd, not a prophet. Yet, he was prepared to obey God's command. He was prepared to leave the comfort of all that was familiar, to give up the routine he knew which was tending the land and sheep, and he went where God asked him to. He preached and prophesied as the Holy Spirit inspired him and he was faithful to God's call even though he met with rejection. He did not give himself airs and graces he knew who he was.
Now you too, in him,
have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation,
and have believed it;
and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise,
the pledge of our inheritance
which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory praised.
MARK 6:7-13
My Soul's Beloved,
Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.
‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets, I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
Beloved, keep us attentive and sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We are prone to making excuses and convincing ourselves that we are either mistaken or ill-equipped to do as God asks. Help us to acquiesce in humility and trust You to equip us with all we need to do what You command.
PSALM 84(85):9-14
My Soul's Beloved,
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
EPHESIANS 1:3-14
From all eternity O Lord, You are. Before You laid the foundations of the earth, before all created things, You knew what You would do when You created space and time and called forth the earth, the stars, and planets, fixed the seasons and the course of the stars, and filled the earth, the seas, and the skies with all kinds of living things that would breathe and move and have their being in You.
So generous is the love between Father and Son that wanted to share this perfect love and so we were blessed to be created. Each one of us is a thought of God. Each man, woman, and child was conceived eternally in the heart and mind of God before we actually came to be born.
We were created for the Kingdom. We were created to be sons and daughters of the Most High. We were created for eternal glory. Sadly, the devil's envy robbed us of our inheritance. Yet, God did not abandon us although He would be justified if He did. He could have just annihilated us and started over or not at all for the Triune God is complete and needs nothing. Yet, He desired to become vulnerable to us, His creatures.
Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,
to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,
determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ
for his own kind purposes,
to make us praise the glory of his grace,
his free gift to us in the Beloved,
in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.
determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ
for his own kind purposes,
to make us praise the glory of his grace,
his free gift to us in the Beloved,
in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.
The Cross is the greatest sign of Redeeming Love. By Your Blood O Lord we are claimed as God's children and chosen by Him eternally for a glorious destiny. We are washed in the Blood of the Lamb and sealed by the Holy Spirit and a Way is not open for us to enter the Kingdom of God.
The Gospel has been preached to us and we have accepted the message and believe in the Good News that saves and we in turn are called to live that message in the world so its Light can draw all to the knowledge of God and the acceptance of the Word of Light and Truth.
The measure of our love for God is the measure by which we allow ourselves to be used by Him to make You known and loved. You call, You equip, You save, we are called to respond by saying, 'Here I am, Lord, I come to do Your will.' So May all who know You, Lord, respond generously to Your call and we will hasten Your Second Coming in glory.
Now you too, in him,
have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation,
and have believed it;
and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise,
the pledge of our inheritance
which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory praised.
MARK 6:7-13
My Soul's Beloved,
Most of us O Lord are obsessed with getting, buying, accumulating, heaping us on what we think we need if not today maybe tomorrow, or perhaps many, many years hence. The more we have the more we desire. It is never enough. We spend our entire lives making sure we have saved enough to live a life of ease in our old age.
Today's Gospel is a rude awakening to what You command those who wish to be Your disciples. By virtue of our baptism, we have received our mission - we are called to spread the Good News and we are not to trust our resources in fact we are asked to rely on You completely. Taking nothing with us, we are commanded to put our trust in You. You will provide. Just as the Father clothes the lilies in the field and feeds the birds in the air, so too will He provide for us when we trust Him.
We are not even to concern ourselves with those who reject You, we can safely entrust them to You and Your judgment. Our only responsibility is to be faithful.
Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.
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