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+In the Name…

“And some one said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’ And he said to them, ‘Strive to enter the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.’” (St. Luke 13:23-24).

The whole question of who shall be saved, or who won’t be saved, was a serious religious question in days gone by. When many people strove to keep the Christian religion, or knew that they should, there was present in many minds the question of salvation, i.e. where will I or my loved ones land up after this earthly life is over – in Heaven or in Hell?

+In the Name…

Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also” (St. Luke 12:34).

Last Sunday, we heard our Lord end “the parable of the rich fool” with the words, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
 

+In the Name…

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (St. Luke 12:20-21).

Jesus knew Himself as the Incarnate Son of God to be a teacher, preacher, and healer.  That triune vocation was His sole purpose and focus until the time came for Him to go to the Cross, in obedience to His Father’s will for the salvation of the world.

+In the Name…

Jesus said to Mary, “…one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken from her” (St. Luke 10:42).

We know from the Gospels according to St. Luke and St. John that our Lord had a special relationship with Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus of Bethany. They were His disciples and His friends. He was a given warm welcome in their home, and there He received hospitality.

+In the Name…

Jesus said, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (St. Luke 10:20).

You will remember that on the night before our Lord was crucified, He did so many things in the Upper Room. He gave the Apostles the new commandment. He washed their feet as an example of servanthood. He instituted the Eucharist. He established the priesthood of the New Covenant for the Church. He prepared the Apostles for the ministry they would assume from Pentecost onwards. At the very end of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we hear Jesus say before He ascends into Heaven, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (28:18-20).
 

+In the Name…

“…but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem” (St. Luke 9:53).

There was great antipathy between the Jews and the Samaritans, largely because the Samaritans were regarded as “half-breeds;” because after Sargon, King of Assyria, had conquered Samaria in the early eighth century, carrying away 27, 000 away into captivity, many of the remaining Israelites intermarried with their foreign captors and adopted much of their pagan religious practices and loyalties.

+In the Name…

Jesus said, “Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little” (St. Luke 7:47).

We know, that on the whole, the Pharisees, who were the prominent and preeminent Jewish religious group in Jerusalem and its surrounding territory, were very much in conflict with Jesus. He was a threat and challenge to their religious authority, and their place in society.

+In the Name…

“…he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” (John 6: 54-55).

Here at Good Shepherd, our liturgical life as a Christian community is rooted in the Eucharist and is dictated by the Church Kalendar. At the same time, the particular style, format, and content of the Mass on Sundays expresses itself one way during the “academic year” and in another way during the summer months.

+In the Name…

Jesus said, “All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:15).

Well, we once again have survived the recitation of the Creed of St. Athanasius! We did well in staying together and focused, with its rather technical and repetitive way of asserting what the Church states about the Holy Trinity - knowing that it we can never adequately explain or penetrate the great mystery of God as One, yet three Persons.

+In the Name…

“And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting (Acts 2:2).

The Season of Easter ends today. This is the last time for another year that you and I will exchange the Easter acclamation, “Alleluia. Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen indeed. Alleluia.” But you and I know that whether we state it or not, Christ IS Risen. He is alive. He has defeated the grip of sin and death, and He reigns as the Head of the Church.