This Week's Blog: ... Summer vs. Fall
Some things never change…
Like School and Dry Weather
Remember the Peter, Paul & Mary song: “They’re rioting in Africa, revolting in Brazil, etc. …and Texas needs rain.” On the Internet this morning, the President is in New Orleans for the 5th anniversary of Katrina. And below that we read, “1000’s evacuated as Indonesia volcano erupts”; “Earl becomes a Category 1 hurricane in Atlantic”; Brush fires keep firefighters busy” …and, O yes, “Texas needs rain!” “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Folks around here did get a first cutting of hay, and lucky ones have a second cut in the making, but San Antonio (our “weather report city”) has not had as much as one inch of rain all this month. Our cows still have plenty of grazing though, even if it’s not as good as before. The pasture menu is good enough at least to keep our visiting deer – subject of our blog two weeks ago – from roaming off our Peach Creek farm.
“Sunny,” our resident fifth grader, didn’t really cry too hard when school reopened last Monday, August 24th. Particularly since, if she can work extra hard on Wednesday’s homework, she can continue her horse riding lessons that she began in Waelder, three weeks ago. Getting on a horse has been a dream of hers since she was a tyke, and the Lord finally made that happen with a simple inquiry at Richter Farm & Ranch in Waelder. One of their customers just happened to be an experienced trainer.
Nell McClinton of McMahon, Texas, is no dude-ranch horse lady either. She brings her mare with her to Richters’ Wednesdays, not just to teach Sunny, but to work cattle here in Gonzales County. We are most grateful for her skill, craftsmanship and personal care, helping our 10-year-old Yesenia fulfill an old dream. – Brother Caedfile
Nell McClinton
Teaching Sunny to Ride
Note: Our daily-reading reflections are made from the readings of each day's liturgy, as posted at Today's Readings. Doubleclick on the day's calendar date and the readings will appear. Since moving from an E-mail to a Web Posting of these commentaries, we do not hear from as many of you as of old. We are posting our E-mail address here. So if you have a reaction, whatever it might be, we invite you as always, send email to John of SBF . Blessings to all. John
August Update: In this week's daily readings we begin our journey both through Paul's Letters to the Corinthians and the Gospel of Luke. We continue for one more week posting “Annie’s witness,” the Christian testimony of a very good friend. Annie, who is employed by the Waelder, (Texas) Police Department, is an active member of St. Paul Baptist Church in Waelder. Her late husband at one time was pastor of St. Paul’s, and at the time of his death several years ago, was pastoring a Baptist church in nearby Smithville. Following her husband's death, Annie got herself trained to be able to run the local Head Start program, the Federal Government’s version of pre-school. We continue to thank God for those of you who occasionally give us feedback for what is said on this page. God bless and keep you all. You in turn, keep us in Prayer.
“Take with you words, and return to the Lord."
Hosea 14:3
Monday, Aug. 30: Paul’s Careful Resolve
1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 119; Luke 4:16-20: It’s simply amazing, if you stop a minute to think about it. The once proud Saul the Pharisee comes to the fledgling community of Christ he gave birth to at Corinth, not as a super-Apostle, but “in weakness and fear and much trembling.” Why? He had been educated in the Hebrew Scriptures at the feet of the Master, the renowned Pharisee, Gamaliel. And after a dramatic encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, he was converted, and later, “taken up into the third heaven, where he heard ineffable things, which no one may utter.” (2 Cor 12:2-4) What is it then that leads this humble preacher of ‘the mystery of God’ to put himself down so in the eyes of the Corinthians?
All Paul’s learning and eloquence, it seems, have been humbled by the power of the Cross! Asking them to think back, Paul recalls: “When I came to you brothers, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Yet, somehow this humiliated Apostle – brought low maybe because of his past record of persecuting Christians – preaches ‘the mystery of God’ “with a demonstration of spirit and power.” He is content to be seen himself as someone “full of weakness, fear and trembling,” as long as the Corinthians will hear his message of the Cross “in spirit and power.” Noble Paul! He does this, not to put himself forward, but to bring forth Christ in the heart of the Corinthians. He is content to be seen himself as ‘weak, fearful and trembling,’ so that their faith might rest – “not on human wisdom – but on the power of God.” How about ourselves? If my faith rests anywhere else, I doom myself to sorrow and disappointment!
Tuesday, Aug. 31: ‘Astonishing’ Authority
1 Corinthians 2:10b-16; Psalm 145; Luke 4:31-37: In today’s gospel, Luke writes, “Jesus taught them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority.” What has astonished me over the years, however, is the humility of Jesus, as he attributes the authority he has back to the Father. Again and again in John’s Gospel we hear Jesus say something like this: “My teaching is not my own, but is from the one who sent me.” (John 7:16) Before the Lord ascended into heaven, Matthew informs us Jesus indeed not only possessed the astonishing authority of the Father, but passed it on to his Church! He directed his Apostles: “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 behold I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus also made this astonishing promise to the disciples before ascending to the Father: “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” (John 14:26) In today’s first reading, Paul preaches the astonishing consequence of this promise of Jesus’: Describing how that Spirit functions in the Church, Paul concludes, “But we have the mind of Christ.” And when the Church speaks from that ‘mens ecclesiae’ (Latin - ‘Mind of the Church’), surely she too speaks with an astonishing authority. Normally, when Catholics speak of infallibility they are thinking of those rare occasions when the pope speaks ex cathedra, “from the Chair” of Peter. It might surprise you to know the charism is also applicable to the faithful themselves, making us bold to say: “What has been believed by all Christians, always and everywhere, is most assuredly true.” In my mind, this thought should impel the Church in all its historical manifestations to heal its open wounds. When we are truly all “one in Christ,” I think, then, the Authority with which we speak will once again “astonish” the world.
Wednesday, Sept. 1: ‘I must proclaim’
1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Psalm 33; Luke 4:38-44: Asking ourselves, “What am I doing here on this earth? To what work has God called me?” In today’s gospel, we see both Jesus’ major and minor “callings.” The gospel opens with him entering Peter’s house. Immediately those present intercede with him on behalf of Peter’s mother-in-law. The physician Luke tells us “she was afflicted with a severe fever.” Standing over the sick woman, the Master rebukes the fever, “and it left her.” “She got up immediately,” Luke records, “and waited on them.” Only her illness could keep this woman from the work to which God had called her.
Word about this cure must have gotten around, because by sunset, neighbors were bringing their sick and possessed to the front door of the house. Luke writes, “He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.” Perhaps fearing more of the same, early the next morning, Jesus steals off by himself to a deserted place. The people find him all the same and were doing their best to keep their wonder worker with them. Then Jesus said in no uncertain terms: “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” If Jesus were here today, he would not be the CEO of Red Cross. Healing other humans was part of his calling, insofar as it served his larger vocation of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Note this gospel reading begins with the Messiah leaving a synagogue, and ends with the news: “And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” Elsewhere, Jesus defines his major calling even sharper: “I was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This was Jesus’ answer to the Canaanite mother seeking help for her Gentile daughter. The woman’s faithful persistence “changed” Jesus’ mind, but it did not alter his calling: He would leave it to the Apostles to carry the Good News out from Israel. May each of us see our calling from God with equal clarity.
Thursday, Sept. 2: ‘Duc in Altum’
1 Corinthians 3:18-23; Psalm 24; Luke 5:1-11: ‘Duc in Altum,’ the Episcopal motto of Paul Coakley, Bishop of Salina, Kansas, it means, “Put out into the deep.” A phrase to ‘take with us today,’ it was also a favorite of the late Pope John Paul II. Peter heard it first, as we read in today’s gospel. Finishing his teaching to people on the shore, Jesus instructs Peter: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” Peter responds. He did, and the great catch of fish filled both boats, “so that they were in danger of sinking.” The miracle had its intended effect. When the boats reached shore, Peter, James and John “left everything and followed” Jesus.
At the conclusion of his public ministry - fresh from the Cross and Resurrection - Jesus once again asks Peter & the 12, “Put out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch.” Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mat 28:19-20) It did not take long for the Twelve to act. On the morning of Pentecost, Peter lowered his nets with a stirring sermon on the Kingdom. Luke writes: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3,000 persons were added that day.” (Acts 2:41) The Apostolic Church again “put out into the deep” as it undertook its mission to the Gentiles. Separate visions put the Roman Centurion Cornelius and Peter together, resulting in the baptism of Cornelius’ entire household. (Acts 10) Today, as our Youth swim in a circus of secularism, we again have the challenge, “Put out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch.” This is our calling, our challenge and our responsibility. Let us accept it readily.
Friday, Sept. 3: ‘Fresh Wineskins’
1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Psalm 37; Luke 5:33-39: Today’s text to “take with us” is from our gospel: “Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.” All three synoptic gospels record this ‘new / old wine’ passage. It has long intrigued me. We must make something of it, yet be careful not to say or think too much. It seems to me we are safe to say the ‘new wine’ represents the Gospel preached by Jesus, while ‘old wineskins’ represent fidelity to the Mosaic Law and its Culture. Looking at the context of this gospel passage seems to support this conclusion. Right before the wineskins’ passage, Jesus calls the tax collector Levi to be his follower, who in turn, invites Jesus and his disciples to a banquet; other tax collectors are present. The Pharisees and their scribes immediately ask Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” In that culture, the “unclean” are to be scrupulously shunned. In the account that follows our ‘wineskin’ passage, the Pharisees ask Jesus why his disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. They had been walking through a field of grain, picking and rubbing the heads between their hands, and eating them. Jesus’ answer, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Paul the Apostle describes the condition of the Gentiles before they accepted ‘the new wine” of the Gospel. “You were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:12-13) Paul goes on to say Jesus “broke down the dividing wall of enmity (the Law), through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims.” The Cross “puts that enmity (the Law) to death,” making it possible for faithful Gentile and Jew alike “to have access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Eph2:16-18) The Cross represents perfect fidelity to and complete Trust in the promise of the Father. The ‘new wine’ of this Cross is more pleasing to God than keeping a specific code of conduct, no matter how complicated. May each of us who claim the name of Jesus Christ “take up our cross and follow him” to glory. Amen.
The Love of Christ
Pushes Her
By Sister Annie of St. Paul's
I’m glad I belong to Jesus Christ because I know he died on Calvary, on the Cross for me.
Jesus dies and rises in me. He lives in me, and so he teaches me how to be kind. He shows me what needs to be done and helps me know what to say to those in need. Just as the prophet wrote about him, “The Lord has given me a well trained tongue that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” – Isaiah 50:4.
What got me into following Christ...From as early on as I can remember, my parents were church goers. Sunday School, ACE (Allen Christian Endeavor League), BTU (Baptist Training Union) were all important parts of my upbringing as a child.
After my late husband began his ministry, I found more was expected of me both from my husband and from the church members. Learning when to talk and when to be silent was a challenge for me.
I praise and thank God for helping me go through my husband’s illness and passing ….also for helping me go back to school to become accredited, and then to work as a child-care professional.
What keeps me going in the Christian way of life...
As it is written in the Psalms, “The Lord upholds my life.” After being a really shy Christian for so many years, I now hold many offices and positions at my present church.
The ongoing mission of the Church is what makes life interesting. Looking out for what needs doing and finding the time and energy to do it is an everyday job.
Like St. Paul, the namesake of our church, teaches: “The love of Christ presses us onward.” The Church’s work is never done.
Editors Note: Annie is faithful to attendance to Sunday Services at St. Pauls. She sings in the choir and helps out there in many ways.
Pancho, the Talking Donkey, says: Come back soon, ya hear!
Pancho
In honor of the PBS Detective of yesteryear, Brother Cadfael (say 'CAD-file'), we have adopted his persona for our blogs. Brother Cadfael also reminds me of my very favorite monk of yesteryear -- the Venerable Bede (672-735). Fr. Bede loved to study, teach and write about the word of God. He was a celebrated historian; his book on the Church in England is still being read and studied. He was interested in the natural sciences. This humble monk never travelled very far from his Northumbrian, England Monasteries of Sts. Peter and Paul.
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