2605AFC013026 – WWJnD (and the Bee-Attitudes) ← PODCAST LINK 😀

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Zephaniah 2:3 –
³ Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    who do his commands;
seek righteousness, seek humility;
    perhaps you may be hidden
    on the day of the Lord’s wrath.

Psalm 146:5-6 –
⁵ Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God,
⁶ who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (GNT) [1] ³⁰ But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God’s holy people and are set free. ³¹ So then, as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.”

Matthew 5:6 – ⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and Peace to each of you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus the Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. We are already in the 4^th week in Ordinary Time. This week I would like to look at some recommendations about walking with Christ. How much time do we devote to actually being with Jesus every day? Time is the only resource that is equally accessible to everyone. My late friend Joann Hauler used to say, “We all get the same suitcase. How we pack is what makes the difference.” There are 168 hours in a week. If we suppose that it takes 30 minutes to get dressed and go to church, an hour in church, and 30 minutes to get back home, that’s two hours a week given to God. Two divided by 168 = 1.2% of a week. That’s a pretty small tithe! A true and willing tithe – 10% – would be about 17 hours a week. Seventeen divided by 7 = 2.4 hours per day. Not many of us are able (or willing!) to arrange our lives to put in that much time daily. Still, how can we follow The Apostle Paul’s teaching to “pray without ceasing?” Well, one way is to make our whole day a prayer as described in 2221AFC052722 – Make me an offer(ing)

Why do we choose to spend so little time with our Creator with our Savior with our blessed Lord? The longer I think about it the more I believe it comes down to one simple word: attitude. The Apostle Paul told us in Philippians 2:5 – ⁵ The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: This brings to mind something from the 80’s,

What Would Jesus Do?

Talk about a loaded question! It seems that in our lives it boils down to something more like, “What would Jesus NOT do?” (WWJnD?) He probably wouldn’t do a lot of the things that churn up our consciences. Maybe that is what should churn up our consciences! I envision that idea of conscience as “that little old man in the back-right corner of my brain.” If he is a pest at times it is only because I am so often a fool at times, and either argue with him or ignore him. That pretty much always turns out to be a mistake. As St. Paul rightly pointed out so many times, it comes down to attitude.

There’s a word I’ve always had trouble with in my personal and public life. “Drop the attitude!” I certainly heard that often while growing up in Denver. Think of “attitude” and the outcome of a judgment of someone or something (most noun-forms would fit here – person, place, animal, thing, or idea) a judgment that is rife with emotion. It can be a positive or negative thing. “He’s got a great attitude!” “You’ve got a really bad attitude young man!” A friend who performed comedy often says, “He’s suffering from a bad altitude.” While obviously a punny malaprop, it really gets at the core idea of attitude in a very graphic way. Turn on that movie screen inside the front of your forehead and imagine a biplane headed cross-country. With a good altitude, the pilot (that little guy I mentioned) can clear most obstacles easily. With a bad altitude, everything from the chicken coop to the mountains can end up in a catastrophic crash.

We can ask ourselves “What sort of attitude must I have to make my life more like the attitude of Jesus? Well, first we could look at what that means. The Apostle Paul consistently tells us that we need to model our lives in the image and form of the life of Christ. There is an interesting preposition in this passage of Philippians 2:5 (above) that conveyed that quite clearly to the Philippians – and to us if we are attentive: also in Christ Jesus. The conjunction – also – in Greek is kai, and another way to read it in this passage is “indeed” or “even.” The preposition used there is έν [en]. The connotation is of something that is permanently and naturally (uncontrived) unchanging in place, time, or condition, something that is an integral part of the location or entity. Jesus’ attitude of love, ἀγάπη, was and is a permanent, natural, integral aspect of Jesus as Lord.

That’s the kind of LOVE Paul is reminding us Jesus commanded us to cultivate and share.

To me the verse, “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus” now comes out as “Ensure that your disposition toward all things is identical to the predominant and fundamental disposition of Christ: Perfectly modest, humble, and unselfish and utterly consecrated to the service of God and one another.” Paul has an uncanny way of packing 10 pounds of meaning into a 3-pound jar!

NOW, how does our attitude stack up with that? The Apostle Paul tells us Christ required, and submitted to, humility before all other things. It took humility to obey. It took humility to empty himself and become an earthling. It took humility to direct his life and our hearts to God. It took humility to lay down his Life as an Act of Love. It takes Love to be humble. “Be Humble Like Jesus.” B.H.L.J. I guess if I really want to do that, I should stop imagining T-shirts and bumper-stickers with that printed in big, bold letters.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:1 – (GNT) ¹ I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong  (↔ Click Link) or a clanging bell. Using the same transformative imagery here, that could be imagery in 1st Corinthians and transposing it here: “You should be a symphony of loving kindness rather than the loud noise of selfish conceits.” My life should ring like a crystal bell; instead it sounds like an empty garbage can kicked down a very long staircase. Our attitude cannot, must not, be an attitude of self-aggrandization.

Something like that would look like the sound of a dozen trash cans being kicked down the stair. Maybe it would be better to just listen to that little old guy in the back of my head, zip my lip, and light up my heart so I can clearly see all the things I do that Jesus wouldn’t do. What did he tell us to do?

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Not power, not fame, not money, not carnal desires; RIGHTEOUSNESS. Do the right thing. Do right things better and better things right. Where do we start? ³ Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the Lord’s wrath. Seek him? Where? Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob. We find God in the company of the Peoples who are blessed by God, in the community of the People of F.A.I.T.H. When? When we gather together (↔ Music Link)? Because why? Because we are created in the likeness and image of God, and God is COMMUNITY. How can we know that?

Simple: the very second we start walking with him, we are in his community, just the two of us, “and where two or more are gathered … .” Are we then united with him?But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God’s holy people and are set free. Free from … ? All that the World has to offer. Now, that is something to boast about! But not by us because it is God who has done all that we need to find a great ALTITUDE – a Heavenly Altitude. So then, as the scripture says, “Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.”

Where does Scripture say that? Right here: Jeremiah 9:23-24 – (GNT)
²³ The Lord says,

“The wise should not boast of their wisdom,
    nor the strong of their strength,
    nor the rich of their wealth.
²⁴ If any want to boast,
    they should boast that they know and understand me,
because my love is constant,
    and I do what is just and right.
These are the things that please me.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”

There we go! We have God’s Word on it! Our Love must also be constant, we must also do what is just and right (Micah 6:8 – again! Lots of good resources there.). And if we learn to be just, merciful, humble, and make our entire day an offering of Praise, Adoration, and Thanksgiving? What then? Well, that “tithe” of our Time jumps up well beyond 1.2%; however, that’s still nothing to brag about, because it is only a portion – perhaps even a  just portion – of all that we are, and all that we have, but Jesus paid it all. (↔ Music Link) I want to be like Jesus so I want to be a Christian In My Heart. (↔ Music Link) How about you? well, here are some suggestions from the Bee-Attitude Hive:
Bee kind always.

We are called human beings, not human doings. Click these links ~~

• So in happy moments, be praising God.
• In difficult moments, be seeking God.
• In quiet moments, be worshiping God.
• In painful moments, be trusting of God.
• In every moment, be thanking God. (← Don’t miss this one to read OUT LOUD )
• Use the Bee-Attitudes every day!
• “BEE”-attitudes
• Bee wise Proverbs 8:33
• Bee strong Ephesians 6:10
• Bee glad Psalm 32:11
• Bee merciful Luke 6:36
• Bee content Hebrews 13:5
• Bee courteous 1 Peter 3:8
• Bee faithful Revelation 2:10
• Bee kind Ephesians 4:32
• Bee thankful Psalm 100:4
• Bee at Peace Philippians 4:6-7
• Bee Reverent Proverbs 9:10
• BHLJ OK (← Check it out!)

For those of you who are reading this online, there is a special addon after the photo at the end of this section. It will help us to remember things we should do because Jesus would do them. WWJnD? Anything that does not arise out of humble Love – and he never bragged about that. He just did it. WE can knuckle down, buckle up, and give it our best shot. If we give what we’ve got, we’ve got enough to give. Aim correctly, shoot straight.

STAY ON TARGET!

Ad astra per aspera cum spe!!!

Sow the seeds God gave you,
not your “wild oats” from that other guy.

          Today I will:

1. Pay Attention.
2. Listen.
3. Be Open-Minded.
4. Not Gossip.
5. Speak Quietly.
6. Show Respect.
7. Be Agreeable When Suitable.
8. Apologize Appropriately.
9. Give Constructive Criticism.
10. Take Responsibility For My Actions.
11. Do right things better and better things right.
12. Above all, be honest. Integrity is not for sale.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!

Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

2604AFC12326 – The Light at the Middle of the Tunnel ← PODCAST LINK 😀

Read it online here, please. Reading it online allows the email version to reach many more subscribers. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post.
Do you know someone who enjoys Bible study, or who might like to read this? Please forward this to them and ask them also to share it to others.

Isaiah 9:1^a,b-2^a (GNT) [1] – ^a There will be no way for them to escape from this time of trouble. ^1b The land of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali was once disgraced, but the future will bring honor to this region […]

^{2a 2} The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light.

Psalm 27:1 – (GNT)
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    I will fear no one.
The Lord protects me from all danger;
    I will never be afraid.

1 Corinthians 1:10 – (GNT) ¹⁰ By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my friends, to agree in what you say, so that there will be no divisions among you. Be completely united, with only one thought and one purpose.

Matthew 4:12-13 – (GNT) ¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went away to Galilee. ¹³ He did not stay in Nazareth, but went to live in Capernaum, a town by Lake Galilee, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.  

ʻŌmea ~~ May the God of Peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Here we are already at the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. As always, there is some really good stuff in our readings for this weekend so let’s begin with that Key Verse from the Gospel. We see that Jesus has left Nazareth and relocated to Capernaum in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. What, or who, or where is that? Let’s begin with the “who” part of that.

Zebulun was the sixth son of Leah and the tenth son of Jacob. His name means “to dwell,” because Leah hoped he would stick around and live near to her. Zebulun’s descendants settled in the norther portions of the Promised Land between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Galilee – after the earlier inhabitants had been subdued (but not eliminated as God had commanded). They were unable to drive out the tribes of Canaan from their territory, and that became a serious omission and costly problem later on. The territory they were allotted was in upper Galilee, a desirable area of low, rolling hills, fertile land, and a major trade route between Galilee and the Mediterranean. They eventually became entrepreneurial seafaring people who organized and operated trade routes on land and sea.

Naphtali was the 6^th son of Jacob and the 2^nd child of Bilhah (she was the servant of Rachael, Leah’s sister). Rachael named him Naphtali – which means “my struggle” – because she felt his birth gave her better leverage (against Leah) with Jacob’s complex family. They also settled near the sea of Galilee and became known as military strategists and warriors who later fought in the services of Barak and Deborah – two of the excellent military leaders described in the Book of Judges. Nonetheless, like Zebulun, they were unable to drive the Canaanites out of their birthright territory. Naphtali is a region of rocky hills and rugged mountains, and that affected the areas where people chose to settle and to defend in war. I’ve set a map below to give you a little bit of an idea how this was all laid out geographically. Each of these three maps goes from Tyre to Gaza; the one on the right is a NASA image of that area.

Next up: Why those names and places are important.

The walk from Nazareth to Capernaum was about 40 miles. On the center map, you can see Nazareth about due-west of the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is on the North end of the Sea of Galilee.

In our Old Testament Key Verse, we learn that those tribes and the territories they controlled were once smashed by the invading Assyrians; but the Lord promises that from those ruins near “Galilee of the gentiles” would arise a King who would drive away that darkness and desolation with Magnificent Light thereby restoring Justice and Peace. Jesus didn’t get up one morning and say, “Mom, let’s move over to Capernaum. It’s going to be better for your health and I can set up a shop there.” No. This was a strategic move to fulfill a Prophecy, the very prophecy we’ve been studying in the Book of Isaiah.

Here, then, is the power of these images. Naphtali and Zebulun were wealthy, powerful tribal areas in the middle of very fertile land which hosted several trade routes. After the Assyrians came in and wrecked all that, they backed off, left a mess, decided not to try to capture Jerusalem, and demanded tribute from everyone they defeated. They were a right nasty bunch, they were! Their war crimes – as we would call them today – were brutal. Flaying, decapitations, impaling, torture by the most cruel means, terror, gouged out eyes and tongues and genitalia. Enough. They were bad, alright, but later conquerors in that same region would be worse (Babylonia for example). That was a very, very dark time for the Nations of Israel and Judah. The promise of a conquering King, a Messiah (remember, that means “anointed one?”) was a Light in and of itself. It took a while though – like about 750 years +/- 60. Nonetheless, Tradition kept that Hope alive, and Tradition came to Reality when Jesus started his ministry with the words from Matthew 4:17 – (GNT) ¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach his message: “Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near!” or as the Apostle Mark put it “Repent and believe the Gospel!” (See Mark 1:15)

Knowing all this is, for us, a peek into the mind and heart of the Psalmist, King David himself in this instance. Psalm 27 is one of about 9 different “Psalms of Confidence.” For example, in verse 3 he states that even if entire armies encamp around him, he will not fear because God is near and he trusts in God. In verse 13 he says, I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord // in the land of the living. He says, ”I trust God” and backs that up with “I believe God.”

The Land of the Living” is an “nickname” for the Temple in Jerusalem where believers could enter into the Worship of The Presence of God. Whenever I hear that phrase, “in the land of the living,” I feel the Hope my soul holds for God’s gifts a.k.a. charisms χάρισμα (khárisma) – the Grace of the Holy Spirit and the abilities that come with His indwelling – and blessings – μακάριος (makarios) – extraordinary blessings from God which create and/or amplify our charisms – sort of like The Apostle Paul’s Grace that is sufficient, or as in John 1:16 (GNT) – ¹⁶ Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. Other translations read :Grace upon Grace.

That is an apt description of the repeated, progressive, cumulative increases in well-being which comes to Believers who completely Trust the Lord, who live by the adage “Trust and Obey.” (↔ Music Link) I had to use that music link, even though I use it often, because I hope you will take pause, and meditate on the lyrics as they appear in the recycled electrons on your screen. Now I would like to return to the first phrase of our Old Testament Key Verse, There will be no way for them to escape from this time of trouble.

What does that mean?

Well, it’s pretty obvious, yes? I encourage you to take some time this week and read chapters 8-10 of the Book of Isaiah. You will hear how the Lord used the Assyrians as a club to break away the idolatrous lives of Israel and Judah. In this verse (It’s Isaiah 8:23 in the Hebrew texts) God is essentially saying, “You asked for it, and now you’re going to get it.” What is “it?” Correction. They would feel what it’s like to deal with God’s wrath and the punishment for their obstinate refusal to Love, Trust, and Obey. There’s kind of a cycle like that. I see it like this:

• God Loves us and we acknowledge and return that Love. (↔ Music Link) 
• Because of our shared Love we begin to trust God
• When we trust God we discover that we have hope in God
• When we have hope we find it easier to obey God
• Once we begin to obey God we want to serve God
• As we serve God we begin to believe in God
• When we believe in God we begin to worship God
• As we worship God we commune with God
• Our communion with God helps us to thank God
• As we thank God we then know why we love God

Now then, why is this essay called the light in the middle of the tunnel? Well some time ago I wrote about The Light at the Beginning of the Tunnel (← Check it out! In 2401AFC010524) We all know we’re not supposed to look for the Light at the end of the tunnel. That’s the World’s view of it anyway. Those of us who know and Love God know that we have the fulfilling of a promise and the continuation of a blessing: The Light of the World is Jesus. (↔ Music Link) and Jesus is right in the middle of everything for us, Belovéd, so let us head for the light! – yep, that one at the End of the Tunnel – because that is where Eternal Light dwells. What does not dwell there is flesh and the sin that goes with it. “In the flesh” means “In the World,” and that is not our destination! We cannot possibly imagine what that will be like.

We do try to imagine it though. Angels wearing long white robes play harps while riding clouds. St. Peter at the Gate. Streets of gold, meeting our friends and relatives and all the holy men and women who preceded us. We imagine these loved ones as they appeared in the flesh. We think of them walking around in beautiful gardens conversing amiably about anything and everything. They greet and embrace one another even though they have no bodies.

That’s right. They are spirits. They do not have a resurrection body yet. So what do spirits look like and can they really distinguish the differences between this man and that woman? No matter what you think, the answer is: We can only guess until we see it ourselves. Contemplating the gaining of that knowledge is wonderful! Actually gaining it seems to terrify most of us because it is something you learn only after your body dies. The price of admission to the afterlife is quite simply everything you’ve got because you can’t take it with you. We all know that. We all know life in Heaven is … well, heavenly. But we don’t want to get there (most of us anyway) any sooner than we have to … until our number is up. But what will that be like?

As I prepared for this post over the past week, I was led to a passage about the resurrection body. You can read about that here: The Resurrection Body – 1 Corinthians 15:35-56. It’s pretty fascinating reading. It’s clear that until that Day of Resurrection, God has us scheduled for Life in The Spirit because he won’t be ready yet to speak the Miracle of Resurrection and the Glorious Splendor of Light hat IS GOD. I can’t tell you what that’s like; I haven’t been there yet, although I’ve been to the edge of the Light at the end of the tunnel a few times. Now we know because we know we Love God and we Trust and Obey him because – in Love – he gave us the Light of the World, Jesus, and Jesus is here with us right now, right in the middle of the tunnel. Now that we know, it’s time to go!

Before I go, though, I want to ask you to pray with me for the dying friends we know, that God will give them Peace as they move resolutely toward death. Pray also for families shattered by poverty, or drugs, or war, or even something as simple as bad judgment. And pray for your clergy! Thank God for them and ask God to strengthen them. The Ruler of This World is making hell on earth for billions of people. Be part of the shield that deflects his fiery arrows! Pray also for those who are willingly disobeying the Law – God’s Law and Civil Law – that they will recognize the Love of God and learn to Trust and Obey both. We can help them best by showing them something else Jesus taught us.

Matthew 5:14-16 – ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  

I will not fear, for
The Lord is near!
I will not grieve, for
In HIM I believe!

Psalm 37:3-4 – (GNT)
³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
    live in the land and be safe.
⁴ Seek your happiness in the Lord,
    and he will give you your heart’s desire.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

[1] Passages marked (GNT): Good News Translation (GNT) are from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

2601AFC010226 – A Star for the Ages ← PODCAST LINK 😀

Read it online here, please. Reading it online allows the email version to reach many more subscribers. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. And please, when you visit there, use one of the
Do you know someone who enjoys Bible study, or who might like to read this? Please forward this to them and ask them also to share it to others. /

Isaiah 60:1 –
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Psalm 72:11 –
¹¹ All kings will bow down before him;
    all nations will serve him.

Ephesians 3:5-6 – ⁵ In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶ that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Matthew 2:10-11 – ¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.  I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Christmas is nearly over, but let us remain festive just a little longer so we can enjoy the brilliancy of the celebration of The Epiphany of the Lord – Lectionary: 20 January 4, 2026, MBN Index #2601AFC010226! Back in the “olden days,” – and still in some cultures today – The Epiphany was the day when gifts were exchanged and the joy-filled holiday season came to an end. Some folks take down their Christmas decorations on January 6^th, Epiphany, the traditional date celebrated in Western traditions as it is the Twelfth Day of Christmas. In the US of A, it is moved to the first Sunday after January 1, therefore January 4, 2026. For the second time in just over a month we wish you all a Happy New Year. (Remember the first time we said it was on the First Sunday of Advent at the beginning of the New Liturgical Year – Cycle A – for the Church.) It is also called Three Kings Day because it features the story of the brilliant star that led the Magi to the location of Jesus. So what does that say now about the celebration of Epiphany?

Most of us know that it didn’t happen in the same way we see the “manger scene” set up during the holiday season. In the Scriptures, the “Three Wise Men” or the Three Kings, were not at the stable where the shepherds, who had been sent to the stable by choirs of Angels, first found the “babe, lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes.” Why am I putting all these terms in quotes? Again, most of us know that the Magi were sorcerers – Magos = Magician or Astrologer in Greek – who were of an Iranian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. Scripture does not say for certain that there were three such visitors, but we imagine there were three because of the three gifts. They were possibly Magians (mä-GEE-uns) – a tribe in the Kingdom of Media (meh-DEE-uh) around 678–549 BC, later part of the Achaemenid Empire begun by Cyrus the Great. Some scholars posit they were priests of Ahura Mazda and would have been familiar with Zoroaster’s prophecies of a Savior. And right there is a signpost pointing to the Absolutely Perfect Plan.

In God’s Absolutely Perfect Plan, his APP, Jews and Gentiles would all be united in worshipping God because the APP was centered around the coming of a Savior who would be the Divine Ruler for all Peoples and Nations. Could there possibly be any better way to introduce Gentiles into the story of Salvation? Here we have three Pagan Priests coming to worship the Child who is the Son of God. These three Pagan Priests bring the Child gifts that are symbolic of his future and also that will be useful for living out his mission in I. The gold gave Jesus and his family finances that would help them during their stay in Egypt. The Frankincense was a commodity that could be sold or used in household worship of God while in a foreign land. There is a pious tradition that Mary saved some of the myrrh for Jesus’ burial once she began to understand how his life’s meaning would develop as the true Lamb of God. That’s probably just speculation, but it’s a nice story as well.

In our first Key Verse for today The Prophet tells Jerusalem to wake up and shine brightly because a Savior is coming. This beautiful, tender poetry is very revealing about the Absolutely Perfect Plan as the glory of the Lord shines over Jerusalem. All the rest of the world is in darkness but Jerusalem shines because a new Light will come. Jesus, who is later revealed as the Light of the World, will be coming to Jerusalem, but not until the end of his life. The prophecies of the Messiah have to be fulfilled in the order that God commands. The first is that the child shall be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. Bethlehem means House of (i.e., family of) Bread, and Ephrathah denotes a place of fruitfulness. It was a small town near Bethel (House of God), and the probable location where Rachel died and was buried. It was also the hometown of Jesse, the father of David. It was an insignificant little place – perfect for the birth of the King of the Universe. How could that be? Check the Users’ Manual for your APP. Read Ruth 4:11 and Micah 5:2.

The selection for today’s Key Verse from the Psalms states that all kings of all nations Pay him homage and render him service. Here again we have a description of all the nations of the world united together in honoring the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Every time I think of that FACT, I am struck by how wonderfully God so frequently chooses the second one, the weakest one, the smallest one, the least expected one, to be the Greatest One. That’s a remarkable plan isn’t it? It is contradictory to everything we earthlings want. We want power, and show, and classiness. The Lord gives the Entire World instead a cute little Jewish baby wrapped up in strips of cloth and placed in a feeding trough in a stable somewhere in Bethlehem – the house of bread – who will grow up, and declare himself to be the Living Bread sent down from Heaven. Like they say on TV, “You can’t make this stuff up even in a movie script.” Nonetheless the King of kings and Lord of Lords comes to us as a helpless baby born to a poor family who traveled around 75 miles – mostly uphill – from Nazareth (See Luke 2:4) to a tiny town just about 6-7 miles from Jerusalem. Perhaps they, too, saw the brilliant star that had been shining for weeks up in the sky.

The star was shining that afternoon when they entered Bethlehem looking for lodging. After a fruitless search, as Mary experienced her labor, they found shelter, through the kindness of a stranger, in a stable. The star was still shining as shepherds on the Judean hillsides outside Jerusalem were watching over their flocks of sheep, bedded down for the night, although some of the ewes were birthing their lambs. The altitude there is close to 2,600 feet above sea level, and about 100 feet higher than neighboring Jerusalem. Whatever season of the year it was (Winter or Spring) it was lambing season. We know this because we have documentation that shepherds were watching their sheep during the night. The reason for that would be that they wanted to be sure to protect the lambs as they were born or to help any ewes that were having difficulty birthing. Perhaps they, too, saw the brilliant star shining in the sky. But then they heard and saw something even more extraordinary. A song, a sound, a promise that would forever change the World. That includes you and me, too.

Somewhere around 55 years ago, I wrote a short story about a boy named Hamesh who had a little lamb that he had named Emmanuel. His name wa Yes s Hamesh because he was the 5^th son and Hamesh is the number 5 in Hebrew. He was with his father and his uncles sitting around a little fire on the Judean hills watching the sky and talking about the brilliant star that they had seen. Then they saw an Angel who appeared just above them. They were totally freaked out, but he spoke to them saying“Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (See Luke 2:8-20) What happened next was even more astounding!

I imagine that it began with hearing a sound come, a sound of singing, and of trumpets, of harps, and tambourines. At first the lyrics were unintelligible but as it drew closer they not only heard sounds of singing praises to God, but also a startling promise; and then it happened – dozens of Angels, millions of Angels, myriads of Angels, brilliant choruses of Angels filling the sky, and proclaiming
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
That last phrase inspires some deep thinking. It is variously translated as (↔ Click Link)

• peace to those on whom his favor rests
• peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased
• peace to men on whom His favor rests
• peace, good will toward men
• peace among people with whom He is pleased
• Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God
• peace, good will toward humankind.
• on earth peace, among men—good will!
• upon earth peace, benevolence in men.
• peace to those on whom his favor rests.

I often wonder how many of those shepherds were young enough to live 33 years longer and see that baby grow into a man of miracles and then was a man crucified for being politically incorrect. Whatever God intended it to say it is a mystery, but a delightful one. The Apostle Paul tells in our key verse from the epistles that this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Did any of those shepherds follow Mary’s example and ponder these things in their hearts for the rest of their lives? I can tell you, I certainly have.

Sometimes I feel like echoing Elizabeth’s question to Mary, “Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come and visit me?” Then, on top of that, The Apostle Paul tells us the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. In Acts 13:48, we read that the gentiles rejoiced, and were glad, that the Gospel had also come to them. In Greek there is a cognitive and etymological connection between the word for glad (chairó), Grace and/or favor/favorably inclined; also rejoice, -d, -ing; (charis); and joy (chara). All these words begin with the letter “Chi” – Χ, χ – which denotes a “Kh” sound – similar to Bach or Loch. It is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ – Christos (Χριστός). All these conditions may seem unimportant to us, but they were patently clear to the people to whom Jesus sent The Apostle Paul.

In our Key Verse from the Gospel, we encounter the visitors from the East. Again, let’s dispose of the image of the Wise Men at the stable and the manger. Notice those first four words in verse 11 up there: ¹¹ On entering the house. Nope, not a stable, not a manger, so no swaddling clothes, no ox and lamb to keep time with The Little Drummer Boy (↔ Music Link) – all of that was for the shepherds – who really were at the first Nativity. The Wise Men came later – we don’t know how much later – but Mary and Jesus were already in a HOUSE. Joseph is not mentioned as being with them (although he was there when the shepherds showed up) – so maybe he was at his shop, or a construction site. The Magi followed some sort of astronomical (and perhaps also astrological) sign in the sky – the Star of Bethlehem. and “rejoiced with exceeding great joy. ” Folks, that’s a lot of JOY!! Like we said in 2550AFC121425 – Glad!, “We’re glad to be glad that we’re glad.”

Adelphos, we, too, can be rejoicing with exceeding joy” because we have the entire beginning and middle of the Story of His Story. We can also rejoice because we know what the consummation of that Story will be. We place our F.A.I.T.H. and Trust in the One who is the Bright and Morning Star (↔ Music Link) “The Rising Dawn” of the O Antiphons (↔ Learning Link)  :

O ORIENS – O RISING DAWN December 21: O Radiant Dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. See Isaiah 9:2 and Matthew 4:13-17. God, who are Light, has dawned upon the Earth and dispelled the darkness of death as Light is victorious over the shadows of night. Just as the celestial sun gives warmth, energy, light, and life to the earth, so the Sun of Justice spreads the Light of God over all creatures. And so while our eyes and hearts and minds look to the east for the Light of the Nations, we recognize this from Numbers 24:17 – (GNT) [1]

 ¹⁷ I look into the future,
And I see the nation of Israel.
A king, like a bright star, will arise in that nation.
Like a comet he will come from Israel.
He will strike the leaders of Moab
And beat down all the people
Who are proud and violent.

As always, the New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. The Old Testament speaks to the restoration of Israel, and a King who will be seated on David’s Throne. The Covenant Promise will be fulfilled, and the Nation shall be restored, including Galilee, the “Home Office” of Jesus’ ministry. Right before I started researching this post, a very special tune captured my attention. It was a song I learned while I was president of the Concert Choir at Metropolitan State College back in Denver CO in 1966. It is a Jewish folk song about the restoration of Galilee called “El Yivneh Ha Galil.” (↔ Music Link) “God will rebuild Galilee.” One of the privileges I had with that choir was to be the assistant conductor, and this was one of the first songs Dr. Vernon W. Moody, Professor of Music at MSC, allowed me to conduct. The lyrics translate thus:

Indeed, may God bless and preserve Israel in all times among all Nations, and may The Star of David, The Rising Dawn, The Ancient of Days, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Bright and Morning Star shine in our hearts and Light up our souls with Truth, F.A.I.T.H., Hope and Love.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!

Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

[1] Passages marked (GNT): Good News Translation (GNT) are from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

2552AFC122625 – Speaking of Family Matters

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

2550AFC121425 – Glad!  ← PODCAST LINK 😀  
2025 Advent #3

Read it online here, please. Reading it online allows the email version to reach many more subscribers. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. (New for Advent 2025!) Don’t forget the (↔ Music LinkS) in the EndNotes.
Do you know someone who enjoys Bible study, or who might like to read this? Please forward this to them and ask them also to share it to others. All Key Verse Logos in this series are AI-generated using CoPilot.

Isaiah 35:1-2 – The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
    the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus ² it shall blossom abundantly,
    and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
    the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
    the majesty of our God.

Psalm 149:6 –
⁹ He protects the strangers who live in our land;
    he helps widows and orphans,
    but takes the wicked to their ruin.

James 5:8 – ⁸ You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.  

Matthew 11:6[i] (GNT) – ⁶ How happy are those who have no doubts about me!

This coming Sunday, December 14^th, the III^rd  Sunday of Advent, is often called “Gaudete Sunday” (gow-DEH-teh). The Introit (Entrance Verse) for Gaudete Sunday is taken from Philippians 4:4,5: “Gaudete in Domino semper” (“Rejoice in the Lord always”). On this Sunday, the Vestments can be rose-colored rather than violet as is usual during a penitential season (Lent and Advent). The rose color reminds us we have passed the midpoint of the season and things are brightening up as is indicated by the first word in the Introit verse which says, “REJOICE!”

That is such a great word – REJOICE. When I hear it I hear it as re-joys as in joys again, and again, and again. One of the best JOY words around is Hallelujah and its alternative Alleluia. We are to be an Alleluia People! What does that word mean? It means GOD BE PRAISED.

Rejoice with one another, Beloved. Praise God with one another. Pray for, with, and about one another. Be kind to one another, and be especially kind to strangers because The Lord does that. Remember what He said “I AM coming tomorrow.” Isn’t that a good enough reason to rejoice? I again want to share with you these biblical terms for REJOICE:

Samah – שָׂמַ֖ח – Jubilant, spontaneous dancing, signing (simhach) – 1 Chronicles 29:9
Alaz – עָלַז – Exult – Burst into leaping with joy – Habakkuk 3:17-18
Nagilah – נָגִ֖ילָה – Let us rejoice – Psalm 118:4Euphraino – εὐφραίνω – To gladden the mind – Revelation 12:12
Kauchaomai – καυχάομαι – Glory in success and boast against – 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Sunchairo – a συγχαίρω – Rejoicing together, with others – Luke 15:6
Agalliao – ἀγαλλιάω – Rejoice Greatly, to exult; jump for joy – Revelation 19:6-8
Chairo – χαίρω – Rejoicing over experiencing God’s Grace; be glad in the Lord – Luke 15:32

There is so much JOY to be found in The Holy Spirit! We know about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. All of the things mentioned as the fruit of the spirit are things that make us happy. We can find them in Galatians 5:22-23 – The Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Love is service and sacrifice.
Joy is balance at the center of the soul.
Peace is good order.
Patience is the ability to endure whatever comes.
Kindness is attentive regard for the other.
Generosity is the habitual disposition to share.
Gentleness is courageous respect for one another.
Self-Control is a voluntary check on the appetite for success.

We’ve also explored the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (↔ Learning Link)  
The Word of Knowledge
The Word of Wisdom
The Gift of Prophecy
The Gift of Faith
The Gifts of Healings
The Working of Miracles
The Discerning of Spirits
The Different Kinds of Tongues
The Interpretation of Tongues

We have this fruit and these gifts to help us learn to be happy – to REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS! It’s important to remember what it takes to be happy, to be always ready to rejoice. We just have to remember the six simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less. 6. Share the Joy as you pass The Word along. Joy isn’t completely fulfilled until it is shared. We can rejoice alone – and this often happens when rejoicing in the Spirit – but when there is someone to rejoice with us … that really is REJOICING. Now, imagine rejoicing with Jesus – in our houses, in our churches, in our cars, in our hearts – ALL THE TIME!!! l hark back to 1966 to paraphrase “We’re glad to be glad that we’re glad.” Being glad is great! Being glad to be glad is really great! Being glad to be glad that we are glad is phenomenal!! [Kudos to Nehemiah Curtis “Skip” James and Cream [i] ]

In our Key Verse from the Old Testament today, we see a reference to crocuses blooming. Those flowers seem to always be the first ones to poke up their heads through the snow. They are a sign of hope, a sign of new beginnings and they make us happy because we are glad that winter is nearly over. In Isaiah’s description of the desert bursting into bloom, we see resplendent beauty coming into an empty wasteland. The image reminds us how wonderful it feels when Jesus comes into our hearts. It’s like the lyric in the song. Whom all the world cannot contain // Comes I our hearts to dwell. [ii] [There’s a music Link in that endnote.] When Jesus comes into our hearts (↔ Music Link), the ENTIRE TRINITYcomes in! See The Catechism of the Catholic Church §258 (↔ Learning Link) where it describes that when one Person of the Trinity acts, They All act together.

In our Key Verse from Sunday’s Psalm, we see a short list of the persons who had little or no freedoms in Israel. They essentially had no legal standing, and had no one to depend on except themselves. We must recall that resident aliens (גֵּר gēr) – sojourners, a settled outsider living under Israel’s civil jurisdiction – had to conform to many laws, especially civil and criminal ones, with the principle being “one law for the native-born and the stranger” (Exodus 12:49, Leviticus 24:22), requiring them to obey Israel’s statutes and participate in religious life – like festivals and sacrifices –  to be fully integrated, i.e., assimilated, though they weren’t full citizens with tribal land inheritance, and yet they did face some specific restrictions on their rights. In this way, sojourners and native-born, full citizens could find gladness in sharing the richnesses of their cultures. Those statutory guardrails helped preserve the peace and promote harmonious living – GLADNESS! This stands in stark contrast to the second phrase in that passage – “but takes the wicked to their ruin.” Here we are again reminded of The Catechism of the Catholic Church §1021-1022 – The Particular Judgment we all face at the moment of our death.

Our Gospel Key Verse says a lot about our F.A.I.T.H. When Jesus comes into our hearts, we have that Light in our souls as floods of joy and gladness roll over our souls like billows on the sea. How happy are those who have no doubts about me! That childlike innocence of faith is the same J.O.Y. we feel when we cry out Μαρανα θα! Μαραν αθα! Maranâ thâ’! Maran ‘athâ’ Abba! Father! Jesus! Spirit! Come! We are GLAD to celebrate your Advent, Emmanuel! That is why many of us – hopefully all of us – can tell the World, “It’s OK to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to me. I am GLAD to hear it.”

What if we don’t feel like rejoicing? What if life is just so hard that all we can do is shout in pain and not shout for joy? How can we change that? How do we start over? No one can go back and make a brand-new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending. God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. There are three things to rejoice about right there that we already have. The cool thing about rejoicing is that whenever we start rejoicing, more rejoicing comes. It’s almost kind of like getting the giggles – it’s hard to stop once we get started.

OK now, let’s go back to our Key Verse from the Letter of James. He cautions us to be patient, but it is an “expectoration” patience. (Yeah, I made up that word.) He exhorts us to fortify our courage by being steadfast in our faith, and fixing our hope on Christ’s return.the spiritual disposition will yield patient endurance for dealing with  whatever troubles arise around or within us.

In closing, I want to say a few words about today’s Key Logo. I’ve attributed all the key Logos for this series in Advent to being AI-constructed using MicroSoft CoPilot. Here is how that works: I write up a detailed description of what I want the key to look like and then the CoPilot AI (GPT-5) puts it together according to my instructions. If what comes up does not match my vision of the key, then we “collaborate” of how to amend it. In addition, we collaborate on a summary of the symbolism of the key. Here are my edited excerpts from that descriptive collaboration ~~

Advent Key #3 — Gaudete Sunday
Rejoice, for the Lord is near.
This third key in the Advent series is a celebration of joy breaking into expectation. Rendered in matte rose — the liturgical color of Gaudete Sunday — it stands out from the somber tones of the season, inviting us to pause and rejoice.

• The rose color is for the liturgical meaning of Gaudete Sunday – REJOICE! The Advent Candle for this Sunday is also rose colored and stands for Joy. The previous two violet candles stood for Hope and Peace. The fourth candle will stand for Love, and the Fifth candle, which is white (the baptismal candle), will stand for Jesus.
• The heptagon bow (“handle”) symbolizes the Seven Churches of the Bible Book Revelation, a reminder that joy is communal, not solitary.
• The Roman numeral III anchors the Third Sunday, while subtly echoing the Trinity, whose presence guides the faithful.
• The Gothic façade within the bow evokes the Church: there are three pointed arches – each with a door – for welcome. There is a “rose window” – a stained glass window set in vibrant colors – which signifies God’s perfections and (facing east), as light comes through, signifying God’s Divine Light. There is a cross crowning the structure to remind us that Christ is above all in Heaven, on Earth, and under the Earth.
• There are 7 bits (including the key shoulder) and 7 CUTBEDS. The seven bits along the shank represent the Seven Cardinal Virtues. Here, each rounded nib indicates a mark of Grace shaping the Soul. The cutbeds between the nibs represent the Seven Cardinal Sins. Without the cutbeds, there would be no need for the nibs; then, both sides of the key would be perfect because they would be straight and uncut.
• The three grooves are more than mechanical — they represent the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, guiding the key into its lock, ensuring it opens only where true Joy resides, which brings Gladness to the heart.

 
This is a Master Key in every sense — not just functionally, but theologically. It teaches that rejoicing is not naïve happiness, but truly the deep assurance that Christ, the Key of David, is near to unlock every door. HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR! (↔ Music Link)

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Check out St John Paul II’s Prayer in her honor.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

[i] Passages marked (GNT): Good News Translation (GNT) are from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.

[i] See “I’m So Glad” as performed by Cream at Royal Albert Hall in 2005  https://youtu.be/iF-pMingp6A?t=66 (↔ Music Link)

[ii] Gift of Finest Wheat (↔ Music Link)

2549AFC120525 – Justice, Peace, and Good Fruit← PODCAST LINK 😀

2025 Advent #2

Read it online here, please. Reading it online allows the email version to reach many more subscribers. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. (New for Advent 2025!)
Do you know someone who enjoys Bible study, or who might like to read this? Please forward this to them and ask them also to share it to others. All Key Verse Logos in this series are AI-generated using CoPilot.

Isaiah 11:1 – A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

Psalm 72:7 –
⁷ In his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

℟. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Romans 15:4 – ⁴ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.

Matthew 3:7-10– ⁷ But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹ Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor;’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Advent 2025 is progressing. The stores and online shopping sites are bulging with stuff, enticing us to be indulgent and buy a lot of stuff for family, friends, coworkers, and – of course – for ourselves. We want what we want when we want it which is now. So much is going on! Amid the Holiday Rush we also have catastrophes in nature, unspeakable acts of violence and hate, corruption in every high and low place, and somehow – in all the ruckus and racket – a voice is heard saying Μαρανα θα! Μαραν αθα! Maranâ thâ’! Maran ‘athâ’ – Come Lord! Our Lord has come! That, as we like to say, is “the reason for the season.” Some folks – including the President – announce, “It’s OK to say to me, ‘Merry Christmas.'” Some grouse about the commercialization of a religious holiday. Some of the same people brave the surging tides of shoppers on Black Friday which has now become a weeks-long event.

There are 75-foot-tall Christmas trees decorated with thousands of lights and ornaments. Some neighborhoods are lit up like a Las Vegas Casino with all kinds of colorful, often noisy and expensive displays of elves and reindeer, snowmen and candy canes, and even a laser projector tracing patterns on the wall of the house. Department store windows are filled with animatronics and “once-in-a-lifetime bargains.” Underneath and above and woven all through that in threads as thin as fine silk, we catch snatches of tunes about Bethlehem, angels, shepherds, and a young Jewish couple sleeping in a cave full of livestock where The Reason for the Season was born, the Prince of Peace.

Where is the voice that cries out in the wilderness? What can, or should, we do to better hear that voice? And where do we need to be, or go, so that we, too, can see the Infant who is the Prince of Peace? Come to think of it, that all happened 2,000 or so years ago. Why are we waiting for his coming and celebrating his birthday? If “Advent” means the coming of someone or something important, what in the world are we waiting for anyway? To answer that, we need to go back to the prophet Isaiah – about 700 years before Christ was born in a manger. You may remember hearing our opening topic-verse:

Isaiah 11:1 – A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, ← (Follow this link)
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

If you follow the link there, you’ll be whisked away to March 14, 2014 where there are additional details about this verse. In part, you will learn that olive trees can live to be hundreds of years old. As they age they become more gnarled and even hollow, but they still produce fruit – good fruit! Eventually, though, a tree stops producing fruit, and is cut down. The stump is left. The extensive root system that formerly fed the ancient tree is still in the earth. It continues to feed the wood in the stump. With careful attention, the stump can send forth a shoot that grows to be a new olive tree. It is tender and fragile like any sapling, but it has a tremendous advantage – an extensive, well-established, efficient root system! The sapling can be easily broken off, or perhaps munched by an animal, but if the one who tends the grove takes care of the shoot – it grows and produces excellent fruit often in greater quantity than before. That is Isaiah’s message. God is saying, “I’m going to cultivate a new tree from the roots of the old, and the new tree will give you everything the old one did and even more.“

This image used by Isaiah was something the people of Israel understood clearly. Isaiah’s poetry was largely a commentary on the historical changes in the nation during his life – the wars, the intrigue, the failures of leadership, and the eventual defeat of Israel’s enemies. A significant feature of that victory for Israel would be a victory for the whole world – even for the gentiles who had been their enemies. It would be the fulfillment of the covenant-prophecy of Salvation: The Messiah. Isaiah’s message kept coming back to the coming of the Messiah. We hear much from his beautiful prophecies during Advent Season. Another very familiar passage is in Isaiah Chapter 40. (← Check it out!)

The Ancient Root of Jesse is still in place, and the fruit from the New Branch (↔ Music Link) is ours. (See Zechariah 6:12 and Jeremiah 33:15) Everything that was old will be made new. It’s the most fascinating feature of the APP! We can see how this marvelous Truth is given to us unceasingly in Scripture such as Romans 15:4 – ⁴ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.

A Voice Cries out in the Wilderness (↔ Music Link)

Isaiah 40:3-5 – ³ A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
⁵ Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all people shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Once again, Isaiah is using figurative language that would resonate with the Israelites years later when Babylon’s armies swept in and carried of tens-of-thousands away from Jerusalem and Judea as the beginning of The Babylonian Captivity. Why would he talk about leveling mountains and filling in valleys? Is that what the Israelites had to do to get back home? In a way, yes, they needed to prepare the way, but not in a physical sense. Here’s the “back story.”

Whenever Kings and Princes in the “Fertile Crescent” and even farther eastward would march into new territories, they would send messengers and soldiers ahead to “iron things out.” Obstacles that would hinder travel or complicate the conquest were removed to make it easier for that ruler and his retinue to travel. People, places, and things were torn down or built up so that movement across the territory, and its politics, would be easier. Sometimes these were enormous engineering projects and were very impressive displays of power and wealth. Isaiah is telling the people that they need to prepare their hearts to welcome back the Lord. They have abandoned him, and he will allow Babylon to take them away from what he has provided for them. They must humble the proud and build up the lowly so that in every place and every heart, the Lord alone stands on level ground in their hearts and minds. Only he is above all else and all others. That is also the message John the Baptist brought.

We read about John’s mission in Matthew 3:1-3. He is sent to help prepare the way for the King of kings and Lord of lords. The proud will be humbled and brought low, the meek and marginalized will be lifted up, wrong-thinking will be made right, and the violent will be gentled. In Matthew’s Gospel, we see how the “Keepers of The Law” reacted to this. They didn’t like it, not one bit. They didn’t realize that their misplaced self-confidence, nationalism and pride, and – worst of all – their hypocrisy, were obstacles that had to be removed to “make straight the way of The Lord.” John told them that they would be cut down (like an old olive tree) if they didn’t start producing the good fruits of repentance.

Let’s look at that whole passage, because it is instructive; it’s Matthew 3:7-10 – ⁷ But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹ Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Those fruits of repentance would lead them to their citizenship in the Kingdom of God. It would become for them the difference of bringing holiness and happiness. They would be twice-born and constantly-borne. Belovéd, we have the same choice. Like them, we are pulled two ways; secular and sacred, commercialized and consecrated, pleasantness and prayerfulness, busy or blissful. Our hearts, minds, and spirits need to be evened out so that when The King of Glory Comes (↔ Music Link), there is no person, place, or thing that stands in the way of our rejoicing.

We are waiting for The King to come to “hearts humble and free”; we are also waiting for his promised return when The Glory of The Lord will be revealed. We are waiting for the New Shoot to bear good and abundant fruit. Then, as our faith is deepened by knowledge and understanding of his Word, Wisdom will grow like a new shoot sprouting up from the ancient roots of the Faith God alone inspires, sustains, and blesses so that Peace can flourish in our hearts. It is Fruit worthy of Repentance. God’s Immutable Justice gives a Just Reward to each and every soul. For those who recognize their sin and repent, there is the Just Reward of eternity with God. For those who fail to recognize their sin and do not repent, there is the Just Reward of eternity without God. Repentance is essential to Peace. Because why? Because Repentance is Metanoia, WE CAN CHANGE which is what God wants. We can CHOOSE to change instead of choosing to sin. Talk about a Peace Plan! That’s the path between Justice and Good Fruit – Peace with God when we change our sinful ways!

Repentance is the precursor of Mercy, and it is Mercy that brings us Hope. Remember the Circle of Life (↔ Click Link)  

Where there is Life, there is Hope.

Where there is Hope, there is Love.

Where there is Love, there is integrity.

Where there is integrity, there is Truth.

Where there is Truth, there is JUSTICE.

Where there is JUSTICE, there is Mercy.

Where there is Mercy, there is freedom.

Where there is freedom, there is Life.

Thinking back to 2547AFC112125 – Our Preeminent King we recall “Perfect Integrity, Endless Mercy, Everlasting Love, Eternal Salvation, Immutable Justice, Irreproachable Wisdom, and Incomparable Grace.” Because of those things, the Righteous will see Peace flourish forever. The unrighteous will not. As we wait for the Lord of Peace this Advent, we pray together, that – when Jesus returns – we will be found to be living in Faith, repentant, and ready for his Justice to Reward us for our Good Fruit. And so we pray …

Μαρανα θα! Μαραν αθα! Maranâ thâ’! Maran ‘athâ’ – Come Lord! Our Lord has come! Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!

 Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

2548AFC112825 – Going, going, GONE! ← PODCAST LINK 😀

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Isaiah 2:3 –
³     Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
    and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

(See Also Michah 4:2-3) (↔ Music Link, not Scripture Link)

Psalm 122:1 –
¹ I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
℟. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord! (↔ Music Link)

Romans 13:11 ^c – For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers (↔ Music Link)

Matthew 24:40-41 – ⁴⁰ Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. (↔ Music Link)

May the God of Peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as we anticipate the celebration of his birth during this season of Advent. I’m going to include this image in each post just to help us remember what each of the Advent Candles represent. The Key Verse icons will be the same colors as the vesting and liturgical linens – this first Sunday will be violet. The Key Verse logos are all AI generated using CoPilot. *

Now, let’s get right into the readings. We recently mentioned Psalm 121 – Let us go up to the house of the Lord – and this passage in Isaiah is the connection for that verse. It is important to remember that going up to the house of the Lord was not merely an annual religious exercise but also, and especially, a time to learn. It says “That he may teach us his ways.” We might ask why it is important to be repeatedly taught. The answer appears frequently here: We forget. We require frequent reminders about God’s stipulations for us, and those requirements boil down to being able to “walk in his paths” i.e., to be obedient. And then the Psalmist tells us, For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Ah-Ha! There is the messianic Prophecy in this passage. The Word, the Logos, will go out from Jerusalem and instruction will come forth from Zion, Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, the location of the Temple, the house of the God of Jacob. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ mission to “do the works of my Father.” Recall that he often told his followers that he did only what the Father told him. “The Father and I are One.” We indeed need to remember to keep going up to the house of the Lord. sometimes it is and uphill Struggle to get up that hill to the temple, but we must not forget to go so that we will not forget God.

Fittingly the responsorial song is Psalm 121. I’ve included the response which is “℟. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord! There’s a point here for a short digression. We often hear things like’ “there are two kinds of people in the world.” One of my favorites goes like this:

• There are two kinds of people in the world – Christian and non-Christian.
• There are two kinds of Christians in the world – Catholic and non-Catholic
• There are two kinds of Catholics in the world – Active and dormant
• There are two kinds of active Catholics – happy and unhappy.

The happy Catholics go to Church because they love to be in the presence of God as part of the body of Christ who are all worshipping with other Catholics (happy and unhappy!). The unhappy Catholics go to church because it is their only way to fulfill their Sunday obligation. Most of you know that I grew up a very happy non-Catholic, but in 1968, the Lord lifted me up out of a dissipated life and put me into metanoia mode. He shuttled me out of the Draft, and into the USAF where I was warmly mentored by a whole group of happy Catholics. My heart and my mind had already begun the initial process of conversion, and being in their fraternal care concluded it. In April of 1969, I received three wonderful Sacraments – Baptism, first communion and – two Weeks later, matrimony. To this very day I marvel at how God managed to re-form my life, especially when I regard my lovely wife Crucita.

The reason for all of that is found in today’s Key Verse from Romans: For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers. I can never remember a time when I did not know that my life would continue after my time on earth. All I can really remember from my childhood about the afterlife is that everybody talked about it as if it’s always going to be there. I have never had any reason to believe anything less. If you’ve been a reader here for some time you know about my decision to give my life to full-time Christian service at age 10. Even at the lowest points in my life I have never given up that promise, because I know with absolute certainty that today I am closer to ending this life and beginning the next than I was yesterday. How about you?

In fact, as do many of you, I often reflect on that moment by moment … except when I forget! And, some may think this to be creepy, but my screen-saver is

Some of you may recall the incident (← Check it out!) when our Parochial Vicar at St Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church, Fr. Rex Rilveria, started his homily by asking, “How many of you want to go to Heaven?” Scores of people raised their hands. “Very good,’ he said, “most of us want to get there! How many of you are ready to leave NOW?” Can you guess who was the onliest guy in the entire assembly to raise a hand high? This is not morbid thinking; it is cautious humility guarding Hope. We hear all the time – “Ya never know …” Even Jesus said in Matthew 24:36-37 – ³⁶ “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. And in Acts 1:7 he said, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.” Jesus voluntarily RESTRICTED HIS KNOWLEDGE as God until that Time when the Triune and Only-Living God acts. Good enough for me! My bags are unpacked and I’m ready to go – which is purely my Pride talking isn’t it? God alone will decide when I’m ready to go, and then he will call me. As near as I can tell he still has quite a lot of work to do to finish me up. That brings us to the Gospel Key Verse.

The passage I chose is one of those controversial passages that people love to debate about. Some of you may have read the book series Left Behind. Once I caught onto the premise behind the series, I elected to just pass by without really getting into it. It’s based on a very common theological point that I don’t quite agree with; but then I’m not a theologian either am I? Here’s the reason Jesus made it vague, I believe. It is because the Trinity foreknew that it would be better to keep all of that out of our hands. They’d already seen what we could do with the Tree of Knowledge and decided to take away The Tree of Life. Giving us a little bit of a guess about what’s gonna happen first seems to fit the pattern. The question is who really is going to go first.

The book series of course was based on the that the righteous would be taken up into Heaven first and leaving all the unrighteous to suffer through whatever was going to happen before the end of the world. So in the book and in the movies they had people disappearing out of airplanes and buildings and taxi cabs and what all, while a few apparently innocent looking people stood by with mouths open. Those were the persons left behind, the unrighteous. The other point of view is that the unrighteous will be taken away first, leaving the righteous to live on Earth during the millennial reign of Christ the King. I happen to like that idea better. Most of the argument for the other is based on the Book of Revelation, but I’d like to share with you a few things which might help you think about it differently. Let’s begin with some other Scripture passages that talk about the evil being taken away from the good.

The most obvious is the promise of the Promised Land. Once the Hebrews got to Canaan, God’s directive was to remove – as in annihilate – all the residents of that land because they’d had 400+ years to get their act together and find Truth. Other interesting passages include –

Proverbs 25:4-5 –
⁴ Take away the dross from the silver,
    and the smith has material for a vessel;
⁵ take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

and

Proverbs 10:30 –
³⁰ The righteous will never be removed,
    but the wicked will not remain in the land.

and

Psalm 37:9 – (GNT) [1]
⁹ Those who trust in the Lord will possess the land,
    but the wicked will be driven out.

and

Psalm 101:8 –
⁸ Morning by morning I will destroy
    all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all evildoers
    from the city of the Lord.

There may be other references, but I think you catch my drift. Naturally there will be some people that will argue that I’ve totally missed the point but still, I believe that God’s form of action seems to be cleaning up the mess before taking care of the restoration. I really don’t care anything about pre-Tribulation or Post-Tribulation or Pre- or Post-Millennial. What I understand is that God takes out the weeds and leaves the garden, else why would we not have access to Eden? Whose horses, chariots, and charioteers were lost in the Red Sea? If any would wish to pursue it further, look up the word παραλαμβάνεται paralambanetai for “taken” and ἀφίεται·aphietai for left (as abandoned). I happen to have landed on the side of the Catechism of The Catholic Church, especially paragraphs 668-682 and 1038-1041. I didn’t know that until I enrolled in Ascension Press’s Catechism in A Year podcasts with Fr. Mike Schmitz. Available wherever you get your podcasts or in The APP Store and Google Play.

OK! That’s a wrap for today. Please be sure to go back and read all of the information in the hyperlinks, and also look for the music links. It’s been a pleasure serving you today See you again next week same time same station. Meanwhile I’m going, going, and hope to be GONE!

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!

Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.

For more information please see 1948AFC112919 – Ready! Set! WAIT!, and 1648AFC112516 – 1^st Advent 2016, and of course 2248AFC112522 – Guess who’s coming to the Banquet.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com

*Copilot is Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that helps users with tasks ranging from web browsing and content creation to coding and business productivity. 

[1] Passages marked (GNT): Good News Translation (GNT) are from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.