Our blog is inspired by The Holy Spirit.
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Matthew 9:9-19
Today’s reading heading leaped out at me, and I can’t wait to see what we end up typing about this verse.
First of all, notice the setting.
Jesus has just recruited Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him. Notice there is no promise of what Matthew and, for that matter, the other disciples can expect in their new journey with Jesus.
Just “Follow me.”
Jesus eating at Matthew’s house attracted many other tax collectors and sinners who came and ate with Jesus, prompting the Pharisees to ask, “Why are you eating with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus responds, “I desire Mercy, not sacrifice.”
The above statement jumped out at me,
Why?
We live in a society today that requires sacrifice, not mercy. We as a society are too quick to condemn everyone who does not have the same beliefs as we do. The hatred that is displayed every day in all forms of media takes my breath away.
Don’t look at me and think you, Fred aren’t guilty of this sin. Sadly I am.
I am trying to break this because I realize that my anger, as we have reported in many of our blogs, only hurts me.
Jesus, at the dinner at Matthew’s house, is starting the process of establishing a new world.
The new world is the “Spirit World, where Mercy will be the norm, not the exception.
As we have reported over the past forty weeks, wow, has time flown by, I started years ago by turning off the car radio.
Next, I turned off the local and national news at night.
Just three weeks ago, I, we turned off the news in the morning while I exercised. I now do my exercises in the silence of the Holy Spirit.
Wow!
What a difference.
Before I stopped watching the news as I exercised, I would end my exercise upset with something happening in our town, state, nationally, or internationally.
I would also be upset and not think of Mercy towards someone I disagreed with.
Now, in the morning, during my exercise, and afterwards, what I now feel is Peace.
I, we have thrown out satan during this period of time in my, now our life.
I love the feeling of Peace, and the Peace is now extended for a longer period of the day.
You and I have a choice, and I’ve made mine.
And when I am filled with Love, Joy, and Peace, I have Mercy towards my fellow man, and this was not the person I was just a few years ago.
Like the disciples, we are invited by Jesus to join Him. We are not told what we will encounter, just “Follow me,” and “Follow me” means dropping a lot of the baggage you and I have collected during our lives.
The Chosen, Season 1, episode 7 shows the recruiting of Matthew and the dinner at Matthew’s house. Do yourself a favor and watch the first six episodes, so episode seven has an even deeper meaning for you.
Most of the people who, when I asked who was the character who moved them the most after watching season one of The Chosen, have come away Loving Matthew; go figure, he was a tax collector.
We say this because when you learn the whole story, which only God knows, it is much easier to forgive and show Mercy.
“The nine” We pray you will grow in the Love, Joy, and Peace of the Holy Spirit by growing in Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Sidebar:
When you finish reading the Sidebar, you might think I’m crazy. I do understand, but this is who I am.
I was trying to drain the roll-up air conditioner on Monday of last week when I lost my balance and fell from the second step onto the cement floor in our garage.
Let’s first go back and explain why we are telling this story.
Years ago, actually more than three decades ago, I tripped and fell face first on the stone walkway Gail, and I were walking on at Fort Williams. I said, “Thank you, Father, “ laughed at the stupid statement, thanking God for the hard fall, got up, and noticed I had NO Pain.
Three to four years ago, I slipped on the ice and remembered seeing my foot level with my eyes and landed flat on my back. I said, “Thank you, Father,” again, and although I was initially stunned, I had NO Pain. Even Gail was surprised.
Two years ago, I was in a bike accident, and my head missed the curbing, but I skinned my knee. I had a little pain, but when I received communion the next day, the pain went away the moment I received communion.
The question that came up in my mind, satan, after the three falls was, is this God working in my life, or do I have a very low or high, I don’t know which one it would be, threshold of pain?
If you’re thinking, “only an idiot would think of this question.” you know now why we started this Sidebar as we did, and welcome to my world. I will say this, though, once I have determined the answer, I grow in an even deeper relationship with God.
Well, I am happy to report it was and is God working in my life, and I Give Glory to God my Father for the fall and for taking care of me.
I fell and my right hand and hip stopped the fall.
I don’t remember thanking God for the fall, and I don’t remember smiling right after the fall, both I did in the last three falls. I thought this was strange because I am in the habit of thanking God all the time, so you would think thanking God for the fall would be a reflex.
God working in my life.
My right wrist and right hip hurt. I was at a three on a pain scale of one to ten.
God taking care of me.
I next noticed my hat, which fell off during the fall or when I stopped falling, and realized my fall had stopped before I could have hit my head on a small air pump that lay very near my head.
God taking care of me.
After I fell, I tried bending my right wrist a few times, and nothing seemed broken; it seemed to work, although I was in minor pain.
God taking care of me.
I was concerned with my right hip because I had been using China Jel, yes, I will give you the name of the Gel I used on the hip in prior months, and I prayed I hadn’t aggravated the hip even more.
Well, it’s been a week, and the hip and wrist are returning to normal; I plan to start playing Golf on Wednesday, and we’ll see how it goes.
Update: I bought a wristband, played golf, and so far weeeeeeee have had two great rounds.
God taking care of me.
Why are we writing about this?
At our Gail’s and my age, we seem to be talking to many people our age who have had a fall, and in some cases, it’s a life changer for them.
Question:
I pray Psalm 91 every day. The title of the Psalm is A Prayer of Protection.
As we reported in a prior blog, I believe this Psalm is a prayer of Protection, and even though I had slight pain, that pain answered my first question regarding God’s involvement in my life.
And,
Yes, I now thank God for the DIFFICULTY of the Pain in my wrist and hip. I also know God will take care of me.
And,
I gave and give Glory to God the Father, through His Son, living in the Love, Joy, and Peace of the Holy Spirit, for the fall and all of the healing that has taken place since the fall.
By the way, before I pray Psalm 91, I list the people I pray will also be protected by Psalm 91. I have added the writers and readers of A Catholic Moment to that group.
The book Military Edition Psalm 91 God’s Shield of Protection by Peggy Joyce Ruth turned me onto this prayer.
One last note: I pray before and after I use the China Gel that it will work. I fully believe the Gel works because of prayer.
It’s the prayer that’s important!
Picture:
Blackstone River Greenway Woonsocket, R.I. I rode this alone and enjoyed the ride.
www.traillink.com/trail-itinerary/blackstone-river-greenway
New idea, we keep evolving.
Maybe you might consider sending me pictures of Rails to Trails you have ridden or anything you feel might be of interest to all of us. I will respect your wishes if you don’t want your name mentioned.
If you want to send a picture, mention that in your comment, and I will send you my email in my reply on Thursday, and you can send the picture. I will delete your email once I get the picture. Also, please tell me a little about the picture.
