A cactus in Sedona Picture by Jerry Torres.
The Holy Spirit inspired our blog.
Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
You are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.
Emphasis mine Mt 1:21
The above reading is taken from the Alleluia Refrain.
We are still working on A Lion Dead to the Lord, and I just became aware of two sections of The Last Supper that blew my mind, and they perfectly tie into the above reading.
Jayson Sobel said in Mysteries of The Messiah:
How a book ends is one of the greatest indicators of its purpose and message.
Rabbi Sobel referred to Deuteronomy 18 and 34, written by Moses, and said these two sections of Deuteronomy pointed to Jesus.
The Last Supper begins with Jesus saying,
So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God. Emphasis mine Jn 13: 3
I always thought Jesus knew that His Father had put everything into His power. We will be HIS people; we are HIS Sheep.
Learning what Jesus first spoke at the Last Supper gives me a greater appreciation for Jesus’s words on His cross.
And
The Last Supper ends with:
Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Emphasis mine Mt 26:30
Think for a minute: Jesus is now facing going through The Agony in the Garden, being scourged, crucified, and finally submitting to death; always remember Muslims don’t believe Jesus died; this is how outrageous the Death of Jesus is.
I would think the song would be sorrowful, but no, I went on YouTube, and it is joyful.
The knowledge it was Joyful blew my mind.
Type in the search bar: Dayenu: Learn the words to the Passover Seder song, or try this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p1pabOX3fc
And what Jesus said on the Cross is even more powerful:
“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Lk 23: 34
The Criminal on the right said,
“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Emphasis mine Lk 23: 43
I believe all of the Christian Churches have spent way too much time talking about sin and not enough about the Outrageous Love of the Triune God.
In a dream, Joseph was told to marry Mary and name his Son Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.
Join Team Jesus:
If you would like to protect your family, dumb question, pray Psalm 91 verbally.
My life changed after reading Peggy Joyce Ruth’s book, Psalm 91, God’s Shield of Protection, Military Version. Every day, I say this powerful prayer for everyone in our life, including the writers and readers of A Catholic Moment.
Sidebar:
We couldn’t wait to write January third’s sidebar. I went into the Cumberland County Jail yesterday, 12/14/23, and had a day I had never experienced before.
Justin, who has been in jail for eight months and was a very angry person whom we wrote about in earlier blogs, in fact, he was put in the Cooler for a week for fighting soon after we met, looked different, and I couldn’t figure out why.
Justin had learned the “Nine” and had prayed the “Nine” for the past two months.
Driving home, I realized Jestin reflected the Peace he had grown into the last few months.
Justin was living a new life and loved it. It was hard for me to believe how angry he was earlier.
A new man was in our meeting, and I can’t write, space limits, all that went on what we will briefly say is,
He also had an anger problem, and this was why he was in jail.
He was looking for an answer; God took care of him by putting him in the B1 pod and having him attend Bible Study.
When a fellow inmate said God was working in his life, he laughed.
We, the Holy Spirit, and I, came down on him hard.
We then discussed the “Nine.”
At the end of the meeting, I gave him a copy of the prayers I hoped they all would learn. Prayers, we have written about it in our blogs and are available if you send an email.
I was heading out the door when he ran up; I noticed the guards were startled because they didn’t know what was happening.
He looked at me and said, “Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.” You should have seen the smile, Holy Spirit, on his face.
I was so pumped, no one in twenty-seven years in the jail had done this before. We had twelve men at the meeting. Some, like Justin, had been there before and still didn’t know the “Nine.” I can’t wait to see him next week.
Saturday, I was in a men’s group; I had given them a copy of the” Nine,” and one man, who also had an anger problem, came to me and said he had experienced a change in his life.
Why are we telling these stories?
It’s a new year, so why not pledge to learn and say the “Nine” every day and see your life change as it has for Justin, the new man in the jail, and the man I met on Saturday?
Look how beautifully the Sidebar tied in with our main topic.
He will save his people from their sins. By learning and living the “Nine,” you become more like Jesus and throw out satan.
Picture:
Another from Sedona is the cactus I captured in the foreground with the rock formations in the background. It was a beautiful, cloudless March day when I snapped this one. I’m always amazed at how much beauty there is in creation. Can you imagine heaven? Picture by Jerry Torres
Yes, Jerry, I can because I am living in Heaven now. Remember, when we say the Our Father, we ask that His Kingdom come,
Where,
Here and now.
And your picture and all the pictures we have used have said this perfectly.
Please keep Snapping!
If you want a copy of the prayers we discussed, email me.
fprince101@gmail.com
Remember, if you want to submit a picture, no people, please, because we have to get permission from that person to use their photograph.
By sending your picture, you consent to allow us to reprint that picture in our next book, God Thoughts 2023, with your name and any comments in the Blog.
