Tag Archives: Jesu

September 22, 2014 · 6:11 pm

A Blessing September 22

May the blessing of light be on you – light without and light within.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire,

so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it.

And may light shine out of the two eyes of you,

like a candle set in the window of a house,

bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of the rain be on you,

may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines,

and sometimes a star.

And may the blessing of the earth be on you,

soft under your feet as you pass along the roads,

soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day;

and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it.

May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God.

And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen.

—–Scottish Blessing

A Celtic Blessing (godspace.wordpress.com)

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Filed under Celtic Prayers, Prayer

Tagged as Celtic Prayer, God, Heaven, HolySpirit, Jesu, Lord, Matthew 5:3, Prayer

September 10, 2014 · 3:11 pm

Surrender to God

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

The prophecies in Isaiah seem to be fulfilled in this man Jesus, whose actions live out the prophet’s promise. God is here, and God’s presence among us is manifested in healing. This is a wonderful vision. And we may feel very comfortable in looking forward to this. Who wouldn’t? Everybody wants to say; “I’m a good person,” . What a super possibility—a world where things would really be good. Imagine a world with only good. That is God’s world and He invites us to consider the possibility.”

This is how Mr. Wesley puts it::
“The most dry and barren places shall be made moist and fruitful; which is principally meant of the plentiful effusion of God’s grace upon such persons and nations, as had been wholly destitute of it.”

John Wesley

Do you daily turn your troubles over to the Lord?
Do you ask God to help you prosper?
How often do you bring your troubles to the Lord?

As you worship consider how much different your life could be if you surrendered your all to God.

Sunday favorites (patheos.com)

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Filed under Death, Devotional, Isaiah, John Wesley

Tagged as Book of Isaiah, God, Isaiah, Jesu, John Wesley, Lord, Prophecy, Wesley

August 20, 2014 · 1:28 pm

Secrets

A man who receives something from another because of his poverty or his need has therein his reward, and because he is ashamed, when he repays it he does so in secret. But it is the opposite for the Lord God; he receives in secret, but he repays in the presence of the angels, the archangels and the righteous.

—-Saying of the Desert

The concept of shame and poverty being coupled is very strong in our society. From the earliest of times, we have been taught, and rightly so, to be responsible hard workers. Our goal is to be able to care for ourselves and never be a burden to others. When the time comes that we have fallen short and necessity sends us to someone for help, a person does everything possible to keep this event secretive. He even pays back in secret.

The opposite is true of the Lord. He receives in secret, but rewards in a very open way. By that action, we see that the Lord is a Lord of grace. His grace is not about how much we give but how much He gives. Our reward, given in the presence of heavenly and earthly beings, is God’s joy to give. Our Lord does not want to keep His grace giving secretive, and He never does. He implores us not be showy in our devotion to Him. We pray and give in secret, and then He rewards for all to see. May we catch the spirit of our Lord and learn to bestow grace on all along our path.

Rewards (afreegift.us)
Augustine (354-430) on why God makes sheep of some, and not others (deovivendiperchristum.wordpress.com)

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Tagged as Christ, Desert Fathers, God, God the Father, HolySpirit, Jesu, Lord, Lord God, Mary

July 31, 2014 · 9:50 am

Thursday Prayer July 31

May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it. And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window of a house, bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm. And may the blessing of the rain be on you, may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines, and sometimes a star. And may the blessing of the earth be on you, soft under your feet as you pass along the roads, soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day; and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it. May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God. And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen.

——-A Scottish Blessing

An Old Irish Blessing (calmchicago.org)

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Filed under Celtic Prayers, Celtic Spirituality

Tagged as Celtic Prayer, Christ, God, Heaven, Jesu, Lord, Prayer, Prayer of Saint Francis

July 25, 2014 · 11:13 pm

Difficulty and Grace

“And this has been a comfort to me, that I choose Jesus as my Savior-by His grace. In my suffering and sorrow He has taught me that I should choose only Him for my salvation in my well being and sorrow.”

–Julian of Norwich

Long ago Julian found a way to touch the grace of God in difficult times of her life. In our very trying and difficult world ,we too, can

find this grace and make challenging times of life opportunities for growth and grace. Let us vow to make our difficult times teach us to rely and His grace.

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

—–1 Peter 4:13

Encouragement For Those Facing Various Trials (redlikecrimson.wordpress.com)

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Filed under Christian Living, Julian of Norwich

Tagged as Christ, Divine grace, First Epistle of Peter, God, Jesu, Julian, Julian of Norwich, Peter

July 22, 2014 · 3:36 pm

Joy of Work

There was in the Cells an old man called Apollo. If someone came to find him about doing a piece of work, he would set out joyfully, saying, ‘I am going to work with Christ today, for the salvation of my soul, for that is the reward he gives.’

—-sayings of the Desert

Our world could be turned upside down if we would really take the words of this monk to heart. Finding joy and salvation in our work make the work worth doing, and worth doing well. The whole concept of working for Christ when we are doing the tasks of the day allows us to see our days through a new lens that gives us joy and meaning beyond our imagination. We must ask ourselves, what would it take for me to see my work as salvation for my soul?

Definitely it places a new perspective of what it means to work and serve. For most of us, work is a means to an end. The monk leads us to believe work is our end, and we will be incredibly rewarded for doing the tasks of the day. Implicitly, we are being told that God sends our work to us as a means of worship. Imagine the difference it could make in your life if you saw your work as an act of worship and a means of grace.

Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

—-Jesus of Nazareth

more valuable than gold (humbleodyssey.wordpress.com)

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Filed under Desert Fathers, Salvation

Tagged as Apollo, Christ, God, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Jesu, Salvation, Sin

July 20, 2014 · 10:15 am

Words for the Journey

No one can live only on food. People need every word God has spoken.

When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven.

When you give to the poor, don’t let anyone know about it. Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.

Don’t store up treasures on earth! Instead, store up your treasures in heaven.

Your heart will always be where your treasure is

Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself.

I tell you not to worry about your life. Can worry make you live longer?

Why do you have such little faith? Put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.

Ask, and you will receive. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be open for you.

Treat others, as you want them to treat you.

You can tell what they are by what they do.

I didn’t come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners.

Anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will surely be rewarded.

If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.

Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts.

What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?

Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.

Everyone who is now first will be last, and everyone who is last will be first.

Love the lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.”

If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.

I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.

Reflection – Choose one of these sayings of Christ to become your focus each day as you journey.

Monica Boudreaux

THE REMEDY: Prayer Journey (prienblog.wordpress.com)

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Filed under Bible Devotional, Christian Journey

Tagged as Bible, Christ, Evil, God, Gospel of Matthew, Jesu, Monica Boudreaux, Worry

June 25, 2014 · 10:09 am

Judgments and Assessments

A brother in Scetis committed a fault. A council was called to which Abba Moses was invited, but he refused to go to it. Then the priest sent someone to him, saying, “Come, for everyone is waiting for you”. So he got up and went. He took a leaking jug and filled it with water and carried it with him. The others came out to meet him and said, “what is this, father?” The old man said to them, “My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I am coming to judge the errors of another.” When they heard that, they said no more to the brother but forgave him.

—Sayings of the Desert

Recently I was attending a function with a clergyperson of another denomination, and we began discussing a mutual acquaintance. Quickly the conversation turned somewhat negative and judgmental. After he made what I thought was a rather harsh judgment, I suggested that I didn’t think we should be passing judgment on the man in that manner. His reply was that he was not judging but making an assessment.

North Africa Wadi el Natrun

It doesn’t matter if we call it an assessment or just plain judgment, the monk gives us some direction about this topic. Our sins are forgiven and run out behind us. They are gone! The world would be a much better place if we refrained from making assessments and followed the path of our Savior who came to heal and forgive.

A lesson in judging others – Abba Moses the Black (sayingsoftheorthodoxfathers.wordpress.com)

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Filed under Desert Fathers, judgement

Tagged as Abba Moses, God, Jesu, Judgment, Moses, Religion and Spirituality, Scetis, Wadi El Natrun

May 15, 2014 · 9:05 am

Thursday Prayer 3

May the blessing of light be on you – light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire,
so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it.
And may light shine out of the two eyes of you,
like a candle set in the window of a house,
bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.
And may the blessing of the rain be on you,
may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines,
and sometimes a star.
And may the blessing of the earth be on you,
soft under your feet as you pass along the roads,
soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day;
and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it.
May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God.
And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen.

Scottish Blessing

A Celtic Blessing (godspace.wordpress.com)

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Filed under Celtic Prayers, Prayer

Tagged as Celtic Prayer, Christ, Earth, God, Heaven, Jesu, Lord, Mary

April 22, 2014 · 2:39 pm

Putting Others First

Some monks of Scetis came one day to visit Amma Sarah. She offered them a small basket of fruit. They left the good fruit and ate the bad. So she said to them, “You are true monks of Scetis.”

—-Amma Sara

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

—-Parables of Jesus

The clarion call of all followers of Jesus is self-denial. Without self-denial we are in a constant state of grabbing and competition for the chief seats. Over and over again Jesus the teacher told His disciples to be self-sacrificing and humble. One of the great sayings of the scripture is, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Is a person who calls himself a Christian but always puts self-interest first really legitimate?

Sara of the desert gives us some insight here. She lived the life of a desert monk, and a real monk knows the meaning of true sacrifice. She entertained some fellow monastics in her cell and offered them fruit, and they ate the bad fruit first. Her reaction was to call them “true monks.” Amma Sara knew that there were true and false monks, and declared that true monks don’t grab for the best but leave the best for others.

In this same way, true followers of Jesus must be willing to take a “back seat’ so that others may thrive and go forward. That sort of thinking is contrary to the norm of our day, but brings us closer to an understanding of the nature of God and His grace. By living out a life of self-sacrifice, we find the divine peace that surpasses all understanding.

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Filed under Desert Mothers, Humility, Monasticism

Tagged as Christian, Christianity, God, Jesu, Monk, Religion and Spirituality, Scetis, Wadi El Natrun