Helpful Images

Recently I heard a school teacher talking about the religious education of Children.
Following the Montessori method, that puts a lot of learning options before children, some religious educators have found that children are drawn to the image of the Good Shepherd.

Younger children find the idea of the Good Shepherd knowing and loving his sheep helpful; older children look more to the Shepherd laying down his life for his sheep.

I have since put this question to Adults: "What image of Jesus do you find most helpful?"

We may find that image in:
· the gospel narrative, e.g., the agony in the garden and his treatment of women
· Jesus’ sayings, e.g., “follow me” and "Amen,Amen",
· his titles, such as, “Son of God” or “teacher”
· his symbols, e.g., the crown of thorns and the breaking of bread,
· his parables like “the good Samaritan” and "the sower of seed".
· his actions like healing the sick and dining with sinners.

It would be interesting to learn your answer.

Plundering Satan's House

No one can break into a strong man's house and plunder his property unless he has first tied up the strong man. Only then can he plunder his house. [Mark 3:27]
What does this teach us about Jesus?
How are we to follow in his footsteps?

Proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus is a safe way to tie up Satan and set people free. This litany is a 'Lordship' prayer that you can use in a group.

Deliverance Litany

Response for Greeting the Heavenly Court : “PRAY FOR US"
Mary, Immaculate Mother of God –
St Michael, the Archangel –
All the Angels of God –
The Holy Apostles –
Sts Peter and Paul –
(Other individual saints can be named)
The Holy Martyrs –
All the Saints of God –

Response for Deliverance from Specific Evil : “LORD, DELIVER US”
From evil intentions –
From psychic attack -
From witchcraft -
From satanic power –
From unclean spirits –
From familiar spirits –
(other evils can be named)
From the evil one –

Response for Proclaiming Jesus: “JESUS, YOU ARE LORD”
Over all principalities and powers –
Over the ‘father of the lie’ –
Over the cunning serpent -
Over the ‘murderer from the beginning’ –
Over the accuser of Your People –
Over the devouring dragon –
Through your self-emptying -
Through your Incarnation –
Through your empowering Spirit –
Through the Good News –
Through your signs and wonders –
Through your obedience to the Father –
Through your love of your disciples -
By taking our sins upon yourself –
By your suffering for us –
By your death on the Cross –
By your glorious Resurrection –
By your Ascension to God’s right hand –
By your headship of the Church –
By the coming of your Spirit -
By your return to judge the living and the dead –

Response for Rejoicing in God: “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST”
In you we live and move and have our being -
You live in unapproachable light –
You created all things, seen and unseen –
You are tender and compassionate -
You hear the cries of the poor –
You set the downtrodden free –
You are Father to Your People –
You are faithful to your covenant -
You have numbered the hairs on our heads -
You gave your Son for the life of the world –
You sent forth your Spirit of holiness -
You want all people to share in your banquet –
You are adored by the Angels and Saints –

Mixing with Marginals

When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw Jesus eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, 'Why does he ear the tax collectors and sinners?' When Jesus heard this he said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I came to call not the upright, but sinners.' Mark 2:16-17
Why was Jesus dining with Marginals?
Who are the Marginals in my world?


Would you go over to the table in the photograph, pick up some food and go and mix with some of the marginal people? Or would you walk on by?
Mixing with these sorts of people gives us a feeling for Jesus's desire to save sinners. He was like a doctor wanting to attend the sick.
At the very least, our presence can be a sign that God cares.

Rejoice always!

"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." [Philippians 4:4]
What is the bible passage saying to us? Is it easy?

I was chatting with our housekeeper at the clothes line the other day. We were talking about people complaining. She said, "Complaining, it is the default position." I agreed.

She then said, "If people are being positive all the time, others think that they are 'up themselves'; they have an easy life; they deserve to be taken down a peg or two."

Realizing that we were complaining , she said with enthusiasm, "But its a good world!"

"My Word"

"Anyone who loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him
and abide with him."
[John 14:23]

What is Jesus telling us?
What is the connection between love, keeping Jesus' word and abiding?

Here is a way of preparing our hearts for God to abide there:
Choose a text from the Gospel. Read it slowly and talk with Jesus
1. "Lord, I notice in this text ..."
2. "So you are showing me ..."
3. "I am moved to ..."
Rest with the movement of your heart that attracts you to Jesus. Then when you get distracted read some of the text again.

Remember the text during the day when your mind is not active with other things.

In this way, our Father and Jesus will become more at home in you.

Performance Assessors

"You must love your neighbour as yourself" [Matthew 22:38]

How would this affect workplace assessment?

Ever had a performance assessment? A good or bad experience? It is good when you know that the assessors are as rigorous on themselves as they are on you. It is bad when you know that they are not! You get the feeling that they punish you for the faults that they are not facing up to themselves.

As our cook would say, "If they are as hard on themselves as they are on you and if they are as gentle on you as they are on themselves, then the work place would be a better place."

Gospel living demands that we act towards others as we would act towards ourselves

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

“Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be called ‘children of God’.
Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 5:7-10)
What is Jesus says?
What are we doing?

******
As the saying goes, “The action is where the rubber meets the road” and that is certainly shown in the second four Beatitudes. In our discussion, we worked through these sayings of Jesus.

People talk of having a “positive attitude”. We draw our positive attitude from the mercy of God which he wants to flow through us to others.

We don't find it easy to be “pure in heart” when, all around us, people are being devious and deceptive. Yet it is when we do examine and purify our motives that we find it easier to experience God. In our discussion we noticed that our "seeing God" was more striking early on, whereas our experience now is more of God's abiding presence.

We like being peacemakers but our group find that it is hard to be a peacemaker when we have to be firm with others. It can also be hard when each side in a dispute thinks that we are lining up with the other side. “You cop the flak from both sides.”

When we try do the right thing all the time, we may not experience direct persecution, but we have been “passed-over” by bosses and “left-out” by workmates and be made to feel uncomfortable by the social group.

But, as they say, "The action is where the rubber meets the road". And there is no action when you have lost your traction.

Confronting the Big Boys

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the gentle: they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall have their fill.”
(Mt 5:3-6)
Do we rely on God like Jesus did?
Do our actions attract kingdom blessing?
******
Our discussion on the first four Beatitudes took an interesting turn. While acknowledging that the Beatitudes are characteristics of Jesus and that they are based on the Old Testament understanding that the 'poor in spirit' are those who know that they need God, our discussion centred on work place bullying.

The way to handle bullying is not to retaliate, but to address the issue. This approach fits so well with the balance between the two Beatitudes "Blessed are the gentle" and "Blessed are those who...thirst for that is right."

Jesus, himself relied on the strength of his Father's Spirit as he confronted Pharisees, Saduccees, unresponsive crowds and Roman occupiers. Like the boy in our photo, confronting the sumo wrestler, Jesus was used to the "David and Goliath Situations."