Authority

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Authority

Twelve     Apostles

Cure     Raise     Cleanse

Jesus' Heart Was Moved

Without Cost

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 9:35 to 38; 10:1 and 7

Jesus travelled to all the towns and villages. He taught in the synagogues and shared the Good News of the kingdom.

He cured those who were sick.

As He looked at the people who were following Him, His heart was moved with compassion for them. They seemed troubled and without direction, like sheep who had no shepherd to guide them.

Then Jesus said to the disciples who were with Him, "The potential for the harvest is huge but we are in need of laborers. Ask the one who is in charge of the harvest to send out more laborers for this large harvest."

Then Jesus called twelve of His followers and He anointed them as apostles. He gave them authority over evil spirits so that they could drive them out.

He gave them authority over every disease.

Jesus told them that when they went out sharing the Good News, they would say:

"God's Kingdom is here."

 They were to cure the sick. Raise the dead. Cleanse the lepers. Drive out the evil spirits.

" Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

Reflection

When we hear the word authority, we can have different reactions. We can become very apprehensive that the authority might be looking to punish us. We can delight is meeting someone who is knowledgeable in a field that we are very interested in learning about. We can wonder if we have the skill set to be placed in a position of tremendous importance at our job.

The authority that Jesus is giving is really an ability to help those who are facing difficulties. In this passage from Matthew we get a huge glimpse into the humanity and compassion of Jesus.

He is looking at the faces of the people who are coming to hear Him. He looks into their hearts and their souls and He sees their struggles and difficulties. Matthew tells us that "His heart was moved with compassion". Jesus knows that they need good leaders who will guide them to the truth and heal them of their hurts.

The authority that Jesus gives to the apostles is a response from Jesus to the needs He sees. He wants to make sure that the People of God can find comfort and peace.

Jesus comes to us with that same authority today. He calls us to heal those who are heavily burdened and overwhelmed with the hardships that they are facing.

We all know people in our lives who need a kind word or someone who will listen. Jesus is calling us today, as He called the twelve apostles in the first century, to be His agents of compassion in the world.

We know how great His authority is. Let us use the gifts that flow from that authority to transform our world through one act of compassion at a time.

God's Kingdom is here!

1. What is your first reaction when you hear the word authority?

2. Why is the heart of Jesus moved with compassion for the people who are following him?

3. Who are the people that Jesus has been sending to you who need the healing of Jesus?

4. How can we transform our world?

5. What do you see as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Memorial

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Memorial

Fruits     Redemption

Eat     Drink     Partake

I Am Living Bread

Life

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   Deuteronomy 8:3

God let you feel hunger as you were wandering in the desert for forty years and then fed you with manna.

This was a food that both you and your fathers had never eaten.

The Lord wanted to show you that not by bread alone does a person live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Sequence: Lauda Sion

What Jesus did at supper seated,

Christ desired to be repeated,

His memorial always given.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

If you eat this bread, you will live forever.

Reflection

Memorials can be very helpful. We can learn about important events in the past. 

Jesus wanted to give Himself to us. He knew that we would need His strength and His Love.

He left us a memorial of bread and wine to nourish us and help us. Jesus wants to give us a living bread. He wants us to live forever with Him. 

The Jewish people had an important history with bread. The manna had sustained them as they were traveling in the desert after Moses led them out of slavery in Egypt. 

This experience was a special memorial for the Israelites. It reminded them that God would never abandon them.

God fed them with manna and also with the word of God. Jesus comes to us as the Word of God.

The memorial that Jesus leaves for us is His gift for us. It is the greatest gift we can receive.

It is the gift of life.

Forever!

1. What are some memorials that have a special meaning for you?

2. Why did Jesus leave a memorial for us?

3. How did manna help the Jewish people?

4. What does Kathy's photo say to you?

(scripture and sequence adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

   

Rejoice

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Rejoice

Gift     Grace

Mend     Encourage     Agree

Live In Peace

Trinity

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   2 Corinthians 13: 11 and 13

Rejoice!

Mend your actions.

Encourage each other.

Agree with one another.

Live in peace.

The God of love and peace will dwell with you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you!

Reflection

It is time to rejoice!

God wants to share the gift of JOY with us. It is a joy that comes when we encourage others and point out the good that they are trying to do.

This gift of joy can help us to build a world of peace. It is a peace that comes from our realization that God dwells within us.

We can all think of times in our life when we were upset or confused. When we realize that our God is with us and wants to help us with our burdens and worries, our concerns feel much lighter and more manageable. 

Our God comes to us with the grace of Jesus Christ. That grace nurtures us and gives us the strength to build peace by working for justice. Jesus is generous with that grace.

That grace fills us with the Love of God. That Love is a sign to all of us that God continues to reach out to us with care and compassion.

That Love of God dwells within us through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. It is amazing, when we reflect on it, that our God desires to be in fellowship with us. Our God delights in us and loves to be with us each day.

Our God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit loves us completely and shares the grace of Trinity with us.

Kathy's photo reminds us of the peace symbol. God's grace comes to us to lead us to true Peace. 

It is a Peace that dwells with the Trinity and comes to us when we begin to accept how deeply and completely our God loves us.

Accept that Peace and spread it to all you encounter!

1. Where do you see the gift of JOY in your life?

2. How have you been strengthened by God's grace recently?

3. When have you found fellowship with the Holy Spirit in your daily life?

4. What does it mean to you when you think of God as Trinity----the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

5. How does Kathy's photo make you feel?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara) 

Gifts/Fruits

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Gifts/Fruits

Tongues     Fire

Pour Out     Fill     Renew

Manifestation of the Spirit

Proclaim

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   Acts 2: 1 to 4

When the time of Pentecost had come, the apostles were gathered in one place. Suddenly a powerful noise like a strong driving wind filled the whole house where they were. Then there came tongues of fire, which parted and rested on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and started to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit led them to proclaim.

First Corinthians 12: 4 to 7

There are many different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different works but the same God who leads all of them in everyone. To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is poured out for good.

Reflection

Time to celebrate the Holy Spirit!

Jesus promised the apostles that He would send them the Holy Spirit to guide them as they took on the mission of proclaiming the Good News. True to His word, the Holy Spirit came to the apostles on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost---a Feast that celebrated the Spring Harvest. 

The Spirit came with gifts that enabled the apostles to produce amazing fruits in their ministry. God is generous and holds nothing back. God gives us what we need to spread the message of liberation and love.

Just think of the amazing transformation that happens to the apostles. They go from gathering in fear and uncertainty where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with them to proclaiming the Gospel message with boldness. Talk about a big change!

It shows us what the Holy Spirit can do in our lives if we are open to receiving the gifts that the Spirit wants to share with us. We are capable of more than we think we can do because the Spirit will lead us.

Paul emphasizes in his First Letter to the Corinthians that the Spirit is given to each person. We can always tend to say that it is up to someone else to spread the Gospel. We can look at others as more talented or more articulate. 

No such excuses are possible when we reflect on the generosity of the Holy Spirit. We all have gifts that we have been given that are important to build up the Body of Christ.

Get ready to be gifted and show your fruits!

1. How do you feel the Holy Spirit is working in your life?

2. Have you ever felt that it is up to others to spread the Gospel?

3. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara) 

Glorify

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Glorify

Name     Works

Accept     Know     Persevere

The Hour Has Come

Redemption

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 17: 1 and 2

After Jesus had said this, he looked up to heaven and said,

"Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may also glorify you, just as you gave him power over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him."

Reflection

Jesus knows that the end is near. 

He is speaking to the Father and sharing from His heart. He knows that it is going to be difficult, but He puts that behind Him.

Jesus asks the Father for glory. He knows that He will need the strength that the Father can provide. He can not face this on His own.

With that strength from the Father, Jesus will be able to be faithful to the mission He received from the Father---the mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

When Jesus is faithful to that mission, He is glorifying the Father. He is spreading the message that God wants everyone to know that they are loved unconditionally.

Jesus comes to give. He wants to give us eternal life. 

It is a message that is difficult for us to accept sometimes. We wonder how God can love us to this degree. 

When people are nice to us, we become suspicious. We wonder what they might want from us. 

When Jesus offers us His Love, we wonder how it could be possible that Jesus could love us to this extent. It seems too good to be true.

This gift from Jesus comes with an invitation. If we say yes to Jesus, we can also glorify the Father.

We glorify the Father each time we share the Love that Jesus gives us with those the Father sends to us. 

Jesus accepted the mission and was able to glorify the Father. It is our turn now!

1. How was Jesus able to be faithful to His mission?

2. How does Jesus glorify the Father?

3. How can we glorify the Father?

4. What do you feel as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Advocate

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Advocate

Alive     Love

Abide     Accompanied     Live

The Spirit Of Truth

Presence

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 14: 15 to 17

"If you love me, you will follow my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and God will send you another Advocate to accompany you each day. 

This Advocate is the Spirit of Truth.

Those who are closed to the Kingdom of God are not able to accept this Advocate.

They do not see the Advocate.

They do not know the Advocate.

You who are my followers know the Advocate.

The Advocate abides in you and will live in you always."

Reflection

In our passage from John Jesus is trying to console His apostles. He knows that it will be hard on them when He returns to the Father.

He does not want to leave them alone. They will be facing a lot of hostility and opposition. How will they be able to survive this without Jesus?

Jesus is concerned about the apostles. He tells them that He will send an Advocate to assist them.

An Advocate, or Paraclete, is a term that is used to describe a defense lawyer---a person who would protect your rights when you were accused. Someone who could help you find justice and truth.

Jesus will send the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, as the Advocate. The Holy Spirit will abide with the apostles and help them overcome the many challenges that they will face.

The Advocate is recognized by those who are open to spiritual realities. They are not distracted by temptations to power, greed, or selfishness.

The apostles have been following Jesus and have become open to the message of Love and caring that Jesus proclaimed. This message became part of their lives.

This preparation helps them to know the Advocate and follow the Advocate. They were not going to be alone. The Holy Spirit would abide with them.

The gift of the Advocate became a sign to the apostles of how deeply Jesus cared about them. We can all relate to this feeling---people in our lives who reach out to us and show concern for us touch our hearts.

The hearts of the apostles were open to the Advocate. They were ready to be transformed!

Come Holy Spirit!

1. Why does Jesus tell the apostles that He is going to send an Advocate to the apostles?

2. How can an Advocate help the apostles?

3. Why could some people not recognize the Advocate?

4. How did the Holy Spirit transform the apostles?

5. What is your feeling as you ponder Kathy's photo?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Dwelling Place

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Dwelling Place

Father's House

Prepare     Way     Place

Take You To Myself

I AM

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 14: 1 to 6a

"Do not worry. You have placed your faith in God; place your faith in me also. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.

 If there were not many places there, I would not have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you. As I go and get that place ready for you, I will come back again and take you to myself. 

In that way, where I am, you shall be there also. You know that way where I am going."

Thomas said to Jesus, "We do not know where you are going. How can we possibly know the way?"

Jesus said to him, " I AM the way, the truth, and the life." 

Reflection

Where is your favorite dwelling place? Do you have a special spot where you go to find peace?

I love to sit on the love seat in our living room. I can feel the sun on my shoulders as I sit and pray and read. I can turn around and look at the roses that are blooming right outside the windows.

It is a place of peace. A place of comfort. A place of insight.

Jesus tells us that He also wants to offer us a dwelling place. That special dwelling place is in the house of God.

Not only does God offer us that special place; Jesus is actually "preparing" it for us. We can all remember how we felt when someone prepared a place for us. 

I love it when we go to visit our daughter and her family in Massachusetts, and she prepares a guest room for us. It says that she really wants us to come and visit. She makes us feel special.

Jesus is doing the same thing and goes a step further. He is telling us that He will prepare a place for us and that He will "take us to Himself". 

His Love for us is so deep and complete that He wants to be one with us. He knows that we need to feel that deep acceptance to overcome our fears, worries, and insecurities. We always feel unworthy.

We can get lost in those feelings. When we do, there is a way back to Love.

Jesus!

1. Where is your favorite "dwelling place"?

2. Do you feel that Jesus is offering you a "dwelling place"?

3. What do you feel when you hear that Jesus wants to take you to Himself?

4. What strikes you as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)