He Taught As Having Authority

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

It may be said that teachers shape the future. What a teacher says and does in the classroom forms and informs a significant part of what the students will become. From a very early age, a child is taught to believe what his teacher says, because she is the one old, wise, and learned, the one entrusted with teaching him the way things are.

People teach all sorts of “stuff”. Take a look at school curriculum, and you will find vast mountains of information that must be processed, digested, and regurgitated into and out of the students. Math, science, history, reading, English, art, music, PE – all categories of knowledge and information that a child must grasp to become a well-rounded, well-prepared adult in society. And the know-how and authority to teach all this is granted by a $100,000 piece of paper from some college, and a license from the state.

The Challenge of Contraception for Those Who Respect Life

As we observe a week of prayer and reflection on the sanctity of human life, I thought it fitting that something be said about the value of the life-creating act itself. The Lord has given us the gift of sex and of fertility, and He has blessed us with the command to "be fruitful and multiply". There are some grievous problems with interfering with this command. Following is a summary of an article I came across, with a link to the full text from the blog of the One More Soul organization.

Contraception poses a challenge to those who respect life. It may not be immediately obvious that there is any connection between contraception and abortion, but on further examination, a relationship between the two becomes apparent. Ignoring the issue of contraception leads to a lost opportunity to respect life to the fullest degree. There are at least three connections between contraception and abortion to consider:

1. Many contraceptives can directly cause early abortions.

2. Contraceptive use creates a perceived need for abortion as a “back-up.”

3. Contraceptive use causes a devaluation of human life.

The fundamental problem with the use of contraception is that it is a form of idolatry - a failure to "fear, love, and trust in God above all things." If your heavenly Father has promised to give you all good gifts, will He not also give you whatsoever He sees that you need? Furthermore, contraception sets up the "ME" as god, divorcing the gifts from the Giver, and telling God that "I" know better how to use His creation than He does.

For the rest of the above-quoted article, please visit the One More Soul blog.

"Power Belongs to God"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.” With these words the Psalm today opens. Words of waiting, of expectation, of hope. You wait in hope for the fulfillment of what has been promised to you from times past. Great hope abounds for the gifts to come when the One who promised them returns.

And so it is as the people of God in times of old waited for the coming of the promised Messiah. The Lord God had promised to send to them one who would be Immanuel, God with us, the one anointed to save His people from their sins. They waited.

The children of Israel waited, just as children now wait eagerly for the return of their father, even from a short trip. They wait to find out what Father has brought home. Will it be a new doll, or a toy truck, or some tasty treat for supper? Will it be good news, or some unexpected blessing? Children await eagerly the coming of their father, because they have confidence that he will give them all good things, whatever he knows that they need.

"The Lord Was Calling"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The Word of the Lord has gone out into every generation of man, in many and various ways, but remarkably always through the mouth of men. Today you have heard about one such man, a boy really, and how the Lord called him to be His messenger to the people of Israel.

The Old Testament lesson begins by recording that “the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli.” Samuel, from his conception, was devoted to the Lord. His name means “heard of God”, because God heard the cries of his mother Hannah and granted to her a son. Therefore, she gave him to the Lord to minister in the tabernacle. Samuel from a young age was brought up in the Lord's house, and he honored the Lord, even though he did not yet know Him. For this, the same is said about Samuel as would be said about our Lord: “Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.” (1Sam. 2:26)

The Voice of the Lord

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What is the power of a voice? Something so fragile, that it can be broken by hormones, by sickness, by injury. Something that can be shut up, stopped, silenced without hardly a thought. A voice seems like such a weak and frail thing, and yet a voice can hold great power.

Think of your mother's voice. What do you think of when you think of a mother's voice. With her voice and her words, a mother has the power to soothe just about any hurt. Some of the worst experiences of childhood can be healed by Mommy's words, “It will be okay, dear.” A mother's voice can encourage and lift up even the weakest child to great heights. With the encouragement of a mother, men have been spurred on to accomplish great and mighty things. A mother can love with her words and voice like none other can.

Beginning with Bloodshed

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today is the beginning of a new year. With all the hopes and dreams and possibilities this day brings, no doubt you would like to put away the past year, with all the news of bloodshed, disaster, and violence. Some good news would be nice. A positive message to start the year off right. Something to give hope and joy. Not a message about bloodshed.

But bloodshed is how the Church starts the new year. In today's Gospel lesson, Luke records two things – that the Christ-child was circumcised, and that He was given the name Jesus. According to the Law of Moses, the Son of Man was brought to the temple and had done what was prescribed. On this day the shedding of His blood for you began. And so, it is only right that this new year begin with bloodshed.

Why circumcision?

"Let the Favor of the Lord our God Be Upon Us"

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In the Psalm we just sang, Moses leads us to pray, “Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love.” Indeed, you should pray this each night, but it is especially fitting as we gather to usher in the new year by receiving the Lord's gifts. For tonight we sit in darkness and wait.

Just as the sun has set on this day, and a new day will rise with the dawn tomorrow, so also the time is far spent on this year, and tomorrow will bring the rising of a new year, with all that brings. But tonight, we wait – whether eagerly or apprehensively – for the coming of the new day and the mercies of the Lord to be poured out anew.

Tonight the old year passes, and tomorrow the new begins. As scores around the world keep vigil, you will leave the past behind like a shadow fading in the dawn. The thrills and triumphs of this year will stand in your memories, but their bloom will fade and their brilliance dim. The monuments of your achievements will crumble even as they are newly set. The mind's eye will try to focus upon the good and leave out the bad, sometimes with more success than others. The grass withers and the flower fades.