Praying to the Father in Order to Help Those Who Suffer

VATICAN CITY, 14 DEC 2011 (VIS) – In his general audience this morning, the Holy Father dedicated his catechesis to Jesus’ prayer in the context of His healing miracles, focusing particularly on the healing of the deaf man as narrated in the Gospel of St. Mark, and the raising of Lazarus.

The healing of the deaf man “demonstrates that the cures worked by Jesus were connected with the intensity of His relationships, both with others and with the Father”, the Pope said. “With a gesture the Lord touches the sick man’s ears and tongue; that is, the sites of his infirmity. … But the central point of the episode lies in the fact that Jesus, at the very moment He works the cure, directly seeks His relationship with the Father”, by looking up to heaven. “The narrative shows, then, that human involvement with the sick man led Jesus into prayer. His unique relationship with the Father emerges once again, His identity as Only-begotten Son. In Him, through His person, the healing and beneficial action of God is made present among us”.

The raising of Lazarus also highlights this aspect of Jesus’ dual relationships, His concern for a suffering friend and His filial bond with the Father. “His sincere affection for His friend … is expressed by the fact that Jesus was deeply moved at the sight of the suffering of Martha and Mary, and of all Lazarus’ friends, and in His profoundly human tears as he approaches the grave”, the Pope explained. At the same time, Christ interprets His friend’s death “in relation to His own identity and mission, and the glorification awaiting Him. When He hears news of Lazarus sickness, He says: ‘this illness does not lead to death: rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it'”.

“The moment when Jesus prays directly to the Father before the tomb is the natural climax of the entire episode”. According to John the Evangelist “Jesus looked upward and said, Father I thank you for having heard me”. This phrase, Benedict XVI explained, “shows us that Jesus had not for a moment ceased His prayer for Lazarus’ life. That prayer was continuous, indeed it strengthened Jesus’ bond with His friend and, at the same time, confirmed His decision to remain in communion with the will of the Father, with His plan of love in which the sickness and death of Lazarus is the place in which the glory of God is made manifest”.

Trusting in God’s will

These episodes, said the Holy Father, help us to understand “that when we ask the Lord for something in prayer, we must not expect an immediate fulfilment of our requests, of our will; rather, we should entrust outsides to the will of the Father, reading events in the perspective of His glory, of His plan of love which is often a mystery to our eyes. Thus in our prayer, request, praise and thanksgiving should fuse together, even when it seems to us that God does not respond to our expectations. Abandoning ourselves to the love of God, which always precedes and accompanies us, is a fundamental principle in our dialogue with Him. … Beyond anything that God may give us when we invoke Him, the greatest gift He can give us is His friendship, His presence, His love”. The giver is more precious than the gift.

“The concern Jesus, true God and true man, feels for others, especially the needy and suffering, … causes Him to turn to the Father. … But the opposite is also true: communion with the Father, constant dialogue with Him, causes Jesus to be attentive to the real-life situations of man, to which He brings the consolation and love of God”.

This profound bond between love for God and love for others must, the Pope concluded, also be part of our own prayers, which “open the door to God, teaching us how to abandon our own selves in order to come close to others, especially in moments of trial, bringing them consolation, hope and light”.

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Consider the Beatitudes

The Beatitudes clearly image the perfect fruits of the Holy Spirit in man’s soul. The Beatitudes are as “divinely” human acts we can perform. In living the Beatitudes, we will gain the reward attached to them now and in the afterlife.

All the Beatitude align to our human desire for happiness. This desire was placed in our hearts by God to draw us to Himself who is the fulfillment of those desires. St. Augustine stated it clearly: “Thou hast made us for Yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

We are called to imitate Christ; to be Christlike. the Beatitudes are a mini biography of Christ, of His charity. They describe His perfected humanity, the one we are to follow, the one He models for us.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Way – our only way. He is our Truth – our only truth. He is our Life – our only life. To know Jesus Christ is the supreme goal of every Christian.

Jesus drew up and eight point plan to guide us. The Beatitudes teach us that real happiness comes from fulfilling God’s will for us. It is a good idea to follow Pope Francis’ admonition to dwell on Our Lords’ magnificent plan contained in the Beatitudes. These Beatitudes are Our Lord’s invitation to a godly life. Let us accept this divine invitation with joy and determination.

All the Beatitudes have the sanctification of our souls as their goal. Our Lord, through the Beatitudes, calls each and every woman, NOW, to reform, to conform herself to Him. In the Beatitudes you have the one and only strategy you need to be filled with a supernatural joy you will be able to communicate to others. They will enable you to be exemplary lay apostles radiating Christ to others.

 

The Beatitudes contradict the spirit of our times. The culture and media of today call losers winners and losers those whom Jesus declares winners. For as where the world exalts wealth, power, glamor and influence, Our Lord commends humility, meekness, mercy, purity, generosity and detachment.

Which path are you following? What path will you take? Let’s be like St. Peter who recognized that Jesus has the words of eternal life and say “YES” to Him.

 

“Blessed are the merciful….

What is a merciful woman like? First of all, she is not like the morphine addict who slowly poisons herself, becoming completely unaware of the insidious and deadly effects of selfishness on the soul.

The merciful woman is one who is determined to help and support others in a kind and disinterested way. Recognizing that her own nature is flawed, and loving God in others requires her to begin over and over again, she prays for perseverance. Her loving heart is vigilant over the needs of others and on guard to protect those entrusted to her care as well as whomever God sends her way. She generously goes about doing good to others wherever she sees a need, be it spiritual or material, emotional or practical.

Above all, she is a forgiving person and not only disarms by her merciful ways those who have offended her, but does so in a manner that her forgiveness leads the offender to reconsider. The merciful woman knows that by nature it is easier for her to indulge her desires and plans rather than her duties which she at times looks at with anxiety and impatience. She is able to be merciful because she is very aware of this natural tendency to prefer her own plans rather than be self-giving, and thus she makes the effort to relinquish her plans and help those who have erred. In particular, she is conscious that everything she does has repercussions, and no action is without its impact on those which whom she deals.

In particular, she is not afraid to use opportunities that arise to gently correct family members and friends when they need to be alerted to the dangers of the ways and ideas that are contrary to what is true and right. Seek to understand others even when they seem to be unaccepting. By being a friend can cause other to open their hearts so be prepared to help them.

Show mercy and kindness to those who are sad, dejected, ill, or lonely. Comfort the grieving and the sorrowing. Never act indifferently to a suffering person; rather spend time with those who need physical or spiritual consolation. Never seek repayment or praise; that your are doing it for God in your neighbor is a rich enough reward.

We will only have mercy in our hearts when we offer mercy, when we forgive, our enemies from the example and with the help of Christ. Mercy is not simply a matter of giving alms to the poor, but also of being understanding of other people’s defects, overlooking them, helping them not only to cope with them but to love them despite whatever defects they may have. Mercy suffers and rejoices with others.

Your love of God can be measured by the way you treat those who need help. Follow Jesus’ example who was always motivated by mercy and always acted out of mercy. Lead others to turn to Our Lord and His Blessed Mother for solace, peace, and mercy.

How Is Truth Like a Rambutan?

How is truth like a rambutan?

While preparing to preach on the Mass readings for November 20th a few weeks back, my first encounter with a rambutan in Bangkok many years ago came to mind.

Many of you may be wondering (or already Googling) what a rambutan is. A rambutan is a fairly common fruit in many parts of Asia which is pretty off-putting on the outside if you don’t know what it is – they looked pretty “hairy and scary” to me when I found a bowl full of them in my hotel room. Fortunately, one of the locals explained that it was an edible fruit and showed me how to crack open the intimidating exterior to get to the succulent and delicious pearly white fruit within.

So what does the Rabutan have to do with the Mass readings from November 20th? At one level, the joyful psalm (the delicious fruit) is surrounded by a disquieting first reading where John weeps because no one has been found worthy to “open the scroll and break its seals” and the Gospel in which Jesus also weeps about the impending destruction of Jerusalem. Both the first reading and Gospel reminded me of the exterior of the rambutan.

At a deeper level, we find that John is longing for the truth that is contained within the scroll that only the lamb, Jesus, can open for us. Jesus on the other hand is weeping because He is the “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) and His people bring ruin upon themselves by rejecting Him and His Word, which is the truth which will set them free.

So why did those who heard Jesus reject the truth? Well, here is where the rambutan comes in. The truth is often disquieting at first because it forces us to confront our faults, weaknesses, and sinful habits; it challenges us to allow God to make us into a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) by letting go of whatever separates us from Him. Letting go of our sinful attachments can be “hairy and scary” like the outside of the rambutan but doing so allows us to savor the sweetness of the truth and the love of our Lord which give us a taste of Heaven!

Reflection based on the Thursday readings, 33rd week of Ordinary Time, Cycle 2: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112014.cfm

“Blessed are the persecuted…

The one essential virtue God requires of us is FAITH. Without it, nothing has any worth or gains any merit. And, like Our Lord’s apostles, we must ask Him to increase our faith. In our times, this is particularly important so that we do not live in fear. This is because we are by nature cowardly and often quite weak and fearful. It is only by faith that we can cope with the billowing storm clouds of our times.

Our only fear should be that of being separate from God. If we compromise on any single truth of the Creed, it will follow that we will gradual compromise on others to the point that we will end up rejecting truth/faith for the value’s of this world’s so called culture. There are many nowadays who do not want you to reject their false ideas, and it would be imprudent of you to remain silent when doing so would cause confusion or even scandal. Do not retreat to your own little world, but instead challenge your erroneous ideas with the truth to transform your milieu. Our world is in great need of living examples of faith.

Stand up for your faith. Be a living testimony to Christ despite the ridicule today’s world heaps on you. Our Christianity obliges us to bear witness to the Truth regardless of the consequences. We must be prudent and charitable but never cowardly or fearful in the defense of our beliefs. Christ Himself will give us the courage to face our difficulties. Throughout His life, Jesus was subjected to constant tauntings, criticism, and insults which He combated with the Truth.

A life of faith is a life of sacrifice meaning sacrificially rejecting whatever prevents us doing what we know is God’s will for us. You will be faithful in important matters of faith is you are faithful in protecting yourself from any occasion to compromise your belief, be it a movie, an event, a conversation. Do not be alarmed or discouraged by temptations. Pray and flee, but if you must stay, stand your ground because by defending your belief, you can be an example that wins others to Christ. Never follow the weak and blinking light of comfort and conformity which the world advocates; instead, be guided by the principles of Him who is the Light of the world.

If we meditate on the humanity of God Incarnate, we will be nourishing our souls to be faithful, loyal and unswerving in doing God’s will. Like His Mother, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, trusting Him completely. Our Lady’s whole existence had the solid foundation of faith in God. Let us ask her to show us how to grow in faith daily.”Blessed are the persecuted

Evangelistic Prophets

If one acts as a historian or Biblical scholar and views the Old Testament prophets analytically, one can conclude that all the prophets spoke, in a way, as evangelists. Three powerful examples:

ISAIAH 53: 1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God,and afflicted .5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth .8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand; 11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but thou dost not answer; and by night, but find no rest. 3 Yet thou art holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In thee our fathers trusted; they trusted, and thou didst deliver them .5 To thee they cried, and were saved; in thee they trusted, and were not disappointed. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; 8 “He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 9 Yet thou art he who took me from the womb; thou didst keep me safe upon my mother’s breasts. 10 Upon thee was I cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me thou hast been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls encompass me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death .16 Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet –17 I can count all my bones — they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots . 19 But thou, O LORD, be not far off! O thou my help, hasten to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion, my afflicted soul from the horns of the wild oxen! 22 I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee: 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! all you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. 25 From thee comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live for ever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 29 Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation…

Psalm 69:1 Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. 3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. 4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore? 5 O God, thou knowest my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from thee. 6 Let not those who hope in thee be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek thee be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. 7 For it is for thy sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face. 8 I have become a stranger to my brethren, an alien to my mother’s sons. 9 For zeal for thy house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult thee have fallen on me.10 When I humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. 11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. 12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of thy steadfast love answer me. With thy faithful help 14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. 15 Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, for thy steadfast love is good; according to thy abundant mercy, turn to me. 17 Hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in distress, make haste to answer me. 18 Draw near to me, redeem me, set me free because of my enemies! 19 Thou knowest my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to thee. 20 Insults have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. 22 Let their own table before them become a snare; let their sacrificial feasts be a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and make their loins tremble continually. 24 Pour out thy indignation upon them, and let thy burning anger overtake them. 25 May their camp be a desolation, let no one dwell in their tents. 26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and him whom thou hast wounded, they afflict still more. 27 Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from thee. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. 29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let thy salvation, O God, set me on high! 30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. 32 Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. 33 For the LORD hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds. 34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves therein. 35 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall dwell there and possess it; 36 the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

Come Up Higher

Our Lord says, “Every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Humility doesn’t mean having low self-esteem, or being overly pious or holy because true humility isn’t about us. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking about yourself less.

What does humility look like? When Solomon became King of Israel, he asked God to give him “an understanding mind [wisdom] to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil […] It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word’” (1 Kings 3:9-12).

To be humble is to live with the realization that I am constantly in the presence of God. To realize that everything I think, say and do is done in His presence. To acknowledge that everything that I am, everyone I meet, and all that I experience in this world is His creation. To understand that every time I go against Christ and the teachings of his Church, I am separating myself from being able to have a personal encounter with God.

Yet, in our weakness, we often spurn humility and turn our backs on God when we sin; when we believe that we know better than God; when we think we are the author of our own success; when we live by our own rules apart from the Church; when we ignore God’s plan. In our pride, we too often live absent the awareness that we are forever in the presence of God.

The virtue of humility permits us to live before God as we truly are, and the first step in deepening our relationship with God is to understand and acknowledge that we are prideful. Pride is the opposite of humility and seeks to draw attention to oneself. Pride is shallow, focusing on the “outer life” (how I appear to other people) and denying the “inner life” (how I appear to God). Pride may be expressed in different ways: coming to Church on Sunday but deliberately living apart from the teachings of the Church the rest of the week; taking personal credit for our accomplishments and achievements as if they had not been the result of God’s divine goodness and grace; minimizing our sins because “I’m such a good person”, and by emphasizing and dwelling on the sins of others. When pride is carried to the extent that a person is unwilling to acknowledge dependence on God, and refuses to submit his or her will to God and the lawful authority of His Church, it is gravely sinful.

True humility can only begin when our eyes are fixed upon Our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter knelt before Jesus and said, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man.” Mary Magdalene wept at the feet of Jesus and dried her tears with her hair. The Roman centurion told Jesus that he was not worthy that he should enter under his roof. The humble recognition of our own sinfulness allows us to experience the mercy of God. When Jesus speaks to the Apostles concerning the grace of true humility, He uses today’s parable about assuming places of honor. In the end, Jesus Himself models this behavior for His Apostles, by becoming the servant of all. “While on earth, go to the lowest place at the table” Jesus tells us. “Later on, at the resurrection of the righteous, you will be brought up higher.”

 

The Way to Follow Jesus: The Gospel of Mark (audio)

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

Dr. Tim Gray is the quintessential college professor: he knows and loves his subject, and is committed to passing on what he has learned to his students. His enthusiasm for the truths contained in the Gospel of Mark is catching, as evidenced by these round-table seminars with college students. This is one course you are guaranteed not to sleep through, and the wisdom gleaned will redound to you eternal credit.

The Way to Follow Jesus: The Gospel of Mark

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Program Name

Audio File Name – Click to download

1.

Introduction to the Gospel

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom01.mp3

2.

The Good News of the Gospel

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom02.mp3

3.

The Good News of the Kingdom, part 2

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom03.mp3

4.

Demise of the Demons

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom04.mp3

5.

Fear and Faith

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom05.mp3

6.

Problem of Parables

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom06.mp3

7.

Miracles of the Bread

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom07.mp3

8.

The Blind Shall See

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom08.mp3

9.

How Long Will They Not Believe?

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom09.mp3

10.

I Come to Serve, Not Be Served

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom10.mp3

11.

Jesus’ Royal Entry into Jerusalem

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom11.mp3

12.

Widow’s Offering in the Temple

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom12.mp3

13.

Discipleship during the Passion and Crucifixion

Host – Dr. Tim Gray

gom13.mp3

 

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Love Is…

St. Gregory the Great comment in his work, Moralia 10.7-8 re St. Paul’s I Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, because it bears serenely the injury it suffers.

It is kind, because it repays evil with good.

It is not jealous, because it covets nothing in this world: it does not know what it is to envy worldly prosperity.

It is not boastful, because it yearns only for spiritual reward, and it is not carried away by external things.

It is not arrogant, because it thrives only on the love of God and neighbor and avoids whatever would take it from the path of righteousness.

It is not coveousts, because although it ardently pursues its own spiritual goals, it does not desire the goods of others.

It does not insist on its own way, because it scorns as as lien those things it temporarily possess here below: it seeks to hold on only to what is enduring.

It is not irritable and even though injuries seek to provoke it, it does not let itself have any desire for vengeance, for no matter how difficult a time it may have in this life, it hopes for greater rewards in the next.

It is not resentful, because it has invested its thought in the love of purity, and having rooted out all hatred, it is incapable of harboring in its heart any type of aversion.

It does not rejoice at wrong, because it feels affection for others and does not rejoice in seeing the ruin of its enemies.

It rejoices in the right, because by loving other as it loves itself, it is pleased to see goodness in them as if it were indeed something to its own personal advantage.

The Gospel of Matthew: “The Rise of the Kingdom” Host: Dr. To, Grey (audio)

The Gospel of Matthew “The King and His Kingdom”
Host – Dr. Tim Grey and 4 students from the Augustine
Professor Tim Grey and 4 students from the Augustine discuses the first Gospel in the new Testament: St. Matthew’s. We’ll learn the genealogy of Jesus, the meaning of His parables, and his message of love.

Please copy and paste this URL to access this series:     http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/series_index.asp?pgnu=7&T1=

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Program Name Audio File Name – Click to download
1. The Genealogy of Jesus, Matthew Chapter One
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_01.mp3
The Gospel of Matthew was the catechism for the first Christians, it is the TEACHING gospel. We’ll learn who is Jesus and the Church He founded. In Matthew Chapter 1, we’ll learn His genealogy.
2. The Visit of the Wise Men, Baptism and Temptation of Jesus
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_02.mp3
Chapter 2 to 4. Our Bible study will start with Matthew chapter 2, Jesus’ Childhood. Also we’ll learn about the forty days and forty night He spend at the desert (chapter 4)
3. “The Beatitudes” and “The Sermon on the Mountain”
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_03.mp3
Matthew Chapter 4 and 5. Dr. Gray discusses the Mission of Jesus on Earth, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand “ (Matt 4:17) and the Sermon on the mountain The Beatitudes (Chapter 5)
4. The Lord’s Prayer
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_04.mp3
Dr. Gray discusses St. Matthew’s gospel Chapters 5 and 6. We’ll keep learning about the Beatitudes (the Sermon of the mountain) in Chapter 5, and The meaning of “Our Father” Chapter 6.
5. Trust in God
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_05.mp3
Dr. Gray discusses Chapters 7,8, and 9 of Matthew’s Gospel. In this episode we’ll see Jesus healing Peter’s Mother in Law, Healed the Leper, The centurion’s paralyzed servant. Also we’ll find Peace in Jesus words while he calm the waters and wind.
6. The Mission of the Twelve
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_06.mp3
In Matthew’s gospel, chapter 10 we discover the mission of the apostles. And we’ll see Jesus doing his mighty deeds on the Sabbath . John’s messengers to Jesus.
7. Parables of the Kingdom
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_07.mp3
Dr. Gray talks about the symbols, parables, and the message in Chapters 12 and 13 of Matthew’s gospel. And He gave the warning of Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
8. Peter’s Confession
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_08.mp3
The Father (God) reveled to Peter and he confessed to Jesus : “You are the Christ, and the Son of the living God What does it mean when Jesus said: ” You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church.”
9. The Transfiguration
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_09.mp3
Matthew 17
The kingdom of God: The church is not simply an institution of bureaucracy, it is the mystery of the Kingdom of God.
10. Entry into Jerusalem
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_10.mp3
Jesus enters to Jerusalem. The same people who celebrated with Palms Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem, where the same ones asking for his crucifixion, Why? Why did he clean the temple and loose his temper?
11. Paying taxes
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_11.mp3
In this episode we’ll learn about the gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 21 and 22. Jesus keep preaching with parables ( the Householder who planted a vineyard). And did he needed to pay taxes to Caesar?
12. The Great Commandment
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_12.mp3
In this episode we’ll learn about the gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 23, we’ll discover the great Commandment: ” To love one another ”
13. The Crucifixion
Host – Dr. Tim Gray mattkingdom_13.mp3
Professor Gray takes us trough the sixth hour when there was darkness over the land until the ninth hour.