Giants

1 When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them,
2 the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose.
3 Then the LORD said: "My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years."
4 At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.
5 When the LORD saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil,
6 he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved.
7 So the LORD said: "I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created, and not only the men, but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air, for I am sorry that I made them."
8 But Noah found favor with the LORD.
9 These are the descendants of Noah. Noah, a good man and blameless in that age,
10 for he walked with God, begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:1-10

A period of time when change came about, it was not only sin that shortened mens life but by God's removal of his spirit from them. In order to understand that one must know the truth about God's Spirit. He speaks of wickedness that grieves his heart. Imagine making man in your image and likeness and it going sour. We have that within our own families today as well. Don't children grieve their parent's heart when they commit crimes and go in the direction of evil rather than good. What makes us any different in how we feel when God felt it first. We learned a lesson that even though our families may grieve us we love them still and would not kill them because they have turned their hearts away. We learned that from a loving God who even though wiped out mankind, it caused him much heartache. In this regard with life how often do we think about God and what he feels when we commit sin against him. We all know how much it hurts our families when we hurt them, we see it, we experience it and we try even harder not to hurt them. Since we don't see God we assume that everything we do doesn't affect him. Think again my friend. These early writings speak loudly of his love and regret. When I first began to embark on reading the whole Bible this way, I said I would reveal his face and I shall as we continue to journey.

Family Lines

6 Seth also lived a hundred and five years, and begot Enos. 7 And Seth lived after he begot Enos, eight hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters. 8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. 9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begot Cainan. 10 After whose birth he lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died. 12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Malaleel. 13 And Cainan lived after he begot Malaleel, eight hundred and forty years, and begot sons and daughters. 14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. 15 And Malaleel lived sixty-five years, and begot Jared
16 And Malaleel lived after he begot Jared, eight hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters. 17 And all the days of Malaleel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died. 18 And Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Henoch. 19 And Jared lived after he begot Henoch, eight hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.
21 And Henoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Mathusala. 22 And Henoch walked with God: and lived after he begot Mathusala, three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 23 And all the days of Henoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And he walked with God, and was seen no more: because God took him. 25 And Mathusala lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech.
26 And Mathusala lived after he begot Lamech, seven hundred and eighty-two years, and begot sons and daughters. 27 And all the days of Mathusala were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died. 28 And Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years, and begot a son. 29 And he called his name Noe, saying: This same shall comfort us from the works and labours of our hands on the earth, which the Lord hath cursed. 30 And Lamech lived after he begot Noe, five hundred and ninety-five years, and begot sons and daughters.
31 And all the days of Lamech came to seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died. And Noe, when he was five hundred years old, begot Sem, Cham, and Japheth
Genesis 5:6-31

Sorry for the extra reading, but the rest of this Chapter dealt with longevetiy. The long line of life and the continuation of family lines are apparent at the beginning of what we now know of our world. A moment in time where we read of the long lives of those who came before us. Amazingly we are given the ages of the men when they began fathering their children. In the young ages of their sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties. I say young age because it goes on to mention they live several hundred years after that. Passing away just shy of a thousand years. For us it is an amazing feat to live to be one hundred years old. Let alone fathering a child at the tender age of eighty. But for us we have had years and years of sin and error marring our future whereas those we read about have only just begun. The older folks of our time often impart their wisdom to the younger generation, often helping guide them in the right way of living. Wisdom that is often not heeded by a generation bent on doing their own thing. How often do we take the time to sit and listen to those who are elderly and listen to the stories of their life, of their successes and of their failures. We are in an age where young people often say we don't listen to them, and the older one's can say the same as well. None of us really listen to each other. I've come across that in my dealings with people. And I'm sure others have as well. It's not always a pleasant experience to speak and not be heard. But truth to tell, that's how we are as a people, we don't listen to those who have lived and those who have begun to live. It's no wonder we don't hear the whisperings of the Spirit in our hearts. Imagine how life must have been in the beginning of time. The trial and error of how to do many of the things we do naturally. Yet their life was uncomplicated. When listening to those who have lived long lives we often hear the same about their trial and errors as much as the many joyous times. It is also hearing of the uncomplicated ways of life lived in simplicity compared to what we have today. Now as I ponder the ways of life I wonder which truly was better, then or now.

Time Frames

21 And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of them that play upon the harp and the organs. 22 Sella also brought forth Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artificer in every work of brass and iron. And the sister of Tubalcain was Noema. 23 And Lamech said to his wives Ada and Sella: Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, hearken to my speech: for I have slain a man to the wounding of myself, and a stripling to my own bruising. 24 Sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for Cain: but for Lamech seventy times sevenfold. 25 Adam also knew his wife again: and she brought forth a son, and called his name Seth, saying: God hath given me another seed, for Abel whom Cain slew. 26 But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos; this man began to call upon the name of the Lord.

1 This is the book of the generation of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him to the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female; and blessed them: and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. 3 And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begot a son to his own image and likeness, and called his name Seth. 4 And the days of Adam, after he begot Seth, were eight hundred years: and he begot sons and daughters. 5 And all the time that Adam lived came to nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.
Genesis 4:21-26, 5:1-5

An impressive time frame to a start of a new world and the death of the one begot to begin it. The reading of the beginning leaves out much on the everyday habits but reveals the facts of a few errors committed. Lessons in where they have failed in doing God's Will. They lived a very long time too and this is something we are all preoccupied with in our time. It's the wonder on how did they manage to live so long. They just began in the world, where they truly had nothing. They had to rely on themselves, on God and most of all on each other. They worked together to build. They had no worries placed on them as to how they were to earn a living or put food on the table. They didn't have the worries we have about how we are going to pay for this or that. They did it together and built a world founded on love for God. They lived a very long time capable of doing what we cannot when we are just a smidgen old in their time. It's amazing what we have done since the beginning to shorten our life span. We began inventing numerous ways to bring about destruction. Yet in those periods since the beginning God never abandonned us, but brought us special people to help remind us of faith in Him. People of God.

The Why of It All

11 Now, therefore, cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth and received the blood of thy brother at thy hand. 12 When thou shalt till it, it shall not yield to thee its fruit: a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth. 13 And Cain said to the Lord: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon. 14 Behold thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy face, and I shall be a vagabond and a fugitive on the earth: every one, therefore, that findeth me, shall kill me. 15 And the Lord said to him: No, it shall not be so: but whosoever shall kill Cain, shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, that whosoever found him should not kill him.

16 And Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and dwelt as a fugitive on the earth, at the east side of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and brought forth Henoch: and he built a city, and called the name thereof by the name of his son Henoch. 18 And Henoch begot Irad, and Irad begot Maviael, and Maviael begot Mathusael, and Mathusael begot Lamech: 19 Who took two wives: the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the other Sella. 20 And Ada brought forth Jabel: who was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of herdsmen.
Genesis 4:11-20

Cain's guilt over what he had done set him apart for the duration of his life. We all know what sin does to a soul, it it as Cain had spoken. He knew more than anything the price of what he did and what he would go through after. But even though God stated his punishment to Cain, he didn't take away his life because of his sin. Many have asked this question in our own time, why does God keep those who cause hurt and suffering, those who kill and do all sorts of abominations. Why does he let the innocent suffer and die at the hands of others. Yet, when another causes hurt and suffering, what is the worst punishment than death itself. It is living, not in the way of which we live, but with the knowledge of committing a grave error and living with it. No matter how hard others attempt to kill the torment that is his, it will not die. Only through God can forgiveness be given. God loved Cain enough to forgive him but loved enough to also punish him for taking a life away. Our own will often kills the treasure that lies within, living a life as a fugitive cast away from God.

Sibling Rivalry

1 The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the LORD."
2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil.
3 In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil,
4 while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
5 but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
6 So the LORD said to Cain: "Why are you so resentful and crestfallen?
7 If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out in the field." When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
10 The LORD then said: "What have you done! Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil!
Genesis 4:1-10

It's pretty sad when we think about how jealousy can rule a person. Just thinking how we all go through moments as kids when a toy is given to a sibling and it's something we would want rather than what we received. And it happens in our day all the time. But from the beginning we are reading of this when there are only two that are involved, not huge groups of people. And in this instance it was the first born to be jealous of his brother. We see many times in family life where it is either the first born who merits much from the head of the family or it's the youngest. But we have had years and years of those who had done it before us as models. To witness to the rivalry between family. And the question is often why did it happen with the first family. Yet the very head is God himself. They communicated with him throughout their growing years. God knew their hearts better than they did. Cains offering was beautiful, but when he offered it, it wasn't with a heart filled with love. This might have been the difference in how it was presented to our Lord and Father. When reflecting upon this, how is our offerings to God? Are they meager with half a heart or is it with all of our being when we offer all our sacrifices. When we work do we offer it completely, when we pray do we offer it all or part of it. I could go on but I think this is enough to help us think about how we truly offer our own sacrifices. It's all in how our hearts offer it.

Expelled.

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel."
16 To the woman he said: "I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall be your master."
17 To the man he said: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, "Cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life.
18 Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return."
20 The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.
21 For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them.
22 Then the LORD God said: "See! The man has become like one of us, knowing what is good and what is bad! Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever."
23 The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken.
24 When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:15-24

That must have been a very sad day for Adam and Eve. Knowing the consequences of their actions and the result from it. They could have had life everlasting. Why is it we all seem to want to do the wrong thing. Have we been so conditioned since their sin to continue in a downward spiral. Instead of trying to attain life we are slowly causing our own destruction. We seem to have a death wish to return to the very ground from which Adam was made. We know that after living a life of toil our bodies will return to the earth. It is while we live that we often fail in the right way of living. And we instinctively know this too. We know what we are supposed to do, what we have been commanded since the beginning of time to do. But we drag our heels and continue to do what we want. We try to change genetics, and so much else and we have been witnessing the destruction it has rendered. Aren't we in this regard throwing ourselves out of Paradis too. Kids in school do things to get themselves expelled. Adults do things to get them thrown in jail. We do all sorts of things to get us thrown out but never in the right place. It's time to change directions and try to find our way back to God's love.

Making It Right

6 And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband who did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened: and when they perceived themselves to be naked, they sewed together fig leaves, and made themselves aprons. 8 And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in paradise at the afternoon air, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God, amidst the trees of paradise. 9 And the Lord God called Adam, and said to him: Where art thou? 10 And he said: I heard thy voice in paradise; and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.

11 And he said to him: And who hath told thee that thou wast naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? 12 And Adam said: The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said to the woman: Why hast thou done this? And she answered: The serpent deceived me, and I did eat. 14 And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done this thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and beasts of the earth: upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. 15 I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.
Genesis 3:6-15

The strangest thing came to mind when I read this, it was the similarity in how our parents request things of us as children. I remember as a child my parents asking that we not touch items, either in our home or in the home of others. Or in a sense, not to touch prepared food before guests arrive. As a child this is difficult to do sometimes. Recalling these moments had me realize that at times even our siblings play a role in goading us to touch what we were told not to. And the result after the fact, we all know what that is, off to the corner for time spent in punishment. Punishment, all for touching what we were told not to. The kids today when they are rightly punished, look at their punishment as unjust. The key is in how we obey and when we don't, the result is punishment from our parents. So on that note, we have in our own lives situations of disobedience to our parents will and the result. Amazing how from Adam and Eve and their disobedience we have until this day continued the process of not doing God's Will. He loves us more than our own parents, but we look at him as if he is a mean God when it is us who often do wrong.

Failure

21 Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam: and when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for it. 22 And the Lord God built the rib which he took from Adam into a woman: and brought her to Adam. 23 And Adam said: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. 24 Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh. 25 And they were both naked: to wit, Adam and his wife: and were not ashamed.

Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the beasts of the earth which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman: Why hath God commanded you, that you should not eat of every tree of paradise? 2 And the woman answered him, saying: Of the fruit of the trees that are in paradise we do eat: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God hath commanded us that we should not eat; and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we die. 4 And the serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die the death. 5 For God doth know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened: and you shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil.
Genesis 2:21-25,3:1-5

From the beginning God commanded, but what was the one thing that killed the relationship when they were told not to eat of the one tree. By the goading of the serpent they no longer obeyed God's Will for them. Eve disobeyed his command to not eat of the fruit. Throughout history what has caused more grief? their disobedience to orders. It's in all aspect of life. We marry and live out our life often disobeying our spouses, to do what we have termed our own thing. In the workforce, it happens and often we see the result when errors are committed. The same can be said of governments and so on. Little do we realize how much we disobey commands on a daily basis. In this day and age they are often called rules. For Adam and Eve they were commanded to do one thing, and they failed to obey and brought about a succession of disobedience to God. It opened their eyes to how much they have sinned against his Will. When thinking about this isn't that the one thing God asks of us? to do His Will? It's something we all have a hard time doing, isn't it!

Names

11 The name of the one is Phison: that is it which compasseth all the land of Hevilath, where gold groweth. 12 And the gold of that land is very good: there is found bdellium, and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gehon: the same is it that compasseth all the land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Tigris: the same passeth along by the Assyrians. And the fourth river is Euphrates. 15 And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it.

16 And he commanded him, saying: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat: 17 But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death. 18 And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone: let us make him a help like unto himself. 19 And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature the same is its name. 20 And Adam called all the beasts by their names, and all the fowls of the air, and all the cattle of the field: but for Adam there was not found a helper like himself.
Genesis 2:11-20

Adam was commanded not to eat of a certain tree, else he would die a certain death. We too are commanded to not sin else we will most certainly die alone. Sin separates us from God. He made animals and Adam named them. Look how far we too have come since the beginning. Occasionally we will find a creature not known to us and we too will name it, just as Adam did. We continue to name many things in this life, including those who are born. We have learned from Adam to give a name to what we create, to what we discover and have no known clue as to what it is. We have formed a foundation since Adam in the discovery of a vast world. Look how far we have come since the beginning and still we discover continually what was old and what is new. We preserve what has long since gone, but we refuse to honor and cherish life. And we name it progress.

Springs

1 So the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the furniture of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 And he blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 4 These are the generations of the heaven and the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the heaven and the earth: 5 And every plant of the field before it sprung up in the earth, and every herb of the ground before it grew: for the Lord God had not rained upon the earth; and there was not a man to till the earth.

6 But a spring rose out of the earth, watering all the surface of the earth. 7 And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. 8 And the Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning: wherein he placed man whom he had formed. 9 And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold, and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life also in the midst of paradise: and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of the place of pleasure to water paradise, which from thence is divided into four heads.
Genesis 2:1-10

The breath of life always speaks so loudly. He gave the world life even when we try to believe other wise. Look how hard the people of the world are trying to prove that God doesn't exist or for that matter that he made heaven and earth. But God also breathed life into us so we could learn of him. He gave some knowledge to show us the vastness of the heavens. He gave some the ability to create things to help us understand how he created it all. But we don't look at it that way either. Instead they use that knowledge for evil purposes not for what God intended. He gave us water to keep us alive and we pollute it. We complain when it rains, but we fail to understand that the world we live on needs that rain for it's interior as much as we need water to drink to keep our bodies from dying. Think of the earth as a human body, it's interior suffers as much as our human bodies do. We have been made to co-exist on the earth. Just like we have little bugs on our bodies that co-exist with us. It's all there for a purpose.

Increase and Multiply

21 And God created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged fowl according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth. 23 And the evening and morning were the fifth day. 24 And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds. And it was so done. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and every thing that creepeth on the earth after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth. 27 And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth. 29 And God said: Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat: 30 And to all beasts of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to all that move upon the earth, and wherein there is life, that they may have to feed upon. And it was so done.
31 And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. And the evening and morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 1:21-31

Reflection

He made all that we see in the way of animals. He made them to procreate, to multiply. We know this insctively that it is in our nature to mate and procreate as well. He didn't make us one way to be by ourselves. The world as we know it would have died long ago. It was his intention for us to be united to those opposite of our selves so we could bring forth life. The animals do this and they thrive. Only time they don't is when we control their outcome. Just as we do when we control how many children are to be born of each family. But we have to remember, when God made us he blessed us and we mock him every chance we get each time we kill a life whether it is young or old. And to think that because he did make us in his image, we do all sorts of things to our bodies to change how we look. Why, is it because we don't want to associate what we look like to his image. The mirror is a good invention, it is there where we are reminded of who made us. After all we are made in his image and likeness. Do we love ourselves? Being satisfied with our appearance tells us how satified we are with God. We truly are made in his image, and I can attest to this truth.

Seeds

11 And he said: Let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed in itself upon the earth. And it was so done. 12 And the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. 14 And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: 15 To shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth. And it was so done.

16 And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day; and a lesser light to rule the night: and the stars. 17 And he set them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth. 18 And to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and morning were the fourth day. 20 God also said: Let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven.
Genesis 1:11-20

Reflection

Ever notice how much we look forward to spring. For the first signs of life from a barren land. It's usually the sighting of the spouting green of the first flowers that we know spring has finally arrived. It's the emerging green grass to the buds on the trees. It's the awakening of life and God said it is good. It's a time when we begin preparing the soil for our flower planting as well. We plant seeds to grow many varieties of plants that bring beauty to our homes. We too also plant what will produce an abundance of fruit or vegetables and we too say it is good. Just think of spring as a time when we witness growth, the fruit of seeds long dormant awakening. Ever think about how God feels when he sees what he made come to life. The seeds that he planted to produce a beautiful garden that we call our world. He made light and darkness, so have we in the way of lightbulbs by the flick of a switch we have light and darkness. Think about it each time we turn on that light, how he created a light for us to see. How grateful we are that through him we have what we have. He sowed the seeds of love and watered us throughout time. And God said this is good.

Something New

1 In the beginning God created heaven, and earth. 2 And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters. 3 And God said: Be light made. And light was made. 4 And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness. 5 And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day.

6 And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day. 9 God also said: Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. And it was so done. 10 And God called the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:1-10 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Reflection:

Something new is about to begin, the birth of a new world and the birth of a new time. Each day I will post ten verses from the Bible starting from the very beginning. We are called to renew the face of the earth and many do not know or have ever read the whole Bible. I have only read it once completely all the way through. Other than what we hear at Mass or our own brief readings, we don't really read it. I have chosen to start at the beginning, like Pentecost, to go out into the whole world and proclaim the Word of God. A journey on the path of faith, hope, and love. We are going to see the face of God as we read and reflect on his creation. The Word itself. I have seen the face of God and through his magnificent word we will see Him again. So stay tuned in each day as the Word of God speaks to our hearts.

Pentecost

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
John 20:19-23 (NAB)

Prayer

Dear Father you sent them Jesus and Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit to continue the work of love and forgiveness. You sent them tongues of fire to teach them so they too can teach others. May we also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, to learn to grow and to love and forgive our neighbors. May our hearts burn with the desire to forgive the smallest of transgressions as the Father forgives us. May we live in peace and love and live the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

(from the archives)

Follow Jesus

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved,
the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper
and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?”
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?
You follow me.”
So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die,
just “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?”

It is this disciple who testifies to these things
and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.
There are also many other things that Jesus did,
but if these were to be described individually,
I do not think the whole world would contain the books
that would be written.
John 21:20-25 (NAB)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father there are many things your son has done that we will never know of because they were so many. You allowed what is important to be kept safe. Is it this then that we are to understand about our fellow disciples that it is Jesus' concern over them not ours. Yet all too often we are concerned about their business without truly loving them as Jesus loves them and cares for them. May we leave all our concerns of others in your Son's capable hands because he knows their hearts more than we do. May our love for God and others be our only concern.Doesn't this remind us of how we too can concern ourselves of what is none of our business. Like when we hear people wanting to know the business of others in our environment at home, work, even at Church. Asking about others often does not include their wellbeing but rather a means of causing harm, such as gossip. We should be more concerned about who we follow such as Jesus rather than what the evil one tempts us to follow.

Tending The Sheep

Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,
he said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 21:15-19

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father how true these words are. There are many circumstances in life when we are often led where we don't want to go. The elderly come to mind in this instance. They are led to homes that are no longer theirs or they are led on a path that leaves them struggling after a lifetime of hard work. On the other hand we also lead children on the wrong path with wrongful living. O dear God, we don't always have our sensibilites as we age. We make decisions that are often selfish because we don't want to take the time to love and care for those who are too young or too old to care for themselves. But it is you we are to follow and when we do that, those choices often are made with you in our heart and love for others. Many times as we grow older and cannot take care of ourselves in the way we would like to, it's difficult to let go of independence and rely on others. For many it is fear to be led to a place that leaves them alone with strangers while family cease to be a source of comfort. Following you enables them to have strength and to conquer the fear of being abandoned. Peter knew that Jesus would not abandon him, nor should we fear this as well.

Eyes To Heaven

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them.”
John 17:20-26 (NAB)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father these many prayers Jesus prayed on our behalf and for you reveals so much love. It really is all about love isn't it. When all else failed it was love that spoke the loudest. It's something we all crave in our lives. The simplicity of being loved for who we are. That's how you want to be loved by us, isn't it. With simple hearts that don't put on airs. A love that encompasses everyone, not just a select few. That's why you gave us Jesus, to show us the depths of love we try so hard to understand. For those who are callous toward others often see the beauty of love in the words, in the actions and the hearts of those who are united to you. Being truly in love makes us glow and when we are deeply in love with you it shines brightly. Jesus shone like that because he loved you so much that you gave us to him to take care of for you. Your gift to him, we are then Jesus' treasure. Who would have thought that we are treasures to the Divine Family.

A Beautiful Prayer

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying:
“Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost
except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world
so that they may share my joy completely.
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the Evil One.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them,
so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”
John 17:11b-19 (NAB)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father we have read so many accounts on behalf of your love for us. Today we have a prayer of deep love for us and for you. A prayer of consecration by your Son. It is the beauty of Jesus' protection in this prayer against the evil one that speaks just as loudly. Who in this world has not been touched by Jesus' prayers and deliverance from sin in their need to repent. How often do we call out Jesus' name when we feel out of control with our lives. Not at peace. Jesus brings us peace, he frees us from evil, he restores truth in our lives. Many have stopped believing in this truth and began believing in the world. Does that truth reveal the depths of how much we rely on the world rather than Jesus when we no longer use the sacrament of penance. It is there where we find freedom from sin and evil, it is there where we begin our journey back to Jesus and to you dear Father. Let our hearts open to the love of God and his son Jesus, let us be cleaned of sin and find the consecration that belongs to our hearts.

A Huge Question

The disciples said to Jesus,
“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
John 16:29-33 (NAB)

Prayer Reflection

The disciples said to Jesus,“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God.”Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Imagine how much we ask this very thing each day of Jesus. We question whether or not he is from God, we question the truth of his words, we even question his miracles. Yet in all this time he has truly conquered the world with his love for us. And on the flip side of this we also had the same growth in evil as well. All because Jesus came to vanquish sin. To end the many questions that arise from the doubts that sin causes. Most of time when we go to Mass we hear his word, but how often we truly leave him alone when we are there. Are we focused upon him or are we focused on other matters. Or have we let routine close our hearts. Like when we are on a job we have done for the umpteenth time and say to ourselves how we could do it with our eyes closed. The routine in work has lost its zest. But as we work we fail to try to keep it alive and interesting. Same with faith, in a sense we go to Mass, our thought should be on the anticipation of the banquet feast and dinning along with Jesus. The anticipation of being in his presence when the word is read and the meal prepared. A splendid moment where we keep him alive in our day and he is no longer alone, left outside of our hearts.

Prayer

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,
“Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.
John 17:1-11 (NAB)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father Jesus gave us a beautiful example of his conversation with you in a prayer. He says what he does for you and states what you do for him. In harmony with your Will he has been. He is taking leave of the apostles to be at your side watching over us. To be with us always when they pray over and consecrate the Bread. Where we know the truth of how truly glorious his rising was. He is Risen! It is for us to always believe in his presence, that not only is he sitting at your right hand, but that he is always right beside us. Heaven is a realm that is pure and clear a place where there are no shadows. That's why Jesus seeks us to be with him and you for all time and eternity.