Free Republic

Decrease Font SizeIncrease Font Size "Love . . . is not jealous" (1 Cor. 13:4). Jealousy thrives in a climate of selfish ambition. Jealousy is an insidious sin that cries out, "I want what you have, and furthermore, I don't want you to have it." It replaces contentment with resentment and spawns a myriad of other sins. The Corinthians, in truth, were jealous of one another's spiritual gifts. First Corinthians 12:31 literally says, "You are earnestly desiring the showy gifts, but I show you a more excellent way." The word translated "earnestly desiring" is translated "jealous" in 1 Corinthians 13:4....

“‘The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!’” (Matthew 6:22-23). Generous giving brings spiritual understanding. When people see, their body is filled with the light that comes in from the world their eyes perceive. But if their eye is dark (blind), there is no light and they perceive nothing. The eye is like a window—if a window...

August 15, 2016 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mass during the Day Reading 1 Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God’s temple in heaven was opened,and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,with the moon under her feet,and on her head a crown of twelve stars.She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.Then another sign appeared in the sky;it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,and on its...

The Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord: In the Greek Horologion of 1897 the derivation of this Feast is explained: “Because of the illnesses that occur in August, it was customary, in former times, to carry the Venerable Wood of the Cross through the streets and squares of Constantinople for the sanctification of the city, and for relief from sickness. On the eve (July 31), it was taken out of the imperial treasury, and laid upon the altar of the Great Church of Hagia Sophia (the Wisdom of God). From this Feast until the...

Evidently, the murderous Islamic terror organization, ISIS, is media savvy. Why not? They are one of the richest and most successful terror enterprises in the world. So it should be no surprise that ISIS has produced Picture-15.pnga modern glossy magazine to promote it’s nefarious doctrines. "> The magazine is named Dabiq. The name doesn’t usually ring a bell with most Westerners but instantly stirs the passions of devout Sunni Muslims because of a prophecy within Islam which states that the last apocalyptic battle will take place between the Mujahadeen and the western Crusaders at the tiny city of Dabiq, in...

August 14, 2016 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jer 38:4-6, 8-10 In those days, the princes said to the king:“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,and all the people, by speaking such things to them;he is not interested in the welfare of our people,but in their ruin.” King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;for the king could do nothing with them. And so they took Jeremiahand threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,which was in the quarters of the guard,letting him down with ropes. There...

August 13, 2016 Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 The word of the LORD came to me:Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverbthat you recite in the land of Israel: “Fathers have eaten green grapes,thus their children’s teeth are on edge”? As I live, says the Lord GOD:I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among youwho will repeat this proverb in Israel.For all lives are mine;the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;only the one who sins shall die....

How hath the LORD covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! The LORD hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn...

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:45 Christ holds Himself up as an example to be imitated when He explains that true greatness in His kingdom is found in serving others (Mark 10:35–45). Specifically, our Lord calls us to imitate Him in His willingness “to give his life as a ransom for many” (v. 45). We need to be careful, for ransom imagery is atonement language, and clearly Jesus cannot mean that imitating Him in serving others results in our...

August 12, 2016 Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem:By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan;your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.As for your birth, the day you were born your navel cord was not cut;you were neither washed with water nor anointed,nor were you rubbed with salt, nor swathed in swaddling clothes.No one looked on you with pity or compassionto do...

"If I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing" (1 Cor. 13:3). Wrong motives rob even the greatest sacrifice of its spiritual benefit. So far in his denunciation of loveless ministries, Paul has addressed what we say, what we know, what we believe, and how we give. Now he comes to the apex of his argument: how we die. Many Christians have made the ultimate sacrifice of martyrdom, but even that is useless without love. In Paul's time, many slaves were branded with a hot iron to identify them as belonging to...

“‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth’” (Matthew 6:19). The believer is to use his possessions unselfishly. Some years ago I happened to have contact with two quite wealthy men during the same week. One was a former professor at a major university who through a series of investments made possibly a hundred million dollars. In the process, however, he lost his family, his happiness, and his peace of mind and had aged far beyond his years. The other man, a pastor, also made some investments and acquired great wealth but was not preoccupied with his investments. Because...

August 11, 2016 Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin Reading 1 Ez 12:1-12 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house;they have eyes to see but do not see,and ears to hear but do not hear,for they are a rebellious house.Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on,prepare your baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on,migrate from where you live to another place;perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house.You shall bring out your baggage like an...

"If I give all my possessions to feed the poor . . . but do not have love, it profits me nothing" (1 Cor. 13:3). Love is characterized by self-sacrifice, but not all self-sacrifice is an act of love. If you've ever donated to your church or another charitable organization out of obligation, peer pressure, legalism, guilt, a desire for recognition, or simply a tax deduction, you know what it means to give without love. In our society it's easy to fall prey to that kind of giving because the needs are so great and fund raisers appeal to every...

“‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth’” (Matthew 6:19). Wealth comes from God, and we are to manage it wisely for Him. John Wesley was a godly man who devoted his life to serving the Lord. What is not as well known perhaps is that he was rich, gaining most of his wealth from his published hymns and other works. At one point in his life he gave away 40,000 pounds sterling—a fortune in those days. When he died, his estate was worth only twenty-eight pounds, for he had given nearly everything to the Lord’s work. It is...

“Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared’ ” (vv. 39–40). - Mark 10:35–40 Again and again in the gospel of Mark, we read how the disciples failed to understand the message of Jesus (see, for example, Mark 6:45–52; 8:14–21; 9:30–32). Today’s passage gives us yet more evidence that the disciples were slow to comprehend their...

August 10, 2016 Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr Reading 1 2 Cor 9:6-10 Brothers and sisters:Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,for God loves a cheerful giver.Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,so that in all things, always having all you need,you may have an abundance for every good work.As it is written: He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;his righteousness endures forever. The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for foodwill supply...

August 9, 2016 Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ez 2:8—3:4 The Lord GOD said to me:As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you:be not rebellious like this house of rebellion,but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you. It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me,in which was a written scroll which he unrolled before me.It was covered with writing front and back,and written on it was: Lamentation and wailing and woe! He said to me: Son of man, eat what is before you;eat...

"If I . . . know all mysteries and all knowledge . . . but do not have love, I am nothing" (1 Cor. 13:2). True knowledge is always governed by love. Christians should never take knowledge for granted. The ability to learn of Christ and grow in His truth is a blessing beyond measure. Paul prayed that we would be "filled with the knowledge of [God's] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Col. 1:9). That's what enables us to live in a way that pleases God (v. 10). But knowledge must be governed by love, just as love...

“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Timothy 6:10). There’s no doubt that the sinful effects of loving money actually occur in some people. It is hard to imagine a sin that has not been committed for the sake of greed. It can lead to self-indulgence, flaunting of possessions, lying, stealing, murder, distortion of justice, and abusing the poor. Today we return to 1 Timothy 6:10 to note how the apostle Paul proves that...