ADVENT 2012 expectation

On the way into the participation with the fulness of Life we get now a time
of exercise. The question is: what are our expectations ?
Therefore we put before us 4 questions (for every week one).

Q:  A) Which kind of God I'm waiting for ?
In the Christian world everybody speaks about God; from the Pope to the Parish-priest to the believers. They all pretend to know God. But it's now a good time
to go deeper by questioning which picture of God do I have -
and more: which picture would I like ?

Q:  B) I'm listening to which voices ?
A lot of Churches, Religions, a lot of people, also scientists are on the way to propagate a picture of "God". There are modern prophets proclaiming to know God best. To whom do you give your ears ?

Q:  C) Do I have which strategy to achieve my expectations ?
To have expectations is good but not enough. It needs creativity and phantasy
to bring the best expectations into reality.
As I expect a liberating concept of God - what do I do to get it ?

Q:  D) How God is born today ?
In the Christian world Mary is well known as "theodokos" (the one who gives birth
to God). But some Christians know God is ever and ever. On the other hand JvN
is born 2000 years ago. Once I got the interesting message: God is incarnated. (totally in his creation). Especially over there, where "God" is not known or where people are convinced God is dead or where people have put God aside... 
is there some hope, to find a way to give birth to God ?
But pls: don't forget Q: A !!! + Q: B !!! + Q: C !!!

Sun 34 B (25.11.12) Christ - "the King" ???

Today we celebrate the end of the Church-Year. In one year again we
have summarized the Life of JvN; listening well to the Ev Mk. He told us:
The Kingdom of God is at hand (all the time - every day)
it means: it's around the corner... (in my language: it's a real possibility).

Today we celebrate the King of this Kingdom: invested with eternal
sovereignty (Dan 7.13-14), Ruler of the Kings of the earth (Apo 1.5-8)
and Jesus himself (Joh 18.33-37): "Yes, I am a King; I was born for this".
Look at his earthly representative: The Pope = king-like-sovereign (Mitre).

For today he - through his bishop - has ordered all English-speaking-Liturgy
to take over the new translation: a kingly translation! the goal is to see
the Liturgy (Holy Mass) as a Mystery.
If you like to understand something - you are on the wrong way: Lord have mercy

Is this the Prophet of Nazareth? Of which kind is his Kingdom?
"and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice"
If you like to understand something - you are on the wrong way: Lord have mercy

Look at the Catholic Community St. Anthony in Otjiwarongo. What kind of
activity-report the Parish-Council will bring? to show us at the end of the
Church-Year 2011/12 where we have gone.
To show the world we have been witness of which kind of Kingdom?
If you like to understand something - you are on the wrong way: Lord have mercy

Sun 33 B (18.11.12) Mk 13.24-32 Jesu' VISION

Mk today is eager to show us a great picture of Jesus:
the Jesus' VISION he likes to present with strong words to his disciples.

Background:
The whole world is in distress (cf. CNN, BBC, AJE, E-News ...
There is great uproar (cf. Tsunami, AIDS, bee's death, finance-trouble ...
The sun darkens, the moon loses, the stars fall
and the cosmological forces tremble -
     (cf. always against the evening, every day;
           always against the winter-time, every year;
           again and again in millions of years as the planet freezes;
           and finally after 5 billions of years as our sun-system burns up.
As now the time passes away - towards evening, winter, the end -
 as all strives towards nothingness - something special happens:

Foreground:
Everybody will see: humanity is coming, appears on the scene,
carried by clouds (the symbol of the configurations of world-history).
And the "Son of Man" shows salvation-power and great glory.
He is well active and he fulfills his mission.
Humanity at work...
The "Son of Man" is to be seen as a Redeemer ?
The man will save the planet "earth" ?

Interpretation:
The great VISION is like a mirror of the evolutive present. It happens now -
the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Every evening - as all goes into darkness; nothing is any more at disposal...
         hope is given up
         light is estinguished
         faith is evaporated
         love is frozen
         all senses are wasted away
as the man's work fails - heaven and earth pass away -
once it came + now it stands + will not pass away:
The human Word of God as offer in all.

That's the message we have to perceive:
that the Word of God is a redeeming offer in all circumstances - a gospel!

This Word is at work now: the word is in the air, in the hearts and minds,
in the mouths and ears...
There is a word like God - it likes to touche you- why not now ?

Sun 32 B (11.11.12) Mk 12.41-44

The widow as an example.
Jesus once said: you must be perfect as the Father-in-Heaven is perfect.
Now we have it! This widow has fulfilled the advise...
looking at the widow: we see Yahwe-God at its best.: He is giving all what he has:
GRACE, CREATION, REDEMPTION > all free of charge! given to the human beings.
God is not waiting for a reward: God is pure "pro-existence".
Jesus and the widow have shown us what is pro-existence.
Now we hope: the Church-Community will also show us what ist means today to live a "pro-existence";  the Church is an "instrument of salvation" for the World.
Not only the direct Pastoral Work, but also the Parish- and Diocesan Finance-policy must show us how they live or work a Christian "pro-existence".

A philosophical notice:
St. Thomas Aquinas says: God is "ens a se" (self-subsistence)
Maybe it would be more clear to tell the people: "Deus est totus esse pro":
God is totally pro-existence (for his creation, for humanity).

A practical notice:
Ask your Parish-priest, your Bishop: for what you give off our collections?
If there is no accountability - why you give money???

Sun 31 B (04.11.12) Mk 12.28-34

This post is too late - because I didn't get the connection. It happen's...

Mk tells us: Jesus passed the exam!
The question: Wich one is the first of all the commandments?
Jesus replays rightly citing Dt 6.4-5 (-13)

The answer is remarkable! Why ?
1.) The commandment is directed to the whole People of God: Listen Israel!
First: the Nation as such has to fulfill the commandments - the single person only as far he/she belongs to the people.
Don't forget: The Jahwe-God is a "God of the Nation"; only later He will be "internationalized"; today globalization = God of the whole world.
2.) First: listen! The message is coming from outside, from high above...
or it's coming from the Government? from the high Priest?
3.) It contains the decision: there is only one God.
But in reality: people know many gods - like: money, health, power...
And the Christian Churches of today - they pray all to the same "God"?
Which kind of God is presented today to the Catholics? still the Jahwe-God?
4.) The first commandment challenges for a great effort!
     love God with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength
     The Nation Israel once, the new People of God tody is really challenged

Something special:
Mk knows that Jesus made a second commandment: love your neighbour
like yourself. It's really surprising: self-love is the point of departure... is given here as norm.
Is the second-level-commandment taking into account, that the single person
will fulfil the first-level in this kind?