Attempted murder Lk 4.21-30 (03.02.2013)

Lk shows the situation:
Already at the times of Elijah: as there was a great famine - the profet didn't help
Also at the times of Elisha - there was a great number of lepers -
                                                                                              the profet didn't help
The same now at Nazareth - there are many sick people - the profet cannot help.

Why not ?
Because wonders / signs of Jesus are not meant to satisfy the needs of the people,
to fulfill the desires or the expectations of the people -
wonders are signs to show in which directions "life" has to develop
in order to participate with the fullness of Life.

A very old missunderstanding.
Since there are gods, in some religions there is a tendency to let people believe: gods - if willingly - are able to help. Gods are mighty, are mostly good; if you fulfill god's will, he/she will help - maybe! And this is a reason why people became beggars. Such missunderstanding has taken place also among the Jahwe-believers -
until 2013 -
and if the god is not fulfilling the people's expectations, people can get very angry...

Our question of last Advent:
which kind of God people have in mind - is still actual

Jesus going public Lk 4.14-21 (27.01.2013)

The start of the public work of Jesus in the 4 Evv
By Mt 4.12-25 Jesus goes to the City of Capernaum;
                                   proclaims: the Kingdom of God is at hand
                                   calls disciples and shows his healing power
By Mk 1.14-15 Jesus goes round in Galilee
                                   proclaims: the Kingdom of God is at hand
By Joh 2.1-12   Jesus change water into wine / start with a wonder
By Lk  4.14-21 Jesus identify himself with Isaiah
                                   The Holy Spirit sent me...to bring good news to the afflicted.
                                   And to good news that's me!

In the OLD TESTAMENT the Kingdom of God is a promise
In the NEW TESTAMENT the Kingdom of God is at hand / ready to be activated;
                                      Jesus shows the way...  wonder + cross
In the GLOBAL TESTAMENT the Kingdom of God brings God and Humanity and Kosmos into unity. Quite a great work: the integration into our world-view
of the knowledge about the kosmos, of the teachings of Gods and of the understandings about humanity.

In 2013 we see all three TESTAMENTS at work; into which tradition you like to
integrate yourself ?


                                 

The FIRST of all the wonders Joh 2.1-12 (20.01.2013)

Jesus has started his own profetic work with the slogan: "The kingdom of God is
at hand". He came to activate the kingdom of God.
John the Ev shows us by the story of the FIRST of all the wonders what Jesus
likes to do, what is meant by "kingdom of God":

In the view of Jesus + John etc... Life is a feast!                   (wedding at Cana)
But there is the experience of a shortage of Joy!           (wine the symbol of joy)
The Church knows what to do!               (Mary the symbol of the Church says...)
                  1. To recognize the situation... the shortage  (they have no wine)      
                  2. Why and in which situation to turn to Jesus.
                                        If you turn to Jesus to have fulfilled your needs,your
                                        desires - Jesus will tell you "It's not my kairos"! (chance)
                  3. In every case: "Do whatever he tells you" (HE is the new shepherd).

Now we look at the openning revelation.
                        WATER            HE  CHANGED    into WINE ! ! !
                  (the daily Life)                                          (joy)

The Kingdom of God                       is affirmative            Life-joy.
(The new Life we have started - means: changing the situation into JOY)

This FIRST wonder is the basic of all the other wonders; all wonders of Jesus
are signs, showing us: Jesus likes to change life into JOY (Fulness of Life).
We are a Christian Community to lift up all of us into abundant Life-Joy.

BAPTISM to legitimatize Jesus (13.01.13)

After the wise men from the east has given witness (Mt 2.1-12):
The NEW Shepherd of the "people of God" is now JESUS (and not the Temple)
+ to HIM we pay homage
+ to HIM we give the gifts
NOW it's GOD himself who give witness (Lk 3.15-16 + 21-22)::
+ the heaven opens for HIM
+ the Holy Spirit descends on HIM
+ the heavenly Voice declares about HIM: HE is the "Son of God"
                                                                 HE receives the favour of God.

Every listener gets the message: that this JvN (once died on the cross)
is "in reality" the NEW Shepherd of all; the promised MESSIAS.
Once the human wisdom and the voice of God have been raesons to hear and to follow Jesus of Nazareth.
But today in 2013 how we legitimatize the call of the Church to hear Jesus
and to follow HIM ? By our drop-drop baptism ? by our take-away-confirmation ?
"Heaven opens" means in a new translation: "the door into the fulness of Life is now open" - but how we show this at the Baptism-Celebration ?

Epi-phany Mt 2.1-12 something new ? ? ?

Epiphany = something goes into appearance...
it's getting clear, visible, understandable...

In the old time (for some people until today), it was clear:
the JAHWE-God is the real KING, the real SHEPHERD of the people of Jsrael.
(the political kings had to represent HIM).
Jewish people and some Christians see the JAHWE-God
                                                         as the real RULER of the Universe;
they do homage to this God,
they bring prayers + gifts + love to this God
they dedicate their lives to this God (profess).

The STORY of "The holy three Kings" may have an other message:
Mt has started his NEW Testament with the genealogy of Jesus
showing us: Jesus is really a Jew and Joseph has adopted him; no doubt
Jesus is a real Jew! And now in the NEW time: a "new infant king"
A) in Mt 2) they are not kings - but wise men!
B) in Mt 2) they are not holy   - but clever and courageous!
C) in Mt 2) they do homage not to God - but to a human beings
                  they bring gifts not to God - but to a child

Wise men from the East has shown who is the new king of the Jewish people;
it's incredible; but Herod get scared...

New Year 2013 - a new chance....

May the new year 2013 be for you a space + time, a chance where you realize
your good idea's and may you contribute to the good idea's of others!
Mild sunshine, tolerable rain + upfreshing wind be with you! or:
God (the real Love), Jesus (the grace of God) + the creative Spirit be with you.

The Catholic Church celebrates on the New-Year the Mystery:
Mary from Nazareth (the mother of Jesus) is "Mother of God"   THEODOKOS
I've written a homily about.... but I will not yet go public...

01.01.2013 / 09h St. Anthony         15 people came to celebrate! what a shock:
no Community, no Sisters; five children, 8 women, 2 men...
That's the hart language of the facts; it helps you to stay on the ground.