#well hes the BELOVED apostle after all

[brittle-doughie]

This can be a situation of 'what if' since the five beast were the first ones then what if they would be the first who began with this whole yandere chaos like- they are the ultimates obsessive over y/n cookie the fallen heroes have the first and high level O_O

-🧁 anon

What If: The First.

Something has to start somewhere. Y/N Cookie is a figure beloved by all, sometimes even a little too much from certain, no wait, a large majority of the cookie population on Earthbread.

They’ve seen a lot from what levels of obsession could offer from simple clinginess to the alters and shrines many create amidst their sickly love.

Y/N Cookie was surprisingly no stranger to these gestures. After all, they’ve seen these similar types of obsessive love elsewhere.

Long ago, many years back….you were a Primordial Cookie alongside your long lasting companions, the Five Beast Cookies.

You remembered all the times you’ve had with them.

The times you laughed. Shadow Milk Cookie would tell you many things about this world, but he also liked to sprinkle in some humor too. He’d even do a sort of jester act by using a puppet show, it never failed to make you chuckle at least once…

The times you chose to help others that made Mystic Flour Cookie warm with you. Your choices to make decisions that befitted your Virtue of Compassion was something of a spectacle for her. She adored that you did not question anything about showing compassion for others, some things don’t always have to come down to choice.

The times you felt safe. Red Spice and Silent Salt Cookie were your protectors. You were a cookie of compassion, but that shouldn’t mean that cookies should push you around. It made the two cookies unhappy and advise the perpetrator to back off. Red Spice was all show while Silent Salt was all quiet, but both make sure that you wouldn’t get harmed under their watch.

The times you loved. Eternal Sugar Cookie was always happy to see you. Compassion and Happiness always worked well together, so it only made sense that you were the closest to her. She’d let you join her on her cloud as you two talked the day away, Eternal Sugar being happy that she got to spend time with you in any form.

Oh, how things went south when power corrupts.

One by one, their will crumbled under the weight of their own strength. The Five became twisted apostles of evil and brought forth darkness and devastation.

This corruption had also brought upon unfortunate side effects to their love for you, twisting and change until it’s nothing but sickly and dark.

Shadow Milk Cookie embraced deceit into his heart, controlling and manipulating the cookies around you. His plan to make you belong to him would be to drive everyone you knew away from you whether it be by his twisted mind tricks or more lethal methods. You’d have no one left but him…

Red Spice Cookie only brought nothing but destruction to whoever dared to challenge his sick obsession with you. No cookie could ever survive an encounter with him, only reduced to smoldering crumbs on the ground. No cookie has ever loved you like he has, because there’d be no one left that could…

Silent Salt Cookie’s protectiveness reached insane levels you’d never expect from them. Cookies that so much as raise a hand in your presence are swiftly cut down by Silent Salt. Cookies can’t even look at you without Silent Salt putting an end to their existence. Their worry for you, and you overall, was worth the lives they stomped on.

No other cookie mattered to Mystic Flour Cookie anymore that wasn’t you. She just didn’t see why you should care for any of these insignificant specks of grain as she casually waves her arm, reducing the whole landscape around her into nothing. No longer did choice matter to her, the decisions she once valued mean little to her if it didn’t help you or her out.

What was once happiness has now turned into a deadly and sickly obsession with you. Eternal Sugar Cookie’s mind hazed with nothing but thoughts of you, unable to get you out of her mind. NEVER wanting to get you out of her mind. Only you could get her off her cloud, she’ll simply yawn and turn away anyone else. She believes her love for you triumphs above anyone else, gleefully obliterating anyone who thinks could challenge her…

You can still hear their screams and shocked gasps when the Creators locked them away, their pained cries and shouts all becoming static in your head.

The Ancient Heroes…

They’ve done well in resisting the temptation of power unlike your former comrades, their affection remaining moderate as a result.

Though, one of them have your doubts..

[gamblersdoll]

I think about Guts resting under a tree after a battle, and in the lake in front of him, a naked reader bathing in the lake’s water, So he can't help himself

nsfw, shy reader

I ♡ u 🤭

masturbation (m) , blowjobs, guts is a little feral in this so. guts point of view.

i have to lay down, somewhere, somehow.

maybe i did overdo it this time. i never realized how much swinging or effort it took to swing this sword around. yet, it feels like i accomplished something from it. yeah, i did— i protected her. i protected the love of my life. the strongest woman i knew– no, the woman who made me feel like i was worth something.

my eyes look up, finding a large tree. shit, thats a big ass fuckin’ tree. but it can work. i feel myself lay against it, my muscles finally getting the rest they probably deserve. i look to my missing arm, the bionic metal replacing it. fuck, ill have to fix it or some shit. my eyes can close, finally.

a rustle of water is heard, what the fuck was that? my eyes shot open, looking over and around the entirety of the landscape. not this shit again, i just sat the hell down and im still being bothered—

oh, its you—

the water ran down your body, fuck. you look too damn good right now. can i even stand? well shit, did you even know i was here? probably not.

did the water feel warm, beautiful? i hope it does, the way your body just relaxes into it. and the way you let the water run through your hair, you look like a goddess, beautiful. never seen anything like this, at least not for a long while.

fuck, now another muscle is aching. all because of you. first i protected you, now i want to fuck my fist just to see you wash your body.

and it seemed like the water had some type of effect on your skin, it looks like your own worries or ponders washed away when the water hit the curve of your back. please— please dont moan like that.

my arm moves on its own, pulling my cock– the cock i wanted inside of you out, slowly but tightly pumping the length. shit, i need you. needed you all the fucking time. dont you know that? probably not. sometimes you werent the brightest color of the flowers, yet you were still the most beautiful, and elegant one.

shit!—

“oh shit—“ you hurry to get your clothes, but i waved my hands, hoping you wouldnt. “im sorry, i didnt see you..” its okay, my beloved.

my lips crash to yours, hand and metal curving around your body as it feels too good to even pull away. your small hands, fuck were they soft and tiny, they curved around my neck. please, please keep touching me.

your smaller body kneeled to me. did you ever know how fucking attractive that is to a man? seeing the love of his life kneel to suck his cock? you women didnt know how much that can please a man. a man that loved you would know. fuck!

your lips wrapped around my cock, sucking around me as i gripped your hair. was this too tight, no, you wanted me to grip harder, thats what you told me with a mouthful of dick. shit, keep going. fuck, keep stroking me just like that, baby.

my balls are so fucking tight. you can probably feel them, the way you fumble with them in your hand. you will never know how good this shit feels. fuck, i wish i could repay you. fuck, thank you for this shit. keep going justlikefuckinthat, yes, oh god— shit yes!.

did i taste salty or bitter to you, my beautiful woman? i hope i didnt. i probably did, since i never did eat much. plus, i did just come back from fighting an apostle. what—

no way in hell you just swallowed my seed. shit.

my lips crashed onto you, my tastebuds curling up. shit, i wasnt bitter, yet i was salty. ill fix it for you, my sweet woman. our bodies, naked, feel the warmth of our own and the large body of water. i want to make you feel good yourself, without having to drop my cock into you. but god, was it hard to not do that.

[kanburlu-loves-yogurt]

Ladies and gentlemen, we won yet again

My very precious pet fish @vanillaglitzz once again took the time to make another masterpiece for my birthday and I thought it would be a great disservice to everyone if it wasn't seen by the greater community.

the religious parallels of this work is quite impeccable, portraying the innocence and purity of Yogurt Cream Cookie, aware of the fate that awaits him while peacefully enjoying his supper, much like the attitude of Jesus in his final moments.

The tense atmosphere as he declares, "Verily I say unto you: one of you will betray me."

As his trusted bodyguard, Lilac Cookie, with determination in his eyes, immediately takes action to shield his beloved friend from the wrath of Centipede Cookie, who I'm sure is furious at the idea that she could possibly be the one who does the betraying after being betrayed herself by a certain duo in the room.

Lilac Cookie, who is originally tasked to betray Yogurt Cream Cookie himself, doesn't seem to be at all nervous. One can assume that he is so preoccupied with ensuring Yogurt Cream's safety, that he doesn't realize that he might very well be referring to Lilac Cookie himself.

On the opposite side, we can see Yogurt Cream Cookie's older brother, Plain Yogurt Cookie, whispering menacingly to the Scorpion Cookie seated next to him as he points his finger at his younger brother. Here, we must be familiar with the original work by Da Vinci's original work to fully grasp the artist's intention in the portrayal of Plain Yogurt.

In Da Vinci's original painting, the apostle Peter (in between Judas Iscariot and apostle John) is holding a knife in his hand, possibly to murder anyone who dares betray Christ. @vanillaglitzz's decision to omit this detail might point to Plain Yogurt Cookie's disinterest in getting his own hands dirty.

Lastly, Scorpion Cookie who looks the calmest among the chaos is in fact visibly in quite a bind as we see her eyes slightly open, showing her emerald green eyes, sneakily planning her next move.

Her hands being covered by her long sleeves, it is impossible to tell if she is ready to make a move.

As the time this supper is taking place is ambiguous, we can't tell whether Scorpion Cookie is yet to break off her contract with Plain Yogurt Cookie or not, which would explain why Plain Yogurt is seemingly whispering to her.

The intentional avoidance on the artist's part of portraying any specific character as Judas Iscariot, one can assume, is hinting at the fact that everyone at the table is slowly digging the grave of Yogurt Cream Cookie.

This piece is undeniably filled with countless references with which @vanillaglitzz points to the impending doom soon to befall Yogurt Cream Cookie by those who are closest to him.

[orthopunkfox]

I am no longer accepting the belief that Our Lord and Saint John the Beloved DID NOT have an extremely intimate relationship that went beyond teacher/disciple or even platonic friendship. There are three main reasons for this:

1. He's LITERALLY called Saint John the Beloved. In his gospel, he refers to himself as "the disciple Jesus loved" and makes it a point to tell us that he beat Saint Peter to Jesus's tomb after the resurrection. If that's not the behavior of a completely extra gay man idk what is. In all seriousness, Saint John was one of three people at the foot of the cross along with the Theotokos and Saint Mary Magdalene (don't get me started on HER relationship with Jesus). He was obviously considered extremely close to Our Lord. Not only this but Jesus left his mother the Theotokos in the care of Saint John from the cross. While as an Orthodox Christian I believe that Mary was a perpetual virgin and had no other biological children, scripture does reference other male relatives of Jesus. Whether they were his step brothers or cousins is unclear but the reality is that if John was just a friend, Mary's care would've passed to the closest male relative. Jesus wanted to make sure that John specifically took care of her, unless Jesus was married in which case his mother would've been cared for by the spouse of Jesus. It is well-known in the tradition of the Orthodox Church that the Theotokos, Mary Magdalene, and Saint John all lived together after Jesus's ascension. Indeed after the repose of the Theotokos, Saint John and Saint Mary Magdalene traveled to Ephesus where Mary Magdalene reposed peacefully. It is also worth noting that these three: Mary the Theotokos, Saint John, and Saint Mary Magdalene were the only of Christ's disciples who did not die as martyrs, John being the only one of the 12 not to meet a violent end. While there are theological reasons for this, it's clear that these people meant a great deal to Our Lord.

2. Reading Saint John's Gospel, it's incredibly clear that he understands Christ on an EXTREMELY intimate level. The other authors of the synoptic gospels record Jesus's life as man in the flesh on Earth. Each also puts his individual stamp on his account. Matthew the tax collector, the accountant, begins his gospel by listing the entirety of Jesus's lineage from Abraham forward. Luke the Physician records that in Gethsemane, Jesus's body was in such physical stress that he sweat blood. Mark, the law student gives a concise yet detailed accounting of Jesus's ministry beginning with the statement "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." Saint John however begins with who Christ is, who He truly is "in the beginning was the LOGOS!" He seems to be the only apostle who truly, deeply, intimately understood that Jesus existed since the literal beginning of Time that He was the Word, the very Power that brought the world into being with the Father. While I don't doubt that the other apostles knew these things to be true, I think John actually understood it, which may have been why he was granted the vision of the Apocalypse, the fullness of the Divine Liturgy in Paradise for Eternity. Did he have this understanding because he had intimate knowledge of Jesus? Perhaps all that extra time spent close to Our Lord afforded him a deeper understanding than others. He definitely seems to understand Our Lord on a whole other level than the rest of the apostles. It's almost like when you meet your friend's partner and they reveal all of these things you didn't know about your friend before because they are afforded a level of intimacy you don't have.

3. THIS ART! LOOKS AT IT! The man is nuzzling into Jesus's lap in front of all the other disciples. Just..that's just gay. I really don't know what else to say about it. Clearly the medieval illuminators picked up on the affection vibes as well when they drew these.

I'd like to add a bit of a disclaimer here and say that Jesus having romantic or even sexual relationships during His ministry on Earth in no way invalidates who He was, why He came, what He accomplished or who He continues to be. Whether He partnered with Saint John or Saint Mary Magdalene or both, what we know and teach and hold about Him remains unchanged except that scripture is, once again, far more queer than mainline Christianity wants to admit.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Sabbath Devotional

Following the Lamb by William Jay

"These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." — Revelation 14:4

Our following the Saviour takes in three things. First, It must be free and voluntary. “My son, give me thine heart.” If it be given to him, nothing will be withholden. If this is withholden, nothing else will be acceptable to him, for

“He abhors the sacrifice where not the heart is found.”

What he requires he infinitely deserves; and therefore, to gain the heart,-to make his “people willing in the day of his power,” -he opens the eyes of their understanding, he unveils to their view his personal glory, makes them sensible how much they owe to him, and brings them to his cross and says, “Behold my hands and my feet.” “Thus he draws them with the cords of love and the bands of a man;” and they run after him, and find his yoke easy and his burden light.

Secondly, Our following him must be impartial. Hence it is said, “They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.” It is true that their obedience while here is not perfect, but then it is not partial. They say, “Therefore I esteem thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way.” They come to him, not to bargain, not to prescribe, not to choose. They throw down their will at his feet, and their only question is, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.” Thirdly, Our following him must be constant. The goodness of Ephraim was as “the morning cloud, and the early dew, which passeth away.” And the Galatians did run well, but they were hindered. “But he only that endureth to the end shall be saved.” When our Saviour was upon earth some followed him for a season only. One day a large number went back and walked no more with him, and our Saviour took occasion then to address his disciples, saying, “Will ye also go away?” But they said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”

We may be assured of this:-that what comes from God will also lead to him. Hence, says the apostle, “We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.” And so it will be with all the subjects of divine grace. Each of them will be able to say, “To the-praise of his glory by whom we have been kept through faith unto eternal salvation;” and with Job, “My foot hath held his steps; his way have I kept, and not declined; neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Or, with the afflicted church, “Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons,” and “covered us with the shadow of death.” This is what the apostle enjoins upon the Corinthians:-“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

[joseph4inspiration]

(1st Corinthians 15: 9-10)

The apostle Paul went from one of the chief persecutors of the early church to one of the chief leaders of the early church.

You can only imagine the regret he must of felt as he thought about the things he had done. Revelation came to Paul and revealed to him his purpose in God, but that same revelation also revealed to him who Stephen was - a man greatly beloved by God who was killed as Paul looked on and kept watch over the clothes of those who stoned him. (Acts 7:58)

But regardless of the things Paul had done or approved of, God still had a purpose for him. But in order for Paul to fulfill that purpose, he could not let the regrets of his past, stand in his way.

If you think about it, his regrets would have been logical; after all, he had done some terrible things.

But Paul had to learn just like we have to learn, that some things that bothers us, also hinder us.

If it's in your past, God isn't concerned with it so we have to decide to let those things go.

No matter how bad they may bother us or how devastating the results were, we have to let them go.

Yes, Paul was a murderer in his pass, but God also used him to raise the dead (Acts 20:9-12).

God always desires to do greater than our past failures, but if the regrets of our past failures are alive and well in our present, they will hinder us from accomplishing God's plan.

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

John (the Apostle) | We'll Meet Again | Romantic

Dialogue prompt: “We need to talk.”

Requested: Yes

Your husband John tells you that Jesus has sent him out to heal the sick and cast out demons, but your plea to stay sparks worry in his heart, especially when you reveal otherwise joyous news.

Ever since Jesus spoke the words that He was sending out His followers two by two, John’s thoughts have started to run all over the place. 

“Are you saying we could die?” he had queried after Jesus revealed the danger they could find themselves in, and even though John knew that it wasn’t the best question to calm his nerves, for Jesus told the group that they would one day know the meaning of what it means to give one’s life for their faith, He had assured them that this trip would not come to that.

It still wasn’t much of a comfort to John, however, and he could vividly imagine the way your face would drop and the dejected glimmer that would grow inside your (e/c) eyes once he would bring you the news that he had to go.

You had always been so supportive of him, and your parents-in-law were there to keep an eye on you. Luckily, Zebedee and Salomé found no issue in taking you into their home for a while just so that you wouldn’t be as lonely. It didn’t ease his feeling of immense guilt, though. 

After everyone has scattered and found their respective partner – John himself would complete the ministry trip to Joppa together with Thomas – John can’t help but turn to his Master, Who is already looking at him with a pondering yet friendly look on His face, as if He knows what the question will be already.

“Rabbi,” John begins after clearing his throat, “I’ve… I’ve got my concerns.”

“About (Y/n).” Jesus replies, causing the younger Son of Thunder to nod in acknowledgement. 

“I’m-I’m not too keen on leaving my wife here on her own. I know she’ll have my parents, and Eden, and I know that nothing bad will happen to her, but still. I’m frightened that something will happen to me, and I-I-I know that you said that this trip will not come to that, b-but still, what kind of husband would I be if–”

“Calm down, John.” Jesus cuts him off, putting a hand on his shoulder to squeeze it gently. “I am certain she will understand. Why don’t you ask Simon how he deals with these worries, hm? Following Me is not always easy, for any of you. But sometimes we need to spread Truth no matter what and whom we leave at home.”

John sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. “I apologise, Rabbi, and I need to emphasise that it is not because I don’t trust Your word. But how can I… How can I possibly break (Y/n)’s heart that way?”

Jesus lets out a hum and smiles slightly. “You won’t, John. No matter where you’ll go, you’re bound to her and she to you. As husband and wife, you’ll always be connected.”

Swallowing thickly, John stands and dusts his hands down his tunic. “I… I know, Rabbi, I’m just… I need some time to think about how I’ll bring the news.”

“If I may do a suggestion, beloved John,” Jesus muses, “Keep it short and straight to the point. I know for a fact that (Y/n) herself has something to tell you as well.”

John narrows his eyes. “How do You… Of course you do, but… What are You talking about?”

Shrugging, Jesus grins and brings his clay cup to his lips to drink the remainder of His water, not giving away anything. With growing nerves coiling inside his gut, John puts his sandals back on, tells the people who are still in Eden and Simon’s house shalom and heads outside. 

The sounds of market fill his ears as John slowly heads over to your homestead near the house of his parents. He wonders if you’re still out purchasing food, if you’ve started on dinner yet or if you’re currently patching up the holes inside his tunic. A pit of guilt forms in his heart. He has barely returned after weeks on the road. The last time he had the opportunity to properly spend time with you was at least four months ago and he has to leave again?

With heavy steps, he opens the door to your shared house and kisses his fingertips before touching the mezuzah hanging on the frame before quickly washing his feet. The sound of your gentle humming streaming from the kitchen adjacent to the hallway makes him inexplicably upset, tears springing to his eyes. 

When he stands on the threshold, taking in your beautiful form as you happily chop up a few pickled onions, he clears his throat. A little startled, you look up at him, a large smile spreading itself over your features once you realise it is your husband who is disturbing the preparation for dinner, and you wipe your hands on your apron before walking towards him, giving him a soft kiss. “Hello darling,” you quip, “It’s good to see you. I’ve got these wonderful eggs at market so we can enjoy them with breakfast tomor—”

“We need to talk.” The moments the words leave his lips, John regrets them instantly upon the coldness thereof. Your brow knits together into a frown as your smile drops. 

“Ah… Of course, let’s sit,” you say, gesturing to your dining table, and the pair of you sink down on the pillows that are on the floor. 

John puts his hand on the table and reaches over to grab yours, patting it softly. He brings it to his mouth to kiss the back of it, sighing deeply as he tries to find the right words. Your eyes search his face for a sign of whatever might be bothering him, but when you find none, you gulp. “John, what is going on? You’re scaring me.”

“Love, Jesus is sending us out.” 

You narrow your eyes. “Where to? And when?”

“I’m going with Thomas, and I think it’s best that you don’t know where we’ll be going. You’d only get concerned.”

Blinking rapidly, you shake your head. “You’re only making me worry more by being so secretive about it. What are you going to do?”

John squeezes your fingers. “We are going out to spread Jesus’ words amongst the Jews around the country… South-west, to be more precise, to Joppa. He says that it is not sustainable for Him to be the only one spreading the news of God’s Kingdom.”

“Where will Jesus be going, then?” you inquire, “Can’t He come with you, too?”

Your husband sighs. “Jesus will be visiting Nazareth in the meantime.”

When you fall silent, John feels his stomach drop. “Love, Jesus promised us that we will be fine. Nothing bad will happen to us.”

“Yet!” you whimper, “John, I’ve barely seen you in the past months! I miss you.” You cup his cheek and rub your thumb through his beard. “I… I long to spend more time with you.”

Leaning into your touch, John closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth of your palm on his face. “My love, we will be back before you know it, and I’m sure that we will get a break afterwards. I promise that I’ll be there for you, then.”

Your bottom lip trembles when John opens his eyes again, watching you with such gentleness that emotion nearly overwhelms you. 

“Everything is just so uncertain these days,” you admit, “I know that Jesus is our Messiah and that nothing will ever be the same because of Him, but still, It scares me so much.”

John takes your other hand in his, too, and looks at you pleadingly. “My parents will protect you, you don’t need to worry about your safet—”

“I’m pregnant, John.”

His eyes widen and he feels his cheeks grow hot. 

“What?”

You sniffle, a few tears rolling down your face. You quickly wipe them away. “I found out a few weeks after you left the last time.” With a watery smile, you scoot closer to him. “You’re going to be a father.”

A sound of disbelief leaves his lungs and he grins widely, embracing you immediately. You giggle, dragging a hand through his thick hair, and you hold him for a while as he tightens his grip, nose buried into your shoulder. “Love, that is… Wow! After trying for so long! Praise Adonai!”

Laughing, you nod firmly. “Yes,” you breathe, “I went to synagogue the moment I found out to make an offering.”

John pulls away from the hug and catches your gaze, hands on your upper arms. “I will ask Jesus if our trip can be shorter, I’ll–”

You shake your head, smiling softly. “No, John. There is no need for that. I trust that He knows what is best for you. It is always going to be difficult to be apart, but we know that it is for a good cause. You need to leave behind a lot to follow the Messiah, and sometimes, that includes me as well as your safety. But I know that it is worth it.”

With a sigh, John pulls you into another hug. “I know,” he murmurs, “It is worth it. I trust our Master and I know that God will be with me wherever I go. But it doesn’t make it any less difficult. Especially now that you’re pregnant, I wish I could be there for you, to help you out wherever I can.” His hands find your stomach and rest there for a while, even though no swell is visible yet. “I can’t believe it… We are going to have a baby?!”

Another giggle falls from your lips and he leans in to kiss you softly, both uncertainty and happiness swirling through his mind. He chooses to focus on the latter, and on you, as he tells you that he loves you in between gentle pecks. 

“Despite the fact that you have to leave,” you whisper, a little breathless as your cheeks are warm and pink, “I don’t think I have ever been happier before.” 

“Me neither,” John confesses. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell the others… You are going to be such a good eema, my love.”

“And our child is going to have the best abba in the world.”

John smiles, pulling you into his lap before connecting his mouth to yours again, the both of you enjoying the moment before the inevitable hour of his departure comes, but until then, you will bask in this delightful milestone within your marriage.

[psalmonesermons]

God can make a little go a long way

God wants your 'littles'

Some years ago, whilst working in my role as a biomedical scientist, I heard about a patient who had a kidney transplant. Such patients need to take a type of medication called immuno-suppressive drugs. These drugs prevent the patient’s immune system from rejecting the transplanted organ. The doctors were able to gradually reduce the patient’s tablets from several a day at first, over a year or two right down to a half tablet each day. This worked fine and for something like 14 years the half tablet did the job. However, one day the patient forgot to take the half tablet and sad to say, he went into graft rejection and lost the kidney. Although he was only taking a tiny dose it went a long way and unfortunately as soon as he stopped the entire benefit was lost.

This story made me think of a recurring theme in the bible of how God can make a little go a long way. Let us bring these stories to mind…

Elijah’s tub of flour and jug of oil never ran out during the famine (1 Kings 17:8-16).

Elisha prayed that the widow’s jar of oil would keep flowing and she was able to clear all her debts (2 Kings 4:1-7). God filled every vessel of the widow which c.f. with us being filled with the Spirit but he is never diluted or diminished.

Jesus prayed and the loaves and fishes were multiplied to feed a multitude (Matthew 14:17-21) and had lots of leftovers too.

Again, Jesus tells us (Matthew 17:20) that if we have the tiniest measure of faith, then we can move mountains!

God certainly can make a little go a long way! And he does time after time, again and again,

Let us now focus specifically on a little going a long way in the context of prayer. Sometimes we think that for certain types of prayer to be effective, then the prayer must be nice and long. But could God act on us merely mentioning someone in our prayers? Well, here are 5 biblical examples from the Apostle Paul, who clearly thought mentioning someone in prayer was very worthwhile.

Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention [1] of you always in my prayers.

Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.

1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.

Philemon 4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,

So, what does it mean to mention someone in prayer? A dictionary definition of the word ‘mention’ -a brief comment or remark, or, to remember briefly.

As we get older in the faith our daily prayer lists get longer and longer! Paul’s prayer list must have been very extensive (he prayed for the Galatians, Colossians and many other churches, families, and individuals). But he felt that it was important to continually be mentioning his fellow believers in prayer to the Lord.

Sometimes, we think that for a prayer to be effective that it must be long! As an older car battery charger gives a trickle charge, so our making mention of others in prayer is constantly bringing them before the throne room of grace.

Sad to say, from my own experience, for several years I used to briefly mention each day two children with serious health problems. They always seemed fine. But I unintentionally forgot them for a year or two. When I next saw them, I was surprised how much they had deteriorated, and I decided that I had to start mentioning them before God each day again.

Beloved, God can make your little go a long way. So, give God your littles:

(your little prayer, your little time, your little finance and little resources, your little strength, your little capacity to care for others, your little faith can move mountains), and know this that even mentioning someone in prayer to the Lord is positively making a difference in their lives.

Let us pray:

Father God in Jesus name, we offer to you the ‘littles’ in our lives, our time, our strength and energy, our finance and resources, and all other areas of our lives where we feel ‘little’, asking that that you make each one of them go a long way in the building your kingdom.

Amen

[1] 3417. mneia, mni'-ah; from G3415 or G3403; recollection; by impl. recital: --mention, remembrance.

[childofchrist1983]

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. - Matthew 17:1-4 KJV

There are so many things to reflect on when we consider the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. The first for me is, "Why did Jesus choose Peter, James and John over the other Apostles?"

Peter, we know, will become the leader of this then new religion; John is often considered to be the "Beloved Disciple" as well as responsible for the fourth Gospel; and James was the first leader of this new church in Jerusalem. Perhaps this was preparation for those responsibilities. Another thing to reflect on is the presence of Moses and Elijah. The general thinking is that Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the prophets. Since Jesus is the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets, it is appropriate that they are with Jesus at this moment. But, what is the purpose for this event?

The Apostles had been told that Jesus would suffer and die, and would rise again on the third day. They didn't want Him to suffer and tried to prevent Him from going to Jerusalem where He would be in danger, and didn't understand how He or anyone could rise from the dead. It seems that Jesus wanted to give them a preview of His glorified body that they would see following the resurrection. Peter wanted to make three tents which tells us that he wanted to stay there and keep Jesus and the others there. This was not to be, and it is also not to be for us either.

There are times in our lives when we feel that we are on the top of the mountains of our lives and want to stay there forever, but that's not reality. God gives us these moments to remember when we are in the valleys of our lives. Just as the Apostles had their dark moments and needed to remember this event. We will have ours. When they happen, we need to remember those top of the mountain experiences. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His mercy and goodness to the Apostles and to us as we journey through the highs and lows of this life. May He help us to be more sensitive to the teaching ministry of His Holy Word and Spirit, relying on Him and allowing Him to speak to us and guide us every step of our Christian journey.

God gave us the Holy Bible - His living and Holy Word - to let us know of Him and His abiding love and care as well as guide and prepare us for all our lives. May He help us encourage one another as we continue our walk with Him and our duty to Him daily. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for being present for all our new beginnings and all our lives. May He redirect any anxiety we feel as He provides countless opportunities for growth and change. May we humble ourselves before God always, asking Him to forgive our sins and make our hearts and lives anew through His Holy Word and Spirit. May He help us make Him and His Holy Word top priority, so we can grow spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him as we apply it to our daily lives. Thank God that we can focus on Him and everything about Him, for that is what keeps us sane and at peace. May our words and actions always be a reflection of Him and His Holy Word and Spirit and will.

Everyday, we must remember to thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace that He poured out for us on the cross at Calvary. He has freed us from the burdens of sin and guilt. May He help us to always walk in His grace and Holy Spirit, not by our own measure. May He give us the humble humility to know that our freedom and eternal salvation is found only in Him, so that His grace may sustain us, and we may never lose sight of His love and light and mercy. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for calling us to Him and to serve Him. May He equip us to do all that He has called us to do so that as He works through us, He may use us to produce fruit, to reach others, and to encourage all brothers and sisters in Christ. May He work all of these things in us and through us for His Kingdom and His glory. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all His creation, for His miraculous ways and for everything He does and has done for us! Keep the faith and keep moving forward in your walk with Jesus! He loves us and He knows what is best for us. Seek, follow and trust in Him - Always!

Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Word and for sending His Holy Spirit so that we might have His grace, not only to awaken us and transform our hearts in our spiritual rebirth and guarantee our eternity with Him, but to also call upon Him whenever we are in need. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all the reminders of His love and mercy and faithfulness within His Holy Word. He is bigger than any challenge or circumstance in our lives. Knowing this within our minds and our hearts, nothing can deter our faith in Him and His Truth. May we all accept Him and His eternal gift of salvation and ask that He would transform our hearts and lives according to His will and ways. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Spirit who saves, seals and leads us. May we always thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He is our strength, and He alone is able to save us, forgive our sins and gift us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful LORD, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[bardly-working]

👀

Something a little different -- Lucien POV (written long before TNEOL came out, which I haven't even read) to the first time Jester cast Sending on Cree when they wanted to know more about the Nonagon in episode 110.

Cree gets a Sending from someone and Lucien can hear it echo in his head. An odd, warbly voice, like a high note in a low register, musical and rolling.  Faint, through the bond, but if he focuses it… “-ee!  It's Jester.  Remember me?  Where are you?  I need to talk to you.  It's about…” Cree looks decidedly put off, and he can feel it through the bond as well.  The tension in the muscles of her back, the cant of her ears, the dislike curling around her lips.  He tries not to broadcast too much of his amusement. “Nonagon,” the voice finishes up. …Well now he’s curious. “Or Lucien, you know,” it continues in that overly casual semi-sweet tone.  “Lemme know, okay?” Cree practically winces with discomfort and Lucien tries not to smirk too broadly at her. When she responds sharply, “Who is this?!” it’s obvious she’s lying through her teeth.  Surprising, as she’s usually a better liar than this.  “I don’t think that I can help you.” He leans back against the wall of the little cave they’re camped in, tilting his head and staring intently at her, waiting for her to tell him what that’s all about.  Something in that voice sounded… familiar.  Strangely so.  Even stranger, he didn’t hate the voice immediately despite the too-cloying-to-be-real sweetness. “The blue girl,” he nearly jumps this time, not expecting yet another Sending so quickly.  “Jester. We met a while ago. I had a group of friends. We knew Lucien!  At the… the Evening Nip.”  A long pause.  “…Money’s involved.” The voice sounds a little annoyed this time, but still with that odd sweetness.  Stilted as well, pausing to remember details, probably lying about the last bit, but… interesting.  Jester, huh? Cree says nothing, clearly waiting for the spell to expire. He doesn’t have to prod her any further out loud.  His mind simply presses on hers the slightest bit and she bends to it, as beautifully as she always has.  His Cree.  His first devoted Acolyte.  His beloved Apostle. “They were friends with the little…” Cree starts speaking aloud, but he feels her struggle to find a word and her voice instead echoes in his mind: “the shard, as you called it.  Very devoted to him, it seems.  I don’t know what they want.” “She sounded strangely familiar.  Interesting,” he responds telepathically. “More annoying than anything,” Cree thinks back at him, and Lucien lets out a snort of laughter.  Then he feels her genuine frustration, her jealousy, her possessiveness over his memory while these intruders came in claiming friendship with what little was left of him.  He feels her heart break as this Not Him thing laughs and drinks with his new friends and walks out the door with them, only a few whispered words insinuating he knows her at all.  She suspects that was entirely a con.  She feels foolish for it, embarrassed. Well he can’t have that.  Of course she’d be a bit weak to deception from someone wearing his face, after two years without him. Lucien strokes Cree’s soft, smooth fur and holds her against his shoulder that night as she falls asleep.  He allows his voice to dance in her mind, promising not to leave her, that the sliver hadn’t been anything but a shadow, that it hadn’t been him.  That he would give her the world and so much more, for her belief in him.  He would burn universes to ash and build galaxies in their name.  Cree’s gentle purring is soothing to him on a level he didn’t realize he’d been missing. It doesn’t quite fill the empty space.  But it echoes and reverberates there, like a lost sense of ‘almost.’  A vague promise of ‘please.’

send me a 👀 and I’ll post a snippet from a WIP that I never got around to finishing this year.

[jagged1]

Outlastober Prompts 3-5

Broken Lenses

The sharp crunch and tinkle of shattering glass is almost underwhelmingly quiet after the terror of the long night. From the curses and screams of his attackers to his own harsh breathing and groans of pain, this is the sound that terrifies him the most. The camera lens has broken, and with it, his own hopes of getting out alive have dropped. His eyesight isn’t bad, but the darkness isn’t on his side. Something about these people lets them see and move far more easily than he does and every advantage he has is worth its weight in gold. “Fuck.” 

God?

“Can you see me, god? Can you hear me, god? I give you all of me. Merciful god, I thank you for all you’ve done.” Father Martin kneels at the foot of the cross, planks of lumber piled haphazardly around. Soon, The Apostle will arrive and he will play his part in the true resurrection of their savior. He rises and turns towards his beloved flock. "My children. The time is close at hand. Prepare the pyre." He steps to the cross and allows himself to be tied to it. The ultimate sacrifice is his and he embraces it wholeheartedly.

We want you!

Hearing his mother call him makes Billy perk up in curiosity. She usually keeps him away from her guests. He trots over and waits patiently for her to explain. 

“Billy, honey, these men are here to see you.” 

“...mom?” 

“You’re sick. You gotta go and get treatment. They’ll take good care of ya.” 

One of them steps forward, hand outstretched. “We’re sorry for the short notice, but please come with us. We want you to be well.”

These men want him to join them. His mother wants him to go. All he can do is nod and take his hand.

AO3 link

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the Translation of the Holy and Divine Theologian, John the Evangelist. Saint John was the son of Zebedee and Salome (one of the daughters of Saint Joseph the Betrothed), and the brother of James the Great. John and his brother were called at the same time to be followers of Christ and became two of the three (the other, Apostle Peter) closest disciples of Christ. They witnessed the healing of many people, the Light of the Transfiguration at Tabor, as well as many other miracles. Saint John, being the youngest of all the disciples, was also the most beloved disciple of Christ, following Him from the beginning of his ministry all the way to his Crucifixion and Burial. After the Resurrection of the Lord, the Evangelist took the Theotokos to his home as his own mother. After her Dormition, he went to Ephesus to preach the Word of God. Having been denounced by pagans, he was given a poisoned drink, which failed to kill him. He was then exiled to the island of Patmos where he converted many to Christ, but most famously, where he wrote the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Holy Bible. Having returned to Ephesus, he wrote the gospel under his name and also another 3 letters, all a part of the New Testament. Saint John lived to well over 100 and outlived every single eyewitness of Christ. By this time, his message was simple: love one another. He was buried and when some of his disciples came later to farewell him, they found his grave empty, thus his body having been translated to Heaven. May the Evangelist intercede for us all + #saint #john #saintjohn #stjohn #johnthedivine #johntheevangelist #evangelist #divine #jesus #christ #jesuschrist #christian #preach #bible #gospel #lastsupper #letter #translation #disciple #patmos #exile #newtestament #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Ephesus, Turkey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci8bKL0rTVI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[discoveringorthodoxy]

St. Seraphim of Sarov the Wonderworker

Christ is Baptized in the Jordan by John!

Hello my brothers and sisters in Christ! I pray that you all continue to have a blessed Theophany and blessed new year! Today I would like to look into the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov, one of the most beloved Saints in recent Orthodox history. I have seen a lot of quotes from this saint but I never knew much about him. I only knew that he was often depicted with a bear. Why is that? Why is he so well loved? Today we're going to find out.

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Prokhor Moshnin (Feast Day: 2 January) was born in the town of Kursk on July 30th in either the year 1754 or 1759. He was born into the family of a wealthy eminent merchant. He lost his father, Isidore, at a young age and was brought up by his pious widowed mother, Agathia. Since he was a child, Prokhor would read the Holy Scripture and go to church services daily. One day, he fell from a bell tower of the church his father had started building before his death. However, a miracle happened and Prokhor was alive and unharmed (St. Seraphim of Sarov).

When Moshnin was around 9 or 10 years old, be became gravely ill. One day, the most holy Mother of God appeared to him in a dream, telling him that she was going to heal him. When Agathia put him up to the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God called "The Sign", he was miraculously healed.

When he was 19, the saint felt a call to follow the monastic path after visiting the monastery of Sarov. So, Agathia blessed him and gave him a large crucifix made out of copper, which St. Seraphim would wear over his clothes until the day he passed. At the age of 20, he joined the Sarov Monastery as a novice.

In 1780, the Saint was stricken with a sickness which he endured for three years, until the Theotokos healed him, appearing to him with the Apostles Peter and John (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov).

In 1786, Prokhor was tonsured a monk and was given the name Seraphim, after the holy Hieromartyr Seraphim, Bishop of Phanarion (Dec. 4). St. Seraphim was ordained a hierodeacon and then a hieromonk. He served the Divine Liturgy every day and in his love for God, continually added labours to labours. Once, during the Divine Liturgy of Holy Thursday, he was counted worthy of a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, who appeared encompassed by the heavenly hosts (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov). After this vision, St. Seraphim gave himself over to greater labors.

In 1794, St. Seraphim got a blessing from the Monastery's Hegumen Nicodemus to become a hermit. So, he took up the solitary life in a cell in the forest, where he lived in a remote cabin. The Saint devoted most of his time to praying, fasting, reading the Gospel, and working in his vegetable garden (St. Seraphim of Sarov). He spent 1000 successive nights being awake and praying on his knees. This period of extreme asceticism lasted about 15 years and his only visitors were wild animals.

Once while living in isolation, St. Seraphim was assaulted by robbers who severely injured him. They broke his chest and his head with their blows, leaving him almost dead. Even though he could have defended himself, he did not and completely forgave the robbers for their crime. St. Seraphim began to recover after receiving another appearance from the Theotokos, who was accompanied by the Apostles Peter and John. The Theotokos pointed to St. Seraphim and said to him, "This is one of my kind" (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov).

In 1810, after being weakened by his more than human struggles, St. Seraphim returned to the monastery, where he lived as a recluse until 1825. For the first five years of his reclusion, he spoke to no one at all and very little is known about this period. After five years, he began receiving visitors, giving them counsel and consolation to ailing souls.

In 1825, he had another vision of the Mother of God, who blessed him to become an elder. She revealed to him that it was pleasing to God that he fully end his seclusion. Thousands of people would come to him for advice and blessing. People remembered the elder as extremely meek and joyful, greeting everyone with the words, "My joy, Christ is risen!" It was also at the command of the Theotokos that St. Seraphim undertook the spiritual direction of the Diveyvo Convent. The Saint healed "body ailments, foretold things that were to come, brought hardened sinners to repentance, and saw clearly the secrets of the heart of those who came to him" (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov).

The last time the most holy Theotokos appeared to St. Seraphim was on Annunciation in 1831. She announced to him that he would soon enter into his rest. The holy Virgin was accompanied by twelve-virgin martyrs and monastic saints with St. John the Baptist and St. John the Theologian.

Shortly before his death, St. Seraphim became very ill. And less than two years after his last vision of the Theotokos, he fell asleep in peace on January 2, 1833. He was found asleep by his cell attendant standing on his knees in front of the icon of the Mother of God.

On the night of his repose, the righteous Philaret of the Glinsk Hermitage behind his soul ascending to Heaven in light. Because of the universal testimony to the holiness of his life, and the multitude of miracles that he performed in life and death, St. Seraphim's veneration quickly spread outside of Russia to the whole world (Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov). And on July 19, 1903, St.Seraphim of Sarov was canonized by the Orthodox Church.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

St. Seraphim of Sarov is often depicted with a bear in his icons. The story behind this is as follows:

One day Matrona, one of the nuns at the monastery, saw St. Seraphim sitting on a tree trunk in the company of a bear. Being terrified, she let out a scream. The elder, seeing her, patted the bear and sent him away. He then invited the nun to sit beside him. But, they had barely sat down together when the bear returned from the wood and came and lay at St. Seraphim's feet. Matrona was terrified but when she saw that St. Seraphim was unconcerned. He was treating the bear like a lamb, stroking him and giving him bread. When Matrona was wholly reassured, the Elder gave her a piece of bread and said: "You needn't be the least afraid of him, he won't hurt you." So, she held out the bread to the bear, and felt great joy as it ate the bread.

Seeing how much Matrona was enjoying feeding the bear, Fr. Seraphim said: "You remember the story of St. Jerome feeding a lion in the desert? Well, here we've got a bear obeying us."

"The sisters would die of fright if they saw such a sight!" Matrona exclaimed.

"They won't see it," replied the Elder.

"I'd be very sad if anyone killed him," Matrona went on.

"Nobody will kill him and nobody except yourself will see him," answered Fr. Seraphim.

Matrona was rejoicing at the thought of telling the sisters about it, but Elder Seraphim, reading her thoughts, said to her, "'No, my joy, you're not to tell anyone until eleven years after my death. Then God will show you whom to tell."

A day came years after St. Seraphim's death where Matrona went past an artist's studio in the monastery. The artist was working on a portrait of the Elder in the forest on a tree trunk. "You really must paint the bear!" Matrona told him. "What bear?" the artist asked in surprise. Then Matrona told him the story and remembered the Elder's words. Eleven years had gone by since his repose (Carlson).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

St. Seraphim of Sarov is indeed a holy and blessed man. His life alone shows the beauty of God's grace and love for all of us. There were many times where St. Seraphim could have fallen to illness, but through the Theotokos, God healed him. He had every opportunity to give up and not fully commit himself to God. For example, the 1000 nights of prayer. If I did that now, I wouldn't make it very long. But St. Seraphim, through the grace of God, did.

I love the words that he greeted everyone with: "My joy, Christ is risen!". I might start doing the same to my brothers and sisters.

And the fact that he reposed while praying to God is the most beautiful thing. If I had to choose how I'd die, that is the death I'd seek.

The story behind the bear is also beautiful. I think it's interesting how his words about revealing the story of the bear came true. And St. Seraphim was so peaceful and holy that a wild bear felt safe to lie at his feet. It is truly a testament to the kind of person St. Seraphim was.

Until next time and may God bless all of you!

Love your sister in Christ,

Joanna

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Works Cited:

Carlson, Kristofer “The Story of St Seraphim of Sarov and the Bear.” Why Mary Matters, 3 Sept. 2017, http://wmm.dormitionpress.org/archives/1285.

“Seraphim the Wonderworker of Sarov .” Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=366.

“St. Seraphim of Sarov.” Https://Obitel-Minsk.org/, St. Elisabeth Convent, https://obitel-minsk.org/st-seraphim-of-sarov.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

9th January >> Mass Readings (USA)

Feast of The Baptism of the Lord

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(When a Feast of the Lord is celebrated on a weekday there is only one reading before the Gospel, which may be chosen from either the first or second reading)

Either:

First Reading Isaiah 42:1–4, 6–7 Behold my servant with whom I am well pleased.

Thus says the LORD:

Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Or:

First Reading Acts of the Apostles 10:34–38 God anointed him with the Holy Spirit.

Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 29:1–2, 3–4, 3, 9–10

R/ The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, Give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire.

R/ The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD, over vast waters. The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is majestic.

R/ The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say, “Glory!” The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever.

R/ The Lord will bless his people with peace.

(When a Feast of the Lord falls on a weekday, there is no reading after the Psalm and before the Gospel)

Gospel Acclamation cf. Mark 9:7

Alleluia, alleluia. The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, listen to him. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 3:13–17 After Jesus was baptized, he saw the Spirit of God coming upon him.

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Greetings from Peter (1 Peter 1:1-2)

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

Make Your Calling Sure

3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; 4 whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; 6 and in your knowledge temperance; and in your temperance patience; and in your patience godliness; 7 and in your godliness love of the brethren; and in your love of the brethren love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: 11 for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Remember These Things

12 Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with you. 13 And I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me. 15 Yea, I will give diligence that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance.

We were Eyewitnesses (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:1-13; Luke 9:28-36)

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: 18 and this voice we ourselves heard come out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19 And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. 21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost. — 2 Peter 1 | English Revised Version (ERVB) The English Revised Version of the Holy Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Exodus 3:5; 2 Samuel 23:2; Psalm 15:5; Psalm 119:105; Psalm 145:13; Isaiah 38:12; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 17:5; Luke 9:31; Luke 21:19; John 13:36; John 17:13; Acts 15:14; Romans 12:6; Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:13; Ephesians 5:26; Philippians 3:1; Philippians 3:8; Colossians 1:10; Colossians 2:3

[carolap53]

… But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

--Isaiah 40:31

Have you ever felt like God had you in “wait” training? Well, God puts a premium on patience and perseverance where you and I are concerned.

We can’t rush God’s providential choices, but we can trust the One who sees all of history… the days leading up to our lives as well as those that follow after us. John the Beloved understood this principle well.

Perhaps you remember that John was the apostle of Jesus who was sentenced to live out his life on a veritable devil’s island, a place called Patmos. But while he was there, God gave him a vision of the future… a powerful message of encouragement and hope for the church. That message became known as the book of Revelation!

How could John write such a powerful message on such a wretched island amidst personal suffering and loneliness? It’s because John looked beyond his suffering and embraced the future that God showed him, the promise of heaven. God’s light shines brightest in the darkest of times!

When you find yourself alone in pain and suffering, don’t hasten God’s providential timeline, but trust the One who makes all things work together for your good and his glory. He will renew your strength!

GOD’S LIGHT SHINES BRIGHTEST IN THE DARKEST OF TIMES!

Jack Graham