Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle. Simon, called Peter, was the first disciples of Jesus. Matthew, 4:18-22

Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle.  He and his brother Simon who was called Peter were the first disciples of Jesus.  Andreas and Simon received the call as disciples when they were casting their nets on the lake.  Anderas and Simon answered the call by leaving their nets and following Jesus.

 Reflecting on Andreas' call, I remembered a story about a blind woman and a young man.  This blind woman works as a beggar.  One night, this woman as usual begging in front of a shop.  That night it rained heavily, and his son, who used to pick him up and drop off, did not come.

  The rain began to subside, he heard the sound of footsteps passing in front of him.  He called the passerby saying, Brother, please take me home.  The young man stopped and replied, did you ask me for help?  He, he answered.

 The young man approached, helped her up and led the blind woman back to her house.  "Mother, why did you call me earlier, weren't there before me there were already many people passing by?" asked the young man.  The woman replied, I have been there for years and sat in front of the shop begging.  I know all the footsteps of the passers-by.  They didn't listen to me, let alone provide assistance.  Your footsteps are different from theirs and you must be a different person from them.

 This story wants to tell us that the young man heard the call and he acted, as did Andreas and Simon.  They left their nets when Jesus called, come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

 Jesus called His disciples to proclaim God's love, we are also called to it.  But sometimes we hesitate if we experience difficulties and challenges because we feel weak and unfit for the mission.  Keep in mind, Jesus did not call with the size of the human eye, Jesus saw his heart.  Jesus who called us will not let us walk alone in His mission.  Jesus will help us in carrying out our daily mission.  What we need is to believe and obey Him as Andrew and Simon believed and obeyed Jesus.

 Come, listen to the voice of Jesus calling by reading and meditating on His words.  And may God's grace enable us to hear clearly what is our calling, so that we can be faithful and obedient disciples in proclaiming God's love in our daily lives.  God be glorified now and forever.

The more we know God, the more we should trust Him, even in the most difficult conditions. Matthew, 8:5-11

Are we in the habit of checking the strength of a chair before we sit on it, just to make sure it's safe?  It seems impossible for us to do that.  How do we make sure that the chair is strong enough to support our weight?

 Starting from this illustration, there is one question that we need to ponder.  If we believe in the power of a chair, why don't we sometimes have the same faith in God, especially in difficult times?

 Of course, it is different in the conditions of life's struggle that requires faith compared to the case of sitting on a chair.

 This story teaches us that faith is not something complicated to practice because we can receive the results of that faith.  This officer in Capernaum understood that Jesus' authority and power were different from those of other persons, thus giving rise to faith in him.

 This officer's faith not only amazed Jesus but also brought healing to his servant.  Be to you as you believe, is the key in this story, which leads to the quality of the centurion's faith that Jesus will surely heal his servant.

 Faith is closely related to our knowledge of God.  The more we know God, the more we should trust Him, even in the most difficult conditions.  What are we worried about right now?  Call upon the Lord in faith and receive His answer.

Watching While Praying Luke, 21:34-46

 The Lord Jesus will surely come again and no one will escape judgment on the day the Lord comes.  Therefore, Jesus exhorted and encouraged His disciples to keep watch in waiting for Him.  Disciples must guard against the temptations of worldly pleasures and desires.  So that when the Day of the Lord comes, they will not be victims of judgment.  Jesus warned to watch while praying.  Only then do Christ's disciples gain strength.  Prayer helps us to stand firm before God.

 As disciples of Christ, we too are waiting for His coming.  Thus, Jesus' advice to His former disciples also applies to us today.  We also have to be on guard and not be carried away by worldly currents.  Don't let us fall into sin and be punished when the day of judgment comes.

 But in reality, aren't we often tempted and lulled by the comforts the world has to offer?  We are easily swept away by the changing times.  God's Word today reminds us to stay on the alert.  Open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to stand firm in faith in Jesus Christ.

 In the liturgical celebration of Advent, the Church revives the wait for the Messiah, thus the faithful take part in the long preparations for the first coming of the Redeemer and renew in them the longing for His second coming.  By celebrating the birth and martyrdom of the pioneer, the Church unites herself with her longing, He must increase and I must decrease.

 From the stump of Jesse a shoot will grow and become a great and mighty tree.  The Nativity scene with the great star of Bethlehem, shows us the reason for the seasons and whether in this celebration of the birth of Jesus or in preparation for His second coming, we do so with joyful hopes for the fulfillment of promises and promises to be kept.

My Word is Lasting And Sturdy Since It Was Spoken. The word Blessing actually consists of two syllables, namely bene (good, noble) and dicere (words, or words). Luke, 21:29-33

beautiful sunrise city jerusalem

The word blessing comes from the Latin word benedict.  This word actually consists of two syllables, namely bene (good, noble) and dicere (words, or words).  Thus benedict (blessing) means good words or words.  One who blesses means to say kind words, noble words.

 Words can bring blessings to others or they can be curses.  Depends on what comes out of the mouth, good or bad.

 If we had to choose, I'm sure we would choose to speak well.  We will be happy to hear people say good words from others, so other people will certainly prefer to hear good words from us, not swear words or words of reproach.

 Jesus reminds us that the heavens and the earth will pass away but His words will not pass away.  We believe and believe that the words of Jesus are living words, words that lead us to salvation.  His words are words that bring us to the blessing of goodness and of course, saving goodness.

 Facing the end of time, no one knows when the time will be, so Jesus invites us to have a firm guide and grip, namely His own word.  The words of Jesus we find mainly in the Scriptures.

 My question is, how close are we to the Bible?  Knowing the words of Jesus presupposes that we often read the Scriptures.  How can we possibly understand His word if we have never come into contact with the Scriptures?

 Heaven and earth will pass away, the Scriptures will pass away but the word in them will never pass away.  The love of Jesus is a guarantee and proof.  His word is eternal, still firmly in effect just as it was since it was first spoken.

 Jesus is now invisible, but His Word lives and works in those of us who desire and believe in Him.  Therefore, blessed are those who listen to the word of God and are diligent in carrying it out.

Jerusalem, the holy city, where the Jewish people gather every year, is now prophesied to be destroyed by foreign occupation.

The holy city of Jerusalem

Jerusalem, the holy city, where the Jewish people gather every year, is now prophesied to be destroyed by foreign occupation.  The Jews will no longer control Jerusalem, it will be the foreigners who will occupy Jerusalem.  Even Jesus asserted that those who would occupy Jerusalem were nations that did not know God.  Thus, Jerusalem, which had been the religious center of the Jews, would become a pagan place.  Previously it was also prophesied that the temple would be destroyed, not one stone would rest on another stone.

 That is the old Jerusalem, the Jerusalem that only relies on the beauty of the physical building.  Jesus came and promised the coming of a new Jerusalem, which was Himself the one who brought salvation.  The old Jerusalem will be destroyed and their identity will be lost.  The new Jerusalem will rise and gather all the nations, not only the Jews but anyone who will come and accept God's offer of salvation.  The new Jerusalem will not only bring together one nation but an entire nation.  The new Jerusalem is not just the beauty of the temple building but the majesty and majesty of the crucified Christ.

 We live in the new Jerusalem.  It is also necessary to have a lifestyle that is in accordance with the new Jerusalem.  Old Jerusalem emphasized rules and laws.  The main rule and law in the new Jerusalem is the law of love.  The law of love is fully in Christ Jesus, the Son of the living God.  The law of love is no longer written in stone or inscriptions but is engraved with gold ink in the Holy Body.

 We eat the Holy Body every time we celebrate the Eucharist.  Thus we become the dwelling place of the Law of Love itself.  Our bodies become a field of struggle to implement the law.  That is the new Jerusalem, where we express and embody the law of Christ.  It is we who become the law of love with the main basis being Christ.  The new Jerusalem becomes a field for us to be good Samaritans.  Making all people neighbors is the newness of the old Jerusalem.  Precisely because of worship, a believer must dare to act like the good Samaritan.

 This is what we prepare to welcome Him who will come at any time.  Perseverance in prayer and at the same time persevering in making others for others is a concrete form of preparation for each of us.  By doing so, we will survive the lion's den and live to proclaim God's great and wondrous works.

Mount Tabor At the top is the Basilica and the Franciscan monastery. On this mountain stand three chapels dedicated to Jesus, Moses and Elijah. During the Crusades, these three chapels were combined into a beautiful basilica.

Mount Tabor 

Mount Tabor is located in the north of Israel.  Precisely at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, west of the Sea of ​​Galilee.  Now the Peak can be reached by vehicle, but in the past visitors had to reach it by climbing 4,340 steps.

 

 At the top of this mountain is the Basilica of the Transfiguration and the Franciscan monastery.  On this mountain stand three chapels dedicated to Jesus, Moses and Elijah.  During the Crusades, these three chapels were combined into a beautiful basilica.

 The Transfiguration of Christ is the event where Jesus is glorified on a mountain and meets Moses and Elijah.  His face was radiant and full of glory.  This is the pinnacle of the spirituality of Jesus.  On this occasion, three of His disciples, namely Peter, James and John, were with Him.  The light of glory that shone from the face of Jesus taught the disciples that the sad event that would be experienced by Him would lead them to victory, glory, that behind insults and insults there would be glory that would strengthen them in their lives to follow the Master.

 Chapel of the Ascension of Jesus to Heaven

The Mount of Olives became the place where Jesus sent His disciples throughout the world to bring the good news of the gospel to all nations.  The Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.  (Acts 1:8).

 At the top of this hill is believed to be the site of Jesus' ascension to heaven.  In 376 a rotuda was built and in 438 an oratorium and monastery were added.  During the Crusades, the warriors erected an octagonal church with columns supporting the dome.  The dome is open, beneath which is the rock that according to legend Jesus stepped on and left footprints before ascending to heaven.  Every year before commemorating the day of the Ascension of Jesus, OFM monks hold a festive service here.

Michelangelo's amazing painting on the roof of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican Italy - this painting depicts: the story in the book of Genesis, the fall of man.

Michelangelo's Paintings

In 1512, after 4 years finally Michelangelo was able to finish his famous painting which is so amazing on the roof of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican Italy - this painting depicts: the story in the book of Genesis, the fall of man, the genealogy of Jesus, & also the work of salvation etc.

 But over time, also because of the candle smoke in the church, and dust etc., it all slowly began to cover the beauty of the painting.  So in 1984-1999 a restoration project for the painting was carried out.

 Prior to 1999, many tourists who visited the Sistine Chapel who saw the large painting work mostly thought, although the work was large, graceful and stunning, but the colors were too dark, dim and the painting looked less than bright myopic.  However, after the restoration was completed in 1999, the artwork has managed to return to the way it was when the creator painted it.  The original brilliance that had been hidden for hundreds of years has been brought back to life, graceful, stunning beauty with a variety of beautiful color contrasts can once again be enjoyed by everyone who visits the Sistine Chapel.

Likewise with the beauty of all God's blessings in our lives, but sadly, there are many things that are familiar in life-such as candle smoke, and the immunity of our hearts being ungrateful, and often forgetting to give thanks for the blessings.  It's just like dust, starting to slowly erode making the beauty of God the Creator's artwork slowly disappear and look increasingly dim.

 

 Every morning. if the sunshine on the eastern horizon that rises faithfully cannot make your heart meet with thanksgiving;  if a cool breeze can't wake your heart and sing praises for the air you breathe;  if the chirping of the sparrows has not been able to raise your heart to sing hymns and cheer for God's faithfulness in His care for your life.! OR Should the sentence after the words above read something like: "if I recover from cancer stage 4  incurable;  or if I could survive a bruising to a fatal car crash;  or if my house does not burn, though the whole village is destroyed by fire;  if I get a promotion at my job with a double salary “….then we can be shocked to give thanks to God?

 M A K A Come on in this Thanksgiving season, we all carry out restoration projects for our spirituality, so that the beauty of the Creator's work in our lives may once again shine brightly and the heart of our creator God may be accepted!

 Then Jesus said, "Weren't all the ten men clean? Where are the nine? Has none of them returned to glorify God except this stranger?" (Luke 17:17-18)