Day 154 & 155                    7 hrs                      246 to go

 Who do you say that I am?  Lots of thoughts on this question raised in yesterday’s gospel – then when Peter got it right; Jesus “charged and commanded” them not to tell anyone – Jesus knew what He had to do & He knew what He had to do to succeed. 

Who do I say that Jesus was?  First, like Peter I would say that He is the Messiah.  He was also a complex and brilliant man who loved to read, was a bit of a Mama’s boy and due to his trade was strong as an ox.  He excelled at his craft and was confident and well spoken.  He was extremely pleasant and probably was a very good listener.  He did not have a bad temper, was well mannered and must have had a special smile.  He was a peaceful boy and man and liked to spend time alone in prayer with His heavenly Father.  Jesus was not at all the model Messiah for the nation of Israel.  The Jewish people did not expect their Messiah to be God himself taking on the form of a man.  They were looking for a general-king like David.  The last person they expected to lead them out of tyranny once and for all was a carpenter from the hick town of Galilee.  That poses the question – what are the Jews of today waiting for?  Who could fit their criteria to be the Chosen One? – Give that a thought!!!

Last week I wrote about St. Cyprians treatise on the Lord’s Prayer and Saturday he ended it with these thoughts –  “God taught us to pray not only by His words, but also by His actions.  He taught us by his own example for He often prayed on our behalf.  The Scripture says: He withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.  And again: He went into the hills to pray and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.  “He is not satisfied with redeeming us by His blood.  He also prays to the Father on our behalf.  Consider the love exemplified in that prayer.  The Father and Son are one; we too are to abide in that oneness. – think a bit about this – Jesus, the Son of God not only died for our sins but continues to pour out His infinite grace upon us as He prays to the Father for our acceptance of His salvation.

My time at the nursing home was filled with sorrow for two women who are suffering – please pray for Liz and for Rita.  Their pain brought tears to their eyes and they struggle with the question WHY??? – Why do they, in their 90’s continue to experience pain and suffering and why hasn’t the Lord answered their prayers and brought their souls to Him.  They tell me that they are ready to die.  I can only tell them that the Will of the Father is always for the good.  I can only tell them that that  God knows best and that their reward in heaven will far outweigh the pain from the broken hip and antibiotic adverse reaction.

My chaplet was for the victims of the Chilean earthquake and my rosary was for Liz and Rita.