Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, uses figures of speech and different types of literature that can be difficult to understand. These call for special rules for the Scripture/Bible interpreter.

For instance, 'Metaphor' is used. A simile makes a comparison by using a word such as 'like': "Life is like a circus." A metaphor is a similar comparison, except that it omits the word 'like': "The world is a stage." Metaphors such as "I am the door" or "I am the gate" - John 10:9 - are easily recognized.

But the words of Jesus' at the Last Supper: When.... Then he took some bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of me." He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, "This is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you." - Luke 22:14- 20 - Matt.26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; was intended to be understood literally and physically rather than metaphorically. Jesus is the true bread because Jesus is God's Word.

"See, the days are coming - it is Yahweh who speaks - when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel (and the House of Judah) but not a covenant like the one I made with their ancestors.... No, this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive - it is Yahweh who speaks....... - Jer. 31:31-34 - [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading]

I am the living bread that comes down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world. - John 6:51 -

I have been telling you all this in metaphor,
the hour is coming
when I shall no longer speak to you in metaphors;
but tell you about the Father in plain words. - John 16:25 -

For this is what (apostle Paul) I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me." In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me." Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death, and so anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be behaving unworthily towards the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone is to recollect himself before eating this bread and drinking this cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the Body is eating and drinking his own condemnation. - 1 Cor. 11:23-29 -

Anthropomorphism in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible describe the non-human objects as though they have human characteristics. Thus, it is the practice of describing God in human terms, as if He has feet, hands, a face, a heart, and so forth. Although the Old Testament and New Testament deny any literal similarity of form between God and His creatures, The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible frequently uses such human language to affirm that God is personal and active in His creation.

The appearance of Jesus, God's Son, in flesh and human body is a literal revelation of God in the form of man. Jesus was "in the form of God" but He took the form of a servant/of a slave, the "likeness" and "appearance" of man, to save us and reveal the depth of God's love. Therefore, with utmost respect for Jesus, we can literally speak of God in human form too. - Phil. 2:1-11 -

The practice of describing God as if He displays human emotions, such as love and mercy. Although the Old Testament and the New Testament plainly show that God is beyond our human experiences. - 1 Tim. 6:1-16 - 1 Cor. 2:7-3:4 - The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible frequently uses such language to declare that God is personal and that He responds to the actions of His creatures.

Parables are one type of literature in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Once a upon a time in a far away land there lived a fairy princess. We do not understand this sentence in a scientific or literal sense. We recognize that it comes from a certain type of literature, and thus, we do not interpret it historically. Different types of literature fall into different categories, each of which has its own rules of interpretation.

We interpret them properly by using a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences.

Parable refers to a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson; a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences. A parable is often no more than an extended metaphor or simile, using figurative language in the form of a story to illustrate a particular truth. The Greek word for parable literally means "a laying by the side of" or "casting alongside" thus, "a comparison or likeness." In a parable something is placed alongside something else, in order that one may throw light on the other. A familiar custom or incident is used to illustrate some truth less familiar.

Although Jesus was the master of the parabolic form, He was not the first to use parables. Examples of the effective use of parables are found in the Old Testament. Perhaps, the best known of these is prophet Nathan's parable of the rich man who took the one little ewe lamb that belonged to a poor man. - 2 Sam. 12:1-4 - By means of this parable, prophet Nathan reproved king David and convicted him of his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite. "...Why have you shown contempt for Yahweh, doing what displeases him? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taken his wife for your own, and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So......." - 2 Sam. 5-15 - A wise woman of Tekoa also used a parable to convince king David to let his son return to Jerusalem. - 2 Sam. 14:5-7 -

Jesus' characteristic method of teaching was through parables. His famous parables are the parable of the lost son - Luke 15:11-32 - and the parable of the Good Samaritan. - Luke 10:25-37 - Both parables illustrate God's love for sinners and God's command that we show compassion to all peoples. Actually, the parable of the lost son (sometimes called the parable of the prodigal son or the parable of the loving father) is the story of two lost sons: the younger son - typical of tax collectors and prostitutes - who wasted possessions with indulgent living and the older son - typical of self-righteous scribes and Pharisees - who remained at home but was a stranger to his father's heart.

Some entire chapters in the Gospels are devoted to Jesus' parables; for instance, Matthew 13:1-52 - Why Jesus speaks in parables? 'Because' he replied 'the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understanding,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.

But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it. - Matt. 13:11-17 -

The peoples are taught in parables. In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfill the prophecy:

I will speak to you in parables
and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world. - Matt. 13:34-35 -

Although parables are often memorable stories, impressing the listener with a clear picture of the truth, even the disciples were sometimes confused as to the meaning of parables. For example, after Jesus told the parable of the darnel or wheat and the tare - Matt. 13:24-30 - the disciples needed interpretation in order to understand its meaning. Jesus sometimes used the parabolic form of teaching to reveal the truth to those who followed Him and to conceal the truth from those who did not. Jesus parables therefore, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. Like a double-edged sword, they cut two ways - enlightening those who sought the truth and binding those  who were disobedient.

Most of Jesus' parables have one central point. We should not resort to fanciful interpretations that find "spiritual truth" in every detail of the parable. [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading] The central point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that a 'hated' Samaritan proved to be a neighbor to the wounded man. He showed the traveler the mercy and compassion denied to him by the Priest and the Levite, representative of the established religion. The one central point of this parable is that we should also extend compassion to others - even those who are not of our own nationality, race, and religion. - Luke 10:25-37 -

In finding the central meaning of a parable, we needs to discover the meaning the parable had in the time of Jesus. We need to relate the parable to Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God and to His miracles. This means that parables are more than simple folks stories; they are expressions of Jesus' view of God, human beings, salvation, and the new age dawned in His ministry. A good example of this approach are the parables dealing with the "lost" the lost sheep, on loss of enthusiasm in a disciple, the lost drachma/coin, and the lost son and the dutiful son. - Luke 14:34-35, 15:4-32 - The historical context is found in Luke 15:1-2 : Jesus had table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and scribes, the 'religious experts' of Jesus' day, saw such action as disgusting because in their view, it transgressed God's holiness. If Jesus truly were a righteous person, they reasoned, then He would not associate with such people. He would keep Himself pure and separate from sinners.

In response to their murmuring, Jesus told them these parables. "I have found my sheep that was lost." God rejoices more, He said, over the repentance of one mortal sinner (those sitting with Him at table) than over ninety-nine virtuous persons who have no need of repentance. It is noted that the religious professionals who always congratulate themselves over their own self-achieved 'goodness.' Likewise, the prodigal son represents the tax collectors and sinners; the older son represents the scribes and Pharisees.

A major theme in Jesus' parables is the demand of following Him in authentic discipleship. We interpret them properly by picturing the story in our minds as if we lived in Jesus' day, finding the one main point, and not giving meaning to all the details. Although a few parables have allegorical elements, most parables teach only one main point. The standard procedure for interpreting parables is to find the one main point and to view the details of the story simply as illustrations, but not as the direct teaching of the parables.

Prophecy - There are two points when interpreting prophecy. The first is that what the prophet foresaw as one event may actually be two or more. For instance, the Old Testament thought of the "Day of the Lord" as one event. - Is. 2:12 - But the last days actually began at Pentecost - Acts 2 - and will conclude at Christ's return. - 2 Thess. 2:1-3 -

The second point is that although much Old Testament is fulfilled in the New Testament, much was fulfilled in the Old Testament and then again in the New Testament. Isaiah's prophecy in - 7:14 - was fulfilled in Isaiah's day, and again by Jesus' birth - Matt. 1:23 - Isaiah's prophecy had a more complete meaning in that it was to be fulfilled again at a more distant time in the future.

Prophecy declared God's word for all time, so the time of fulfillment of a prophecy is rarely indicated in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Prophecy was technically the task of the prophet. But all truth or revelation is prophetic, pointing to some future person, event, and thing. The full panorama of God's will takes many forms; it may be expressed through people, events, and objects. Prophecy may also be expressed in many different forms through the prophet himself, whether by his mouth or some bodily action. "The focus of all prophetic truth is the Lord Jesus Christ."

Prophet is a person who spoke for God and who communicated God's message courageously. A true prophet received his call or appointment directly from God. A prophet sometimes became quite dramatic and acted out his message. Except for God's call, true prophets had no special qualifications.

Hebrew poetry does not concentrate on rhythm or rhyme. It expresses itself by parallelism. Two phrases are joined so that the second repeats the first with different words, or the second states the opposites of the first, or the second adds a new thought to the first. Sometimes the couplet will be arranged with the second phrase reversing the order of the first. Thus, when interpreting poetry, we must recognize the type of parallelism being used, since the phrases interpret each other.

Apocalyptic type of literature in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is the most misunderstood by interpreters today. It has specific rules of interpretation. Its most noticeable characteristic is its use of strange, symbolic figures, such as those in the Book of Revelation. The Greek title of this book is "Apocalypse of John" and the word "apocalypse" is a transliteration of the Greek word for revelation: any writing under this title claims to include a revelation of hidden things, imparted by God, and particularly a revelation of events hidden in the future. The language of apocalyptic writing is richly symbolic, and the importance of the visions which are described is never in their immediate literal meaning. The key to interpreting these figures lies in the Book of Revelation itself.

In - Rev.1:20 - the seven stars are interpreted as representing the seven angels, and the seven lamp-stands stand for the seven Church. In - Rev. 17:9-10 - the seven headed beast stands for the seven hills, and in - Rev. 17:18 - the woman is identified as the city which rules the earth. Thus, to understand "Apocalyptic Literature" and "Revelation" in particular, we must interpret the imagery as very figurative. The images are describing things and spiritual realities in figurative language.

Some might object that this is not understanding the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible literally. But since the Book of Revelation interprets its own images in figurative terms, the images must serve as figurative descriptions of real things. Therefore, to understand the book literally, we must understand it figuratively.

In interpreting the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, we must remember from Whom it comes. We are handling the Lord's message. This demands an attitude of respect, honesty, integrity, and our willingness to subject ourselves to God's authority. [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading]

This is the revelation given by God to Jesus Christ so that he could tell his servants about the things which are to take place very soon; he sent his angel to make it known to his servant John, and John has written down everything he saw and swears it is the word of God guaranteed by Jesus Christ. Rev. 1:1-2 -

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

The science and art of scriptural/biblical interpretation. The question of how to interpret the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is not a minor issue. It is, in a sense, one of the battlegrounds for our souls. Accurate Scripture/Bible interpretation should answer the question, "How do I understand what this particular passage or verse means?" Firstly, there are rules which govern its use, it is a science. Secondly, knowing the rules is not enough, it also is an art. Thirdly, practice to learn how to use the rules is also required. Fourthly, the interpretation of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible must be done as a "Whole." [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading] Fifthly, do not be thoughtless but recognize what is the will of God. Finally, God grace is required, so that, we might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Partial interpretation of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, and using selected passages, and verses referring to a bias purpose is absolutely unacceptable.

If Satan had a list of what he does not want us to do, Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible would be at the top, along with prayer and worshiping God. Through study of Scripture we learn who Jesus Christ is and are enabled to become like Him. How can we become like Jesus, if we do not know what He is like? Devotional studies are important, but they must result from a serious study of Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. In fact, the apostle Paul have never failed to pray for us, and what he ask God is that through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding we should reach the fullest knowledge of God's will. So we will be able to lead the kind of life which the Lord Jesus Christ expects of us, a life acceptable to Him in all its aspect; showing the results in all good actions we do and increasing our knowledge of God.

Knowing Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible as well as obeying it are the twin foundations of a godly life. A godly life produces the further desire to study God's Word. Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible interpretation done properly, thus, takes the baptized believers, disciples, from study to application in a mounting spiral toward God. Satan's attempt to take away our desire to study Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is nothing less than an attempt to remove the basis of our spiritual growth.

The Basic Principles of Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible Study. Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is a divine or sacred Book, and because of our limitation as humans, prayer is an absolute necessity as we study the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. Saint Paul teaches that non-Christian and the spiritually immature Christian are limited in their ability to know God things or His will. Therefore, we must pray that God will bridge the gap that separates us from understanding spiritual things, by having the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us. Without this illumination or insight from God's Spirit, we cannot learn, and go any further to know His will.

Now instead of the spirit of the world, we have received the Spirit that comes from God, to teach us to understand the gifts that he has given us. therefore we teach, not in the way philosophy is taught, but in the way that the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. An unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit of God: he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit. A spiritual man, on the other hand, is able to judge the value of everything, and his own value is not judged by other men. As scripture says: Who can know the mind of the Lord, so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ. - 1 Cor. 2:12-16 -

This need for insight was the concept apostle Paul referred to when he told Timothy to reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord Jesus Christ will give you insight into all this.

Put up with your share of difficulties, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. In the army, no soldier gets himself mixed up in civilian life, because he must be at the disposal of the man who enlisted him; or take an athlete - he cannot win any crown unless he has kept all the rules of the contest; and again, it is the working farmer who has the first claim on any crop that is harvested. Think over what I have said, and the Lord will show you how to understand it all. - 2 Tim. 2:3-7 -

The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is frequently utilized by humans, thus, it is also considered a human book and, to a degree, must be interpreted like any other book. This brings us to the principle of common sense. For instance, the grammatical-historical method of studying the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible instructs us to look at the passage carefully to see what it says literally, and to understand a scriptural/biblical statement in light of its historical background. We understand a historical statement as a straight forward statement and do not change its literal, grammatical sense. This is "common sense."

Another example of the common sense principle is illustrated when Jesus says Christians can have anything for which they ask. Common sense tells us that there must be some limitation on this statement because we realize that Christians in fact, do not have whatever they would like. Scripture confirms that the limitation is God's will. Using the common sense principle in this way can be dangerous because it could become an excuse for cutting out any portion of Scripture we do not happen to like. But if our common sense is impartial and controlled by God, it is a valid principle of interpreting the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible. [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading]

You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants anymore,
because a servant does not know
his master's business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.

You did not choose me,
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another. - John 15:14-17 -

We are quite confident that if we ask him for anything, and it is in accordance with his will, he will hear us. - 1 John 5:14 -

We interpret the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible properly when we learn to ask the right questions of the text. The problem here is that many people do not know what the right questions are, and they lacks God's love, to learn. Scriptural/Biblical interpretation is a science, and the rules it uses take time, energy, and a serious commitment to learn. But when learned, there is much satisfaction in asking the right questions than in merely guessing and assuming.

The primary rule of scriptural/biblical interpretation is "context." This cannot be emphasized too strongly. If the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible readers would merely let a passage chapter, or book, the majority of all errors in interpretation would be avoided. The main problem is our bias, and our subjectivity. Many times we approach a passage or verse thinking we already understand it. In the process we read our own meaning into the passage or verse. this is called "eisegesis." [Eis is a Greek preposition meaning "into"] but interpreting the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible correctly demands that we listen to what the text itself is saying, and then draw the meaning out of the passage or verse. This is called "exegesis." [Ex is a Greek preposition meaning "out of"] If we let a passage or verse be defined by what it and the surrounding passages or verses say, then we have taken a large step toward interpreting the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible properly. By watching the context carefully and by letting the passage or verse speak for itself do we give Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible the respect it deserves.

Of course, it is impossible to dismiss totally our own bias and subjectivity. Our interpretation will always be colored by our culture, tradition, and our opinions about the passage or verse, or perhaps by our theological beliefs, which are partially based on the passage or verse. But this should not discourage our attempt to let the passage or verse speak for itself as freely as possible, without being weighed down with our personal opinions and views.

Observation, Interpretation, Evaluation, and Application are the heart of all approaches to finding out what the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible means. They provide the structure of what questions you ask of the text, and when.

Observation: Do I understand the basic facts of the passage or verse such as the meaning of all the words? Interpretation: What did the author mean in his own historical setting? Evaluation: What does this passage or verse mean in today's culture and tradition? Application: How can I apply what I have learned to how I live my earthly life?

Interpreting the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is a two step process. We must first discover what the passage or verse meant in the day and age of the author. Then we must discover its message for us in today's culture. Observation and interpretation apply to the first step: evaluation and application apply to the second. Why are these two steps important? The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible was not actually written directly to us, or was actually written directly to us, and it makes sense to put ourselves in the shoes of the original audience if we are to understand its message properly. Thus, these steps force us to understand the meaning of the passage or verse before we apply it to our lives. Surprisingly, this step is often overlooked. The two steps separate us from the text, thereby helping to prevent eisegesis, since it separates what the text says from how it affects us today.

Using Observation, Interpretation, Evaluation, Application in the proper sequence, we are ready to interpret the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible correctly. [The Old Testament and the New Testament requires thorough reading]

Observation - The question asked: Do I understand all the facts in this passage or verse? Do I know the context before and after this passage or verse? Do I know the meanings of all the words? Do I understand the general flow of the discussion? Do I understand the cultural background? It is necessary to clear up all the factual problems before moving into the theological meaning of the passage or verse. When all these has been done, we may go on to the next stage of interpretation.

Interpretation - The basic question asked: What did the author mean in his own historical setting? We must put ourselves in the shoes of Scripture's original audience. What does the passage or verse actually say? Many times we forget to look carefully at what a passage or verse says. Does the context help define the meaning of the passage or verse? For instance, what does Scripture mean when it says, "There is no God!" - Psalms 53:1 - Context shows this is a statement made by a fool, the godless man.

The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God!"
They are false, corrupt. vile,
there is not one good man left. - Ps. 53:1 -

What does apostle Paul mean when he says the Lord Jesus Christ will return like a thief in the night. - 1 Thessalonians 5:2 - Context shows it means the Lord Jesus Christ coming is sudden.

Since you know very well that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. It is when people are saying, 'How quiet and peaceful it is' that the worst suddenly happens, as suddenly as the labors pains come on a pregnant woman; and there will be no way for anybody to evade it. - 1 Thes. 5:2-3 -

There are times when even these questions will not help us understand the meaning of a passage or verse. Sometimes we have to read between the lines and make an educated guess as to what the passage or verse means. This is fine when necessary. But we must remember that we are guessing, and we must keep an open mind to other possible interpretations.

Integrity is a necessary elements in all scriptural/biblical interpretation. If we tell someone about what a friend said, we should try to be as accurate as possible. If we are no sure about a certain point, we should say, 'I think this is what he said.' 'Ask him personally if you want to know exactly what he said.' We all do this with our friends. So why then, when we interpret Scripture, do many of us lose that integrity? Why do we not read the text properly and carefully? Why do we read between lines, make fanciful interpretations that more a product of our imagination than relevant study, and then insist this is what the text actually says?

In interpreting the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, we must never forget whose letters we are reading. They have come from the mouth of God Himself, and they demand respect. They demand to speak for themselves. They demand that we be honest and have integrity. We must not and never put our assumption and guesswork on the same level as Words of God.

Evaluation - The question asked: What does the passage or verse mean in today's culture? It is the issue of whether a passage of Scripture applies to us today, or whether it is limited to the culture in which it was originally written. The question raised by the evaluation process is answered one of two ways. Either the passage or verse is applied directly to our culture, or it must be reapplied because of cultural differences. The vast majority of New Testament doctrine can be applied directly to 21st century culture. If we love God, regardless of when or where we live, then we must obey His commandments. This teaching is true in any culture for all times.

If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever - John 14:15-16 -

But sometimes a scriptural/biblical teaching is directed so specifically to the culture of the ancient world that another culture cannot understand it. A "cultural expression" is a statement that can be understood only within a certain cultural context. An "eternal principle" is a principle that God uses to govern the world regardless of culture. For example, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 is a cultural expression because it is understandable only within those cultures that offer meat to idols. "God is Love" is an eternal principle because it is understandable in all cultures. - 1 John 4:7-9, 16 -

By sinning in this way against your brothers, and injuring their weak consciences, it would be Christ against whom you sinned. That is why, since food can be the occasion of my brother's downfall, I shall never eat meat/food which has been offered to idols again in case I am the cause of a brother's downfall. - 1 Cor. 8:10-13 -

My dear people,
let us love one another
since loves comes from God
and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is Love.
God's love for us was revealed
when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;
this is the love I mean - I John 4:7-9 -

We should clearly understand that every cultural expression in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is the result of some eternal principle. And even though a cultural expression cannot be carried over directly to another culture, the eternal principle behind it can. Just because it is cultural does not mean it can be ignored.

We should also remembered that just as a scriptural/biblical passage or verse can be set in its culture, so the interpreter is likewise controlled to some extent by his own culture. Many people today do not believe that the scriptural/biblical accounts of miracles are true. For instance, some scholars argue that miracles were a part of first century culture and were believed by the people in Jesus' day. But this is 21st century and people do not believe in miracles. But these scholars' views on the impossibility of the supernatural are likewise influenced by the materialistic, narcissism, science oriented culture in which they live. We must be utmost careful about allowing our own culture to influence our view of Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

Application - The process of interpreting the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible has been academic. But it is absolutely essential to recognize that the purpose and goal of Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible study is a godly life. Every study is not complete until we put into practice what we have learned and studied.

The question to ask at this stage of interpretation is, "How can I apply what I have learned and studied to how I live my earthly life?" The academic and the practical are thus fused into a meaningful approach to the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible message. Some people dismiss the academic as boring and trivial. Others reject the application as unnecessary. Both extremes are equally incorrect. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible interpreter must walk the tight rope between these approaches. A three act play is unsatisfying without the final act. The last act, without the first, second, third, does not make sense. Sometimes in scriptural/biblical study, it is necessary to emphasize the academic when the passage or verse is difficult to understand, or to emphasize the application when the passage's or verse's practical relevance is confusing. But one of these approaches should never be used to the exclusion of the other.

                                                                       Page 3

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

In the New Testament writings, revelation and response came together in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the one hand, Jesus was God's perfect revelation of Himself - He was the divine Word in human form. His work of mercy and power portrayed God in action, especially His supreme act of sacrifice to bring about the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. His teaching expressed the mind of God. - Rom. 3:21-26 - "Jesus Christ, who is just; he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away, and not only ours, but the whole world's." - 1 John 2:2 -

In Jesus life and ministry, He illustrated the perfect human response of faith, love and obedience to God. Jesus was "the Apostle [God's Messenger to us] and High Priest [our representative with God] of our confession. Therefore, Jesus performed the mighty acts of God and He spoke authoritatively as God's Messenger and Prophet.

That is why all you who are holy brothers and have the same heavenly call should turn your minds to Jesus, the apostle and the high priest of our religion. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just like Moses, who stayed faithful in all his house; but he has been found to deserve a greater glory than Moses. It is the difference between the honor given to the man that built the house and to the house itself. Every house is built by someone, of course; but God built everything that exists. It is true that Moses was faithful in the house of God, as a servant, acting as witness to the things which were to be divulged later; but Christ was faithful as a son, and as the master in the house. And we are his house, as long as we cling to our hope with the confidence that we glory in. - Heb. 3:1-6 -

The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is a written, authoritative record by which any teaching or theory may be judged. But behind the writing lay periods of time when these messages were circulated in spoken form. The stories of the patriarchs were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth before they were written. The message of the prophets were delivered orally before they were fixed in writing. Narratives of the life and ministry of Christ were repeated orally for two or three decades before they were given literary form. But the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible owes its preservation to the fact that all these oral narratives were eventually reduced to writing. Just as God originally inspired the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, He has used this means to preserve His Words for future generations.

The first person to write anything down was Moses. God instructed Moses to write as a permanent memorial the divine vow that the name of Amalek would be blotted out. From that time until the end of the New Testament age, the writing of the many books and parts of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible continued.

With the edge of the sword Joshua cut down Amalek and his people. Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Write this action down in a book to keep the memory of it, and say in Joshua's hearing that I shall wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.' - Ex. 17:13-14 -

None of the original scriptural or biblical documents - referred to by scholars as the "original autographs" has survived. No scrap of parchment or papyrus bearing the handwriting of any of the scriptural or biblical authors has been discovered. But before the original documents disappeared, they were copied. These copies of the original writings are the texts on which current translation of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible are based.

The process of copying and recopying the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible has continued to our time. Until the middle of the 15th century A.D. all the copying was done by hand. Then, with the invention of printing in Europe, copies could be made in greater quantities by using this new process. Each copy of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible had to be produced slowly by hand with the old system, but now the printing press could produce thousands of copies in a short time. This made the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible available to many people, rather than just the few who could afford handmade copies.

The older handwritten copies of Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible texts are called manuscripts. Early manuscripts for the books were written on papyrus or skin. Papyrus was a type of ancient paper manufactured from a reed plant that grew in the Nile Valley and similar environments. Papyrus was inexpensive, but it was not very durable. It rotted quickly when exposed to dampness.

The ancient papyrus manuscripts which have been discovered were found in the dry sands of Egypt and other arid places. Great quantities of inscribed papyri have been recovered from the Egyptian sands during the last hundred years dating from the period shortly before and after the beginning of the Christian era, about A.D. 30. A few scraps of papyri containing ancient texts of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible have been among the recovered manuscripts.

The skins of animals proved to be much more durable writing materials than papyrus. Many different writing materials were manufactured from such skins. Some were a coarse form of leather. Others were subjected to a special refining process, emerging as a writing material known as parchment. Vellum, another valued writing material, was made from calfskin. Some of the most important manuscripts of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible were written on vellum.

The Canon of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible - The word canon means a "rod' - specifically, a rod with graduated marks used for measuring length. This words refers to the list of individual books that were eventually judged as authoritative and included as a part of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The early formation of the canon of the Old Testament is not easy to trace. Its threefold division in its early history - the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings - may reflect the three stages of its formation. From, the beginning, the Law was accepted, even if it was not always obeyed. Evidence of its acceptance would include Moses' reading of "the Book of the Covenant" to the people at Mount Sinai and the people's response, "All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient." - Ex. 24:7 -

Further evidence of acceptance of the Law includes the discovery of the "Book of the Law" probably the Book of Deuteronomy, in the Temple of Jerusalem during king Josiah's reign and the religious reform which followed. - 2 Kin. 22:8-23:25 -

Following the return of the Jewish people from Babylonian Captivity, "the Book of the Law of Moses" was read to the people of Jerusalem under Ezra's direction. This book became the constitution of their new nation. - Neh. 8:1-18 -

The second division of the Old Testament accepted by the Jewish people was the Prophets. The prophets' words were preserved from the beginning by their disciples or by others who recognized the prophets as messengers of God. In general, their words were probably written shortly after they were spoken, for their authority as God's messengers came before their widespread acceptance by the Jewish people. The words of the prophets were included because they were considered to be authoritative.

The third division of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Writings, may have remained 'open' longer than the first two. Scholars know less about the formation of this division than the first two. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible which Jesus used was the Hebrew Old Testament. He left no instructions about forming a new collection of authoritative writings to stand beside the books which He and His disciples accepted as God's Word.

The Old Testament was also the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible of the early Church, but it was the Old Testament as fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ. Early Christians interpreted the Old Testament in the light of His person and His work. This new perspective controlled the early Church interpretation to such a degree that, while Jews and Christians shared the same Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, they understood it so differently that they might almost have been using two different Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

The deeds and words of the Lord Jesus Christ were first communicated in spoken form. The apostles and their associates proclaimed the Gospel [Good News] by word of mouth. Saint Paul taught the believers orally in the Church when he was present. But when he was absent, he communicated through his epistles or letters.

Quite early in its history, the Church felt a need for a written account of the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. His teachings did provide the basis for the new Christian way of life. But the Church grew so large that many converts were unable to rely on the instruction of those who had heard and memorized the teachings of Jesus. From about A.D. 50 onward, probably more than one written collection of sayings of Jesus circulated in the Church. The earliest written Gospel appears to have been the Gospel According To Saint Mark, written about A.D. 64.

An individual Gospel, a letter from an apostle, or even several works circulating independently, would not amount to a canon. A canon implies a collection of writings. There is evidence that two collections of Christian writings circulated among the Church at the beginning of the second century. One of these was the Gospel collection - the four writings which are commonly called the 'Four Gospels.' The other collection was the Pauline collection, or the letters or epistles of the apostle Paul. The anonymous letter to the Hebrews was added to this second collection at an early date.

Early Christians continued to accept the Old Testament in the light of Jesus' deeds and words only if they had a reliable record of them. So, alongside Moses and the prophets, they had these early writings about Jesus and letters from the apostles, who had known Jesus in the flesh.

When officials of the early Church sought to make a list of books about Jesus and the early Church which they considered authoritative, they retained the Old Testament, on the authority of Jesus and His apostles. Along with these books they recognized as authoritative the writings of the new age - Four Gospel, the 13 letters or epistles of apostle Paul, and the letters of other apostles and their companions. The Gospel collection and the apostolic collection were joined together by the book of 'The Acts Of The Apostles' which served as a sequel to the Gospel story, as well as a narrative background for the earlier epistles.

The primary standard applied to a book was that it must be written either by an apostle or by someone close to the apostles. This guaranteed that their writing about the Lord Jesus Christ and the early Church would have the authenticity of an eyewitness account. As in the earliest phase of the Church existence, "The apostles doctrine" was the basis of its life and thought. The apostolic writings formed the charter, or foundation documents of the Church.

These remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, and to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. - Acts 2;42 -

None of the books written after the death of the apostles were included in the New Testament, although early Church officials recognized they did have some value as inspirational documents. The fact that they were written later, ruled them out for consideration among the Church foundation documents. These other writings might be suitable for reading aloud in Church because of their edifying character, but only the apostolic writings carried ultimate authority. They alone could be used as the basis of the Church belief and practice.

In the Church, God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets, the third teachers; and after them, miracles, and after them the gift of healing; helpers, good teachers, those with many languages. - 1 Cor. 12:28 -

Behind the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is a thrilling story of how God revealed Himself and His will to human spokesperson and then acted throughout history to preserve His Word and pass it along to future generations. In the words of the prophets:

The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God remains for ever. - Isaiah 40:8 -

Lasting to eternity, your word. - Psalms 119:89 -

I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all these things will have taken place. heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. - Matthew 24:34-35 -

In the beginning was the Word:
the Word was with God
and the Word was God. - John 1:1 -

                                                                       Page 2
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible or collection of books, accepted by the Christian Church as uniquely inspired by God, and therefore, authoritative, providing guidelines for belief and behavior. The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible contains two major sections known as the Old Testament and the New Testament. As for the Catholic Christian, the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, consists of 72 or 73 books: that is, 45 or 46 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus/Sirach, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah. Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, [Old Testament] Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, The Acts Of The Apostles, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation. [New Testament]

As for the Non Catholic Christian, the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible consists of 66 books (most of them): that is, 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs/Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, [Old Testament] Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, The Acts Of The Apostles, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation. [New Testament]

The books of the Old Testament were written over a period of 1,000 years in the Hebrew language, except for a few selected passages, which were written in Aramaic. The Old Testament tells of the preparation that was made for the Lord Jesus Christ coming.

The New Testament was written over a period of 100 years. The original language in which it was written was Greek, This portion of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible tells of Christ's coming, His life, His teachings, His person, His work and ministry, and the growth of the early Church.

The English word testament normally refers to a person's will, the document which bequeaths property to those who will inherit it after the owner's death. But the meaning of testament from both the Hebrew and the Greek languages is "settlement," "treaty," or "covenant." Of these three English words, "Covenant" best captures the meaning of the word testament. Thus, the two collections that make up the old covenant and the books of the new covenant.

The old covenant is the covenant sealed at Mount Sinai in the days of Moses. By this covenant, the living and true God, who had delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, promised to bless them as His special people. There were also to worship Him alone as their God and to accept His law as their rule for life. - Ex. 19:3-6, 24:3-8 -

The new covenant was announced by the Lord Jesus Christ as He spoke to His disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem the night before His death. When Jesus gave them bread to eat and a cup of wine to drink. Jesus declared the institution of the Holy Eucharist/Holy Communion/Holy Mass.

Then Jesus took some bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of me.' He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you.' - Luke 22:19-20 -

And as they were eating Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. 'Take it,' he said 'this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, 'This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.' - Mark 14:22-25 - Matt. 26:26-29 -

For this what I (Saint Paul) received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.' In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.' Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death, and so anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be behaving unworthily towards the body and blood of the Lord. - 1 Cor. 11: 23-27 -

Between the times of Moses and Jesus, the prophet Jeremiah foresaw a day when God would make a new covenant with His people. Under this new covenant, God would inscribe His laws on the hearts of people rather than on tablets of stone.- Jer. 31:31-34 - In the New Testament, this new covenant of which prophet Jeremiah is identified with the covenant inaugurated by the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have seen that he has been given a ministry of a far higher order, and to the same degree it is a better covenant of which he is the mediator, founded on better promises. If that first covenant had been without a fault, there would have been no need for a second one to replace it. And in fact, God does find fault with them; he says:

See, the days are coming - it is the Lord who speaks -
when I will establish a new covenant
with the House of Israel and the House of Judah,
but not a covenant like the one I made with their ancestors
on the day I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
They abandoned that covenant of mine,
and so I on my side deserted them. It is the Lord who speaks.
No, this is the covenant I will make
with the House of Israel
when those days arrive - it is the Lord who speaks.

I will put my laws into their minds
and write them on their hearts.
Then I will be their God
and they shall be my people.
There will be no further need for neighbor to try to teach neighbor,
or brother to say to brother,
'Learn to know the Lord.'
No, they will all know me,
the least no less than the greatest,
since I will forgive their iniquities
and never call their sins to mind.

By speaking of a new covenant, he implies that the first one is already old. Now anything old only gets more antiquated until in the end it disappears. - Heb. 8:6-13 -

While these two covenants, the old and the new, launched great spiritual movements. Christians believe these movements are actually two phases of one great act through which God has revealed His will to His people and called for their positive response. The second covenant is the fulfillment of what was promised in the first.

In the form in which it has been handed down among the Jewish people, the Old Testament, or Hebrew Scripture/Bible, contains three divisions: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Law consists of the book of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; this section of the Old Testament is also known as the "Pentateuch.' The Prophets fall into two subdivisions: the former prophets and the latter prophets. The rest of the books are gathered, together in the Writings.

The arrangement of the Old Testament with which readers today are most familiar has been inherited from the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) - an arrangement which was also followed by the latter Latin Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible (the Vulgate). This arrangement has four divisions: the Pentateuch, the historical books, prophecy, and poetry.

Whereas, the New Testament opens with five narrative books - that is, the four Gospels, and the Acts Of The Apostles. The Gospels deal with the Lord Jesus Christ birth, life, teachings, work, ministry, passion, death, resurrection, and the ascension in the Book of "The Acts Of The Apostles." The Book of Acts continues the phenomenon and the development of the early Church across the next 30 over years. The Book of the Acts Of The Apostles serves as a sequel to the Gospels in general; originally it was written as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke in particular.

Twenty one letters, or epistles, follow the historical narratives. Thirteen of these letters bear the name of the apostle Paul as writer, while the remaining eight are the work of other apostles or of authors associated with apostles. The last book in the New Testament, the Revelation of John, portrays through visions and symbolic language the accomplishment of God's purpose in the world and the ultimate triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The authority of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is implied by its title, "the Word of God." It is the written record of the Word of God which came to prophets, apostles, and which "became flesh" in Jesus Christ. Christians believe Jesus Christ was the Word of God. Through Jesus Christ, God communicated the perfect revelation of Himself to mankind. The Old Testament was the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible that Jesus used and quote, especially to the Pharisees, and Sadducees. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and led away to His execution, He submitted with the words: "Now all this happened to fulfill the prophecies in scripture." - Matt. 26:56 - Jesus saw His mission in the world as a fulfillment of the predictions of the Old Testament.

The New Testament presents the record of Jesus' birth, life, teachings, work, ministry, passion, death, resurrection and the ascension; a narrative of the beginning of the Christian Church with the coming of the Holy Spirit; and the story of the extension of the Gospel and the planting of His Church during the following generation. It also contains the written teachings of Jesus' apostles and other early Christians who applied the principles, and practices of the Lord Jesus Christ doctrines and redemptive work to their lives.

According to the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, God has made Himself known in a variety of ways. "The heavens declare the glory of God." - Ps. 19:1 - For since the creation of the world God invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead. But while God is revealed in His creation and through the inner voice of man's conscience, the other means by which He has made Himself known is through the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

Indeed, God has revealed Himself through His mighty acts and in the words of His messengers, or spokesperson. Either of these ways is incomplete without the other. In the Old Testament record, none of the mighty acts of God is emphasized more than the "Exodus" God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. As He delivered His people, God repeatedly identified Himself as their redeemer God: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods except Me." - Ex. 20:2-3 -

If they had been delivered with no explanation, the nation of Israel would have learned little about the God who redeemed His people. The Israelites might have guessed that in such events as the plagues of Egypt and the parting of the waters of the Red Sea, some supernatural power was at work on their behalf. But they would not have known the nature of this power or God's purpose for them as a people.

God communicated with His people, the nation of Israel, through Moses, to whom He had already made Himself known in the vision of the burning bush. God instructed Moses to tell his fellow Israelites what has been revealed to him. This was no impersonal force at work, but the God of their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fulfillment of His promises to them, God was acting now on behalf of their descendants.

In communicating with His people, God revealed both His identity and His purpose. His purpose was to make the Israelites a nation dedicated to His service alone. This message, conveyed to the Israelites through Moses, would have been ineffective if God had not delivered them personally. On the other hand, God deliverance would have been meaningless without the message. Together both constituted the Word of God to the Israelites - the saving message of the God who both speaks and acts.

This pattern of God's mighty acts and the prophetic word interacting with each other continues throughout the course of scriptural/biblical history. The Babylonian Captivity is a good example of this process. A succession of prophets warned the people that if they continue sinning against God, and did not correct their sinful ways, Captivity would come on them as judgment. But even during the years of the Captivity the prophets continued to speak, encouraging the captives and promising that God would deliver them from their plight.

The prophets were God's primary spokesperson to the people of Israel in the Old Testament times. But they were not His only messengers. Priests and sages, or wise men, were other agents through whom God's will was made known. The teachings of many of these messengers are preserved in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible.

In addition to God's revelation of Himself through the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, God's Word also records the response of those to whom the revelation was given. Too often the response was unbelief and disobedience. But at other times, people responded in faith and love, and obedience. In the book of Psalms, especially, proclaim the grateful response of men and women who experienced the grace and righteousness of God. These faithful people sometimes voiced their appreciation in words addressed directly to God. At other times they reported to others what God had come to mean to them.

                                                                     Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

There is one thing in the world that is definitely and absolutely your own, and that is your will. Health, power, life, and honor can all be snatched from you, but your will is irrevocably your own, even in hell. Hence, nothing really matters in life, except what you do with your will. It is the drama of will which makes the story of the two thieves crucified on either side of Our Lord Jesus Christ one of the absorbing incidents of history.

Both thieves at first blasphemed. There was no such thing as the good thief at the beginning of the Crucifixion. But when the thief on the right heard that Man on the Central Cross forgive His executioners, he had a change of soul. He began to accept his sorrows. He took up his cross as a yoke rather than as a gibbet, abandoned himself to God's will, and turning to the rebellious thief on the left said: "Have you no fear of God, seeing that you are under the same condemnation! And we indeed justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes: but this man done nothing wrong." Then from his heart already so full of surrender to his Savior, there came this plea, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." Immediately there came the answer of the Lord Jesus, "Amen, I say to you, this day you shall be with me in Paradise." - Luke 23:40-43 -

"You." We are all individuals in the sight of God. He calls His sheep by name. This Word was the foundation of Christian democracy. Every soul is precious in God's sight, even those whom the State casts out and kills. At the foot of the Cross, Mary witnessed the conversation of the good thief, and her soul rejoiced that he had accepted the will of God. Her Divine Son's Second Word promising Paradise as a reward for that surrender, reminded her of her own Second Word some thirty years before, when the angel had appeared to her and told her that she was to be the Mother of Him who was now dying on the Cross. In her First Word she asked how this would be accomplished since she knew not man. But when the angel said she would conceive of the Holy Spirit, Mary immediately answered: "Be it done to me according to your word." Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. - Luke 1:38 -

This was one of the great Fiats of the world. The first was at Creation when God said: Fiat lux. "Let there be light." Another was in Gethsemane when the Savior, pressing the chalice of redemption to His lips, cried: Fiat voluntas tua. "Your will be done." - Matt. 26:42 - The third was Mary's, pronounced in a Nazarene cottage, which proved to be a declaration of war against the empire of evil: Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. "Be it done to me according to your word." - Luke 1:38 -

The Second Word of Jesus on Golgotha and the Second Word of Mary in Nazareth teach the same lesson: Everyone in the world has a cross, but the cross is not the same for any two of us. The cross of the thief was not the cross of Mary. The difference was due to God's will toward each. The thief was to give his life; Mary to accept life. The thief was to hang on his cross; Mary to remain behind. The thief received a dismissal; Mary received a mission. The thief was to be received into Paradise; but Paradise was to be received into Mary.

Each of us, too, has a cross. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: "If anyone would be my disciple, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." - Mark 8:34 - Jesus Christ did not say: "Take up My Cross." His cross is not the same as yours, and yours is not the same as mine. Every cross in the world is tailor made, custom built, patterned to fit its bearer and no one else.

That is why we say: "My cross is heavy." We assume that other people's crosses are lighter, forgetful that the only reason our cross is heavy is simply because it is our own. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not make His cross; It was made for Him. So yours is made by the circumstances of your life, and by your routine duties. That is why it fits so tight. Crosses are not made by machines.

Our Lord Jesus Christ deals separately with each of our souls. The crown of gold you want may have underneath it the of thorns, but the heroes who choose the crown of thorns, often find that underneath it is the crown of gold. Even those that seem to be without a cross actually have one. No one would have suspected that when Mary resigned herself to God's will by accepting the honor of becoming the Mother of God she would ever have to bear a cross. It would seem, too, that one who was preserved free from original sin should be dispensed from the penalties of that sin, such as pain. And yet this honor brought to her seven crosses and ended by making her the Queen of Martyrs.

There are, therefore, as many kinds of crosses as there are persons: crosses of grief and sorrow, crosses of want, crosses of abuse, crosses of wounded love, and crosses of defeat!

There is the cross of widows. How often Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of them; for example, in the parable of the judge and the widow - Luke 18:1-8 - when He rebuked the Pharisees who "devoured widows' houses" - Mark 12:40 - when He spoke to the widow of Nain - Luke 7:12 - and when He praised the widow who threw two mites into the temple treasury. - Mark 12:42 - Widowhood may have been particularly dear to Him because His own mother was a widow, for Joseph His foster father was presumably already dead.

There is the cross of death when God takes someone from you, as He may be doing in this war. It is always for a good reason. When the sheep have gazed and thinned the grass in the lower regions, the shepherd will take a little lamb in his arms, carry it up the mountain where the grass is green, lay it down, and soon the other sheep will follow. Every now and then Our Blessed Lord Jesus, too, takes a lamb from the parched pasture of a family up to those Heavenly Green Pastures, that the rest of the family may keep their eyes on their true home and follow through.

Then there is the cross of sickness, which always has a divine purpose. Our Blessed Lord Jesus said  of a particular illness: "This sickness will not bring death - it is for the glory of God." John 11:4 - Resignation to this particular kind of cross is one of the very highest forms of prayer. Unfortunately, the sick generally want to be doing something else than being sick which God has willed at least permissively. The tragedy of this world is not so much the pain in it; the tragedy is that so much of that pain is wasted.

It is only when a log is thrown into the fire that it begins to sing. It was only when the thief was thrown into the fire of a cross that he found God. It is only in pain that some discover Love.

Because of crosses differ, soul will differ from soul in glory. We think too often that in heaven there is going to be somewhat the same inequality in social positions that we have here; that servants on earth will be servants in heaven; that the important people on earth will be the important people in heaven. This is not true. God will take into account our crosses. He seemed to suggest that in the parables of Dives and Lazarus: "My child, remember that you received what was good in your lifetime, while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented." - Luke 16:25 -

There will be a bright jewel of merit for those who suffer in this world. Because we live in a world where position is determined economically, we forget that in God's world the royalty are those who do His will. Heaven will be a complete reversal of the values of earth. The first shall be last and the last first, for God is no respecter of persons. A wealthy and socially important woman went to heaven. Saint Peter pointed to a beautiful mansion and said, "This is your chauffeur's home." "Well," said she, "if that is his home, think what mine will be like." Pointing to a tiny cottage, Peter said, "There is yours." "I can't live in that," she answered. And Saint Peter said, "I am sorry, that is the best I could do with the material you sent up to me." Those who suffer as the good thief did, have sent ahead some fine material.

It makes no difference, then, what you do here on earth; what matters is the love with which you do it. The street cleaner who accepts in God's name a cross arising from his state in life, such as the scorn of his fellow men; the mother who pronounces her Fiat to the Divine Will as she raises a family for the Kingdom of God; the afflicted in hospitals who say Fiat to their cross of suffering, are the uncanonized saints; for what is sanctity but fixation in goodness by abandonment to God's Holy Will?

It is typically American to feel that we are not doing anything unless we are doing something big. But from the Christian point of view, there is no one thing that is bigger than any other thing. The bigness comes from the way our wills utilize things. Hence mopping an office for the love of God is "bigger" than running the office for the love of money.

Each of us is to praise and love God in his own way. The bird praises God by singing, the flower by blooming, the clouds with their rain, the sun with its light, the moon with its reflection, and each of us by our patient resignation to the trails of our state in life.

If the gold in the bowels of the earth did not say Fiat to the miner and the goldsmith, it would never become the chalice on the altar; if the pencil did not say Fiat to the hand of the writer, we would never have the poem; if Our Lady did not say Fiat to the angel, she would never have become the House of God; if Our Lord Jesus did not say Fiat to the Father's will in Gethsemane, we would never have been redeemed; if the thief did not say Fiat in his heart, he never would have been the escort for the Master into Paradise.

The reason most of us are what we are, mediocre Christians, "up" one day, "down" the next, is simply because we refuse to let God work on us. As crude marble, we rebel against the hand of the sculptor; as unvarnished canvas, we shrink from the oils and tints of the Heavenly Artist. we are so "fearful lest having Him we may have naught else beside" forgetful that if we have the fire of Love, why worry about the sparks, and if we have the perfect round, why trouble ourselves with the arc. We always make the fatal mistake of thinking that it is what we do that matters, when really what matters is what we let God do to us. God sent the angel to Mary, not to ask her to do something, but to let something be done.

Since God is a better artisan than you, the more you abandon yourself to Him, the happier God can make you. It is well to be a self-made man, but it is better to be a God-made made. Try it - I mean you, whether you be Jew, Protestant, Catholic - by spending a Holy Hour a day in prayer and meditation. Catholics should include attending daily Mass, thus taking advantage of Calvary's sacrifice.

God will love you, of course, even though you do not love Him; but remember, if you give God only half your heart, God can make you only 50% happy.

You have freedom only to give it away. To whom do you give yours? You give it either to the moods, to the hour, to your egotism, to creatures, or to God.

Do you know that, if you give your freedom to God, in heaven you will have no freedom of choice, because once you possess the Perfect, there is nothing left to choose; and still you will be perfectly free, because you will be one with God whose heart is Freedom and Love.

BY  ARCHBISHOP  FULTON  J.  SHEEN  ( 1895 to 1979 )

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If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

The People's Pope

Pope Francis identifies himself with the people, and the people identify with him. He was born of simple parents - a railways worker and a plain housewife. He studied in a technical school and traveled by public transportation. Even as bishop and cardinal he traveled by public transportation, lived in a small apartment, and cooked his own meals.

When still Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio used to celebrate the Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday in jails, hospitals, or with poor people. He continued this custom after becoming Pope, when he washed the feet of twelve young inmates in Rome, including two women - one of them was a Serbian Muslim. The papal election did not change his frugality and humility: he retained the iron pectoral cross, kept the old black shoes, and preferred to live at the Vatican guest house, rather than in the Apostolic Palace, to be able to live in community with his fellow priests and bishops. Pope Francis is giving security tasked to protect him lots of headaches, since he unpredictably steps down from the open car to hug sick people and to kiss children. When asked about his simple lifestyle, the Pope answered: "My people are poor and I am one of them."

Jorge Mario Bergoglio's Early Life

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Flores, a barrio of Buenos Aires, on December 17, 1936. He was the eldest of five children, and the only surviving sibling is Maria Elena. His father, Mario Jose Bergoglio, was an Italian immigrant from Portacomaro, in the Province of Asti, and worked as an accountant in the railways. He left Italy to escape the fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini - a quest for freedom and justice that he imparted to his children. His mother, Regina Maria Sivori, was born in Buenos Aires to a family of Italian origins.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been a football enthusiast since childhood, and a fan of Tango dancing and of Milonga, the traditional music of Argentina and Uruguay. He attended the elementary at the Salesian school in Ramos Mejia, and the technical secondary school at the Escuela Nacional de Educacion Tecnica.

Having graduated with honors in Chemistry, he worked for a few years as a chemical technician in a foods laboratory. He was ready to start his career and to become a family man, but God had a different plans for him; as the saying goes: "Man proposes but God disposes."

His Vocation Story

On September 21, 1953 - Feast of Saint Matthew, after going to Confession, Jorge Mario Bergoglio felt the calling for the priesthood, and entered the Archdiocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto, Buenos Aires. One time, he was so attracted by a girl he met at his uncle's wedding that he had to rethink his vocation. But in time the fascination faded away. He also suffered from pneumonia, and a part of his right lung was removed.

In 1958, he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus, and two years later he made the first religious profession. He studied Philosophy and Theology at the San Miguel Seminary of Buenos Aires, taking time also to teach literature and psychology in two colleges. On December 13, 1969, he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Ramon Jose Castellano.

The next three years, he served as theology professor and then Master of Novices; alongside, he visited Spain to complete his formation. In time, he became Provincial Superior of the Jesuits ( 1973 to 1979 ) and rector of his alma mater ( 1980 to 1986 ) Afterwards, he went to Germany to complete his doctorate in Theology in Freiburg.

Episcopal Consecration

In 1992, Reverend Father Bergoglio was ordained as Auxiliary Bishop, and six years later he succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino as Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He worked tirelessly to create new parishes and to increase the Church's presence in the shanties. In 1998, Archbishop Bergoglio was appointed also Ordinary for the Eastern Catholics in Argentina, who lacked a prelate of their own rite. He understood perfectly their liturgy and spirituality, and took care of them with the same zeal that he did for the Latin Catholics.

From 2005 to 2011, while serving as president of the Argentine Episcopal Conference, he issued a collective apology for the Church's omissions in protecting the people during the Dirty War ( 1968 to 1980 ) during which thousands of suspected Communists were tortured and killed by the Military Junta. On December 17, 2011, having turned 75, Bergoglio submitted his resignation as Archbishop of Buenos Aires to Pope Benedict XVI, as required by Canon Law. He prepared himself for a well-deserved retirement, but little he suspected that the real action was still to come.

Cardinal Bergoglio

In 2001, Archbishop Bergoglio was created a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II. For the occasion, he visited the birthplace of his father in Portacomaro.

He was appointed to several positions in the Roman Curia, and became known for his personal humility, spirit of communion, and commitment to social justice.

A simple lifestyle contributed to his reputation for holiness. He lived in a small apartment, rather than in the elegant bishop's residence, took public transportation instead of using a chauffeur limousine, and cooked his own meals.

In 2005, at the Conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Bergoglio was considered one of the papabili, or front-runner candidates. According to some Italian magazines, he was in close contention with Ratzinger during the election, until he made an emotional plea that the Cardinals should not vote for him. On the fourth ballot, Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as the 265th Pope, and took the name of Benedict XVI.

The Papal Election

Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, on February 28, 2013, Cardinal Bergoglio made his trip to Rome for the Conclave. He was elected Pope on March 13, on the second day and fifth ballot, and took the name of Francis. He never figured in the list of the papabili created by the imagination of newsmen worldwide. Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, when asked why the media failed to predict the new Pope, wittingly answered: "The Holy Spirit does not read social media." At about 8:00 in the evening, Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran stepped at the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica to announce the Habemus Papam. The Pope Francis appeared wearing a white cassock, instead of the customary red mozzetta. He also wore the same iron pectoral cross he used in Buenos Aires, rather than the gold one of his predecessors.

After greeting, "Good evening" he said: "As you know, the duty of the Conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother Cardinals have chosen one who is from far away, but here I am." Before giving his first blessing Urbi et Orbi, he asked the people to pray for the Church, for his predecessor, and for himself.

The Name Francis

Cardinal Jorge Maria Bergoglio became the 266th Pope, and the first to take the name of Francis. The tradition of changing name goes back to the first Pope, whose name Simon was changed by Jesus into Peter, meaning Rock. The chosen name signifies the spirituality and the mission of a Pope.

At his first audience, on March 16, 2013, the new Pope explained that he was inspired to take the name Francis in the Sistine Chapel, immediately after his election, when the Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes embraced him and whispered: "Don't forget the poor." The Pope has a great admiration for Saint Francis of Assisi because of his simplicity, humility, and promotion of Christian poverty against luxury, pride, and vanity of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities of the time.

In keeping with his name, Pope Francis decided not to reside in the luxurious apartments of the Apostolic Palace, but to live with other priests and bishops at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican guest house. Similarly, he refuses to wear the red Prada shoes of his predecessor, but retained the black leather shoes donated by some friends in Argentina.

The First Days of Pope Francis

The first days of Pope Francis were an outpouring of graces for the Catholic Church and for the whole world. On the day of his election, inside the Sistine Chapel, he received the Cardinals' congratulations standing, rather than seated on the papal throne. On route for the evening dinner, he declined to use the Papa Mobile reserved for him, preferring to take bus with the other Cardinals. The first thing he did the next day, was to consecrate his Papacy to the Blessed Virgin Mary, by visiting the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

There, he deposited a bouquet of flowers and prayed before the icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani, purportedly painted by Saint Luke himself. On his way back to the Vatican, he passed by the hotel where he had stayed to pay the bill and pick up his own bags. Pope Francis has already touched the hearts of billions of people; not only Catholics but also members of other religions and denominations. Remarkably, even atheists speak well of him, because he said: "The Lord has redeemed all of us, not just the Catholics, and even the atheists... even if they do not believe, we may meet them in doing good."

The Coat of Arms

Pope Francis decided to keep the Coat of Arms and the Motto he used since his episcopal consecration in 1991, with the changes required by his new position as Roman Pontiff.

The Coat of Arms is composed of a blue field with three symbols, representing the Holy Family. On the top is the Radiating Sun of the Society of Jesus, within which is a cross and acronym IHS, which stands for Jesus Hominum Salvator ( Jesus Man's Saviour ) On the left is an Eight-pointed Star, which symbolizes the Virgin Mary; and on the right a nard flower, or spikenard, which traditionally represents Saint Joseph. The Coat of Arms is adorned by a Miter, representing the authority of the Pope, and the Crossed Keys of Saint Peter, symbolizing the papal power to loose and bind on heaven and earth. Below is the motto: Miserando atque eligeddo, which means: "By having mercy He chose him." It is taken from a homily of Saint Bede, and refers to the vocation of Saint Matthew. As we know, Pope Francis discovered his vocation on the feast of Saint Matthew of 1953; and like the evangelist he felt to be unworthy of the call. Despite their sinfulness, both were called by Jesus.

Mary Untier of Knots

During his studies in Germany, Reverend Father Bergoglio visited the Perlach Church in Augsburg and was fascinated by the icon of Mary Untier of Knots . He brought a copy of the image to Argentina where it has become a popular Marian devotion. The painting was commissioned in 1700 by Reverend Father Jakob Rem to celebrate the reconciliation between his grandfathers, attributed to a prayer he offered to the Virgin Mary, which said: "In this religious act, I raise the bonds of matrimony, to unite all knots and smoothen them."

The icon shows Mary, as the Immaculate Conception, standing on the crescent moon, surrounded by angels, and with the Holy Spirit above her own crown of twelve stars. Mary unites knots into a long strip, signifying her powerful intercession in solving the difficulties of daily life. At the same, she rests her foot on the head of a snake, symbol of the Devil. Below there is Raphael who accompanies Tobias to ask Sara to be his wife. The concept of Mary untying knots was developed by Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, who said: "The knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary."


Marian Devotion

Pope Francis has a filial devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. His mother was named Maria, like the Mother of Jesus; and his first priestly formation was at the Archdiocesan Seminary of Buenos Aires, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

On the evening of his election, at the Balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica, he prayed the Hail Mary along with the Our Father and the Glory Be.

The next day, he visited the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome to consecrate his papacy to the Virgin Mary. He deposited a bouquet of flowers and prayed before the oldest Marian icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani. Since the beginning of his pontificate the Holy Father has constantly referred to Christ's Mother as our model in Christian life.

Above all, he presented Mary as a model for the dignity of women, who are essential in the life of the Church. At the beginning of the Month of the Rosary, on May 1, 2013, Pope Francis said that the devotion to the Blessed Mother is an important part of the Christian life.

Devotion to Saint Joseph

Since his childhood Pope Francis was deeply devoted to Saint Joseph, the Spouse of the Virgin Mary. The devotion was strengthened when he entered the Seminary of San Miguel in Buenos Aires, dedicated to Saint Joseph. What he admired most of the foster father of Jesus was his profound faith, his tireless work, and his humble silence. In the whole Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible we cannot find a single utterance of Saint Joseph, and most of the talking was one by his Virgin Spouse.

Pope Francis chose the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, March 19, as the date for his Papal Inauguration. In the homily, he said: "I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. He exercised his role as protector discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity."

On May 1, 2013, Pope Francis prescribed that all Holy Masses, during the Eucharist Prayer, the name of Saint Joseph was to be inserted between that of Mary and the Apostles, in this terms: "With the blessed Joseph, her chaste Spouse."

Indeed, Pope Francis is the "People's Pope." He always identifies himself with the people, and the people identify with him. When asked about his simple lifestyle, Pope Francis answered: "My people are poor and I am one of them."

                                                                       Page 1
If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -