#parable of the banquet

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Wow. The Chosen season 3, episode 7 was so great!:D

Too many good moments to list.

#one of my favorites being matthew and mary's conversation #the chosen #i also loved the scene with simon and john at the end #and andrew and philip trying to explain how the banquet parable went wrong to judas. pfft #and then them later also trying to explain it to jesus. and him going. 'yep. i figured that part of it would trigger that crowd when you #told it to them that way. let's go fix this' basically #and so many other moments i'm probably forgetting! oh! gaius and simon moment! and gaius being the soldier with the sick servant #who's actually his son? what?! #oh! and we finally got more thaddeus! and his scene with matthew was great #i also appreciated matthew calling tamar intelligent. which she is. i wonder if she'll take his advice and learn how to read after all #ramah i miss you! i hope your dad eventually says yes to thomas seeking your hand in marriage. and that you two DO marry

[preacheroftruthblog]

The Parable of the Great Banquet

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of…

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#Luke 14:12-24 #parables #the parable of the great banquet

[biblebloodhound]

Luke 14:15-24 – The Parable of the Great Banquet

The unresponsive religious insiders will be replaced by the responsive sinful outsiders. 

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The…

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#christ&039;s parables #christ&039;s teaching #christian discipleship #christian life #christianity #gospel #gospel of luke #jesus christ #luke 14 #making excuses #parable of the great banquet

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Due to flare ups, I’ve been thinking more about my relationship with my disabilities and my relationship with God — any good resources/book you can recommend?

Hey there, sending love and solidarity as you go through flare ups and as you explore all this <3

You came to the right place — disability theology is one of my great passions! Here are my recs for you. If anyone has more resources to add on or insights for anon, please share!

For starters...

First, you might enjoy wandering through my #disability theology tag over on my other blog, which includes excerpts from various disability theologians.

Or reading through / praying with the disability text prayers I shared here last July for Disability Pride Month, which were written by a variety of disabled folks.

Since it's Lent, Unbound's Disabling Lent: An Anti-Ableist Lenten Devotional is timely!

___

Memoirs Exploring Christian Faith & Chronic Pain / Illness

My Body and Other Crumbling Empires, Lyndsey Medford (2023)

This memoir connects faith, chronic illness (especially autoimmune disorders), and the sickness at the heart of Western Empire / the Protestant work ethic.

How can we learn to work with instead of against our bodies? How can we rebuild our world to treat all bodies with the love and gentleness they deserve? .

This Here Flesh, Cole Arthur Riley (2022)

An incredibly beautiful book, poetic and searing...explores the goodness of embodied life and intersections between disability (particularly chronic illness), Blackness, queerness, womanhood, and more.

Each chapter focuses on a different emotion (anger, joy, lament, love...) to teach us how to honor and listen to what we feel in our bodies.

CW for accounts of sexual assault and other forms of and abuse and trauma, as well as accounts of antiblack racism. .

Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved, Kate Bowler (2018)

If you've been steeped in any kind of prosperity gospel, "if you pray hard enough you'll be healed" type Christianity, I highly recommend this book.

Bowler writes with gentle honesty about how her chronic pain and then cancer compelled her to move away from that kind of harmful Christianity into a faith with room for doubt, grief, and a God that holds her in her suffering.

___

Disability Theology — Books, Podcasts, Videos

Disability: The Inclusive Church Resource edited by Bob Callighan (2014)

If you're interested in the perspectives of various disabled Christians, I love the range of voices they brought into this text! A great intro to how theology and church life impact disabled persons and how our churches must re-form themselves with disabled persons at the center. .

My Disabled AND Blessed YouTube series

I've got multiple YouTube videos that draw from various disability theologians!

I especially recommend my introduction to reading the Bible with a disability lens — stressing how different biblical authors hold different views around disability; so what's God's overall message? — and my video on Luke 14's parable of the banquet!

If you have questions about or struggle with the Gospels' healing narratives, I also recommend my livestream on that topic. .

My friend Laura's Autistic Liberation Theology Podcast (you can listen wherever you get podcasts)

Laura explores scripture through the lens of an autistic trans person who uses a wheelchair and has multiple chronic & mental illnesses.

I especially recommend their episode on "the Gethsemane of things," which takes an honest look at pain and where God is in our suffering. (Most of Laura's eps don't have transcripts, but I shared an abridged version of this ep on my podcast and it has a transcript)

"I am not your ornamental prophet" is also a great episode for thinking about what pressures are put on disabled persons and how to construct boundaries for yourself .

The Mad and Crip Theology Podcast

This podcast interviews the authors who are published in the Mad and Crip Theology journal, which is really cool! You can watch episodes with captions on YouTube, or listen wherever you get podcasts.

A good starter episode: this one "on Queer and Crip Sexuality and the Disabled Christ" .

Some eps of Blessed Are the Binary Breakers

While my own podcast largely centers trans perspectives, disability comes up frequently as well! Each ep has a transcript. These are the disability-focused ones:

"No End to Transphobia without Uprooting Ableism — exploring embedded forms of oppression"

"Our Pride Is Not a Sin — a Queer and Disabled Christian Lens"

"Goodness Embodied — an intersex, nonbinary first human and a disabled risen Christ"

"Marginalized Bodies as Spectacle and the good news in Jesus's disabling wounds"

"Eli and the prophet Elijah"

“Secular” books that helped shape my own theology

What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World, Sara Hendren (2020)

Fantastic book digging into recent disability history, present, and future with focus on the “misfit” theory of disability where body and world interact with each other disharmoniously, and the creativity disabled people employ to make them more harmonious  .

Exile and Pride, Eli Clare (1999)

One of my favorite books of all time. Connects disability, queerness, rural life, trauma, and more. Clare is one of the originators of the concept of the “bodymind” (though he talks about that more in one of his later books)

___

Wanting even more resources? Here's my google doc with aaaaall the disability theology stuff — plus some helpful disability 101 stuff to share with loved ones!

Praying for comfort, wisdom, and community support for you as you journey! Please feel free to drop by again with any questions that come up or to share any insights you've gained any time <3

#disability theology #disabled AND blessed #disabled christians #faithfullydisabled #resources #recs #books #this reminds me i've been meaning to share more excerpts i've gathered from disability theology books... #anyone interested in that should go follow my other blog a-queer-seminarian and i'll start posting some in the coming days...

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

John the Apostle | Thunder Blues | Platonic

Dialogue prompt: “Are you serious right now?"

Requested: Yes

When the younger Son of Thunder is upset that he has to stay behind in Capernaum to wait for Simon, you comfort him, reassuring that Jesus knows best.

The Apostles have gathered at Jesus’ behest. Sitting next to John, you watch both Andrew and Philip as they reveal that their ministry has brought more harm than good in the Decapolis. 

Jesus, across from the two, nods in understanding as they conclude their rather distressing story.

“Aha… And… What was your strategy to clarify it?”

Philip takes a sharp breath. “Well, we uh… We told, uhm…” 

“We-We-We tried to… Uh, to tell one of Your parables.” Andrew stutters. It is clear that both of them feel embarrassed. 

“Parables! Good!” Jesus praises, “That’s what I would have done.”

“Which parable?”

Philip clears his throat. “The… The Banquet.”

“You know, the one where guests give excuses not to come and so, everyone else gets invited.”

Next to you, John huffs in disbelief. “You chose the Banquet?” You put a hand on his arm, trying to push him back into his seat, trying to not escalate the situation. You know that the two feel humiliated enough as is by coming clean about their troubled mission.

“People get upset by that one.” Nathanael adds.

“Of course they do.” Jesus hums, but there is no hint of accusation in His voice. 

Andrew lets out an anxious noise: “Well, if it makes you feel any better, we first considered the Wheat and the Tares but… We thought better of it.”

“I already told you,” Jesus patiently explains, “Some people wouldn’t understand that parable.”

“I’m not even sure I understand the Wheat and the Tares.” Thomas adds. You give him an understanding look.

Jesus lets out a soft chuckle and winks. “Give it time.”

Philip sighs. “The problem is that they did understand the parable and it caused fights in the street–”

“Rioting.” Andrew emphasises. “Between Jews and Gentiles.”

Jesus lets out a soft hum as Philip carries on. “Leander has told us it’s getting worse every day. The prominent Hellenistic priest has changed his ways, which is good, but… When he abdicated his duties as priest and leader, others tried to fill the void, and so projects are going undone and people are just angry, and blaming each other for everything.”

Next to you, John has a concerned look over his features. You put a hand on his arm and gently squeeze, at which he smiles a bit wistfully at you. 

“It led to stealing,” Andrew says, “Fights in the streets… Many people are actually leaving their homes to escape the violence.” The final part of his sentence is a whisper. You can sense the shame he feels. 

Big James stands with his arms crossed. “That’s the violence You suggest sending us into?” 

Brief silence fills the room as all eyes turn to Jesus. “What part of the parable caused this fight to break out?”

“The people outside the city.” Philip answers. “The ones on the highways and the hedges, the last to be invited and the last to accept the invitation.”

Jesus draws a sharp breath. “That’s what I suspected.”

John leans forward. “Speaking of which - the highways and the hedges - does that actually refer to Gentiles?” 

A deep sigh leaves the Messiah. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear. We leave in the morning. Everyone go home and gather your things. We take to the highways and hedges before dawn.” 

The Disciples go to stand, and next to you, John still looks worried. As Jesus speaks to comfort Philip and Andrew, you whisper in John’s direction. 

“Hey, you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just… Thinking.” he mutters. “How this might affect our ministry. What it might mean for us. If we must fight, then so be it. We’ve got strong men on our side who would be strong and capable in battle. I’m certain we’ll be able to snuff out this riot before it escalates even further.” 

Before you can reply that you don’t feel like the Messiah is aiming at such an approach, Jesus gets up from His seat, grabbing a few empty cups. “John, may I have a word?”

John picks up his head and looks up at his Teacher. “Yes, Rabbi.” He gives you a small smile as he gets up, and you nod at him. 

“Good luck, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Of course. Shalom, (Y/n), have a good night.”

“Sleep well, John. Shalom shalom.”

As you watch him head after Jesus, Who is currently rinsing out the cups, you let out a sigh. Being John’s childhood friend, you know better than anyone of his oftentimes brash nature out of sheer passion and dedication. 

The soft look in Jesus’ eyes, however, ensures you that He will take care of things. You smile at Him and stand to leave the house and find your own instead, giving Him a nod in greeting.

He mirrors it and turns to John, giving the former fisherman a special task.

_

The next morning, you’re sitting at Matthew’s old place, spending some time with Mary and Tamar as they work on their small business.

“Perhaps you should stay behind with us.” Tamar muses, “Help us out here.”

You shift and shake your head, smiling. “And miss out on all the tension? Hm, I’ve got a feeling that this is going to be a pivotal moment. The last thing I want is to be left out.”

As other followers of Jesus come trickling in, you check your belongings one final time - an extra tunic, a full waterskin, and another pair of sandals. On the bottom of your bag sits a stale piece of bread, so you toss it out. 

“Jesus is here,” Nathanael loudly announces, “Time to go!” 

Everyone moves to the door, momentarily gathering outside the building, where Jesus is patiently waiting for everyone. You follow the group as one of the final people to leave, putting the strap of your bag over your shoulder, getting ready to leave.

Before exiting the building, however, you halt on the threshold, turning to look inside the house one last time. Upon noticing John pouting as he is leaned against the wall, you frown slightly.

“Hey, John. What is going on? Come on, we have to go.”

He huffs and crosses his arms over his chest even tighter. “I’m fine, (Y/n). You wouldn’t get it.”

Planting a hand on your hip, you approach him. “What are you on about? By the way, where is your bag?”

John clicks his tongue, barely looking at you, muttering something under his breath that you cannot quite understand. 

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.” 

He sighs. “Jesus wants me to stay here in Capernaum so I could wait for Simon.”

“He still hasn’t showed up, then?”

John lets out an exasperated sound. “No, he obviously hasn’t! Which is what frustrates me so much!”

“Why?”

“Because I want to come, too!” He looks at you with an expression that is nothing short of frustrated. “Everyone is getting to go out there with Jesus and witness perhaps a massive turning point in this ministry, and I get waiting duty! I want to go, too! I am also part of this group! He calls me beloved, so I must be important enough to see it too, right? I can’t stand it.”

You watch him for a long moment, slightly narrowing your eyes in thought. “Are you serious right now?" you question, although there is no reproach in your tone.

John grows restless under your scrutiny, exhaling sharply. 

“What, are you going to judge me for that?”

Pursing your lips, you hum. “John, son of Zebedee. This is not about you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he snaps. 

In spite of his anger, you remain calm. “I’ve known you forever, John. You’re always so keen on staying in the loop of things, which is a great trait to have. You are inquisitive, passionate, eager to learn. I admire that about you, my friend.”

His expression softens. “Huh, thank you for your kind words. But what does that have to do with anything?”

You step closer, putting a hand on his arm to comfort him. “Jesus loves you. He loves all of us. This entire ministry, however, does not revolve around us. About what we see, or about what we do, or about what He does for us. It is about what He does for them.” You nod at the door behind you, “For the world out there. For those who are weary, and wounded, and in need of healing.”

You pause, sighing.

“I know that it is difficult to possibly not be there when something pivotal happens, but it is not a given that we get to witness every single thing that will happen for the glory of Adonai. Besides, a lot has to happen behind the scenes. If Jesus did not need you to be here to wait for Simon, He wouldn’t have asked you to.”

“Jesus said that the success of this mission depends on Simon.”

You smile. “See, there you have it. Jesus can use you in many ways, even if you are not directly at His side.”

John lets out a sigh and lowers his gaze. Regretful about his outburst, he folds his hands in front of him. “I know.”

“Our plans do not always match up with His plans, but you trust Him regardless, hm?”

“I do. More than anything.”

Nodding, you pat his shoulder in a friendly manner. “Then we should not always rely on our own understanding of a situation. You might not be satisfied that you have to wait now, but in the long run, that feeling will make sense, and you will be glad that you indeed waited for Simon.”

The wry smile on John’s face makes place for a brighter one. He tilts his face back up, smiling.

“I hadn’t thought of it this way yet, (Y/n). Thank you for your perspective, that was very meaningful, and I can now see the value a bit better of Jesus asking me to stay behind.” He sighs, his smile slightly shrinking. “Although I am still a bit upset, how can I not be? You guys are going to get to the Decapolis! I wish I could be there right with you!”

“But Simon is necessary for the success of this trip, according to Jesus. Trust Him in this, too. Completely, okay?”

John sighs and nods. “Okay.” he says, exhaling. “Okay.”

You smile, stepping away from him. “Good.” you say, “I will see you soon, okay?”

He hums in acknowledgement and gives you a small wave, appearing way more positive now. “Thank you for your words. Safe travels, (Y/n). We will see each other before we know it.”

Nodding kindly, you agree to what he said and head after the others, finding them just outside the house. Big James puffs out his cheeks as he sees you and lets air escape slowly, knowing that you had to deal with a pouting John. However, you give him a small smile in turn. 

“Things will be alright with John,” you reassure his older brother, “He just needed another perspective on things to see that the task Jesus gave him is valuable in and of itself.”

“That is good to hear, (Y/n),” Big James states as you walk together into the outskirts of the village, following the group of Disciples. “Plus,” he adds, “It means we won’t have to deal with his nagging for a few hours at least.”

Chuckling, you shake your head, knowing that John feels useless regardless of the importance of his task, and bump a fist against James’ shoulder. 

“Tch, as if you nag less than he does. That you two haven’t physically chatted my ears off at this point is a miracle to say the least.”

James rolls his eyes, but cannot fight the grin that spreads over his face. 

“Fine, it means you won’t have to deal with half of the nagging.”

#the chosen #reader insert #the chosen x reader #x reader #angel studios #chosen x reader #the chosen john x reader #john the apostle

[saras-devotionals]

Quiet Time 3/30

What am I feeling today?

Kinda frustrated and annoyed. There’s this guy and I want to lose feelings for him. I just don’t think anything could ever happen between us so for my sake and sanity I need to move on. But every time I think I’m fine, I see him again, and all the feelings come rushing back and it’s so frustrating! Anyways, I’m just feeling this way because I briefly saw him last night and then I dreamt about him and it brought back memories that I’m trying to put out of my mind because I just can’t take it anymore. I wish to be free of him.

Luke 14 NIV

(v. 3-5) “Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?””

There’s not much to add to this other than it was kind of Jesus to heal on the Sabbath and tried to show how it would be similar to saving someone or something you love. You wouldn’t just let them suffer for another day but you would immediately try and rescue them!

(v. 11) “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””

Jesús used the parable of a wedding before he said this. That if you are a guest, you wouldn’t take the place of honor (like bridesmaids) otherwise you’d be escorted and embarrassed. And if you take the lowest place, the host will bring you up and take you to a better spot. All in all, it’s to support his point right here. We should not value ourselves so much higher than we are because we’ll be humbled. Rather if we already humble ourselves, we will eventually be exalted.

(v. 13-14) “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.””

This applies to us now in who to love and care for. We should constantly be aware of the fact that there are people in need, people less fortunate than ourselves. It should be put on our hearts to care for them, to offer what we have, because we’re all human at the end of the day. Our lives are not more valuable than theirs.

(v. 26-27) ““If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

This verse does not actually mean that we should hate our family or ourselves (we need to love them and us!). But instead, our love for Jesus should be far, far greater! Our love for Jesus should be so evident that all our other relationships appear as hate because of how great our love is for Jesus. Also, as disciples, we all need to deny ourselves and carry our cross daily!

(v. 28-33) ““Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

This scripture goes over what it’s like to count the cost of being a disciple. Before you become a Christian, you have to see whether you can be. Are you willing to commit the rest of your life to Christ? Are you willing to keep his commands every single day? Will you preach the word and evangelize? fulfilling the great commission because that’s what all his disciples are called to do, not just the ministry? there’s a lot you need to consider and if you’re not willing to give it all up for Christ, you can’t be his disciple, he says so himself.

#bible #quiet time #bible quote #bible scripture #bible verse #christian blog #christian faith #christian living #christianity #faith in jesus #bible study #devo #faith #faith in god #jesus #devotional #disciple of christ #daily devotional #discipleship #jesus saves #jesus loves you #love #christian #saras devotionals #3/30

[myremnantarmy]

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop

Lk 14:1, 7-11

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine

at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,

and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,

noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.

"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,

do not recline at table in the place of honor.

A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,

and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,

'Give your place to this man,'

and then you would proceed with embarrassment

to take the lowest place.

Rather, when you are invited,

go and take the lowest place

so that when the host comes to you he may say,

'My friend, move up to a higher position.'

Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

#jesus #catholic #my remnant army #jesus christ #virgin mary #faithoverfear #saints #jesusisgod #endtimes #artwork #Jesus is coming #Gospel #word of God #Bible #bible verse of the day #biblevisuals #bible verse #come holy spirit

[azspot]

It is important for congregations and pastors to remember that we are primarily in the imagination business. It is our work to line out what the world is like as Christ presides over it. The best and most readily available material we have for such imagination is the collage of the parables of Jesus that tell of a world other than the one that is in front of us. This is the world of a man who had two sons, a world occupied by the Good Samaritan, a world of final judgment for sheep and goats, and a final banquet for all. This is a world in which matters unfold amid surprise, gift, and abundance. It is the work of Christian liturgy to line out that world with freedom and playfulness. It follows that the church defaults on its mandate to imagine when it settles for didacticism, or to put it colloquially, “man-splaining.” The imaginative work of the church intends to break open the world of fear, to witness to “a more excellent way” beyond scorekeeping and vengeance, and to show that we may alternatively practice a world of hospitality, generosity, forgiveness, and abundance. It was of course this practice of Jesus toward the socially rejected that finally made him a threat against the status quo that required his elimination. That, nevertheless, is the work entrusted to us. And when we become didactic and explanatory, we fail.

The End of Imagination?

#church

[cassianus]

If we are not deeply disturbed and agitated by our gospel today, it can mean only one of two things: either we are all saints, having fully embraced the reality of the kingdom in our lives, or we are spiritually deluded, having silenced our consciences to such an extent that we are oblivious to the truth and indifferent to the coming judgment.

For this parable teaches us that while God is merciful and forgiving, he is also a God of justice and truth. He showers his grace upon us, but we are still responsible for how we respond to his actions. Our destiny is in our own hands. "God created us without our cooperation", St. Augustine says, "but he cannot save us unless we cooperate." And nowhere does this become more vivid than in the images of our parable.

First we are shown the nature of the gift we have been given and its value. It is described as a wedding feast. Now as Catholics we know and understand what this means. The book of Revelation calls it the Wedding feast of the Lamb. The Lamb is the Son who, by means of his perfect sacrifice brings about the marital union with the Church. It is the Eucharistic feast, celebrating the union of Christ the heavenly Bridegroom and his Bride the Church. It is God the Father, the king, who gives the supper: "My dinner is ready," he has his servants announce, "Come to the wedding."

The invitation, then, has been given. But this doesn't necessarily mean that everyone will respond or participate worthily. No; in fact, just the opposite. The invitation, we are told can be scorned in a number of ways. Some we are told respond with indifference. They care nothing for the grace that is offered to them and make light of it. They have better things to do - their earthly business is more pressing and more valued. "Do I really want to give up my precious time? I could be sleeping, working, studying, watching the football game."

Others reject the invitation altogether and hold it in contempt. They mock those who take it seriously. Theirs too is a familiar approach: "Religion is a crutch for the weak minded of our world." They take the invitation to be a personal offense - for it suggests a need and a poverty that don't believe they have.

And finally, there are those who accept the invitation, but who come to the feast unprepared morally and spiritually. They have not put on the wedding garment - they have not clothed themselves with virtue - they have not put on the mind of Christ. They stroll into the Eucharistic celebration as if entering a pub, thinking "Why should I get dressed up? The king should be happy that I come at all, that I still communicate, that I bother myself enough to leave my pew to stuff a bit of bread in my mouth." They are present, but don't have the faintest inkling of the grandeur of the event.

None of these responses is without its consequences. The images Jesus uses, I think, make this perfectly clear. We are not simply being invited to a fraternity party, where our rejection of the invitation has no moral or spiritual significance. Neither is our acceptance of the invitation by itself enough to save. Our coming to the banquet, the Holy Eucharist, is not enough. In fact, we may eat and drink to our condemnation if we eat and drink unworthily.

What we are offered here is nothing less than eternal life and a participation in the fullness of God's love. However, this love is not indulgence, or a spinelessness that coddles us in our sin, but a call to embrace that which alone can bring us true wholeness and purity. The Father has given his last and best; he has nothing better. He who scorns this most precious gift can expect nothing more. There is a rigor in God's mercy.

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

15th October >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Matthew 22:1-14 for the Twenty Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle A: ‘The wedding is ready’.

Twenty Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Gospel (Except USA) Matthew 22:1-14 Invite everyone you can to the wedding.

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.” So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’

Gospel (USA) Matthew 22:1–14 Invite to the wedding feast whomever you find.

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Reflections (5)

(i) Twenty Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

When I sit down with the family of a loved one who has died to plan the funeral Mass, together we try to find appropriate readings. One of the Old Testament readings that is often chosen is this Sunday’s first reading. There the prophet Isaiah has a wonderful vision of God preparing a rich banquet on Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem. This is no ordinary human banquet. It is a banquet to which all people are invited, where death is destroyed forever and where the Lord finally wipes away the tears associated with death. It is a banquet at which the deepest hungers and thirsts of the human heart are finally satisfied, especially the hunger and thirst for God. Those present will say, ‘This is our God, in whom we hoped for salvation’. It is easy to see why it might speak to those grieving the loss of a loved one. That image of the Lord hosting a wonderful banquet is also there in today’s responsorial psalm, which is often chosen for a funeral Mass, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want… You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil, my cup is overflowing… In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever’. There is an image here of God as a wonderful host, inviting people to dwell in his house and putting on a lavish banquet for them.

This is an image of God as a generous host, who wants us at his table, so that he can shower his hospitable love upon us, a love that destroys death and brings lasting and full life. This was one of the images that Jesus had of God. He often spoke of God as the host at the great banquet of eternal life to which all peoples are invited. On one occasion he said that ‘people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God’. That image of a banquet is there again in the parable in today’s gospel reading. Jesus declares that the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a banquet, and not just any banquet but a royal banquet, a feast given by a king for his son’s wedding. Jesus was the son of the heavenly king, and he often understood his whole ministry as like a wedding banquet, with himself as the bridegroom. On one occasion when people complained to Jesus that his disciples weren’t fasting, Jesus replied, ‘The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they?’ Jesus’ whole ministry was a celebration of God’s merciful, life-giving love for all humanity. It was a joyful time, like the wedding celebrations that often went on for days in the villages of Galilee. He wanted everyone to enter into the joy of his ministry. However, many refused to do so. On one occasion, comparing himself to children playing in the market place, Jesus said, ‘we played the flute for you and you wouldn’t dance’.

Jesus is now among us as risen Lord and he continues to invite us all to celebrate God’s hospitable love, to join in the heavenly dance. God is someone to be enjoyed. Our faith in the Lord brings us joy. It doesn’t mean we will be spared life’s troubles, but we face them with the strength that the Lord gives us. The second reading is from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Even though he wrote this letter from prison, it is full of Paul’s joy. His joy flows from his relationship with the risen Lord. As he says in that reading, ‘There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the one who gives me strength’. Paul had responded to the Lord’s invitation to come to his banquet of life. Paul had allowed himself to be touched by God’s hospitable love flowing through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. However, in the parable Jesus speaks in the gospel reading, people refuse God’s invitation to the wedding feast of his Son. ‘They were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business’, and even worse, many ‘seized the king’s servants, maltreated them and killed them’. God is always calling out to us through his Son, inviting us to taste and see that the Lord is good. God desperately wants to gather people around his Son. Even when we ignore his call, God keeps pursuing us in the hope that we will respond to his call. Like the king in the parable he wants the wedding hall of his son to be filled with guests.

When we do respond to God’s invitation, when, like Paul, we allow ourselves to be touched by God’s hospitable love flowing through Jesus, God then sends us out to share the love we have received with others. In one of his letters, Paul calls on us to clothe ourselves with love, with Christ’s love, which is our spiritual garment. In the parable, one of the guests who did respond to the king’s invitation didn’t go on to wear the right garment. God’s love wants to grace us abundantly through his Son but then he asks us to live graced and loving lives in response to all he has given us.

And/Or

(ii) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We sometimes refer light heartedly to the person who makes someone an offer they cannot refuse. We are aware of the paradox in that statement. To make an offer implies leaving people free to take up the offer or not, to accept the invitation or not. An offer or an invitation that cannot be refused is not an offer or an invitation in any true sense of the word.

The parable in today’s gospel reading tells the story of a king who offered an invitation to his son’s wedding feast that was refused by many. In that culture people normally received two invitations to a feast, an initial invitation some time before the event, and a second invitation just as the meal was ready. To refuse the second invitation at the point when the meal was all prepared, having already said yes to the first invitation, would have been a great insult to the host. It is this second invitation that people decline in the parable that we have just heard. Those who had been invited and had accepted the invitation were called to the table just as the food was about to be served and they said ‘no thanks’, some of them in a very violent fashion. The equivalent experience today might be someone who had accepted an invitation to a meal in a friend’s house and then, just ten minutes before the meal is due to start, rings up and says he or she will not be able to come after all. The host might have second thoughts about asking that person around again.

In the parable, the king who invites people to the wedding feast of his son is an image of God who invites people to gather around his Son, Jesus. John the Baptist once referred to himself as the friend of the bridegroom. God invites all of us to become friends of Jesus, the bridegroom, to enter into communion with him, and then to live out our communion with him. This is the great Christian calling, the great invitation that God extends to all men and women. The fact that this calling is expressed in the terms of an invitation to a wedding feast suggests that there is a real celebratory element to this calling. It is a call to joy, the deep-seated joy that comes from knowing that God values us so much that he desperately wants us to be present at his Son’s great feast.

There is joy at the heart of the Christian life. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus give us something to celebrate, even when life is going against us. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection proclaim the good news that God’s mercy is stronger than our sin, that God’s life is stronger than our various experiences of death, that God’s power is stronger than our weakness. We can each say with St. Paul in today’s second reading from his letter to the Philippians, ‘there is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength’. Paul wrote that letter from his prison cell. He had been through great hardship, and he suspected that worse was to come, and, yet, that little letter is full of joy. Even though it was written out of a real Calvary experience, it radiates the light of Easter. We always live and walk in the light of Easter, even in our darkest moments. The Christian calling is always a calling to joyful and hopeful living.

That joyful, hopeful living that God calls us to is not a way of life that leaves us self-satisfied or smug. An authentically joyful and hopeful life will always overflow into service of others. In carrying the joy and hope of the gospel in our hearts, we are moved to bring joy where there is sadness, to bring hope where there is despair, to bring courage to the fearful, companionship to the lonely, acceptance to those who have experienced rejection. This is the significance of the wedding garment that is referred to in the parable of today’s gospel reading. Those who have accepted the king’s invitation to his Son’s wedding feast must dress accordingly, must live accordingly. The king who invites people to his Son’s wedding feast in today’s parable from Matthew’s gospel says to those same people in another parable a little later in Matthew’s gospel: ‘I was hungry and you gave me food… thirsty and you gave me something to drink… a stranger and you welcomed me…sick and you took care of me’. Paul in his prison could say to his beloved Philippians in today’s second reading: ‘It was good of you to share with me in my hardship’. The Philippians supported Paul in his imprisonment, stood by him in his weakness. They knew how to wear their wedding garment.

Each day we are invited to taste the joy and the hope of the gospel for ourselves, and to become messengers of that joy and hope to others. The Eucharist is a foretaste of the great wedding banquet of Christ in the kingdom of heaven to which God invites us. At the Eucharist, we renew our joyful hope, and we commit ourselves afresh to the joyful and hopeful service of others.

And/Or

(iii) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

As many of you know, my own roots are here in Clontarf. My grandparents lived since the 1930s in a small house attached to a bigger house called Beechfield House off Oulton Road. After they died, their two daughters, my two aunts, who never married, lived on there up until 1998. My parents moved into that house in the 1940s after they were married and I was eventually born from that house. Even though I was only two years of age when we moved to a house in Cabra, I came back and forth regularly to visit my grandparents, and then my aunts. I remember playing in a field in front of Beechfield house where Sommerville now stands. I was put in mind of one of those aunts, whose name was Eve, by this morning’s second reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. That reading contained what was probably her favourite verse in Scripture, ‘There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength’. The version of that verse she was familiar with was, ‘I can do all things in him who strengthens me’. Eve used to fall back on that verse when life was a struggle. Paul wrote his letter to the church in Philippi out of his own situation of struggle. He was in prison at the time, and was unsure whether he would ever leave prison alive. The Philippians did their best to support him in prison, even though he was at a distance from them. Paul expresses his appreciation for their support in this morning’s reading, ‘It was good of you to share with me in my hardship’. Yet, he wanted them to know that he had another means of support, the Lord himself. Because the Lord is his support, he can say in that reading, ‘I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty’.

Paul certainly believed that the strength he experienced in his hour of weakness is available to all who believe in the Lord. The same Lord whose presence to Paul in prison gave him great strength, is present is all of us to strengthen us in our own times of struggle. As you are probably aware, Pope Benedict has declared this year to be the year of Paul, running from the feast of Saint Peter and Paul last June, to the feast of Saint Peter and Paul next June. More than any other letter, it is his letter to the Philippians that gives us an insight into Paul’s inner life, his own personal relationship with the Lord. His letter from prison to the Philippians can speak to our own experiences of weakness, to our own particular versions of imprisonment. Paul knew from experience that what he could not do on his own, he could do with the Lord’s help. For him, Jesus was not someone who belonged to the past, but someone who was powerfully alive, here and now. In fact, Paul never met the Jesus who belonged to the past, the historical Jesus. His only meeting with Jesus was with him as risen Lord. That is our only meeting with Jesus too. I should not say ‘only’, because to meet the risen Lord is to meet Jesus in all his power and glory, in all his fullness of life. The risen Lord is as present to us today as he was to Paul in his prison. Paul was just somewhat more aware of the Lord’s presence that we tend to be. Paul wanted the members of the Philippian church to be as aware of the Lord’s presence as he was. That is why, just before this morning’s second reading, he says to them, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always… the Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God’. The Lord is near; I can do all things through him who gives me strength. If we only had Paul’s awareness, what a difference it could make to our lives.

In a way, the gospel reading this morning is about people’s lack of awareness of the Lord’s presence. A king gave a banquet for his son and invited a number of guests. It is not everyday you get an invitation to the wedding of a king’s son! Yet, at the very last minute, when the meal was ready to be served, the guests who had been invited and had agreed to come suddenly made excuses and said they would not be coming after all – they had a farm to go to, business to attend to. Some of them beat up the king’s servants just for good measure. It is hard to imagine a greater lack of awareness. The Lord came knocking on their door and they said, ‘get lost. I said I was coming but I have changed my mind’. Even among the second lot of guests who were invited at the last minute, and who accepted the unexpected invitation, there was at least one who showed a lack of awareness by dressing down in a major way. He didn’t take seriously where he was or whose presence he was in. There is a real contrast between the lack of awareness of the Lord that people display in the gospel reading, and that wonderful awareness of the Lord that Paul gives expression to in the first reading. This morning we look to Paul as the one who shows us what it really means to live in and from the Lord’s presence to us.

And/Or

(iv) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We have a lot of weddings in this church. The majority of couples who marry here are not from the parish. They obviously like the church; it does have a certain atmosphere that lends itself to a wedding. One of the most challenging chores for any couple getting married is the invitation list. Who do you invite and who do you not invite? Having decided on the invitation list and having sent out the invitations, firming up on the numbers coming can be a challenge as well. Not every one that is invited replies to the invitation, and not everyone who replies in the positive turns up.

The story Jesus speaks in this morning’s gospel reading is about a wedding, and not just any ordinary wedding, but a royal wedding. It is a king’s son who is getting married. An invitation to a royal wedding is a serious matter. In the culture of the time of Jesus two invitations would normally have been sent out to such a wedding banquet, one when the wedding was still a long way off and the other on the day of the wedding banquet just as the meal was about to be served. In the story it was at the point of the second invitation, when the meal was ready, that those who said ‘yes’ to the first invitation began to make excuses. To say you were not coming to the royal banquet at that late stage when all was ready was, indeed, a great insult to the host. Some of those who said ‘no’ when all was ready not only made lame excuses but maltreated and killed the king’s servants. The king had every right to be furious. Yet, so determined was he to ensure that his banqueting hall would be full, even at this late stage, that he sent out more servants to bring in total strangers from the crossroads, what the parable refers to as ‘bad and good alike’. These people couldn’t believe their luck.

Things happen in the story world that Jesus creates that do not happen in real life. The story depicts a king who refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer, who keeps searching until he finds people who will say ‘yes’. Jesus is saying something to us about God’s persistence. God is determined that his Son, Jesus, who is often spoken of as bridegroom in the gospels, should have a wedding banquet where there are no empty seats. God is constantly drawing people to his Son; we are constantly being drawn by God to his Son. Even when we seem to show little interest because we have a farm to go to or business to attend or whatever God will keep searching until he finds people who are interested or until we have a change of mind or heart. God does not like empty seats and God’s banqueting hall for his Son is huge; in fact it is limitless; its height and length and depth are beyond calculation. God wants all people to share the table of his Son, to be special guests of his Son, to be in close communion with him. There is nothing selective about God’s guest list. The first reading describes a great banquet which embraces all people and all nations. As we gather around Jesus in response to God’s invitation, we will find ourselves surrounded by all sorts. The church is a funny mix; it is not a gathering of the pure and perfect. It is a gathering of what the parable this morning calls ‘bad and good alike’, and we should be very slow to decide who are among the good and who are among the bad because there is good and bad in all of us. I am reminded of another parable that Jesus spoke, the parable of the wheat and the weeds. They were both growing together in the one field and the farmer did not allow his servants to start separating them before harvest time for fear they should mistake the wheat for the weed. We are all good and we are all sinners in need of repentance; that is why we begin each Mass by acknowledging our need of God’s mercy.

That is where the last part of the parable comes in, concerning the wedding guest who was not wearing a wedding garment. At the baptism of a child the mother or the godmother is invited to cloth the newly baptized child with the wedding garment as the celebrant says, ‘You have been clothed with Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With family and friends to help you, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven’. We have been clothed with Christ at baptism; there is an onus on us to retain that clothing as we go through life. Even though, through baptism, we have been invited to the wedding feast of God’s Son, even though we remain on God’s guest list as we go through life, that realization should never leave us complacent. We have to keep dressing appropriately to our honoured status; we have to keep putting on Christ. We are called to keep growing into the person of Christ.

And/Or

(v) Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We have all had the experience of receiving an invitation to something. Someone might invite us to join them for coffee some morning. We receive more formal invitations to some happy occasion, like a wedding. Parents know that their children are often invited to parties of other children. Nowadays with the ease of social communication, various invitations can come into our inbox to a variety of talks or events. We often have to sift through the invitations and decide which ones to respond to. If a family member or a close friend has a really significant celebration to which we are invited, we would want to respond.

That ordinary, human experience of receiving invitations is very much at the heart of our faith. When you look at the gospels, Jesus’ primary way of relating to people was to invite them to become his disciples. We often speak of Jesus calling people. We can just as easily speak of him as inviting people. He said to a group of fishermen, ‘Follow me’, or ‘Come and see’. Jesus did not compel people to follow him. He kept inviting. Even as he hung from the cross, he was inviting. When he rose from the dead and went out into the world through the Holy Spirit, he continued to invite. When Jesus’ invitation was rejected, it brought him great sadness. Once he turned to the city of Jerusalem, and lamented, ‘How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing’. ‘You were not willing’. The Lord needs our willingness. There can be no compulsion. He awaits our free and loving response.

That theme of the Lord’s invitation is central to this morning’s readings. In the first reading and the gospel reading there is an invitation to a great feast. There is a wonderful description of a banquet in that first reading, with its rich and juicy food and its fine strained wines, a banquet of life where death has no place. The wedding banquet in the gospel reading sounds just as good. ‘My oxen are fattened, cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding’. This image of the banquet is saying something about the nature of the Lord’s invitation to us. Sitting around a table is more than just sharing food, isn’t it? When we share table with people, at its best at least, it is an experience of intimacy, of friendship, of trust, even on occasion, of reconciliation. The Lord’s daily invitation to us is always an invitation to communion. He invites us into communion with himself and with all those who have received the same invitation from him as we have. His invitation is always a call to grow in our communion both with himself and with the church, other followers of the Lord.

That call to communion with the Lord and with others is there in all three readings this morning, more obviously in the first reading and gospel reading, but also in the second reading. In that letter to the Philippians, Paul is writing from prison. We would normally think of prison as a very isolating experience, and, of course, it is that for very many people today. Yet, it is clear from that very short reading that Paul had a wonderful experience of communion while in prison. He had a very strong sense of his communion with the Lord, which he expresses in that very powerful statement, ‘There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength’. He clearly also had a very strong sense of his communion with the church while he was in prison. He expresses his gratitude to the church in Philippi for the support they have given him in prison, ‘it was good of you to share with me in my hardships’.

It is that experience of communion with the Lord and with each other that we are all invited into. Yet, as we know, invitations can be refused. In the parable Jesus spoke, people started making excuses at the last minute, just as the meal was ready. ‘I have a farm to go to; I have a business to go to’. The host wasn’t put off! He just went out and invited others who were delighted to come along. The parable suggests that the Lord is not easily put off by human refusal. We can all fail to hear the Lord’s invitation. We get over absorbed by what is very important but is not of ultimate importance and, so, we miss something even more important. This is why, every so often, we just need to step back a little from everything, and allow ourselves to hear again the Lord’s invitation into that great communion with himself and his people. We are about to celebrate the baptism of Luke. It is a special day for him, his family and all of us, because it is the moment when he is formally invited into that special communion with the Lord and with his family, the church.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

7th February >> Mass Readings (USA)

Wednesday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Colour: Green: B (2))

First Reading 1 Kings 10:1-10 The Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon.

The queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon’s fame, came to test him with subtle questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very numerous retinue, and with camels bearing spices, a large amount of gold, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and questioned him on every subject in which she was interested. King Solomon explained everything she asked about, and there remained nothing hidden from him that he could not explain to her.

When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom, the palace he had built, the food at his table, the seating of his ministers, the attendance and garb of his waiters, his banquet service, and the burnt offerings he offered in the temple of the LORD, she was breathless. “The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is true,” she told the king. “Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes, I have discovered that they were not telling me the half. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard. Blessed are your men, blessed these servants of yours, who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom. Blessed be the LORD, your God, whom it has pleased to place you on the throne of Israel. In his enduring love for Israel, the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice.” Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents, a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40

R/ The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

Commit to the LORD your way; trust in him, and he will act. He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.

R/ The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom and his tongue utters what is right. The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps do not falter.

R/ The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress. And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

R/ The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.

Gospel Acclamation cf. John 17:17b, 17a

Alleluia, alleluia. Your word, O Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mark 7:14-23 What comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) “But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[goodbyenorthernlights]

does slayers have any kind of new years celebrations (canon/headcanon)~?

Y'know I don't think it's mentioned in canon!

The kind of calendar they use is also pretty nonspecified- fans tend to use the Koma War as a marker the same way we use the birth of Christ, so they'll use things like "1012 AK" but there's no particular indication that's what's actually used across the barrier lands. So it's hard to tell when they would even set the new year at.

I'm gonna go ahead and suggest that most places follow a lunar calendar, or at least a lunisolar calendar, and that the New Year is celebrated during the first new moon of the year, so the exact date (according to our calendar) can vary.

Also note that the barrier lands are approximately the size of Europe, so there's a lot of room in variation of tradition! Broadly, though, I tend to imagine the New Year is considered a Pretty Big Deal and that you usually have a banquet with your extended family/community based on what kinds of food are available in your region. There's probably Heartwarming New Years Stories/Parables about families who are so poor that their banquets are just nettles and water or whatever, but the important thing is That They Love One Another.

Since the night of the new moon is probably pretty danged dark, candles and lamps and such are encouraged, as is making noise and singing.

There's probably various religious ceremonies- prayers and offerings and the like.

Lina and Gourry usually celebrate the New Year by paying respects at whatever shrine is nearby and then just chowing down on a big meal, which they do pretty much constantly but now they have a special excuse. (They do not need that special excuse.)

Seyruun's the city of holy magic so there's probably a lot of religious ceremonies involved. I bet there's a parade, and the royal family probably hosts a huge banquet. Amelia's usually involved in all that, and increasingly takes a role in organizing events and participating in ceremonies.

Zel used to celebrate the New Year with his grandfather as a kid by going to the shrine and participating in a lot of boring prayers and offerings and whatnot, and then afterwards there would be something special for dinner and Rezo would give him a blessing for the upcoming year. Then the chimera thing happened and he, uh, basically stopped celebrating the new year? He maybe would drink with Rezo's other retainers but that's about it, and then after Rezo and the other retainers died he spent a few years not really observing the new year at all if he could help it.

...til he got knighted by Phil, anyway, and now he has to celebrate the New Year at Seyruun along with Amelia, or Amelia will be sad he'll be neglecting his duties. So now he usually spends the new year tagging along with Amelia and pretending he's not enjoying himself.

#slayers #headcanons #just spitballin' really

[risalei-nur]

The Words - The Thirty-second  Word - Part 62

As their own unbelief brought them to this deplorable state, how can they deserve mercy and affection? This reminds us of The Eighth Word’s parable of two brothers who fell into two wells. If one, without being content with a fine banquet’s agreeable and lawful enjoyment and entertainment among honest friends in a beautiful garden, drinks wine to obtain an unlawful pleasure and, imagining themselves surrounded by wild beasts in a dirty place on a winter day, trembles and cries in fear, they will not deserve pity. For they see their honest friends as wild beasts and insult them. They see delicious food as foul; clean, fine plates and bowls as worthless, dirty stones; and attempt to break them. Moreover, they judge the invaluable, meaningful books that they are to read and study as ordinary, meaningless collections of sheets, and tear them up and scatter them. Such people are not merely unworthy of pity, rather, they deserve to be punished.

Similarly, unbelief and misguidance arise from abusing one’s willpower. Such people assert that the All-Wise Maker’s guest-house of the world is a plaything of chance and nature and that the transference of beings to the World of the Unseen, after completing their duty of refreshing the Divine Names’ manifestations, is going into absolute non-existence. Also, they judge beings’ glorifications and recitations of the Divine Names as outcries of death and eternal separation; sheets of creatures, each being a missive of the Eternally Besought, to be confused, meaningless collections; the grave’s door, which opens onto the World of Mercy, as opening onto a dark world of non-existence; and death as separation from—not re-union with—all friends and beloved ones. Thus, they deliver themselves to an extremely painful punishment. Since they also deny, reject, and insult all creatures, the Divine Names, and His inscriptions and missives, they deserve punishment. They are in no way worthy of pity.

#allah #god #islam #muslim #revert #reverthelp #reverthelp team #convert #new revert #new convert #new muslim #muslim revert #muslim convert #welcome to islam #revert to islam #convert to islam #how to convert to islam #prophet #muhammad #quran #sunnah #hadith #dua #pray #prayer #salah #help

[wisdomfish]

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” ~ Luke 5:29-39

#levi #crowd sourcing #friends #parable #wine

[childofchrist1983]

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. - Mark 4:30-32 KJV

Jesus Christ gives us many different parables concerning God's Kingdom of Heaven. He uses this one, the king's banquet, yeast, and others. Parables were used to teach with stories to help people understand by using things they were familiar with.

Aesop did the same with his fables using animals to illustrate the messages he was trying to convey. I often do the same with these devotionals because stories stick in our minds more than a list of facts. So, what can we make of this parable? We are used to hearing the parable that compares faith the size of a mustard seed that can move mountains, but the Kingdom of God?

The Kingdom of God is both here and hereafter. The seed needs to be planted here on Earth in the hearts of people. As it grows and matures, it goes from one person to another because it becomes impossible for us to keep it in, our faith overflows into our actions which are noticed by others who want the same thing and so it goes on and on creating the beginnings of the kingdom on earth. We are some of the beneficiaries of the seeds planted in the hearts of the Apostles and their followers so many years ago.

May all Christians and our children and their children continue to be the beneficiaries of the seeds of faith that have been planted in us by God Almighty and Jesus Christ. The wider the circle of faith, the brighter His light and the greater the evidence of God's Kingdom can be seen on Earth. The goal is exactly what we pray for in the Lord's Prayer. "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven". The fullness of the kingdom will be achieved in the eternal Kingdom of God in Heaven. God willing, the seeds planted in us and those that we keep sowing in those around us will increase the numbers whom we shall meet in the fullness of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

We are forever grateful for all those in whom He has saved and planted His seed of Gospel Truth. Let us continue to do our duty to Him in spreading the seeds of His Good News so that more souls will be saved and spiritually reborn and help His Kingdom to grow.

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

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

[ly0nstea]

I’ve heard that Zuko is not obligated to help Azula, but I think in a way, he sort of is obligated to help her. The parable of the long spoons is folklore in many cultures. It depicts two version of a banquet, one in heaven and one in hell. In the latter, guests only try to feed themselves and can't because the spoons are too long. In the former, they feed each other and thrive. The teaching is often attributed to Rabbi Haim of Romshishok. I don’t believe heaven and hell are literally like...

that, but I think Zuko is obligated to care for Azula if he wants to bring heaven closer to earth, in a manner of speaking. Because there’s no other way to bring heaven closer to earth than to care for those you have time to care for, even if they are your enemies. --------------------------------------------------------- I don't think you need parables or dogma to justify Zuko's responsibility to Azula.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, here's all the ways Zuko has a reponsibility to Azula:

Fraternal, Zuko is her older brother, and, in most all socieities I can think of, older siblings have a responsibility to their youngers, especially when it's an older brother to younger sister.

Regal, a king has a contractual responsibility to his citizens, all of them, a king exists to serve the wellbeing of his citizens. A king that doesn't do that gets beheaded, so, as Azula's king, he has a responsibility to her, as he does every citizen of the Fire Nation.

Moral, Zuko is a good person, or so he says, and good people help people even when it's difficult, even when they don't want to. Good people do good things for people, because its good.

Elder, Zuko is 17-19 in the comics, for most of it he is an adult, and as an adult, he really should know better than to try kick the shit of a 16 year old.

#avatar #avatar the last airbender #atla #azula #zuko #azula deserved better