Let's talk about today's readings 1/2/09

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cheeto1

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1John 2:22-28
Psalms 98:1-4
John 1:19-28

The first reading states “You have not lost the annointing that
He gave you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.”
It does make me recall that we have been confirmed, and there
is a certain something that no one can teach us because it
was given us by God.

And what is it? Well, there are 2 saints of the day today,
St. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen. They were friends
from Turkey who became bishops, famous for fighting the Arian
heresy. Their first reading today from Ephesians 4 states that
we are all to come to unity in our faith and knowledge until we
become the perfect man. And the means of this: gifts given
from Christ: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and
teachers. These are the gifts Christ allotted, to form the body
of Christ into “the perfect man”. Where do I fit in on this list?
Am I even on there?

And I have one small probably answerable question on today’s
gospel: John the Baptist states that he is not Christ, not
Elijah, and not the prophet. Who is the prophet?

The gospel of the saints of today is Matthew 23:8-12. It states
the greatest among you must be your servant. Yet “servant”
isn’t even on the list in Ephesians 4.

Did anything strike you about today’s readings?:bible1:
 
Actually Catechism of the Catholic Church 96 says it all for me

What Christ entrusted to the apostles, they in turn handed on by their preaching and writing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to all generations, until Christ returns in glory.

Please check out my Blog and feel free to comment on them. I post the daily blog about daily readings

tobinatorstark.wordpress.com/2009/01/
 
cheeto1 said:
I can’t figure out if you had any personal observations about the
readings? Something today that just made you think. Was I
supposed to click on something in the website?
Click to expand...
How you struggle cheeto1! I pray that you can get through a day’s readings without wondering.

Hope your holidays were bright. Hope a cloud didn’t decide to
lower down.

I looked at the Basil stuff and wondered if the spice name and he were associated at all. Then I got hungry and busted my New Year’s resolution! And it was only January 2nd! The homily (my local gifted priest gave) said that there are New Year’s Wishes and New Year’s Resolutions. I’m failing at being resolute.
I should resolve to become resolute 1st before anything else.

Being resolute helps with the clouds.
Click to expand...
 
LMP said:
How you struggle cheeto1! I pray that you can get through a day’s readings without wondering.
Click to expand...
That’s a strange prayer. That’s like saying you pray I go to
mass and then forget it as soon as I leave.

You struggle too. Maybe you just don’t know it yet. What
about your new year’s resolution? I’ve always wanted to make
a New Years Resolution, but I have never thought of one. If I
decide to exercise or lose weight, I don’t wait for a new year.
I do make “lenten resolutions” though, but they are easier because they are temporary. No one knows everything and there’s a million more things to wonder about then just what I come up with. I don’t “get through” a day’s readings, I read them “listening” to the thoughts that might come by. The thoughts
just go walking by, and the readings give me a chance to grab
one and think about it.

Maybe you wish I would pick a more joyful or peaceful thought,
especially at the holidays. But maybe someone else has thought of one and they would share it.🙂
 
cheeto1 said:
And I have one small probably answerable question on today’s
gospel: John the Baptist states that he is not Christ, not
Elijah, and not the prophet. Who is the prophet?
:
Click to expand...
The prophet is the “prophet like Moses”. Moses had told the Jews about this future prophet in Deuteronomy 18:15-19:
(It is Moses who is speaking to the people.) “The LORD your God will raise up for you **a prophet like me **from among you, from your brethren–him you shall heed–just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb … And the LORD said to me, '… I will raise up for them **a prophet like you **from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.”

It is of course Jesus, and not John the Baptist, who is the fulfillment of God’s promise of a prophet like Moses.

Nita
 
Nita said:
It is of course Jesus, and not John the Baptist, who is the fulfillment of God’s promise of a prophet like Moses.
Nita
Click to expand...
Is not Jesus then, both the prophet, and the Messiah?
Then why do they ask about “the prophet” as though he is
a different person? Did they think they were 2 different people,
and then they weren’t?
 
cheeto1 said:
1John 2:22-28
Psalms 98:1-4
John 1:19-28

…first reading today from Ephesians 4 states that
we are all to come to unity in our faith and knowledge until we
become the perfect man. And the means of this: gifts given
from Christ: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and
teachers. …

The gospel of the saints of today is Matthew 23:8-12. It states
the greatest among you must be your servant. Yet “servant”
isn’t even on the list in Ephesians 4.
Click to expand...
I think “servant” encompasses everything on the list. The list just gives specific areas in which we can be servants, that is, serve others.
 
Nita said:
I think “servant” encompasses everything on the list. The list just gives specific areas in which we can be servants, that is, serve others.
Click to expand...
Then must a servant be a person from the list in Ephesians 4
in your opinion?
 
cheeto1 said:
Is not Jesus then, both the prophet, and the Messiah?
Then why do they ask about “the prophet” as though he is
a different person? Did they think they were 2 different people,
and then they weren’t?
Click to expand...
You know how prophecies are – they’re not usually clear cut! 🙂 (Consider the prophecies about the end of the world, and all the various interpretations that have been put forth.) I would say the people knew the prophecies, but were not sure just how they would be fulfilled.

They knew there was something exceptional -out of the ordinary - about John. The prophecied “Messiah” seems to be the one that people were the most anxiously awaiting. That’s probably why their first hope was that he was the Messiah. But when he says “No” - they proceed to ask about other “exceptional” messengers that had been promised in their Scriptures.

Just my thoughts.
Nita
 
cheeto1 said:
Then must a servant be a person from the list in Ephesians 4
in your opinion?
Click to expand...
Oh my no. Everyone can serve. To be a servant means to live out God’s will for us. The broad definition of His will is contained in the two great commandments - Love God and Love Others as we love ourselves.
From there it starts getting more specific. But always, always, “serving” means doing what is for the GOOD of others. A mother and housewife “serves” when she fulfills her duties in those roles; likewise a father. Also, there is not just one way, or area in which to serve. A father or mother may also serve thru charitable activities – as long as those activities do not cause them to inadequately fulfill their primary role - eg. husband/father or wife/mother. Our first responsibility is to carry out the duties involved in our state of life.
 
Originally Posted by **cheeto1 **
Is not Jesus then, both the prophet, and the Messiah?
Then why do they ask about “the prophet” as though he is
a different person? Did they think they were 2 different people,
and then they weren’t?
Click to expand...
Tried to edit my post #10, but the time had run out. Realized I hadn’t answered your first question.
Yes, Jesus fulfilled both the prophecies; He was both “the prophet” and the “Messiah”.
My guess is that it wasn’t known for certain whether the prophecies would apply to the same person or not.
 
Hey this is so cool. This discussion about one being both.
It fits right in with basil/myrtle and the Trinity.

And then we have the trio of doctors as well.
"St Gregory Nazianzen, who with the two brothers Basil and Gregory of Nyssa makes up the trio of Cappadocian doctors of the church. "

And guess what??? We have a trio in our very own local!!!
We have a set of twin priests and then another one named Fr. Andy,
whom I had the privilege of him absolving me of one great awful sin.

Like I said…I knew there was a connection somewhere.

It all hangs together. If people…cheeto1, as well,…would only look toward the connections, the chains, the lengthy correlations that aren’t just there by accident…you’d see tons and tons of revelation.

And something inside me says that this chain is not done yet.
It will go on for awhile, so I have to be toned into it and watching.
 
LMP said:
I looked at the Basil stuff and wondered if the spice name and he were associated at all.
Click to expand...
:newidea: eureka! St. Basil and basil the spice! O.k. now I’m
trying to figure out the connection… this might take me a while…
 
o.k. – Rahain, myrtle, and basil are 3 names for one plant?
Is this right?

If so, then yes, it’s no accident that you happened to read that
thing about the Trinity today in my opinion. I noticed too that God likes to connect everything together to make the most of it’s meaning to each individual person. And that is why I’m fascinated by the idea of daily readings. God knows that lots of people will read the same thing on the same day. Different things will strike different people depending on what they are reading or experiencing at the time. But are there connections? Is anything striking more than one person at once? Will the thing that strikes one person continue with what strikes another?
 
cheeto1 said:
:newidea: eureka! St. Basil and basil the spice! O.k. now I’m
trying to figure out the connection… this might take me a while…
Click to expand...
cheeto1…I don’t want to close with this yet because of the Turkey
connection and all that is currently happening in the Middle East.

So …help me here…this town that Basil was bishop at…where was it in current day maps?

It is totally interesting that Basil was able to be the “bridge” during his time.

While you look at the maps…get me a link…I’m going to research recent news about Turkey and what they have been talking about with Russia and Iran.

There is a connection here. I know this.
Click to expand...
 
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