Let's talk about today's readings 12/23/08

[cheeto1]

Malachi 3:1-4.23-24
Psalm 25
Luke 1:57-66

“Know that I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before my day comes, that great and terrible day” --Malachi
Well, do you think the real prophet Elijah will return again, before Jesus comes again in His glory?

Part of Psalm 25 says, “make me know your ways” and “make me walk in your truth”. Wouldn’t it be easier if God just made us
always do right instead of having to contend with our free will?
I wonder if He would agree to answer the prayer of this psalm?

In the gospel Zechariah is asked to name his son. He doesn’t
say, “I’ve decided to name him John since an angel told me to”,
but instead says “His name is John”, showing that he doesn’t
have to name him because he already has a name. Wouldn’t
it be amazing if only God decided what people’s names were?
People don’t always make the best choices in naming their kids,
but what if an angel named all of us?

Today is also the day of John of Kanty, a priest from Poland.
The first reading in his mass is from James and asks, “Will that
faith save him?” (faith without works). Then it describes a particular situation and says, “faith without works is dead”. But,
it doesn’t come right out and answer the question with a “NO”
or a “yes”. It really strikes me that they don’t say, “that is not
really faith”, and since this type of faith is dead, then it must have
been alive at one point. What I want to know is, at what point did it die, and an answer to the question, “will that faith save him”?

So what struck you about today’s readings?:bible1:

 

[Light_Seeker]

“Know that I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before my day comes, that great and terrible day” --Malachi
Well, do you think the real prophet Elijah will return again, before Jesus comes again in His glory?

This prophecy is the main reason the Jews did not believe Christ was the Messiah, because they did not see Elijah’s return as they expected to see. But John the Baptist was in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). And Jesus, several times in the gospels, says that John is the Elijah the Jews were waiting for.

Do I think Elijah will precede Christ’s second coming? No, for several reasons. I can not think of any prophecy saying he will, as Elijah, in John the Baptist, has already preceded Christ’s arrival.
Secondly, if Elijah does precede the second coming of Christ, it would invalidate his arrival 2000 years ago as the Messiah. Jews & Muslims could then, with some authority, point to his 2nd coming and proclaim that this is the real Messiah, preceded by Elijah, and Jesus of 2000 years ago was not the Messiah, but a prophet. As they believe today.

Wouldn’t it be easier if God just made us always do right instead of having to contend with our free will?

Without free will, we would not be human.
We’d be Angels.

People don’t always make the best choices in naming their kids,but what if an angel named all of us?

Years back at one of my daughter’s birthday parties, we had 3 Heathers and 3 Tiffanys.

Last few years I’ve sponsored and been part of our RCIA team. It makes me smile proudly when the adult candidates are selecting their Confirmation name … they all research the saints, many times in depth, to find that somebody special that inspires them or they can relate to.