St. Mary Minooka MissionMarch 17, 2014WHO AM I?BASED ON THE BOOK

“Made for More” by Curtis Martin

Irish Prayer May the strength of God pilot me, the power of God uphold me,

the wisdom of God guide me. May the eye of God look before me,

the ear of God hear me, the word of God speak for me.May the hand of God protect me, the way of God lie before me,the shield of God defend me, the host of God save me.May Christ shield me today. Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.Amen

Review What motivates us? Why do we do what

we do? We are looking for ___________ Why was Jesus crucified? What is some evidence that Jesus is more

than a moral teacher or nice prophet? Read in the book about why the Bible is

one of the most reliable books in history…

Foundation of our Faith Jesus rose from the dead! Very specific place (Jerusalem), point in

history (Pontius Pilate) Heart of Christianity is not a set of rules or

ideas It is the person of Jesus Christ, raised from

the death to glory at the right hand of the Father

Relationship with Him

St. Paul “If Christ has not been raised, then our

preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)

This is the Good News (Gospel) Story of a man whose wife died in Jerusalem All who believe in Jesus will also rise from the

dead But being a Christian is not easy; it demands a

radical response to the most radically dramatic event in history

Jesus and the Resurrection John 2:19 – “Destroy this temple, and in

three days I will raise it up.” (not explicit) More explicit - after giving the keys of

the kingdom to Peter, Jesus says, “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things…and be killed, and on the third day, raised.” (Matthew 16:21)

It was JESUS and not His apostles who believed in and predicted the resurrection

Apostles Did not comprehend what was going on Scandalized by the cross Brokenhearted by Jesus’ death Flee and hide, except John After they see Him alive they begin to

understand Acts 2:32 – “this Jesus God raised up, and

of that we are all witnesses” – became the central focus of their preaching

Theories trying to refute the resurrection Jesus’ body was thrown in a shallow

grave and eaten by wild dogs Apostles went to the wrong tomb and

made up a story about the resurrection Jesus was raised spiritually but not bodily Jesus didn’t die; He just passed out Jesus had an evil twin Someone stole Jesus’ body

Why we believe… 6 historical facts that support the resurrection

1) Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate 2) The tomb was empty 3) The once fearful disciples soon proclaimed the

bodily resurrection 4) Other eyewitnesses saw Jesus alive after

resurrection (over 500) 5) All apostles (except John) were martyred 6) Millions accepted the faith quickly and it still

spreads today

Who do YOU say that I am? We have a choice – accept Jesus or

reject Him If we choose to accept Christ, we choose

to follow Him as the Lord of our life. Since Jesus is a King, he must have a

kingdom…

Kingdom of God How do we come in contact with the power and

truth of Jesus today, 2000 years later? Jesus established a kingdom here ON EARTH: the

Kingdom of God. What does it look like to accept Jesus as the King of

the Universe and the King of my life? We obey (listen) Jesus and reject the “kingdoms of

this world” God desires to change the way we think about

everything Pope Francis – funeral faces

How do we know what God wants for me? Bible – irrefutable evidence that the

texts have not been distorted (early Christian writings support this)

In the same way, Church Fathers share a common understanding of the meaning of the Bible

These Church Fathers were taught by the Apostles themselves or by their companions

What does this mean for me? Asking Jesus to be the Lord of my life

changes every aspect of our lives Wants us to enter into relationship with

Him – the key to everything Our world has turned its back on God

and the effects are devastating How many times have I rejected God by

my selfish decisions?

Made for More Sin makes us slaves to our passions –

importance of fasting We were made for greatness and

everlasting joy Jesus calls us, “Repent, for the kingdom

of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17)

Jesus preached the Kingdom His entire life was spent preaching

about the Kingdom The kingdom of God is like

Mustard seed (Matthew 13:31) Buried treasure & pearl (Matthew 13:44) Net (Matthew 13:47) Vineyard & hired workers (Matthew 20:1)

King Jesus was crucified as “the King of the

Jews” After His resurrection and ascension He is

known as the “King of kings” Jesus is king of heaven and has

established an “outpost” here on this earth

We can join Him or we can follow this world that is passing away

Groundwork for the Kingdom God liberated His chosen people Israel

from slavery in Egypt and made them into a kingdom in the Promised Land

1000 years before Jesus, God established David in Jerusalem as king of his people

Jesus is referred to as the “Son of David”

Jesus Christ, Son of David Jesus was born at a time when the Jews were

longing for a great king; they had fallen on bad times

David was the golden age God told David that He would “establish the

throne of his kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:13-16)

Israel was beaten, deported, returned, trampled upon and occupied by the Romans, but they clung to this promise of God

Messiah = anointed one When Jesus answers to the title “Son of

David”, He is accepting the title of the Messianic King, the Christ

King Solomon, son of David, entered his reign on a donkey (1 Kings 1:38-40)

When Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, the Jewish people connected this to David – “hosanna to the Son of David”

What does this Kingdom look like? When we say yes to Him, it will involve

not only a personal conversion; it will involve uniting ourselves with all others who acknowledge Him as King

We cannot embrace the King without embracing His Kingdom

The King God promised David that one of His

descendants would arise and be greater than he. (2 Samuel 7:12-14) “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son.”

Read Isaiah 9:5-6 David’s kingdom would extend to the

ends of the earth and to the end of time

When David became King He chose Jerusalem Retrieved the Ark of the Covenant

(fragments of the Ten Commandments – holiest object in Israel) David danced in a special robe called an ephod To renew the covenant he offered the people

gifts of bread and wine (2 Samuel 6) David was dressing and acting like a priest Combined the royal palace of the king with the

sacred temple of the priest in a new way

Prime Minister Since antiquity, kings often had prime

ministers to govern temporal affairs 2nd to the king, possess the king’s authority Isaiah 22:20-23 – Eliakim – given the “key”

to the house of David David was a father to his people Now he shares this fatherly role with his

prime minister, who has authority (keys) and honor (symbolized by the throne)

Queen Mother Davidic kings had a queen, but it wasn’t his wife – it was

his mother primary role of bringing petitions before the king 1 Kings 2:19 – King Solomon bowed to his mother

Bathsheba; she sat on his right Kings bowed to no one, but his mother (4th

Commandment) Queen Mother used her influence to intercede for others All members of the kingdom can bring their petitions to

the king, but when the Queen Mother intercedes, their petitions are elevated

Story of the cardinal

The King and His Kingdom Matthew 1:1 – Jesus Christ, Son of David

– 1st verse in New Testament As Jesus establishes His kingdom by His

death and resurrection, we see his queen mother and prime minister taking their places

Bestows upon Peter the keys to the kingdom, giving him authority and honor to act in the person of Jesus

Mother of my Lord When Elizabeth greets Mary during the

Visitation she says: “How is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (1 Luke 39-56)

Mother of my Lord was an ancient greeting for the Queen Mother

By declaring Mary to be Queen, she is acknowledging the baby in her womb to be the Messiah, the King

Honor given to the queen mother is always honor given to her son, the king

What does this mean for us? You and I are royalty! Jesus brought the kingdom of the New Covenant

(a sacred bond of relationship) Classic forms of covenants are adoption and

marriage Difference between slavery and sonship,

prostitution and marriage Slavery and prostitution – people use another for

a selfish end Sonship and marriage – people belong to one

another in a life-giving union

Marriage Her father and mother become my father

and mother; her sisters become my sisters Covenants make a family out of people

who had not been family Similarly – New Covenant unites us with

God AND with one another Question from 8th grade girl – “Father how

do you see the world differently as a priest?”

Covenants Formed by sacred oaths and a ritual act Marriage – oath of fidelity, act of sharing

of vows, rings Christian tradition – God is not a witness;

He is a participant in the rituals Hebrew word for oath (shevua) is the root

for the word meaning seven (sheva) Latin word for oath is sacramentum

New Covenant Founded upon 7 oaths or Sacraments Calling us to a covenantal relationship Enter the kingdom by adoption – in

baptism; we become sons and daughters of the King

Jesus imparts His life to us in the Sacraments; we are part of His family, royalty

What does this mean? God is not just our King but our Father We are loved, not just governed Relationship is the essence of this Kingdom (what

my mother taught me is most important) We are called to loyalty to the Prime Minister, the

Holy Father, who has been given the keys to the kingdom

Prime minister is called Pope (“papa”) – fatherly role to all of Christ’s followers on earth

Family trait – loyalty to prime minister, maintaining unity in the Church, the Kingdom of God on earth

Other relationships Jesus gives us His Father as our Father His Mother is our Mother “John, behold your Mother. Woman,

behold your son” (John 19:26-27) We are not merely saved orphans; we

are full members of the royal family

Reconciliation Sin breaks relationships Re-con-cilia-tion = to see eye to eye

again Power of the Sacrament, renewing the

covenantal relationship My experience of this Sacrament Four altars, 450 priests of Baal (Elijah –

1 Kings 18) – power, pleasure, wealth, honor

Don’t just confess the symptoms; go to the root of the sin

Allow the Lord’s grace and mercy enter into the depths of your soul so that healing can begin

Irish Blessing May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your backMay the sun shine warm upon your faceAnd the rain fall soft upon your fieldsAnd until we meet againMay God hold you in the palm of his hand. Amen.

What can I do? Attend a daily Mass each week along

with Sunday Confession every two months (or more

often) Forgive someone