I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked:
for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. (Ecclesiastes 3:17)
According to Kishor pate, CMD, Amit Enterprises Housing Limited, at age 55 , ” the
time to experiment with ‘speculative’ investment should be over ” this underscores
the spiritual assertion, “To everything there is season, and a time to every purpose
under the heaven ” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) life on earth is limited by time .
Even the greatest endeavours of life would be totally meaningless if not
embark upon at the appropriate age and time. If people like William Shakespeare,
Fredrick Handel, Miriam Webster, Thomas Edison, Graham bell , Henry Ford and a host
of other achievers and delay action and failed to mark their great achievements,
what a great loss it would have been! While you’re still young, invest well in
your education and career. ” Strike while the iron is hot, ” so goes an adage In the s…
WOUNDS FROM WINE
” Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling?
Who hath wound without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine ;
they that go to seek mixed wine” (proverb 23:29-30). Woe? Sorrow? Contentions? Babbling?
Wound without cause and redness of eyes what an army of evils that drunkenness alone
offers it’s captive! This was why Ray comfort said, “A man who gives himself to the
demon of alcohol becomes a slave to its addictive properties. It mocks him it steals
his dignity.it takes control of his will.” While watching a television advertisement
many years ago, a smart teenager correctly spotted the advertisers trick: frequent
repetition of a phrase, that the particular beer was good. Recognizing the deception
in the advert , the boy also repeatedly queried , “please tell us how your product
may nourish one’s body” Well, that question seems aptly answered by our Bible text
six-fold evil is what alcohol.
Deacon Richard Benkovic’s July Homily
After reading this passage from the gospel, “Amen, I say to you all sin and blasphemes that people utter with be forgiven. The one word that stood out for me was forgiveness. It got me thinking. Many years ago in college, the professor in our sociology class gave us an assignment. We were asked to make a list of anything in our past that we felt ashamed of, guilty about, incomplete about or something we regretted doing. The next time we met the professor invited anyone in the class to read their list aloud. If you think I am a shy person now you should have seen me back then there was no way I was going to raise my hand, but there are always a few brave souls in the class that would volunteer. As the students read their list of regrets, the list that I had was getting longer and longer as it brought up memories of past things that I had done. At the end of the class the professor gave us our next assignment, it was to find ways to make amends, apologize to people or take some action to right and wrongdoings. At the next class the professor asked again for any volunteers to read how they were going to make amends. A student next to me raised his hand and read that he and three of his classmates in their senior year of high school slipped out of school one day and let the air out of the tires of a teacher’s car who gave them a hard time in class. The student then told our class that he went back to his high school and told the teacher that he was one of the students who let the air out of his tires. The teacher told him that he knew all the four students who did it and that the other three students had already apologized to him. The teacher thanked him for coming forward and admitting what he had done. The teacher knew how hard it is sometimes to confess ones gilt and ask for forgiveness.
While it is challenging for us to ask forgiveness it is also challenging to forgive those who have hurt us. The really great thing about the parable today is that it tells us that God’s forgiveness is never ending. God’s forgiveness of us cost the body and blood of Jesus. So even though we may sometimes struggle to forgive others, God is always waiting to forgive us. So have no fear in approaching Jesus for his mercy. He is always waiting for you to come to him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There, Jesus is waiting to pour out on you his mercy and forgiveness, to make you a new person with a new beginning.
Do Not Linger by Lloyd Mohrlock
“And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand
and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hands of his
two daughters…and they brought him forth, and set him
before the city.”
To linger means to stay in a place longer than necessary because of reluctance to leave. Today’s text reveals the nonchalance of Lot and his family in the face of impending danger to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Danger was looming, yet they lingered. Angels came to rescue them, and yet they lingered. It took extra effort to pull them away from the calamity that would have befallen them.
Friends, are you lingering in sin and disobedience in spite of God’s persistent warnings to you to repent?
Backslider, do you take God’s grace for granted and linger still in sin? Why linger in the company of bad friends and associations when you know that evil communication corrupts manners?
Delay is dangerous. The wife of Lot still perished because her heart remained unrepentant.
RESTORED
“For this my son was dead, and alive again; he was lost,and is found. And they began to be merry“
Commenting on the prodigal son, Matthew Henry’s commentary states, “The prodigal son in the far country was dead to his father, and his family, cut off from them, as a member from the body or a branch from the tree and
therefore dead and it is his own doing.”
Like the prodigal son, most people today, including youths,are cut off from God through sin. They need repentance for restoration. The prodigal son in our texts realized his sinful state, repented, returned to his father,
and was restored to his family. Our Father in heaven is willing to restore a backslider who may be reading this message today.
Beloved, are you far away from God, living in sin and cut off from God’s family? God is waiting to welcome you back to Himself. No sin is too great for him to forgive. Jesus died for the sins of all mankind. Like the prodigal son, come back to God by confessing your sin.
Deacon Rick Benkovic’s June Homily
On summer vacation trips to Cape Cod, we would always make a stop in New Bedford, visit the whaling museum, and go inside the Seamans’s Bethel. Bethel is a Hebrew word meaning, “House of God.” In the classic novel and movie, “Moby Dick,” one scene takes place in the Seamans’s Bethel. The minister is preaching to crew members and their wives and children before they set sail on their annual whale hunt. He is standing in the pulpit, which is shaped like the bow of a ship, and he is preaching a powerful sermon. But there is a problem with his sermon. In the midst of it he says, “Shipmates, God had laid but one hand upon you. Both his hands press upon me.” What he said was un-Christian like and untrue. If you are an apostle of Jesus, if you have given yourself to Him, then both of His hands press on you as surely as they do on Father Gibbons, Father Kozak, and myself. Jesus’ words, “I have sent them into the world,” applies not only to the clergy but to you as well, as they did to the first apostles. The noun “apostle” derives from the Greek, which means “to send.” Everyone who is sent by someone is an apostle of the one who sent them. In the New Testament, the purpose for the sending is to carry on the mission of Jesus.
If we come to Church merely to get what we can out of the liturgy, we have not come prepared to be apostles of Jesus. If you have come here just to save your soul, you will fail. Some of us have been coming to Church all our lives hearing the great paradox Jesus tells us, that “Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will save it,” yet without a real understanding of those words.
In the Gospel according to John the word apostle never appears. Likewise, the Twelve apostles do not play the same role that they do in the three other Gospels. The people who best represent apostleship in the Gospel of John are the Samaritan woman at the well and Mary Magdalene–the common people, like you and I.
The question before us today is, do we show the same kindness and respect to our loved ones as we do to everyone else we encounter in the world? If the answer to that question is “yes,” then you are an apostle of Jesus and you have been touched by God with both of His hands.
YOU CAN DO IT by Holaryemey Iyanu
If you ever think that nothing is impossible, think of Phillipe Croiizon and his inspiring story. Phillipe was born in 1968. As a youth, he lost his arms and legs through electrocution. In August 2012, Phillipe accomplished the impossible as he became the first physically-challenged person to swim across The English Channel without limbs. He also swam the Bering Strait, the waterways connecting five continents: Oceania, Asia, Europe, Africa and America. What a challenge to the youths of this generation!
My friend, our text says that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. What an assurance! You may presently be experiencing seemingly impossible challenges in your life, with no hope of a solution in sight. Refuse to accept the limitations of what your sight and other senses convey to you, and firmly hold onto the promises of God. Like Phillipe,
you will weather your storms victoriously if you persevere. You can gain that difficult college admission, excel in those difficult courses, and overcome any sinful habits. God will grant you an all-around victory if you consecrate
your life to Him.
A LIFT BEFORE LEAPS by Holaryemey Iyanu
A lift before leaps can be explained as help before successes. A Christian youth invited a drug addict to a city-wide crusade. The pastor preached on “Christ’s power to deliver us from sin and Satan.” At the end of the message, he made an altar call, encouraging participants to surrender their lives to Christ and believe in God’s power to heal. The addict surrendered his life to Christ.
As the preacher prayed, he was miraculously delivered from his addiction and all withdrawal symptoms. He later rushed to the altar and excitedly offered his challenging testimony. Hallelujah!
The world-acclaimed authorities were helped before their success came. Alfred Nobel, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and, more recently, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame, were all helped to learn at the elementary school level in their journey toward success. Eventually, they achieved success beyond their wildest dreams. God also expects us to lift up the downcast so that they, too, can experience success and to leap for joy.
Like Peter and John, God has given believers the power to preach, to heal the sick and to deliver the oppressed. And Christ expects us to do greater works than He Himself did. (John 14:12)
Health Benefits of Drinking Water by Fierce Manson
Water. Can you believe some people really just dislike drinking water. Hopefully this article will encourage those who do not like drinking water, will begin to do so for their health. Drinking water has a multitude of great health benefits. I prefer drinking bottled water and not tap. Drinking distilled water also has a benefit. Distilled water helps to pull toxic out of the body. The body must be hydrated, and the only way for it to stay hydrated is to drink water, and fluids. The skin will benefit by your drinking 7 – 8 glasses of water daily. Distilled water in my own personal opinion has a better taste. The body is approximately 62% water — your body needs drinking water to maintain balance.
Water And The Heart
Without drinking water it causes the heart to work much harder. The heart is an organ which beats over 2 billion times in a person’s lifetime. It is the organ which pumps blood throughout the body. The heart weights between 8 – 10 ounces, and between 10 – 12 ounces in men.
A benefit of drinking water, and plenty of it is enabling the heart to work easier and more effectively. Why? Because the heart has to pump blood. If you do not drink water the blood begins to become thicker which puts stress on the heart making it work harder to pump blood. Drinking water helps the blood stay in a healthy state to move easily throughout the body.
Water And The Brain
Did you know 85% of your brain tissue is water? Your brain needs, water, water, water. Drinking water is essential for good brain health. Whether you are drinking water purified or distilled, or natural spring water your brain thanks you! When you are not drinking enough water your brain suffers. Did you know you can dehydrate your brain by not getting enough water. Believe it or not one sign that your brain is not getting enough water is forgetfulness.
Your Kidney’s And Why You Should Drink Water
Your kidney’s benefit from your drinking water to decrease the chances of forming kidney stones. Those who have ever experience a kidney stone know it is not a pleasant experience. Kidney stones are created by bacteria that builds up and form a protein which crystalize in stones. A body that is dehydrated has an increased possibility of forming stones. The kidney, and liver work in the body to get rid to waste. Kidney stones are very painful, I have never had one but have spoke to others who have had a stone. On the pain scale it comes in at 10++.
Drinking Water And Your Skin
Whether you are drinking water purified or distilled, or natural spring water your brain thanks you! When you are not drinking enough water your brain suffers. Did you know you can dehydrate your brain by not getting enough water? Believe it or not one sign that your brain is not getting enough water is forgetfulness
As for your skin, your skin is 70% water, and to kept your skin well hydrated you should be drinking at least 2 liters of water a day. Without drinking enough water it results in dry skin, and skin that is not moist. Drink up for the health of each cell in your body. Every cell needs water to function correctly.
Strawberries And Glowing Skin
A key part of the health benefits of strawberries is this fruit’s high water content. Like many nutritious fruits, strawberries are composed of more than 75 percent water. This means that by eating strawberries, you feel fuller on a smaller amount of calories than foods with less water content. Strawberries, therefore, are an excellent food for losing weight or maintaining your current weight. Another health benefit to strawberries’ high water content is that they help keep your skin hydrated, which leads to healthy, glowing skin. Hydration can also help you stay energized and satisfied throughout the day.
Strawberries are also packed with soluble fiber, an incredibly heart-healthy benefit. Soluble fiber attaches to cholesterol and helps remove it from the body, which therefore lowers your body’s cholesterol levels and reduces your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular health problems. Combine strawberries with the high-quality carbohydrates in foods like oatmeal for a nutrient-packed, filling breakfast that offers plenty of health benefits.
The soluble fiber in strawberries is also part of an ideal diet for people worried about type 2 diabetes. Since being overweight is a leading cause of type 2 diabetes, the water and soluble fiber in strawberries can greatly benefit people concerned with this condition. An additional health benefit of strawberries’ high fiber content: strawberries can help people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems. Eating strawberries and other high fiber fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to ease digestion and sooth stomach upset, constipation, diarrhea, and other painful symptoms.
People can also gain health benefits from the high amount of folate in strawberries. Folate is a B vitamin that contributes to strong, healthy hair and vibrant skin. Doctors recommend that pregnant women increase their folate intake during gestation, so strawberries are an excellent food choice. Folate can help prevent osteoporosis. Research shows that folate is an important nutrient for developing and maintaining strong, healthy bones and teeth. Strawberries can also boost your mood, another healthy benefit to eating this fruit.