Tithing

Tithing Is Such Sweet Sorrow

29 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: If you set your heart on money, you will get it. But someday, the gold will be melted and the paper money will be burned. If you set your heart on God, he comes to you with open arms, like the baby at Bethlehem, and he will be with you forever. Apt image from RoshieBoop who captions it ‘New Gold Dream’ (flickr.com/). The photograph reminds us that wine, women and song all need money you would wish you were King Midas. Money is not the root of all evil, but love of money is. The photo shows a gilded lady playing music on her lyre, luring her loved one to dreams of empire. You may not have such dreams, but consider this: You tithe 10% of the gross, which is only fair – now, what happens to the 90%? You don’t have to tell me. But I tell you this: Do you realize that your 90% may be 9 times the 100% of maybe a million others? You should be so blessed!

Showing Soon

Showing Soon, Now Showing

27 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: The Virgin Mary loved her Baby. The Filipino loves children. And in every child you are loving God. Apt image from SquareRoot who captions it simply ‘Pregnancy’ (flickr.com/). She is a Filipina would-be-mother; I can tell from the overall impression (when I searched Flickr, I included the word Filipino). The photograph is beautifully & delicately rendered that I can almost feel the tenderness. There is no baby yet, but it’s alright. The mother’s quietly happy. The baby will be ‘Showing Soon,’ but already you can tell that the mother cares so much about her baby she is anticipating the ‘Now Showing.’ And I know that she is going to breastfeed her child. She is a Filipina after all.

Doing your best

Doing The Best You Can

26 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: How does your heart become a manger, waiting for the living God? Just do your job each day, as best you can. Apt image from Qwurky who captions it ‘The Color Of Work’ (flickr.com/). The photograph is a riot of colors as if to suggest that the three men are not going to work together well but instead, work not so harmoniously. They are a team, but if they have not imbibed the values of teamwork, if they are individually working for themselves without the benefit of a plan they have worked out together, they will work against each other and they won’t know it. Do your job, but remember to do it because you’re part of the team.

Today

Today Is A Good Day

25 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: Simon the prophet thanked God that he lived long enough to see Our Lord. You should thank God, everyday, because He is with you always. Apt image from Today Is A Good Day who captions it ‘God’s Abacus’ (flickr.com/). If you think of God as always minding His abacus in relation to you, I think you are worrying too much. Do you count the number of days you have left on this planet? When I was young, I was worried to death about dying. Now that I’m older, 66 in fact, I thank God I have lived long enough to be able to relax and enjoy life without being rich or powerful.

Joseph The Worrier

Joseph The Worrier, At First

24 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: Joseph heard the voice of the angel, many times. It was God, speaking to him. If you listen, quietly, you will hear the voice of God, speaking to you. Apt image from Byrth who captions it simply ‘Joseph’ (flickr.com/). I looked at Byrth’s note and it says, ‘Joseph has a worried face. He should be happy because his child is indeed a very special one.’ Byrth captures what I thought was Joseph’s exact feeling when first he learned about Mary being with child when he knew that he wasn’t involved in any way at all: worried. Where was this all leading to? He didn’t know his child was special. And many of us are like Joseph: We don’t know that our child is special. If we listen, what will we hear? This: Every child is special, in or out of the womb. In fact, we may be listening, but we don’t believe what we hear; we want the voice to tell us, ‘This is God speaking to you, my child. Please, listen to me.’

Slaughter of the innocents

Slaughter Of The Innocents And We’re Not Innocent

The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: Herod sent soldiers, and they slaughtered all the baby boys in Bethlehem. But God was waiting for each one of them, in heaven. When evil seems to triumph over you, smile. God is waiting for you, in heaven. Apt image from AlabamAnglican who captions it ‘The Slaughter Of The Innocents’ (flickr.com/). The slaughter of the innocents was the product of megalomania, an obsession that none of us may not be guilty of at one time or another. Childermas is observed by mass or festival to commemorate those children slain on 28 December. It is also called Massacre of the Innocents, and Murder of the Innocents. I like the photograph: the light gathers on the soldier and mother tortured before or after her child’s death; the rest is darker, intimating greater sadness. The image is that off the Temple of the Sagrada Familia, Nativity Façade: Hope Doorway: Slaughter of the Innocents in Barcelona, Spain (artchive.com/) The slaughter of the innocents is not only biblical; it is historical, and in fact it is history being written now, I’m sorry, to say. but it’s done with the authority of James Bond, you know, the one with a license to kill, 007: It’s called the woman’s right to her body; it’s called abortion.

Assets & Liabilities

Assets & Liabilities, Power & Wealth

22 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: Herod wanted prestige, power and wealth. He got them. The Three Kings only wanted to find God. And they found Him. Apt image from Tokyo Knock who captions it ‘Our Assets’ (flickr.com/). Wealth is not asset until it gives you income (from Robert Kiyosaki of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame and fortune). The forest is wealth from God. Trees in the forest are assets because they give us beauty, a healthy environment, a rich soil, wildlife. They give us life. You can find God in trees if you care enough. There’s no prestige believing in God, but you will find power and wealth if you believe enough. You can find power and wealth outside of believing in God, as millions do, but I believe that’s a liability.

The Star

The Star Of Your Bethlehem

21 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: For the Kings, the star seemed to disappear. For you, sometimes the star seems to disappear. But, for the Kings, it came back again. And it will always come back for you. Apt image from ShellyTay who captions it ‘Star And Angels Gave The Sign’ (flickr.com/). I like Shelly’s star because it is very Filipino and it is very optimistic, which is very Filipino. It is very personal; it is very public. This star in heaven has the glow that’s for me and for you. Shelly reminds us that the star and angels will always give the sign, but do we see the star? It’s always up to us. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I remember, sometimes I forget. That’s not the fault of the star, is it? The star is always there, although it may look like it’s disappearing. But I forget to remember. And I forget to look up.

The Signs

The Signs Of The Times

20 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: God left heaven, to be born in a stable. At Christmas time, He leaves heaven, to come to you. If you don’t believe that, look at the photograph. Apt image by KatieBate who captions it not-so-simply ‘Trust’ (flickr.com/). The message in the photograph says, ‘God is closer than you think.’ I’ll call that the Signs of the Times.’ That is the message. If you don’t have your eyes examined, you won’t be able to read the rest of the message, because the next letters become successively smaller and smaller. I just had mine eyes examined and ordered a new pair of glasses, courtesy of an old-gold friend, Dr Tony O, so now I can read the fine print. God is over and above everything; all you need to do is read clearly the signs of the times, down to the littlest details – even if there are shadows darkening some parts.

A Simple Star

 A Simple Star, A Hopeful Star

19 December – The pastoral text of Fr Reuter is this: The Kings followed that star for a long time. And they found God. If you follow that star, even when it seems hopeless, you will find God. Apt image by PureBaby who captions it ‘Pure Joy Is Coming To The World!’ (flickr.com/). It’s a very simple star; it is a very hopeful star; and it is very Filipino. (The Filipinos are hopelessly romantic; they are hopelessly optimistic, and it’s a good thing – I am a Filipino). I say if it’s difficult to follow your star, it must be a complicated star. If it’s difficult to appreciate God, you are either trying too hard by over-intellectualizing or the exact opposite: you are over-spiritualizing. You don’t have to be a king to follow your star, and your star doesn’t have to be king-size to be all worth the pursuit.