Fr. Paul's Meditations for Church Year A

Background: Following Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem He goes to the Temple where they are selling sacrificial animals and changing money. He casts them out and cleanses the Temple. The very next day He is back teaching in the same temple. The religious leaders are furious with Him. He has set His death. It is only a matter of time. They have their man. They need the evidence. They are here to trap Him.  Read more

OLD TESTAMENT: Exodus 33:12-23 Literal Religion: God’s Presence gives rest by knowing what He has done physically. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Spiritual Grace: God’s Presence gives rest by knowing what He is doing spiritually. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture again. “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Did you feel the Grace?  Read more

This parable is about the Kingdom. Rational Intelligence thinks in terms of the Kingdom of Heaven as a position or place above us. Spiritual Intelligence sees the Kingdom as a condition or Presence in us.  Read more

OLD TESTAMENT: Exodus 32:1-14 Literal Religion: Turns aside from following God’s commandments. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “They have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them.” Spiritual Grace: Turns aside from spiritually being in God’s Presence. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture again. “They have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them.” Did you feel the Grace?  Read more

A landowner leased his land to tenants. The harvest time came. He sent servants to collect his produce. The tenants refused to pay their tithes. He sent his son. The tenants killed him. What will the owner do to those tenants? The literal parable would say with the religious leaders that he will put them to death and lease the vineyard to tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time. The grace translation would compare and contrast the differences between a stone that is rejected and one that is the cornerstone.  Read more

OLD TESTAMENT: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Literal Religion: Worshipping physical idols is spiritual. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.” Spiritual Grace: Worshipping spiritual idols is physical. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture again. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.” Did you feel the Grace?  Read more

This story starts with Jesus being challenged to state the authority that gives Him the right to cleanse the Temple. He will give them the answer if they will answer His question: Did they believe John the Baptist’s authority was human or Godly. They refuse to answer for fear of the crowd. He will not answer them either. He then goes on to give them the answer. He tells them this story. “What do you think? A man had two sons. He said to one, ‘Go and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said, ‘I will not.’ But later, he changed his mind and went. The second son said. ‘I will go.’ But he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”  Read more

OLD TESTAMENT: Exodus 17:1-7 Literal Religion: Sees the historical past. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Spiritual Grace: Sees both the historical past and the spiritual present. (I Corinthians 10:4 they drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.) Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture again. “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Did you feel the Grace?  Read more

Read this scripture gracefully. It starts out, “the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning.” It is about the landowner, not the workers. It is about God and His Grace. Physically it may not seem to be fair. Spiritually grace is not “fair”. This is the way salvation is. The same wage is given unconditionally and inclusively to all.  Read more

OLD TESTAMENT: Exodus 16:2-15 Literal Religion: Understands “manna” as “physical”. Read this scripture literally for its religious meaning. “When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ for they did not know what it was.” Spiritual Grace: Understands that Jesus told them what it is: His Spirit. Now quietly move into God's Presence and read this scripture again. “When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ for they did not know what it was.” Did you feel the Grace?  Read more