Fr. Paul's Meditations for Church Year C

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 4:16 - Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace. Legalism is nothing at all, but you can break your neck in it! Think Legalism: Sees the outward results of destruction. Feel Grace: Feels the inward cause of destruction that comes when out of God’s Presence.  Read more

In today’s Scripture, Jesus tells us not to “be afraid for God has given us His Kingdom”, which is His Presence within us. We are told to sell all our possessions. Literally, we think of selling the material things we possess. Let us get beyond the literal thinking of material things to the things we possess spiritually. They are much more significant.  Read more

Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 4:13 It was not through the law but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 99% of legalists give the rest a bad name! Think Legalism: Not to raise up is physical. Feel Grace: Not to raise up is spiritual.  Read more

Today’s lesson is an excellent illustration of Jesus' way of grace. The teaching is to know the difference being in or out of His Presence can make. Here are two brothers who are out of the Presence. They have become angry, greedy and bitter. Why did Jesus not give fair judgment to the two brothers? The answer was to either change the inheritance or not change it. Regardless of which was chosen, one would be happy and the other would remain a bitter, angry victim the rest of their life. So why did he answer the way he did?  Read more

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 4:13 It was not through the law but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 99% of legalists give the rest a bad name! Think Legalism: Not to raise up is physical. Feel Grace: Not to raise up is spiritual.  Read more

There is a difference between prayer and praying. His disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” He said, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name.” Legalism teaches us to pray the Lord’s prayer to get into God’s Presence. Grace teaches “to pray” means to get into the Presence of God before praying. Praying for Jesus was to be in God’s Presence first. Legalistic preaching admits nothing, denies everything and makes counter-accusations because ranting gets raves.  Read more

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 3:28 - For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. When you stop believing in Grace is when you start getting the Law for Christians! Think Legalism: “speak” is audible. Feel Grace: “speak” is felt.  Read more

This the well known story of Jesus visit to the sisters, Martha and Mary. Mary sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. Martha complained to Jesus to tell Mary to come in and help her. Well it was not exactly like that. She had to get her guilt trip in on Him as well. "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." Legalism looks at what Martha was griping about. Grace looks not about what Martha said but how she said it. The difference between legalism and grace is that legalism has to make sense!   Read more

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 3:27 Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just legalists. Think Legalism: “To show” is to be seen. Feel Grace: “To show” is to be felt.  Read more

The story of the Good Samaritan is one of those parables that create a distraction. We go down the road most traveled because everyone else has done the same. We miss the road less traveled because we do not have the directions of grace. In this section of scripture, the question, answer and parable of Jesus are the most misunderstood and ignored lesson in the entire Bible by most Christians. The question is not: “Who is my neighbor?” The question is: “Who will inherit eternal life?”  Read more