Monday, July 1, 2013
Paul’s Love for Israel
Dear Friends,
A reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans (9:1-15):
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all be blessed forever. Amen.
But it is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are of Israel are Israel, nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For this is the wording of the promise, “About this time I shall return and Sarah will have a son.” And not only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one husband, our father Isaac – before they had yet been born or had done anything, good or bad, in order that God’s elective plan might continue, not by works but by his call – she was told, “The older shall serve the younger.” As it is written: “I loved Jacob but hated Esau.”
What then are we to say? Is there injustice on the part of God? Of course not! For he says to Moses: “I will show mercy to whom I will, I will take pity on whom I will.”
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Today is Canada Day and all Canadians will celebrate today. Let us pray that the people of Canada come to serve Our Lord and Savior and follow Him every day.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“I love you My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters living in every part of the world. You know how Our Heavenly Father loved the Jewish people. He selected Abraham, a holy man, to begin this special nation. He sent them many prophets to teach them the truth about God, but many of these prophets were killed by the Jewish people. He sent Moses to lead this nation out of Egypt and bring them back to their own homeland. It is through Moses that they received the Ten Commandments of God. The Jewish Nation was prepared to receive Me, the Messiah, the Savior, but not all the Jews accepted Me. The leaders are the ones who rejected Me and put Me to death, but it was the occasion for Me to offer the sacrifice of My death to atone for all your sins. A good number of the Jews accepted Me, including My parents, the twelve Apostles and many others who followed Me.
“I call you to pray for the Jewish people that they will finally all accept Me as their Savior so they can be saved. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin