Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Discussion about the Origin of the Messiah
Dear Friends,
Please read the passage below from the Gospel of John 7:40-52.
Some in the crowd who heard these words said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
We had great weather during the last few days with sunshine the whole day and the temperature about the freezing point and sometimes above. The little snow we have is melting and everybody is looking forward to spring. Many people are writing to me to renew their subscription to Heaven‘s Voice, the Newsletter that comes out four times a year. It costs $12.00 if you live in Canada and $15.00 for those living outside of Canada. Many too are writing to add names to the Book of Remembrance. It costs $15.00 to add one person to the Book and I offer two Masses a week for a whole year for these people and there are rosaries and prayers said for them too.
(Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Redeemer given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words.)
“I am your Savior and I bless you all, including My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters living in every country of the world. One of the big questions that the Jews raised about Me is whether I was the Messiah (the Savior) as promised in the Old Testament. The Father had made it known to the Jews and it is written in the Old Testament that He would send the Messiah to save the people of the world. Now at times some of the Jews proclaimed that I was the Messiah but others rejected this for all kinds of silly reasons. Some said I was not the Messiah because I came from Galilee but they did not know that I was born in Bethlehem and that I belonged to King David‘s family. If they had inquired, they would have found the truth. The common people had no trouble accepting Me as the Messiah but the leaders and the chief priests with the Pharisees never accepted Me. Although they refused to believe in Me, I did the work I was called to do and, by dying on the cross, I redeemed you all. Now I call you all to believe in Me and to follow all that I have taught you, and you will indeed be in heaven one day. I love you all.”
Father Melvin