Wednesday, November 20, 2013
The Faith of the Ancients
Dear Friends,
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (11:1-12):
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.
By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age – and Sarah herself was sterile – for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
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I thank the Lord for the nice day we had yesterday. It was sunny for a good part of the day and not too cold. Today it should be windy and I hope the sun will shine for at least part of the day.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“Be men and women of faith, My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters who have been baptized and have learned about Me. Look at the great ones of the past, how their great faith helped them in all they did. Look at Noah who built the ark after he believed with all his heart what the Father had told him. A great flood would come over the land and only those who were in the ark would be saved. By the ark he saved all his family, a pair of all the animals and the birds too. You know that in your day there are great men and women who had great faith and now they are saints in heaven. Think of Saint Theresa of Lisieux, of Padre Pio, of Saint Brother Andre of Montreal, of Saint Juan Diego of Mexico, of Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta and many, many more. These great people were full of faith and lived in great love of Me and today they are in heaven. Follow their examples every day of your life on earth and you will be blessed one day. I fill you all with My graces. I love you all.”
Father Melvin