November 23, 2014
Paul’s Life as Pattern
A reading from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 4, 9 – 21:
For as I see it, God has exhibited us apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and human beings alike. We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands. When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment.
I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore, I urge you, be imitators of me. For this reason I am sending you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord; he will remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach them everywhere in every church.
Some have become inflated with pride, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I shall ascertain not the talk of these inflated people but their power. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a gentle spirit?
I hope that the large sum of money for Our Blessed Mother will come in soon. I still have to pay some thousands of dollars before I will be able to receive the money. I hope to be able to pay this money Friday next week because I have to go to the court on that day. I hope many people will send me money before that date. If you could send the money via Paypal it would be very good. After I give them the money I owe them, then I should receive the money of Our Blessed Mother very soon. May the Lord bless you all.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“I call you My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters to accept My Apostles as your fathers. They are your fathers in the faith. I am the one who chose them and sent them all over the world to teach the truth to you all. You know they suffered much and all of them except Saint John are martyrs. They were all killed because of their faith in Me. Saint Paul in the above reading wrote about this saying that he is like a person sentenced to death for he has become a spectacle to the world. He is not held in honor but in disrepute. He suffered from hunger and he is poorly clad and he is roughly treated. He is homeless and he works hard with his own hands. However, he acts just like Me for when he is ridiculed, he blesses those people; he endures the persecution and when he is slandered, he responds gently. Indeed the Apostles have suffered just like I suffered when I was on earth and at the end I was nailed to the cross and died a horrible death. Yet at the end they entered heaven and they are great saints with us for eternity.
Pray to the Apostles that they may intercede for you. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin
P.S. It was sunny this morning but it became cloudy in the afternoon and we might get a little snow during the night.