#stone builders rejected
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2024 APRIL 05 Easter Friday
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and He has given us light."
~ Psalms 118:1,22-24,26-27a
#Easter#Easter Friday#bible#verse#scripture#Psalms#psalm#give thanks#God#Lord#Jesus#Jesus Christ#Christ#God is good#mercy endures forever#stone builders rejected#became the cornerstone#done by the Lord#wonderful in our eyes#this is the day#the Lord has made#be glad and rejoice#Lord is God#given light
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Matthew 21:42 (EHV) -
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
#Matthew 21:42#Jesus#have you#never#read#Scriptures#stone#builders#rejected#cornerstone#Lord's#doing
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Unfortunately reading the translations from a slightly outdated haggadah has really explained why I became a massive fantasy nerd from a young age
#the other explanation is of course the 70s-tastic photo of my mom in her grad school dorm with a middle earth poster#me: the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone? this is high fantasy clearly#for more on this ask me m utilitycaster who has had a whole bottle of wine
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“Alchemical white cake (manna) is being held and offered.” - Timothy Hogan Temple at Abydos
#temple#white stone#white lotus#Timothy Hogan#the stone that the builders rejected#Alchemy#manna#om mani padme hum
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The current trend toward Christologies of identification are no improvement. We look, supposedly, for a Jesus who identifies with us, or with whom we can identify. That backfires, for example, when feminists find it impossible to identify with a male Jesus and start casting about for female divinities. But that is symptomatic of the difficulty with all Christologies of identification. We forget or ignore the fact that Jesus was one with whom no one identified in the end.
~Gerhard O. Forde, Theology is for Proclamation, 72.
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To any architects or masons out there I have a question out of curiosity.
So there's this popular Christian saying that goes "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." And I just want to ask how true is this when it comes to actual architecture and construction? Is it possible for a rejected stone to become a cornerstone? Or is this just a religious metaphor from the Bible?
#Curiosity#Architecture#Construction#Architects#Mason#The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone#Christian saying
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The Day the Lord has Made
(I got a notice from Word Press this morning that today marks the 12th anniversary of my registering with them. It’s been a great experience, with only a few minor glitches. My stats show a slow but steady increase from fewer than 10 readers in the beginning to close to 200 daily now. I knew from the start that my blog would not go viral, and that’s fine. I’m just happy to pick up new readers…
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#became the Cornerstone of our faith#binds all believers#Jesus was the stone the builders rejected#Jew and Gentile#note from Word Press#Psalm 118:22-24#The Day the Lord has Made
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Psalm 118:22
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
When Jesus walked on the earth, it was not the common people, but the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees that rejected Him- The ones who had studied the scriptures, who knew that Messiah was to come. They were unwilling to accept Jesus, the carpenter's Son. They rejected Him and conspired to kill Him. But nothing could thwart the plans of God. Jesus Christ died, and rose again and brought salvation to the whole world. Those who reject Him build their lives on sinking sand. Only those who build their lives on Christ, the true cornerstone of faith, will stand firm forever. And when the wind blows and the storms come, they will never be shaken or destroyed.
#bible verse#daily devotional#christian quotes#bible quotes#inspiration#daily devotion#christian quote#christian life#scripture#bible
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Acts 4:11-12 (AMP). “This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the [e]chief Cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”
Amen!🙏🕊🙌
#acts 4:11-12#bible#christian blog#god#belief in god#faith in god#jesus#belief in jesus#faith in jesus#salvation#jesus saves#encouragement#keep the faith#make him known#biblequotes#bible verses#bible truths
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Dreams of Hyacinth 35
First / Previous / Next
"The Nanites?" Eastern didn't even try to hide her surprise.
City nodded. "Just as they guide you, they guide us. One need not be a Builder or Royal to feel them. In areas - like the Reach - with a high concentration they can be felt by everyone."
"But... the anti-Nanite gas?"
"Did not go everywhere. Nicholas North, the Reach is a Starbase first and foremost. Did you think we don't have airtight doors?" City's eyes laughed. "Additionally, it was in our best interests that the AI usurpers thought they were more successful than they were. Once the Nanites learned of the gas... countermeasures were created. We're quite safe here, and even a canister of gas opened up in front of you would likely only make you feel ill for a day or two." City turned and gestured towards the Reach. "Come. You're home. Let me show you around."
Nick and Eastern allowed themselves to be lead around by Sound of the City as she gave a tour. It was odd. The place was so different, and yet very familiar.
You're remembering Melody's memories as well as all the previous Empresses that have been here.
Nick was so startled that he nearly tripped.
Careful now, Emperor. All the eyes of the Reach are on you.
"So, you called for our rescue?"
We did. The Builders of the Reach love their Empress and Emperor, and jumped at the suggestion to come and rescue you. They want their Emperor and Empress.
"Once again, what about Raaden?"
She's abandoned the Reach. Like Sound of the City said, she hasn't been back since she left with Melody on the initial attack of Sol. Even Melody came back once or twice to check up on things.
"What are these rites City mentioned?"
Being Emperor or Empress is more than just us giving you to give orders with the Voice. You're rulers. There's a whole suite of ceremonies and tasks you have to do. The people like them, they show them that you care, and some of them help insure continuity. Touching the addressing stone on the Gate is an important one. The physical touch enables direct transfer of your memories to us. It's how we can remember past Empresses. They paused their explanation. Raaden never did it. She used us. She wants to rule, she doesn't want to be Empress.
"That sounds like a distinction without a difference." Eastern chimed in. Nick was taken slightly aback at her addition. She was able to listen to the Nanites while Nick spoke to them.
It makes all the difference. The Nanites were getting unusually firm. Nick was surprised to hear them speak with such vehemence. An Empress is more than us helping them. An Empress works with their people. An Empress is loved and respected. An Empress doesn't just accumulate wealth and power! Raaden is not Empress.
Nick and Eastern blinked. That was the first time the Nanites said that. "Earlier, when we first... met, you stated that Raaden was empress, but we showed promise and you wouldn't stop us from trying to defeat her. Now you say that she's not Empress. What happened?"
There was a long pause. So much so that Sound of the City stopped her tour and turned to them. "What's wrong?"
"Sorry, we're talking with the Nanites while you were giving your tour. I'm afraid we haven't been very good guests."
It's our fault. We were about to tell them we we reject Raaden's title as Empress and we got a little emphatic.
City nodded. "It's understandable. Imagine going though all the effort to help pick a successor and they do nothing to help further the cause."
Eastern blinked. "You can hear the Nanites too?"
"They can direct conversation at me, yes. They tell me it was not always this way. Originally they would only speak to an Empress."
Times change. We must change with them. Instead of relying on a single Empress to assist with our goals, we ask that all the Builders lend a hand. In exchange, we grant them audience."
"What are the Nanites telling you?" City turns and looks curious.
"Mostly how we're in charge of their empire now and why." Nick is trying to look nonchalant. Eastern's glance tells City that he's failing.
"Mostly how Raaden isn't... being an Empress. She's just consolidating power in Sol and becoming rich. She's in charge, sure, but she isn't - according to the Nanites - being an Empress.
City's feathers ruffled. Their version of a nod. "That's mostly what they told us Builders too." City turned and continued on.
They walked through the Reach a little longer, Nick and Eastern marveling at the throngs of people. Little shops selling things, people chatting and laughing. It reminded Eastern of the Basement on Hyacinth, but larger, more lively.
"Here we are." Sound of the City spread her wings and gestured. Nick and Eastern looked where she was pointing. It was... an amphitheater? Hundreds and hundreds of seats, with steep steps, leading up to a throne made out of a material that looked like thick, spun glass. She turned and the feathers on the top of her head shook gently. "The Throne. Come. why don't you two have a seat?"
She bounded up the steps two at a time. Nick looked at Eastern. She looked at him, then up at the Throne. "I don't know hon. This is all new to me too. City seems ready to accept us as the real deal just like that, almost before the Nanites gave their consent too."
Nick turned and looked out at the Reach. "Did you see people looking at us? We were getting lots of sideways glances as we walked here."
Eastern put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. "Well, we are wearing some pretty royal looking uniforms, even if ours are green instead of Melody's blue. Also-" She pointed above Nick's head. He glanced up and very faintly, a crown of light glowed above his head. "You've got the trappings of Royalty. People aren't stupid Nick. Come on, let's see the Throne."
Casting one last look back at the market, Nick followed Eastern up the stairs. Just what had they gotten themselves into?
At the top, Sound of The City waited for them excitedly. "Now, we're used to there being only an Empress, and the Nanites have granted both of you the power. We're not sure how the Throne will work now."
Eastern looked at it. Up close it still looked like it was made of green glass, and it still looked incredibly uncomfortable, but as she stared, she started to imagine how she and Nick could share the Throne. Hmm. Something itched at the back of her mind. Something just out of reach. Almost as if...
City squawked and jumped back a step as a tinkly rumbling noise started on the Throne. She watched as the Throne grew wider and spread up into the ceiling, it's tendrils branching and growing as enough connections for two were created, joining it to the Reach. "How did you do that?"
The spell broken, Eastern blinked and looked at City. "I'm... not sure. I just thought about what needed to change, and it... listened to me."
You'll find that in areas of high Nanite concentration, you'll be able to manipulate things directly. It was more common in the past. Empresses were able to create things from the matter around them. It's similar to how your wings and crown work.
"Shiny." Nick grinned. "Come on Eastern, let's have a seat." Taking her hand, Nick and Eastern sat down on the Throne at the same time.
Immediately, City noticed them stiffen, and as one their heads tipped back slightly, as if they were looking up at something interesting.
After a moment, Nick calls out, "City, can you hear me?"
His voice is coming from everywhere.
City looks at Nick. His eyes are closed and his mouth isn't moving. "Yes, I can Nick. You're connected to the Reach?"
"Yes, we are. It's... it's amazing. We can see everything."
"The Reach feels way more advanced than Hyacinth ever was. It's so automated. So many of these jobs I'm seeing here are jobs people do on Hyacinth."
City nods. "Before Empress Melody repaired us and got us back to full strength, they were jobs that were done by people here too.
"Hmm." Eastern says. "City, Has the Reach ever been used to build Gates?"
"Build Gates?" City is taken aback. "I do not know. It hasn't built a gate in the lifetime of anyone here."
Yes. The Reach can build Gates. We knew you were the correct choice, Nick and Eastern. We will show you how.
"Nick, I'm going to talk with the Nanites. I find it easier on the Throne. Why don't you go with City and check out the rest of the Reach and see if you can find a place for us to sleep."
Nick stood. As he did, he felt his awareness slide down from the whole of the Reach to his body. It was an odd sensation, though not that unpleasant. "Sure thing Eastern. You uh, going to be all right?"
Just for a moment, Eastern's eyes opened and she winked at Nick. Her voice still came from everywhere in the throne chamber. "I'll be fine. I've got... an idea. Something we can do to help Sel. I'll tell you more tonight."
Nick shrugged and looked at City. "It's fine. She gets secretive when she has a good idea." Nick gestured out. "City, will you show me more of the Reach?"
Sound of the City's feathers ruffled again and she led Nick out of the Throne. They spend the rest of the day touring the Reach. Despite himself, Nick flared his crown and made his wings just very slightly more prominent during the tour. Maybe it was because people on the Reach were so used to Builders, or maybe it was the concentration of Nanites there, but Nick felt more like himself for the first time since this whole thing started. As City walked him around and pointed out things, he'd get flashes of memory from the Nanites about them. Before too long, he had a decent idea about the main points of interest on Reach of the Might of Vzzx and City filled him in on who did what.
As someone who grew up on a planet, and then spent nearly a decade on Hyacinth, Nick was prepared to be disappointed by the Reach. It was thousands of years old, it felt like it was built to no plans at all, and it didn't even spin for gravity. Despite himself though, Nick found he was enjoying himself. Everyone he met on the Reach was interesting and took time to say hello. Of course, he knew that partly it was because he clearly was Royal, but still. Additionally...
"Is that a coffee stand?" Nick's eyes snapped to the tiny stand set among dozens of others on the promenade outside of what City said was the palace - which apparently was the hotel Royal Dawn, and before that was a palace again. He ran up to the stand and came across a human standing at a coffee stand fiddling at some complicated machinery. It didn't look like an espresso machine to Nick.
"You're running a coffee stand? Here? There's hardly any humans!" Nick looked around to confirm and sure enough, it was the person at the coffee stand and Nick. Everyone else was some other kind of sapient.
The coffee seller laughed. "Sure, but I sell other drinks too!" He gestured behind him. In addition to the espresso machine he had two other machines of varying complexity as well. "There's this tea the Aviens are wild about, but it has to be brewed under pressure. I don't know what they see in it honestly, it tastes like old sticks to me. They can't get enough of it, and I'm apparently one of the few people on this part of the Reach who was willing to get the equipment, so I do good business. The Mariens have a drink that they like that comes in a powder from... somewhere else on the Reach - I buy it from middlemen - that one is served cold. Anyway, I'm rambling. My name is Francis, nice to meet you, Emperor!" He bowed slightly.
Nick still hadn't gotten used to people bowing. "I'm Nick, nice to meet you too, Francis. Say, can you make me a flat white? I haven't had a real coffee in what feels like forever."
Francis' eyes lit up. "I'd love to! I hardly ever get to make coffee for anyone other than myself. I kept all the coffee equipment in case..." Here, Francis' face fell. "Well in case Melody or Raaden came back, but it's been fifteen years, they're not coming. I suppose I keep it going in their memory. Melody was a coffee fiend. I came too late to really meet her, I was onboard for her last visit but she was so busy then... Still! One flat white. I even have some real milk here. It's imported from Luna so you know it's good."
While Francis bustled around making coffee, Nick turned to Sound of the City. "It seems like everyone really liked Melody."
City turns away from Nick and looks out at the crowd. "We really loved her. She was so kind, so understanding. She really made an effort to learn about us, about the Reach." She turned back to look at Nick, her eyes piercing. "Empress Melody was something special. We are all lesser for her loss."
Francis slid over the steaming cup to Nick. "No charge, Emperor. Nice to meet you."
Nick took the cup and held it in both hands for a moment. He breathed in the steam, and enjoyed the aroma. With his eyes shut, he took a sip. Perfection. "Francis, I can tell you, with no exaggeration in my voice that this is the best coffee I've had in at least five years."
Francis grinned and bowed again. "I am so happy to hear that, Emperor. Please come back anytime."
Nick turned to City. "You said something about a Palace? Let's go see it. When Eastern disconnects, I think we have some things to discuss."
They walked away from the coffee stand, towards the Royal Dawn.
#humans are deathworlders#humans are space orcs#humans are space oddities#sci fi writing#writing#humans and aliens#jpitha#the k’laxiverse#The Dreams of Hyacinth
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Haven't you read this Scripture:
The stone that
the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This came about from
the LORD
and is wonderful in
our eyes?
Mark 12:10-11
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2024 APRIL 07 Divine Mercy Sunday
"Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever."
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it."
~ Psalms 118:2,22-24
#Sunday#Divine Mercy#bible#verse#scripture#Psalms#psalm#house of Israel#God#Lord#Jesus#Jesus Christ#Christ#mercy endures forever#stone builders rejected#cornerstone#done by the Lord#this is the day the Lord has made#be glad and rejoice
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After you fail
You and I will fail. It’s going to happen.
Whether we did it to ourselves. Or someone else is to blame. Or it just happens.
You and I will fail. It’s just part of being human. It’s nothing special.
But what do you do after you fail is what counts.
Because no matter how it happened, what we do after we fail is our moment.
We have the power to choose how we respond after we fail.
And there are a lot of ways to respond to failure. Some of them are worthless. And then …
There are certain Bible verses that, for whatever reason, just stick with you.
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
Jesus quotes this in today’s Gospel. For me, it’s one of those verses that sticks. It keeps coming back to me.
It’s part of Psalm 118 (a powerhouse Psalm, for times of trouble and for everyday). And it’s a go-to for me when I fail. Because it’s the reality check and it’s the plan.
The reality check? When we fail – and we will fail – we’re not done. Not as far as God is concerned.
If we let Him – if we trust God, if we let God lead – God will take us in our failure (even the most personal form of failure – rejection) and rebuild. That’s the point of a cornerstone – it’s the foundation that you build on.
And the plan? No matter how we fail. Or how many times we fail. God is still ready to rebuild.
With us as the foundation, the cornerstone for the good work that He wants to do in and through our lives.
The key to the whole thing is the second line, “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
God’s rebuilding is marvelous to behold. A life transformed by God is literally awe-inspiring.
The thing is, it’s got to be God’s doing. This isn’t something that you and I can do on our own. If we’re trying to rebuild after a failure by ourselves, it won’t be long before we find ourselves back where we started.
It’s got to be God’s rebuilding. Not our rebuilding.
That starts with trusting the rebuilding to God. And that can take some courage. Because it means letting God lead.
It means giving up our illusions of control.
In order to receive something better than we could ever imagine.
Today’s Readings
#Fail#Failure#Response#Choice#Rebuild#With God#God#Jesus#Catholic#Christian#Church#Moments Before Mass
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Star gate with the sound (Word) heiroglyph symbol above it. Temple of Horus at Edfu. Photo by Timothy Hogan
#star gate#logos#word of god#lost keys of freemasonry#early christianity#kabbalah#sufism#Sufi#the stone that the builders rejected#Sun#alchemy#fav#sacred geometry#sacred astronomy#Timothy Hogan#Egyptian mysticism
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21st April >> Fr. Martin's Homilies / Reflections on Today's Mass Readings (Inc. John 10:11-18) for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (B): ‘I am the good shepherd’,
Fourth Sunday of Easter (B)
Gospel (Except USA)
John 10:11-18
The good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.
Jesus said:
‘I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.
The hired man, since he is not the shepherd
and the sheep do not belong to him,
abandons the sheep and runs away
as soon as he sees a wolf coming,
and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep;
this is because he is only a hired man
and has no concern for the sheep.
‘I am the good shepherd;
I know my own
and my own know me,
just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father;
and I lay down my life for my sheep.
And there are other sheep I have
that are not of this fold,
and these I have to lead as well.
They too will listen to my voice,
and there will be only one flock,
and one shepherd.
‘The Father loves me,
because I lay down my life
in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me;
I lay it down of my own free will,
and as it is in my power to lay it down,
so it is in my power to take it up again;
and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’
Gospel (USA)
John 10:11–18
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
Homilies (5)
(i) Fourth Sunday of Easter
I am always fascinated by old stone walls. I find myself wondering what stories the stones would tell if they could speak. According to the gospels as Jesus was entering Jerusalem on a donkey his disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice. When his opponents called on Jesus to order his disciples to stop, Jesus replied, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out’. If only the stones in our old walls could shout out, what would they say to us about all they have seen?
Jesus was attentive to stones, as he was to so much in his surroundings. On one occasion, he quoted from today’s responsorial psalm, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone’. In the first reading Peter in his preaching quotes this very same verse. Jesus noticed that sometimes a stone which is rejected by builders as useless to their needs can become, in the hands of other builders, the most important stone of all, a corner stone. Jesus saw himself as the rejected stone. He was rejected in the most brutal way, put to death by crucifixion. Yet, God raised him from the dead and Jesus went on to become the corner stone of a new spiritual building, the church. To say that Jesus was like the rejected stone may suggest that he was completely passive at the time of his passion and death, the victim of other people’s cruelty. Yet, in today’s gospel reading Jesus speaks about his death in a very different way. He declares he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his flock. He goes on to say that he lays down his life of his own free will; no one takes his life from him. He freely decided to face into his death out of love for all humanity, like the shepherd who, in that culture, often willingly faced death to protect his sheep from wolves and human predators. God sent Jesus into the world to reveal God’s love for all. This was Jesus’ mission and he freely chose to remain faithful to this mission even when it became clear that it would cost him his life. Jesus recognized in the devotion of some shepherds to their sheep his own devotion to all of God’s people. Jesus showed by his life, and especially by his death, just how devoted in love God was to us all. That is why when we look upon Jesus on the cross, we don’t just see an innocent victim of other people’s cruelty and sin. Rather, we see the length and breadth of God’s love, a love that remains faithful to us, even in the face of sin, and that is capable of bringing new life out of death, not just for Jesus but for all those who believe in him.
In his letter to the Galatians Paul declares, ‘I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me’. Paul knew not only that Jesus gave himself out of love for all, but also that Jesus gave himself for each one of us personally. As I look upon the cross, I am looking upon the good shepherd who gave himself in love for me. Jesus’ love, revealed especially in his death on the cross, is personal to each one of us. That is why in the gospel reading Jesus says that, as a good shepherd, he knows his own. Jesus was aware that shepherds were very familiar with each sheep in their flock. If one went missing, he noticed it and went after it. Similarly, Jesus knows each one of us in a very personal way. Indeed, in the gospel reading, Jesus makes the extraordinary claim that he knows each of us as intimately as God the Father knows him and he knows his Father. Jesus and God the Father know each other intimately because of the depth of their love for each other. Jesus knows each of us intimately because of the depth of his love for us. We only know those we love, and, even then, our loved one can remain something of an enigma to us. Jesus, however, loves us with a perfect love, and, so he knows us fully.
In that reading, Jesus not only says that ‘I know my own’ but he also says, ‘my own know me’. However, in this life we do not know Jesus as fully as he knows us; we do not fully know God present in Jesus. That is because we do not love Jesus or God his Father as fully as God loves us through Jesus. The second reading assures that in eternal life, we will see God as God really is, we will know God and Jesus as they really are. That is because in eternal life, our love will have been purified. We will love God and his Son as fully as they love us. In the words of our second reading, we will be like God, as loving as God is loving. This is our ultimate destiny toward which we are journeying, with our good shepherd leading the way before us. On this Vocations Sunday, we remind ourselves that our primary vocation rooted in our baptism is to follow the lead of our good shepherd by listening to his voice.
And/Or
(ii) Fourth Sunday of Easter
Today is Vocations Sunday. In the past we tended to restrict the term ‘vocation’ to the priesthood and the religious life. Yet, everyone in the church has a vocation, and, today, we are invited to reflect a little on the different ways in which we have each been given a vocation. Each of us is called by God. We all find ourselves standing before the call of God. The theme that the Pope has chosen for this Vocation Sunday is ‘vocation to service’. Each one of us, in different ways, has been given the vocation to service. In his message for this Vocations Sunday the Pope reminds us that Jesus is the perfect model of the ‘servant’. He is the one who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. In the words of the gospel reading this morning, he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his flock. All that he received from God he gave to others, he gave for others. This is at the heart of our own vocation to service too. All that we have and all that we are we have received from God, and we are called to place what we have received at the service of others.
The Pope in his message for this Vocations Sunday states that service is possible for everyone, through gestures that seem small, but, which are, in reality, great, if they are animated by a sincere love. The ways in which we live out our vocation to service can often be small and hidden. We give something of ourselves in service to someone. What we give may seem insignificant – a listening ear, a word of encouragement, a small gesture of some kind, what the gospel calls in one place a ‘cup of cold water’. We don’t have to think of service in terms only of the big commitment, the huge undertaking, or the absorbing task. The excellent can easily become the enemy of the good. We can undervalue the ways we are already living out our vocation to service, because those ways seem so little, no more than the proverbial drop in the ocean. Yet, the drop in the ocean, or the cup of cold water, can be as precious in the Lord’s eyes as some undertaking that, from a human perspective, seems much more significant. So much of life is lived on the small stage, in the space between myself and one other person or a small number of other people. It is in that relatively small space that most of our vocation to service is to be lived. The way we live out our vocation to service in that space will not make headlines, and may never become known beyond a small circle. Yet, as the Pope says in his message, when interpersonal relationships are inspired by mutual service a new world is created.
The call to serve goes hand in hand with the call to receive the Lord’s service. It is in receiving the Lord’s service that we are enabled to live out our vocation to the service of others. We can find it difficult to receive the Lord’s service. Like Peter at the last supper we can resist the Lord’s efforts to serve us, ‘you will never wash my feet’. We can go along as if we were self-sufficient and not in need of the Lord’s service. Yet if our service is to be Christ-like it can only flow from allowing ourselves to be served by the Lord. He is the good shepherd who has laid down his life for us, and who goes on giving us the gift of himself. We need to keep on learning how to receive that gift of himself that he makes to us. One of the ways we receive the Lord’s gift of himself to us is by our celebration of the Eucharist. We come to Mass with open hearts to receive the Lord’s service, the Lord’s gift of himself. ‘This is my body. Take and eat’. In taking the Lord’s gift of himself, we allow ourselves to be served by him, and we are thereby enabled to live out our vocation to serve him as he has served us, to serve him in others as he has served us through others.
The call to service is not confined to a certain period in our lives. It does not belong to a certain age category. It is an enduring call throughout out lives. In the course of our lives, we are constantly discovering new ways of responding to that call. Many people discover new and exciting ways of responding to the Lord’s call to service in the latter half of life, or even the last quarter of their earthly lives. There is always a new step to be taken, no matter where we are on life’s journey. In the words of the second reading this morning, there will always be a tension between what we are already and what we are to be in the future, regardless of how young or old we are. We are already the children of God but in the future we shall we like God. We are called to keep on growing into the image of God, into the image and likeness of his Son. This is the call to become more and more the servant that the Lord was and is. There will always be new ways of living the vocation to service, no matter where we are on our life’s journey. We can help each other to live that vocation, by calling forth the service of each other, and receiving it when it is offered. We pray for the grace to recognize ways we might do this.
And/Or
(iii) Fourth Sunday of Easter
When several people are interviewed for a job, the one person who comes through the interview process and is given the job is not always the best candidate for the job. Interviewing is not an exact science. It can happen that one of those turned down for the job might have been the most suitable candidate. Even the most qualified interview panel only has limited vision. There can be more to some of the candidates than meets the eye. In the words of the first reading and responsorial psalm of today’s Mass, one of the rejected candidates may well have proven to be the corner stone, had he or she been given the chance.
Sometimes what we might be inclined to think little of can turn out to be very valuable. I occasionally watch the Antiques Road show on BBC, and I am always amused when someone discovers that something or other that had been lying around in the attic for years is revealed to be worth a fortune. The look of shock and amazement on people’s faces is a sight to behold. In the 1940s a shepherd boy stumbled into a series of caves above the level of the Dead Sea in Israel and discovered jars of scrolls which went back to the time of Jesus and before his time. The discovery of these scrolls has had enormous implications for our understanding of the world into which Jesus was born. These very ordinary caves that no one had paid any attention to for hundreds of years turned out to contain a very extraordinary treasure.
Real quality can often be found in unpromising places. The gospels suggest that Jesus had the capacity to see quality where others saw little of consequence. On one occasion, to take an example, he saw a poor widow put two small copper coins into the temple treasury. Most people would hardly have noticed this woman. However Jesus not only noticed her, but, he called over his disciples and drew their attention to her. Jesus pointed to her as the disciples’ teacher. Even though, in comparison to what the wealthy were giving, what she gave was tiny, Jesus singled her out as someone who, in reality, gave everything, all she had to live on. He saw her as a type of himself who was soon to give all he had on the cross. She was an image of the good shepherd in today’s gospel reading who lays down his life for the flock. Many people of the time would have dismissed her, as someone of little consequence. However, Jesus saw her as more of a corner stone than a stone to be rejected; he saw the real value in her that most others would have missed. In the gospel reading, Jesus, the good shepherd says of himself: ‘I know my own and my own know me’. The good shepherd sees more deeply than other people see.
Today is Vocations Sunday. What is our vocation as people who have been baptized into Christ and who are members of Christ’s body? One way of talking about our shared vocation is to say that we are called to see as Jesus sees. We could say that a Christian is someone whose calling is to see life as Jesus sees it, to see people as Jesus sees them. What distinguished Jesus’ was of seeing people was its generosity. He often saw more than others saw. Taking up the image of today’s first reading and psalm, where others saw a stone to be rejected or ignored, he saw a corner stone. Where others saw people of no significance, he saw them same people as having much to teach the rest of us. Whenever we see people with the Lord’s eyes and relate to them accordingly, we help them to become all that God wants them to be, like the cripple in today’s first reading who, through Peter’s presence to him, came to stand up perfectly healthy. The reverse is equally true. We can have a crippling effect on people when the stance we take towards them is lacking in generosity, is overly critical or dismissive. If are calling is to see life as the Lord sees it, then we have to become familiar with how the Lord sees it. We need to keep listening to the Lord’s word, to listen to the voice of the shepherd, in the words of this evening’s gospel reading. Our aspect of our shared baptismal vocation is to listen to the voice of the Shepherd, so that we can see with the eyes of the Shepherd.
Jesus’ generous way of seeing people was only a reflection of how God sees us. Saint John, in today’s second reading articulates how God sees us. ‘Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God’s children’, he says. God sees us as his children, as his sons and daughters, and, accordingly, as people with a wonderful destiny. Our destiny, according to that same reading, is to see God as God really is. That is as our ultimate vocation, to see God as God really is, and, thereby to become like God. Our vocation here and now is to see as Jesus sees, to see the signs of God in others – and in ourselves – even when those signs of God are not all that obvious.
And/Or
(iv) Fourth Sunday of Easter
When people go to Rome, one of the places they often visit is the Catacombs, the earliest Christian cemeteries in existence. The earliest Christian art is to be found in the catacombs. The images are very simple and unadorned compared to the Christian art that would emerge in later centuries. Yet the art is very striking just because of its simplicity and its directness. One of the images of Jesus that you find in the catacombs is that of the Good Shepherd. I have a print of the image of Jesus the Good Shepherd from the Catacomb of San Callistus. It consists of a young beardless man with a sheep draped around his shoulders holding a bucket of water in his right hand. Clearly the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd that we find in today’s gospel reading spoke to Christians from the earliest days of the church.
Perhaps one of the reasons why the image appealed to Christians from the very earliest years of the church is because it conveyed something of the personal nature of the relationship between Jesus and his followers. That image from the Catacombs conveys a sense of the close personal connection that the shepherd has with the sheep. The shepherd has gone looking for the one sheep that was wandered off and having found it is taking the sheep home on his shoulders back to the flock. There is a connection between the shepherd and this one sheep. That is what Jesus conveys in today’s gospel reading. He declares that he knows his own and his own know him, just as the Father knows him and he knows the Father. It is an extraordinary statement to make. Jesus is saying that the very personal relationship that he has with his heavenly Father is the model for the very personal relationship that he has with each one of us. Jesus knows us as intimately as the Father knows him, and he wants us to know him as intimately as he knows the Father. There is a great deal to ponder there. When it comes to the Lord we are not just one of a crowd, lost in a sea of faces. In a way that we will never fully understand, the Lord knows each one of us by name. He relates to us in a personal way and he invites us to relate to him in a personal way. He wishes to enter into a personal relationship with each one of us. I am often struck by a line in Saint Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia, where he says, ‘I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me’. We can each make our own those words of Saint Paul. When Jesus says in today’s gospel reading that, as the good shepherd, ‘I lay down my life for my sheep’, he is saying that he lays down his life for each one of us individually.
The Lord who knows us by name, who gave himself in love for each one of us, also calls us by name. Today is Vocations Sunday. The Lord has a calling that is personal to each one of us. He calls us in our uniqueness with our very particular temperament, our unique identity, the background that is specific to each one of us. No one of us is like anyone else. Parents know how distinct and unique each of their children is. They will all have been given the same love; they grow up in basically the same environment. Yet, from a very early age, their uniqueness becomes very evident. The family is a microcosm of the church as a whole. From the time of our baptism, we are each called to be the Lord’s disciples, to follow the good Shepherd. However, the way we do that will be unique to each one of us. The particular way in which the Lord works through us is unique to each one of us. I can do something for the Lord that only I can do. Each person in this church can do something for the Lord that only he or she can do. Each one of us has a unique contribution to make to the work of the Lord in the world, to the life of the church, and that contribution is just as important as anyone else’s contribution. We each have a unique vocation and each vocation is equally significant. Each one of us is vitally important to the Lord. When we each respond to our unique vocation, we give a lift to everyone else. When any one of us fails to respond to that vocation, we are all a little bit impoverished.
The first reading declares that the stone that was rejected by the builders proved to be the keystone. There is a clear reference there to Jesus himself, the rejected one. We can all feel at times like the rejected stone, for whatever reason. Yet, we are never rejected in the Lord’s eyes. He continues to call us in the way that is unique to us. He sees us as the keystone for some aspect of his work. He recognizes the potential for good that is within us all. On this Vocations Sunday we commit ourselves anew to hearing and responding to the call of the good shepherd.
And/Or
(v) Fourth Sunday of Easter
Although it is not possible at the moment, but when people go on pilgrimage to Rome, one of the places they often visit is the catacombs, the earliest Christian cemeteries in existence. The earliest Christian art is to be found there. The images are very simple and unadorned compared to the Christian art that would emerge in later centuries. Yet the art in the catacombs is very striking just because of its simplicity and its directness. One of the images of Jesus that you find in the catacombs is of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the earliest of which has been dated to the second century. Jesus is portrayed as a young beardless man with a sheep draped around his shoulders. Clearly the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd that we find in today’s gospel reading spoke to Christians from the earliest days of the church.
Perhaps one of the reasons why the image appealed to Christians from earliest times is because it conveyed something of the personal nature of the relationship between Jesus and his followers. That image from the catacombs conveys a sense of the close personal connection that the shepherd has with his individual sheep. The shepherd had gone looking for the one sheep that had wandered off and, having found it, is now taking the sheep on his shoulders back to the flock. It is that personal bond between himself and his individual followers that Jesus conveys in today’s gospel reading. He declares that he knows his own and his own know him, just as the Father knows him and he knows the Father. It is an extraordinary statement to make. Jesus is saying that the relationship that he has with each one of us is as intimate as the very personal relationship that he has with his heavenly Father. Jesus knows us as intimately as the Father knows him. When it comes to the Lord we are not just one of a crowd, lost in a sea of faces. In a way that we will never fully understand, the Lord knows each one of us by name. We only really know those we love. It is because the Lord loves each of us so completely that he knows each of us so fully. I am often struck by a line in Saint Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia, where he says, ‘I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me’. We can each make our own those words of Saint Paul. When Jesus speaks in today’s gospel reading as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, he is saying that in love he lays down his life for each one of us individually.
The Lord who gave himself in love for each one of us on the cross, and who, as risen Lord, continues to give himself in love to each of us daily, also calls each of us by name. Today is Vocations Sunday. The Lord has a calling that is personal to each one of us. He calls us in our uniqueness, in a way that takes account of our particular temperament, our unique identity, the background that is specific to each one of us. No one of us is like anyone else. Parents know how distinct and unique each of their children are. They will all have been given the same love; they grow up in basically the same environment. Yet, from a very early age, their uniqueness becomes very evident. That unique identity begins at conception and starts to be formed during the nine months the child is in their mother’s womb. The family is a microcosm of the church; it has been called the domestic church. Within the family of the church, the Lord’s call to follow him, the call of the good shepherd, begins while we are in the womb. The prophet Jeremiah heard the Lord say to him, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart’. The particular way the Lord calls us and works through us will be unique to each one of us. I can do something for the Lord that only I can do. Each one of us has a unique contribution to make to the work of the Lord in the church and in the world, and that contribution is just as important as anyone else’s contribution. We each have a unique vocation and each vocation is equally significant. When we each respond to our own unique vocation, we are supporting others in their response to the unique call of the good shepherd to them.
The first reading declares that the stone that was rejected by the builders proved to be the keystone. There is a clear reference there to Jesus himself. He was the rejected one who became the keystone of a new family, the church. There is a sense in which the Lord sees each of us as the keystone for some aspect of his mission. We are all key to the Lord’s work, and he calls each of us by name from the first moment of our conception to share in that work. On this Vocations Sunday we commit ourselves anew to hearing and responding to the call of the good shepherd.
Fr. Martin Hogan.
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Let me proposed you an idea
Crewel is a dog person, and his half-Fae daughter is big time animal person who liked to get dirty while restoring stuff and also can be prim and proper
Since TW universe have characters based on stories both new and old, imagine that Crewel Grandma and Grandpa is the Big Bad Wolf ( I think the Grandpa married in to the family and unique magic is based along of summoning monsters or beast + he's a wolf/dog beastmen ) and the Grandma is The Little Red ridding hood ( who's is the matriarch of the family and unique magic is go along with sounds + she's a human )
I liked to thing Crewle looked up at his grandmother alot because she is full of class and also can kick ass with her crop and also like to hear about his Grandpa old days when he was still living in ShaftLands or Land of Proxy
And his daughter enjoy to dressed similar as their great grandmother early to late 1940s clothes, since their archane magic is weak as hell but for some reason their mana is high energy even with their fae half it didn't bother them as what great-grandfather taught her how to summon beasts with a special whisle to help summon them
That leads to this scenario as they wear a nice sleeveless knee high black dress, black sunhat and their fur coat while having her dalmatian with her as it's a free day at her school to visit her father place of work, while doing so they see a gargoyle statue and admire the details and that how they meet Malleus and is very polite just talk to him like any other person and asked them if they know where her father classroom at
Because of that small gesture of kindness that is not from fear or in a high pedestal of respect, he gotten yandere and not knowing what to do and asked Lilia for help
“Aren’t they so intricate? It makes the school so much more charming than it already is.”
The horned individual turned to see you in white and mostly black looking at the gargoyle from behind your giant glasses
He noted your dated style and made a simple connection between your father and you
If this was the magically weak reader I can see them not knowing Malleus is a part of the group that rejected them
But since this is restoration reader I can see them just being really down to Earth
“You…appreciate the gargoyles, here?”
“Of course gothic architecture happens to be some of my favorite kinds to look at. And in my uh…line of work I restore stone pieces all the time.”
“Your work? Are you…a builder?”
“He-he I guess you could say that. I’m (Y/n).”
“Greetings…(Y/n)”
“Oh, by the way you’re a student right? Mind telling me where I can find your teacher: Crewel?”
He gave you directions reluctantly bidding you goodbye
From there he can’t stop thinking about you
Leading him to wander off more often, looking at the gargoyles in hopes of seeing you again
And he does but he finds himself unable to approach
Your presence was like a treasure that everyone was searching after
Usually making it hard to even get close to you
Of course he’ll go to Lilia
The ex-general should have some tips on competing with others for your attention
“Oya (Y/n)-chan is an easy person to get a hold of just text them.”
“Text?”
“Oh boy…”
When he finally does figure it out he’s been hit with a devastating bout of news
“You are leaving? Already?”
“Yeah, I get like one more day before I have to go back to my school. Princesses never sleep..I guess.”
So maybe against his better judgement he took Liliia’s advice and invited you for some tea
Tea that would keep you with him in your intense slumber
Unfortunately for him your princess school is quite adamant when they want you back
So he’ll finally have you resting in his bedroom about to place his lips on yours only for you to be enveloped by a puff a smoke and for you to be gone
You’ll wake up back in your dorm not even making the connection that the Prince of Thorns is behind your early slumber
It’d be crazy if the most op yandere was thwarted by simple circumstance
#yandere malleus x reader#yandere x reader#yandere x you#yanderexrea#lovelyyandereaddictionpoint#yandere twisted wonderland#yandere twst x reader#yandere twst#daddy crewel
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