The Drawing of the Dove is a Symbol of Christ and His Baptism to bring us to His Life. And also of Noah and seeking Life.
I went on a walk on two separate nights and saw a huge bird in the clouds. Both birds had a clearly defined beak and both had angular wings. The walk was about 4 days apart due to storms. Both sunsets were particularly vibrant. I was the one who took the pictures and was astonished at the similarity.
Nahum 1:3
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Is this comforting? Yes. God desires to save the world. God has a large God sized task. And God is always finding a way to bring life. Life Abundant.
1 Corinthians 7
14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband.
Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.
Yesterday we looked at Mary. Mary was very swept along in life. She is the only person in the Bible to decide to rescue God Himself. Charging in to bring Jesus home and away from trouble. This has probably, very probably earned a human being, who teaches us about the variables of living a life of faith and being unsure in some moments - the right to sit on the Right Hand of Jesus. And this still makes Mary very human. And very elevated by God.
Who else was swept up by Life? Paul.
Acts 27
27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.
The chapter is concise. A very truthful event is narrated. And in the narration of the truth is an analogy of passing from life to Life. Paul understands the direction he is going. And Paul has help along the way. Paul fully understands the end of his journey. And in the storm, Paul is calm. This is very fearful. God is in charge. The events unfold as Paul has explained in the Holy Spirit.
And Acts 27 does parallel something John the Disciple discovered.
1 John 2
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
John always writes of what he has been eyewitness to.
John 19:
35 The one who saw it has testified to this, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
John is telling us of Revelation 1. One Sunday John was sitting, having an ordinary Sunday. This would have been after 95 A.D., when Emperor Domition had exiled John to Patmos. Tertullian the secular historian records John's exile. John has not seen Jesus in about 63 years. John records falling to the ground in fear as his home melted away and suddenly he is with Jesus in His Kingdom. And our wonderful Jesus is very busy reassuring John his voyage is safely in the capable hands of Jesus.
Paul tells us in his voyage, he knew there would be no loss of life.
With confidence, we can put our faith in Jesus Christ.
Abba, our Abba,
I give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
Your name, Jesus Lord God, and Your Word.
On the day I called, You answered me;
my strength of soul You increased.
All the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of Your Mouth,
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You preserve my life;
You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Thank You, God!
You give us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Word of God is Power. Jesus tells us,
"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."
Father, we pray each day at our home for marvelous life and gratitude for the blessings You give us each day. We ask wisely as Catholics due every Sunday, to bless us with an easy departure in Jesus Christ - bringing us swiftly to Your Home. In Jesus we pray You are the Father who sees us coming Home from far away.
We welcome and bless You to dwell in us.
We will live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus is the Lord and God's only Son. Our Salvation. Jesus Christ. Thank you and Alleluia. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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