Ash Wednesday 2019 “Marked with Death; Marked for Life”

Ash Wednesday

“Marked with Death; Marked for Life”

Text: Genesis 3:19; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21;

2 Corinthians 5:21; Joel 2:12-19

In the Name of the Father, and of the … Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I didn’t know what it meant, at first. I saw a big, beautiful tree marked with an ugly X. The tree, outwardly, looked healthy and strong. But inwardly it was not. To my untrained eyes, everything looked fine. But to the trained eye of the tree expert who had marked it, this tree was diseased and rotten. In fact, I was told, it was probably completely hollow on the inside, and near death. And if not cut down, it would soon fall down.

Today, that’s our story. We’ve been marked. Because while we may look good and healthy, even young and beautiful, on the outside, inwardly the truth is quite different. We are rotten with sin. We are dying. The words we heard today said that, too. Dust you are, and to dust you will return. But we could say it better. That makes it sound as if the returning is sometime off in the future. But the reality is that the returning is happening even now. Just like with that tree. The disease is doing its awful work now. Dust you are, and to dust you are returning. That’s more accurate. Each day that goes by, we dry up a little more. We are a little more dust. We are a little weaker, a little more rotten.

And that would be true even if we were not marked. Not everyone received ashes tonight, and we’ll all wash them off either tonight or tomorrow. But the rottenness of sin is the same and remains. And that is true no matter how good we try to make ourselves look on the outside; no matter how much we want others to think we’re not so diseased and rotten. Maybe if they can see how serious I am in spiritual matters. If they can see how much I give. If they can see my fervent prayers. Yet maybe it’s not only others we want to see and convince . . . maybe I am also trying to convince myself. And maybe, just maybe, God, too.

But such people Jesus calls hypocrites. It’s not wrong to do those things, just to do them to impress. That’s what makes one a hypocrite - a pretender, a deceiver. And while we may get the reward of others thinking well of us, that’s like me admiring the beauty of the diseased tree without knowing the reality that lies within. But the reality is still there. In us. And the expert, our Creator, knows it.

So instead of trying to practice our own righteousness before others - which really isn’t righteousness at all - better to receive a real righteousness, a real rightness, a real healing. Which is what we receive, St. Paul said, through Jesus. The one who knew no sin, but for our sake was made to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

You will receive that righteousness as you come forward here, tonight, again, and this time, instead of being marked as one diseased, you will receive the Body and Blood of the one who was cut down for your sin, and then raised from the dead. Raised for your righteousness. And you will receive Him because He marked you as His own when He baptized you and marked you with the sign of His cross. And it is that water that truly washes off the mark of our disease and heals us - not only in appearance, but from the inside out. That water gives the life of forgiveness to those who are returning to dust. A life then fed with His Body and Blood. Water, blood, and Spirit testifying to the One who has come with life, with life for all (LSB #597).

So we come here tonight to repent; to enter into this season of repentance; to acknowledge our sinful rottenness and our rotten sinfulness. And we’re marked. But more than that, we leave with much more than a mark - but with righteousness. A righteousness which isn’t ours, but is given to us. Because Jesus is given to us. The one who takes our sin and gives us Himself. The one who, as the prophet Joel said, is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. The one who, as we sang, comes to us with a love unknown. With love for the loveless, that we might lovely be (LSB #430).

So you’ve been marked: marked with death, but marked for life. And while in this world death has the last word, it will not always be so. For while this season of Lent will end with death on Good Friday, that death will itself be ended with life, with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. And that’s how your death will end as well. With life. Jesus’ life. Given to you.

So tonight is a solemn night, but not a somber one. We repent, yes, but are happy to do so. Because here is the forgiveness we need, here is the life we need, here is the righteousness we need. For here is the Jesus we need. And you the sinners He wants.

In the Name of the Father, and of the … Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Joyce A. Birk

June 14, 1935 - December 16, 2013

Joyce A. Birk  78, of Girard passed away Monday morning, December 16, 2013, at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL.

Joyce was born June 14, 1935, in Waverly, IL, a daughter of John and Faye (Crouse) Muckelston. Joyce married Charles W. Birk in February of 1954 in Waverly, Il and he passed away November of 1979.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, husband, 2 brothers, and 3 sisters. Joyce graduated from Waverly High School, class of 1935. Joyce was a homemaker as well as a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Girard, IL.

Surviving are her daughter, Joy (Coy) Robinson of Carlinville, IL; sons, Ron Birk of Carlinville, IL and Bill (Lori) Birk of Girard, IL, sister, Betty Megginson of Waverly, IL, and sister, Bernice Stewart of Waverly, IL and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral Information

Visitation will be held Thursday, December 19, 2013 from 9:00 am - 11:00 am at Davis-Anderson Funeral Home in Carlinville, IL
with funeral services to follow at 11:00AM. Rev. Keith GeRue, Officiating.

Burial will be in the Lutheran Cemetery Carlinville, IL

Reformation Sermon 2012

Reformation
“The Real Reformation”

Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36

October 27-28, 2012

In the Name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Today, we celebrate the Festival of the Reformation, which, when you think about it, is a festival that celebrates one man.

A man who was able to accomplish great things.

A man who didn’t care so much if he was politically correct or not.

A man who taught unlike the teachers who came before him.

A man who was single-minded and focused on his mission.

A man who was arrested for his teaching.

A man who was hated by many, and had even friends turn on him.

A man whose life still impacts you and me today.

And that man is Jesus Christ. 

Oh, I’m sorry! Did you think I was talking about Luther?

Don’t get me wrong! I thank God for Luther, and what God was able to accomplish through him. And he was certainly a central figure in the Reformation. But it’s not about him.

What Luther did (as one preacher put it) was “sweep the cobwebs off the crucifix,” and once again proclaim Christ and Him crucified. He restored the Gospel to its rightful place in the Church’s proclamation.

Because sometimes, as hard as it is to believe (!), the Church gets off track. And we need to get called back to why we’re here, and what we’re to be about. Christ and Him crucified.

 And so the Reformation is about an historical event, yes – but not the one that happened over 500 years ago, but the one that happened some 2,000 years ago. Not at Wittenberg, but on Calvary.

The nails pounded through the 95 Theses and into the wooden doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg were important. But the nails pounded through the flesh and bone of Jesus and into the wood of the cross, even more so. For it is through the cross where true reformation takes place. The reformation of the heart, as the Spirit sent by Jesus turns us sinners into saints, and re-forms us into the image of Christ.

And just as the people in Jeremiah’s day, and the people in Jesus’ day, and the people in Luther’s day, we need re-forming. Because sin is constantly de-forming us. Because we are constantly being con-formed to the ways of the world, and in-formed by what is not truth. And so we always need re-forming. By the Word of God. As individuals, and as a church.

Modernism, individualism, secularism, pietism, rationalism, popularism, institutionalism, and all kinds of other “–isms” seduce us away from Christ crucified, and to put our trust and our hearts in something else. Perhaps even Lutheran-ism, if we become like the Jews in Jesus’ day, and think: “We are offspring of Luther and have never been enslaved to anyone . . .”

Now again, don’t get me wrong! I thank God for Luther, and I am proud to belong to the confession of faith that is called Lutheran.

But it’s time that we asked a very Lutheran question about being Lutheran: What does this mean?

Does being Lutheran mean following Luther?

           Does being Lutheran mean not being Roman Catholic? Sadly, that is what many think.

But rather, I think, to be Lutheran simply means this: to be sinners re-formed by Christ crucified. Not re-formed by me, or what I am able to do in my life. Not re-formed by my own reason or strength. (Explanation of the 3^rd Article of the Apostles Creed) And not re-formed by what I feel in my heart. But re-formed by Christ crucified.

And so to be Lutheran means that the cross is not just an historical moment in time, but a present reality. Re-forming us, re-forming His Church, even today. It means that Holy Baptism is not what we do, but is a washing away of sin because through the water and the Word, we are joined to Christ crucified. (Romans 6) It means that the preaching of the Gospel is not just information, or instruction, or how to live a better life, but is the power of God (Romans 1:16) because it writes Christ crucified on our hearts. (OT reading from Jeremiah 31) It means that Holy Communion is not just a meal, but is the body and blood of Christ crucified, given to us to eat and to drink, to give us His forgiveness, life, and salvation.

And if we are joined with Christ in His crucifixion, then we are also raised with Christ Re-formed into His image. To live a new life. That we be no longer de-formed by sin, con-formed to the world, or in-formed by what is not truth – but re-formed into Christ. Christ crucified.

And so to be Lutheran also means taking Christ crucified into the world. Wherever God has placed you, whatever you have been given to do, surrounded by whomever. To live, as Jesus said, as one set free by the Son. (John 8) Perfectly free. Which means that we are at one and the same time perfectly free in faith and so subject to none, and perfectly free in love and so subject to all. (Luther, On the Freedom of a Christian) Using our freedom not as license, but in love. Serving, giving, forgiving. Laying down our lives, just as Christ has done for us.

Many do not want such a life, or such a God. Preferring a God who is instead strong and mighty, not weak and crucified. And preferring a life for us the same. The fiction Satan would have us believe is that those are opposites. That you cannot be both strong and weak, both mighty and crucified. And so you must choose. But the truth that Christ crucified shows us is that these are not opposites! And that God was never as strong as He was on the cross. That His power is made perfect is weakness. That the Almighty God became the Son of Man, because I am a son of man. He took flesh because I am flesh. Born under the Law because I am under the Law. (Galatians 4) And bore my sin on the cross. Dying, that I might live. Captive, to set me free.

 

To be Lutheran means that I cannot live without this Christ. Christ crucified. I cannot truly live here and now, and I cannot live eternally. Life apart from Christ here and now is but an imitation life. Earth can never be Paradise. But Christ crucified, Christ arisen, and Christ ascended means that I too have arisen and ascended. Not in the future, but already now. That I am forgiven, now. Reconciled to God, now. At peace, now.

And no terrorists, governments, rulers, disappointments, unfulfilled dreams, economic ruin, grief, or sickness can take that away! Or as Luther put it: “And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife, though these all be gone, Our victory has been won; The Kingdom ours remaineth.” (LW #298 v.4)

Have we gotten off message? Too concerned with sound bites, popularity, and growth? As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, I guess. We always need re-forming. We always need Christ crucified. Not once, but always.

And so in the end, we are Lutherans for the same reason we are Christians: by grace through faith in Christ crucified. The Reformation is all about one man. Thanks be to God!

In the Name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon for Trinity 20 October 20-21, 2012

Trinity 20        Matthew 22:1-14                    October 20-21, 2012

In the Name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The servants are sent out into the streets to invite as many as they find, the good and the bad. No respect is paid to rank, class, or privilege. Everyone, apart from works or genealogy, gets the same invitation. In a world with no free lunches the offer of an endless banquet in paradise seems too good to be true. But it is true. All things have been paid for, all things necessary have been sacrificed. The lamb, the wine, the best parts are on the table. It is prepared for you: no cost, no price. It is pure gift.

But many reject the invitation. Some are actually hardcore rebels. They know the invitation is from the King, but they don’t care. They hate the King. They want to rule themselves. They embrace Hell with affection. But most simply don’t believe the invitation is valid, that it actually is from the King, or even that there is a King. They have lived in delusion for so long that it has become comfortable. They are afraid of change, afraid to risk anything, afraid to come out of the darkness and be exposed. They don’t want to be noticed. They want to hide, keep their blemishes secret and pretend they are better than they are. Despite their blabbering they don’t have enough intellectual honesty to face the Word of God.

That is because the Word of God is a threat - to us all. For the Word of God wields the Law of God. It changes things. It kills and it makes alive. It threatens to break their hearts and change their minds. What they have always thought is wrong. What is comfortable, what makes sense, what they know from experience and reason, is wrong. What they think about God, what they think about man, what they expect from life - is all wrong. And that is pretty scary. God beckons them to a position of weakness and vulnerability, of faith in things that they cannot see. But what they can see, a man hanging on a cross, his followers persecuted and martyred, poverty and hunger, they do not like. So they scurry back to the darkness, back to the cold embrace of the devil in ignorance. They think they made the wise choice and in a sense they did. But the wisdom of men is folly and the foolishness of the cross is the only true Wisdom.

Thanks be to God, that a few are so desperate, so lonely, so tired, so hurt that they come despite the foolishness. They are the meek. But they inherit a kingdom. They are brought into the wedding hall, clothed with righteousness, and embraced as long-lost children. They are home at last. The loneliness and heartbreak, the weariness and fear, the frustration and pain of their time in the kingdoms of men is removed. They have been found and restored, forgiven and cleansed, filled with joy.

My friends, repent. Repent before it is too late. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Hear His Word and your soul shall live. Be meek. Let His Word have its way with you. Stop trying to match the Word with your ideas and doctrines, apologizing for the stern, jealous God of Abraham and rest in the sure mercies of David. Let God speak for Himself. For His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways. But His Word is Truth. It does not lie. It is not evil. It is good. It will accomplish that for which it was sent. Let it break your heart and change your mind. Let it expose you, make you weak and vulnerable. Be desperate for this joy. Be lonely outside of this fellowship. Be tired enough, weary enough, hurt enough to give up. For then you will be strong. In defeat you will find victory, in hunger satisfaction.

That is the way of the cross, the way Our God endured to make us His. It is a way, not an end. We have not yet arrived. We still have things to learn and things to suffer. The Word is still working on us, still breaking and changing us. We learn humility and faith in the exposure of our errors, our sin, and in His immeasurable Grace. The Word made Flesh covers us. Even as it breaks, it binds. It restores and refreshes us. The Father Himself loves you. He loves you individually, specifically, personally. He has sent His only Begotten Son to suffer, die, and rise again in your place. His Spirit has been planted in you through water and Word. You are His Temple. He feeds you with His Body and Blood, which you did not earn and could not buy. You are the Tabernacle, the place where He abides. He speaks to you in the Holy Absolution and you are forgiven, holy, righteous. Even now, He is guiding you home to the place where you belong through His Word.

You are a citizen of His Kingdom by virtue of the invitation. It doesn’t matter if you were good or bad. You are His. He has bought you. That is what matters. What you are supplants what you were. But you are still in a foreign land, traveling, eager to return home for your Prince’s wedding banquet. There is temptation along the way. The many beckon to you from their dark doorways like the sirens of Ulysses to destruction. Some have been seduced into depravation. They have shed the garment of righteousness and gone back into the darkness. Be warned. Be vigilant in prayer. Forsake the ways of men. Hold fast to the ways of God. For God has placed way stations like this along the way for you, places of His presence, of His Word and Sacrament, of His regenerating love; places for you to be re-broken and rebound, to be recast and recovered, to be reconnected with the saints who have gone before you, and forgiven again. God is here for you. You are in the right place.

And still, there is one more surprise of Grace. For when at last you arrive at the wedding hall you will find that you are not merely a guest, an honored niece or nephew, even a brother of the Bridegroom. You are the very Bride, the one for whom He did it all, the one He loves.

In the Name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Daily readings for October 21-27, 2012

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

32946 Route 4

Girard, IL 62640

Pastor Keith GeRue

Office: (217) 965 – 4816

Cell: (217) 725 – 8137

“Tender Evangelical Loving Care

http://www.tlcgirard.org

The Twentieth  Sunday After Trinity October 13–14, 2012

Saturday, October 20, 2012                         Worship Service 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 21, 2012        Sunday School & Bible Class 9:00 a.m.

Sunday, October 21, 2012                          Worship Service 10:00 a.m.

Greeting

P: Christ is with us.

C:                              He is and ever will be!

SUNDAY’S DIVINE SERVICE—COME TO THE FEAST

The Holy Spirit sounds forth the Gospel call: “See, I have prepared my dinner …Come to the wedding” (Matt 22:1–14). But many reject this invitation in favor of worldly pursuits. And so the call goes out to others, both the good and the bad. For the wedding invitation is not based on the qualifications of those invited but on the basis of the merits and work of Christ. The feast is free: “You who have no money, come, buy and eat … Let your soul delight itself in abundance” (Is 55:1–9). Those rejecting the Spirit’s work shall experience God’s wrath and judgment. Those who are not clothed in Christ’s righteousness shall be cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let us therefore seek the Lord while He may be found, for He will have mercy upon us. Let us redeem the time, being filled with the Spirit, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 5:15– 21). — Lutheran Service Book Notes

WE GATHER TO HEAR GOD'S WORD—“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23). Each week the faithful gather to receive the Word of their Lord. Ongoing catechesis— passing on the Lord's Word by which faith lives—is the way of life for all the baptized.

LWML

·         October is LWML Month

·         During October our LWML will have a door collection for mites.

Coffee Break Bible Study

Coffee Break Bible Study meets on Sunday mornings at 9:00 for a lively discussion. Today, we are studying, “Lutheranism 101.”

Guest Register in the Narthex. All guests are asked to please sign this register either before or after the service.

Copies of Sermons are on the back table for your reference and study.

Copies of Sermons are on the back table for your reference and study.

Please Pray For: Rev. Richard Bremer, Sean Greer, Marge Greene, Elena Howarth, Emily Rodenbeck, Phyllis McElroy, Dorothy Robison, George Van Huss, Crystal Ray, Ruth Hedrick, Walt Hedrick, Erna Van Winkle, Mary Kay Schmidt, Dorothy Schroll, Kathy Schmidt, John Haynes, Bill Uchtman, Colin Starks, George Shepherd, and Katie Ketchum.

Military: Please keep in your prayers all Military persons.

Hospitalizations: Please notify Pastor GeRue about any sickness or hospitalizations.

Happy Birthday This Week: Kaleb Sisson, Karen DeFevers

Happy Anniversary: William & Tracy Beichler

Guests and the Lord’s Supper: If you desire to commune, please speak to Pastor GeRue before the service. Our altar is open to those who confess oneness with us in doctrine, are members of our congregation or sister congregations of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and are not under church discipline in another congregation. In Christ, Pastor GeRue.

LUTHERAN HOUR "You've Got To Be Kidding"
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour: Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus
Christians respond to God's grace by putting Jesus first in their lives. But do they? (Mark 10:23-31)

WLUJ              Springfield, IL    89.7 FM                  Sunday 3:00 pm

WLLM             Lincoln, IL          1370 AM Sunday 7:00 am & 7:00 pm
WSMI              Litchfield            1540 AM                Sunday 9:30 pm

Lutherans for Life – www.lutheransforlife.org

         Life Thought: “I can’t afford a baby right now” can be a very real and heartfelt cry for someone in a crisis pregnancy. But, used as an excuse for abortion, it becomes idolatry. The Bible never condemns wealth, but loving and trusting it more than God is “a grievous evil I have seen under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 5:13a). He who afflicted His Son on our behalf, will not abandon us in our afflictions.
        Life Quote: “God created human life. He, therefore, gets to set the rules. And no matter how many times man redefines human life, God’s truth doesn’t change. The Bible should be the foundation for our thinking in every area.” Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, Answers in Genesis – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life

Readings for the Week of 18th Sunday after Trinity

Oct 21           Jeremiah 37:1-38:28, 1 Timothy 6:1-21, Psalms 89:38-52

Oct 22        Jeremiah 39:1-41:18, 2 Timothy 1:1-18, Psalms 90:1-91:16

Oct 23          Jeremiah 42:1-44:23, 2 Timothy 2:1-21, Psalms 92:1-93:5

Oct 24        Jeremiah 44:24-47:7, 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17, Psalms 94:1-23

Oct 25        Jeremiah 48:1-49:22, 2 Timothy 4:1-22, Psalms 95:1-96:13

Oct 26                Jeremiah 49:23-50:46, Titus 1:1-16, Psalms 97:1-98:9

Oct 27                                                        Looking Forward to Sunday:

                             Isaiah 55:1–9, Ephesians 5:15–21, Matthew 22:1–14

CALENDAR

Saturday, October 20         5:30 pm                                 Divine Service

Sunday, October 21           9:00 am                                       Bible Class

                                          10:00 am                               Divine Service

Monday, October 15          7:00 pm                                Elder’s Meeting

Wednesday, October 24    5:30 pm                                   Confirmation

                                          7:30 pm                                                   AA

Friday, October 26                                                   Pastor’s Family Day

                                          6:00 pm                    LuHigh Dinner Theater

Saturday, October 27         5:30 pm                                 Divine Service

                                          6:00 pm                    LuHigh Dinner Theater

                                                     

Hayride, Bonfire and hot dog roast

On Sunday, October 28^th, we will have a Bonfire, Hot Dog Roast, Hay Ride, and more.

Where: David and Debbi Ray Farm, 12958 Leadline  Road,  Auburn,

When: October 28, 4:00pm – whenever

Bring: yourself, your family and friends and a dish to pass.

NEXT WEEKS LESSONS:

REFORMATION

Revelation 14:6–7, Romans 3:19–28,

John 8:31–36, Matthew 11:12–19

The Son of God Has Set Us Free from Sin and Death by His Grace

“Wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Matthew 11:19), and the true Wisdom of God, Christ Jesus the incarnate Son, justifies us by His deeds. He prepares His way by the preaching of repentance, but He has suffered the violence of the Law and voluntarily handed Himself over to violent men, that we might eat and drink with Him in His Kingdom and “remain in the house forever” (John 8:35).  For He is “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19), and He has rescued us by His grace from the slavery of sin and death. By the proclamation of His eternal Gospel “to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (Revelation 14:6), “the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law” (Romans 3:21), “that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). And by hearing the Gospel of Christ Jesus, “whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:25), “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).

Shipp Endowment

There will be a meeting with investors on Tuesday, November 27 at 6:30 pm to discuss investing the Shipp Funds. Please come and join us.

Sermon October 13-14, 2012

Mark 9:38-50

October 13-14, 2012

Trinity 19

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

This ought to send chills down your spine. This is the prophet Isaiah’s description of Hell quoted by Jesus. Hell is not make-believe. Nor is it reserved solely for blatantly evil people, like Bin Laden and Hitler. It is the place for sinners, the just reward for their works. The place where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. It is the place, O Sinner, for you! For your hand, and your foot, and your eye, all cause you to sin, and worse - your mind, your personality, your heart! If you have never before imagined the possibility that you are not one of the elect, imagine it now - before it is too late.

Repent. Stop lying. Cease your vain posturing and pretending, your foolish boasting. God is not fooled. Do you really think He is so impressed with your knowledge, with your mature faith, with your anti-Pietism, that He’ll wink at your sins? This is no joke. Why do you care so for the opinions of men? Why do you strive to impress them? Perhaps you should consider the merits of being without hands, without feet, without eyes for a while, instead of so quickly finding a loophole around Jesus’ words. Sin is your biggest problem. It causes your frustration, your depression, and your anger. Stop naively daydreaming about receiving the praises of the masses and being honorably, though filthy, rich. What you deserve is the place where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Admit it. Confess it. Repent. Woe to us.

And here, O Sinner, and only here, find rest: in the Cup of refreshment received in Jesus’ Name, for Jesus’ sake, at Jesus’ Word, and, indeed, from Jesus’ Hand. Cut off the hands, the feet, the eyes that cause you to sin -from the inside out. Circumcise your heart. Be emptied of yourself and your selfish ambitions. Know only Jesus. Be only Christian, nothing else. Be filled with His Blood which makes all things new. You are His because He says so. He said so in the waters of Holy Baptism. There He gave you a Name, His Name. By nothing less than Divine Intervention, you are His little one, His own precious child, helpless and weak, but adored by Him who has bought you.

This is the meaning of the word, “Holy.” It does not simply mean “without sin.” It means “belongs to God.” Thus we speak of Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, the Holy Church, Holy Matrimony, the Holy Office, and so forth, because those things have been instituted and belong to God. They are His. And in those things you too are Holy. In those things you are His. Woe to him who causes you to sin. You are God’s own and no one dare tempt you. By Grace, for Jesus’ sake, you enjoy the constant attention and devotion of Him who died for you, who prays for you, who defends you. And you also receive the providence, protection, and care of His Father, the empowering love of the Holy Spirit, and the service of an army of angels. You are His. He has forgotten your sins. You cannot lose. Come, and drink from the Cup offered in Christ’s Name for you belong to Him. The worm is dead, the fire quenched, in Jesus’ side. You are His.

In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.