+ In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.
There is an enormous emphasis on the word Comfort in the readings for this forthcoming Sunday. In our daily lives, the word Comfort and the word Comfort zone pops up a lot as well. We like to have comfort and this can mean material things and can also mean food.Those in despair, who are looking for comfort sadly also resort to drugs and alcohol.Then how often do we hear the term : ' so and so lives in the comfort zone' On the media we care constantly reminded how we can comfort ourselves with items we can order by using our Credit Cards.
And yet we find that the comforts of this world are not really the answer, they have nothing to do with our Eternal Salvation, let alone with Christ's commend that the Comforter, i.e. the Holy Ghost, will enable us to bear witness of Jesus and walk into all those good works that He has prepared for us to walk into. In the Epistle reading of today, which comes from Blessed St.Peter the Apostle, His First letter, chapter 4, beginning at the 4th verse. we are encouraged to give comfort to one another. In the Holy Gospel from St.John, chapter 15, beginning at verse 15, Jesus Himself promised the Comforter, from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father. If we freely except this gift, the Power of the Holy Spirit, then Jesus reminds us that our lives are never going to be the same, we will be persecuted because of our Faith in Christ Crucified.
We are once again given the opportunity to swap the comfort of this world with the comfort of the Holy Spirit, which will also exhalt me and you unto the same place where our Saviour Jesus Christ has gone before us. What more then could we ask for ?AMEN.
May I wish you all those you love and pray for a Blessed Sunday,
Yours in Christ,
Ed Bakker, Postulant - TAC New Zealand
