John 16: 7 & 12 and beyond in Today’s Catholic Reading have “Hidden Prophecies” of The Catholic Church and all who are grateful to have been led for 2,000 years by those “Ordained in The Order of Melchizedek”. He was the “King of Peace” who reigned in what would become Jerusalem, “the city of peace”. It was Melchizedek who gave Abraham the “peace” provided by receiving “bread and wine” at The First Catholic Communion, about 4,000 years ago. (Genesis 14:18-20)
In John 16:7, Jesus explained why He had to leave earth and ascend to Heaven: “But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, The Advocate will not come to you. But, if I go, I will send Him to you.”
Catholics are blessed! We realize that “The Advocate” may be seen by computer-using people as “The Downloading Verb of God”. For 2,000 years, He has guided Catholic priests, religious, and faithful. Collectively, “The Advocate” is The Catholic Church Who has “Advocated” for every person on earth to “Be Catholic!” and live by the Church-Creating Word of The Son of God Who sent “The Advocate” to us:
“And I say unto you, ‘Thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.'”
Today’s Reading from John 21:20-25 also gives us “The Mysterious ‘Concern'” about John, who was “the most beloved Disciple”. “When Peter saw him (John), he said to Jesus, ‘Lord what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow Me.‘”
Those blessed to “Be Catholic!” will “follow” Jesus most obediently. This “Hidden Prophecy” predicts a Catholic “concern” for the following 2,000 years: “the word spread among the brothers that that Disciple (John) would not die.” That “concern” would be considered in light of what Jesus said next: “But, Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just: ‘What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?'”
We realize that Jesus did not say: “That is no concern of yours.” Those who are “concerned” about knowing more about Jesus find that The First Pope’s “concern” to be one of the most fascinating “concerns” on earth!
Being confused about those “concerns” led many to justify inventing religious marketing plans of their own. By deciding that Melchizedek was Noah’s son, Shem, Luther began the latest wave of Protestantism by saying God did not have “concerns” about people tens and hundreds of thousands of years before The Flood! Later, Joseph Smith claimed that Melchizedek had endorsed his denomination.
We never want to be so distracted by “concerns” that we stop “Being Catholic!” May all be blessed to focus on This Word of Jesus about which there can be no “concerns”: “You follow Me.”!
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Today’s Simple Rhyme: “Catholics follow Jesus until our earthly end. / Others choose to wander off, and ‘go around the bend’.”
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