Reflection on Today's Gospel

 

Living Waters Featured Song     Image Options Change Image Reposition Remove Image FEATURED SONG Tell the Whole World      “The whole town was gathered at the door.”  – Mark 1:33 In today's Gospel, St. Peter’s secretary, St. Mark, recounts the scene at Peter’s house; yes, we see it through Peter’s own eyes. Like the rest of this Gospel, you can feel the excitement of the moment, the immediacy and truth of what the future Rock of the Church experienced that day. Jesus grasps the hand of Peter’s mother-in-law, not fearing the contagion, and lifts her to her feet healed from her fever. Her first impulse is not to preen or dwell on what happened to her – she wants to serve everybody else! a sure sign that the God Who is infinite, unselfish Love has touched her inner being, as well as her body. The whole town – every single person in that town, aimless and aching within, is drawn to this true Light shining so brightly, each taking the step toward Jesus needed for salvation. The whole town is not disappointed when they come. This is The Only One who can cast out the demon, who can fulfill the longing they all have. Isaiah said this Light would begin to shine in “Galilee of the Gentiles”. Behold, here It is! Peter is now well on the way to realizing who Jesus really is and why He has come, until that fateful day in Caesarea Philippi, when he will express the Apostolic Faith, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God”. Peter and the Apostles will spend the rest of their lives trying to bring the Ultimate Medicine, not just to “the whole town”, but to the whole world, to make Him accessible. Peter’s partner in Rome, St. Paul, says as much in today’s second reading, First Corinthians: “I have become all things to all, to save at least some.” Can you feel the Heart of Christ, aching to reach us in these words? And our predicament is evident. Can any human being read the words of Job in the first reading, and not know the quandary of which he speaks? We all know that experience: “I shall not see happiness again”. We are broken, broken in a way that no natural, Pelagian-style remedy can help. ‘Self-help’ cannot help this insoluble problem. Only God can help; we need a savior, no, we need THE Savior. How can we get to that house where the whole town is gathered and be healed?! The Psalm gives the answer! The Lord heals the brokenhearted. He is close to every human being through actual grace, BUT He has established the Kingdom of God on earth to come far closer for our healing in His Sacraments. This is the reason that He ordained His priests, Peter and the Apostles: so that when, in Confession, I reveal my brokenness to a human being, I am telling Him in person, laying my head on His Heart. So that I can receive Him within my very self in the Eucharist, the best healing. So that I can with total assurance know what is true, delivering my mind from confusion and evil influence. When He leaves Capernaum, Jesus is told, “Everybody is looking for You.” How true that is, whether each one knows it or not: “those who have not heard shall ponder it” (Isaiah 52:15). He is the answer. He Himself expresses an urgent zeal to spread His Light further: “For this purpose I have come.” His mission is not limited by His earthly Incarnation. He is not limited by merely physical healings, be they ever so abundant or amazing. Any miracle He, or His Church, does is a SIGN pointing to what He really wants. “I want YOU!” His Heart on fire wants to reach all through His one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, not just with a message, but to commune with each person in Sacrament, deliver them from evil, and heal their restless wandering. May this Wonderful Heart be known! AMETUR COR JESU! Loved be the Sacred Heart of Jesus! Light of the World by Living Waters on Spotify Tell the Whole World by Living Waters on Spotify Living Waters on Instagram

“Living Waters” on…“Living Witnesses”!

 “Living Waters” on…“Living Witnesses”!

Living Waters on Living Witnesses - link

https://www.reverbnation.com/playlist/view_playlist/3553822?page_object=artist_866715

9/4/15 As of now, Living Witnesses has moved to "Breadbox Media"!

Living Waters on Living Witnesses - Podcast

Mary Graham has been a friend of Living Waters in the past; she had played some of our music in the original incarnation of “Adoration Radio”.  She has since pioneered a new show on Real Live Radio, entitled, “Living Witnesses”. (It is a broadcast, but, also, podcast; you can go anytime & click on the link & listen to an episode at any time.) The focus of the show is to allow Catholics to recount faith stories & blessings in an easy, conversational way. (I had the privilege of using this service when I followed their “33 Days to Morning Glory” Consecration series.)

Well! Mary contacted me and asked me to be on the show, to share some of the faith stories which I had shared on our band blog. She called me on a Monday morning and we did the recording over the phone. I talked about my conversion experience as a teen, a couple of miracle stories, and how I got the song “Make Me Free”. I then told how I met Julia and how she encouraged me to send “Peter the Rock” to John Paul II. In the last section of the hour, we talked about my recent experience with “Do What He Tells You to Do”, and how it tied into my consecration and Matthew’s health issues. Finally, I remembered back to 1974 and how I got the song “Jesus”. The basic theme was the immense Mercy of God to a poor teen, and how Our Lady, given to us as a mother from the Cross, has been so merciful in leading me and mine to The Source of Mercy, changing my water into wine. It was a wonderful conversation, and Mary Graham made me feel very comfortable.

At the head of this article, I have a link to a playlist on ReverbNation of the four songs played during the show in the order they appeared, as well as a link to the show. EnJOY!

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!

Peter the Rock Bible Study

August 24, 2014 "Peter the Rock" Bible Study

In view of the Gospel for today, it's only right that Living Waters should rejoice in the great grace the song "Peter the Rock" has been for us. Of course, it was personally presented to John Paul II by Ambassador Raymond Flynn. Greg and Denise and I had recorded it at Jim's house, and Julia was the one who insisted we try to give it to John Paul. Also, Joyce Drahos had created that beautiful dance for the song that we performed in concert in the picture here.  We have posted it on this blog before, but I had never posted the Bible Study about it.  Long after I wrote the song, when I had become a teacher, it occurred to me that the lyrics are all Scripture drawn from all over the Bible. For instance, Our Lord was using imagery drawn from Isaiah 22 (the first reading today) in order to explain to Peter his role. Here is part of the handout I give my students. The place Jesus said these words was significant as well. There was a pagan shrine to the God Pan near the place he spoke where great evil was done in a cave called The Jaws of Hades, or the 'gates of Hell': a pretty good audio/visual He used for that lesson! Here is part of the handout for for your learning pleasure:

 “ P E T E R   T H E   R O C K ”

By Mark A. Lajoie

(Presented by Ambassador Flynn to, & blessed by John Paul II!)

Song Analysis & Bible Study

http://www.reverbnation.com/livingwaters/song/4634250-peter-rock-multi-track-wvocals (audio)

http://www.youtube.com/v/dlUXHI-URx0 (lyric video created by a friend)

                           A                                     G                              Em  A                      G-Em

1.          SIMON, ALL NIGHT THROUGH, ON THE MOUNTAIN, I PRAYED FOR YOU

            [Luke 6:12-13; Luke 22:32]

                            A                                         G                             Em  A                  G-Em

            AND I PRAYED FOR ALL WHO’LL COME TO KNOW & BELIEVE THE TRUTH

            [John 17:17-21]

                        Am                                                                                                      E7

            BUT HOW CAN THEY KNOW WHAT’S REALLY TRUE THROUGH THE TEST OF TIME?

            [John 15:26; 16:12-13]

                        Am                                                                                                      E

            I WILL CHOOSE FOR THEM TWELVE AND FROM THE TWELVE I WILL MAKE YOU MINE

            [All NT lists of Apostles begin w/Peter; his actions show final authority]

            PETER…

                                                A                                 D                                 A

CHORUS:       YOU ARE ROCK AND ON THIS ROCK MY CHURCH WILL GROW

                        [Matthew 16:18-19; cf. Isaiah 22:20-24, especially verse 22]

                                                F#m                                           D                   Bm                   E9-E

                        YOU’RE MY VOICE AND THROUGH YOUR MOUTH MY WORDS WILL FLOW

                        [Matthew 10:40; Luke 10:16]

                                                A                                 Dmaj7

                        WHEN ON EARTH YOU BIND AND LOOSE

                        [Matthew 16:19 again]

                                                A             Amaj7          F#m – F#m (F bass)

                        I’LL DO THE SAME IN HEAVEN TOO

                                    A            F#m              Bm           E                  D         A

                        AND ALL WHO LISTEN TO ME WILL LISTEN TO YOU

                        [Luke 10:16 again]

2.          SIMON, ALL NIGHT LONG, I PRAYED FOR YOU THAT YOU MIGHT BE STRONG [Lk. 22:22-32]

            FOR SATAN HAS WANTED TO SIFT YOU, TO TEMPT AND TEST YOU ALL

            BUT WHEN YOU GET UP AGAIN, GO TO YOUR BROTHERS AND STRENGTHEN THEM

            I WILL GIVE YOU HEAVEN’S KEYS TO TEND MY SHEEP, TO FEED MY LAMBS

            [Mt. 16:19 again]                                                                      [Jn. 21:15-19]

            PETER…(CHORUS)

3.         MY SHEEP AND MY LAMBS, I’VE PRAYED FOR YOU THAT YOU MIGHT BE ONE [Jn. 21]

            ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE IN HEART AND MIND IN THE SON [Eph 4:1-4; Phil 2:1-2]

            SO FLY TO THE ROCK FOR THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL! [Mt. 16:18-19]

            AND LISTEN AS I TALK THROUGH MY SHEPHERD WHOM I WILL NEVER FAIL

                                                                                                                        [Lk. 12:41-48]

            JOHN PAUL…(CHORUS)

John Paul the GREAT!

"John Paul the GREAT!"

www.reverbnation.com/play_now/5797863 for "Rock and Boat (Boat of Peter)"
www.reverbnation.com/play_now/4634250 for "Peter the Rock"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GovEYN2NtRc for a 'muvee' photo version of "Peter the Rock"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwLKACz1YZA for live concert dance video of "Peter the Rock"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayGb3rlsFQQ for raw concert video of "Rock and Boat..."

My wife and I have spent time the past two days watching the lead-up to the beatification ceremony for John Paul.  Seeing all the cuts of this master communicator with his depths of prayer humbled us deeply at how God's Mercy reached out to us all through him.  Several of us in the group have been touched pretty directly in several ways.  Jim and Danny's brother, the aptly named Peter, got to meet him several times up close.  Below we will mention the song, "Peter the Rock".  His effect on our music and ministry is probably incalculable.  His mission to "Open wide the doors to Christ!" was exactly what we - and the world - needs.

"The Great" is an 'unofficial' title but it comes unanimously and unbidden, an instance of that 'vox populi' which speaks as the voice of God.  (The other "Great" Popes were Leo who stared down Atilla, Gregory who gave us the Calendar and the Chant among many other things and Nicholas, whose missionary zeal changed the world.)  The Holy Spirit filled the future Benedict XVI when he called him "great" in that first speech and the crowd swelled and called for the immediate recognition of what God had wrought.  He was a providential comet streaking across the sky of the world, especially in his holiness even more than his ample natural gifts and his affect upon history.

This week, in honor of all this,I put out "Peter the Rock" as a free download on a special platform on FaceBook.  (There is an earlier post talking about that song and how John Paul accepted and blessed it.)  I would also point out "Rock and Boat (Boat of Peter)" which was also written partially as a reaction to the election of the Great Polish Pope.  St. John Bosco had a dream foreseeing a Council in the mid-20th century and a great storm buffeting the Boat of Peter, but that the Pope would firmly retie the Boat down in the midst of the storm.  There's no doubt in my mind that John Paul the Great was that Pope of the 20th century. (You can see on the blog an entry where I translated this song INto Latin using Google translate! 

"Navigatio est! Navigatio est! Navigatio est!
Est aeternum navigasse mari

Nauigamus! Nauigamus! Nauigamus!
Nauigamus in aeternum mari

Nauigamus! Nauigamus! Nauigamus! Nauigamus!")

I feel like we ARE sailing on the Eternal Sea on a Boat Christ built!! Let us celebrate this very special Divine Mercy Sunday!

Peace & Love & JOY,
Mark Lajoie!