Surprising Facts About Body Temperature

Body temperature is one of the four cardinal signs that can indicate that there’s something wrong going on inside our body. Being able to tell what a person’s body temperature is at any given time has saved countless lives throughout the years for being one of the first noticeable signs of infection.

Variation in our body temperature isn’t always a bad thing. Body temperature is part of the body’s system called homeostasis that keeps things relatively normal and balanced inside and out, so the body can keep functioning normally.

Body temperature is cause for alarm when it becomes too high. Temperature for adults and children should be somewhere between 97.8 degrees Fahrenheit (or 36.5 degrees in Celsius) and 99 degrees Fahrenheit (or 37.2 degrees in Celsius.)^[1]

Infants tend to be warmer, and their temperature is only cause for concern if it reaches higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees in Celsius) for infants younger than 3 months, and 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees in Celsius) for infants 3 to 12 months of age. ^[2] Fever is cause for concern if it causes unmanageable discomfort, hallucinations, or if it’s accompanied by another alarming symptom. It’s important to take infants to a health care facility if the fever is also accompanied by vomiting, wheezing, skin discoloration anywhere in their body, or strange-colored diarrhea. Taking note of how the discharge looks, how much was expelled, and the last time that the infant ate will also help health care practitioners determine the exact cause of the fever.

Body temperature is also alarming if it’s too low. For adults and children, 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees celsius) is too cold. Infants should be kept above 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 degrees Celsius.) Keep in mind that infants are more susceptible to dangerously low body temperature, also called hypothermia, and should be kept comfortably warm at all times. All that being said, there are other factors that could be altering your body temperature.

Surprising Facts About Body Temperature

1. Body Temperature Can Indicate All Kinds Of Things Besides Infection

It’s also a possible indication of a giant list of things, some of which you wouldn’t think might be associated – such as growing teeth, broken bones, poisoning, dehydration, and pain.

2. What you eat affects your temperature – but not quite how you would think

We regularly crave for ice cream and sweet, ice cold drinks when it’s hot. However, it’s not as simple as that: We require energy to digest these, making our bodies feel warmer later. ^[3] Vegetables and berries that are largely water are far more useful in cooling our body down. Spicy food actually has a more effective cooling effect because it makes us sweat, and sweating is one of our body’s cooling mechanisms when our temperature gets too high. In old times, strong alcoholic drinks such as brandy were given to people suffering from cold, however this causes a flush, giving the perception of warmth but in fact lowering the core temperature.

3. Sweating Is Good For you

Anhidrosis is the uncommon condition of being unable to sweat. This can be caused by various factors like genetics, some skin disorders, medications, or nervous system damage. ^[4] Being unable to sweat can cause our body temperature to rise to dangerous levels without being able to cool down by sweating. This condition is especially dangerous for children, whose temperatures alter more rapidly than in adults.

4. Staying Warm During And After Surgery Decreases Infection

A study was conducted on the possible relation of body temperature regulation and surgical site infections. The study concluded that keeping patients warm, or at least at normal temperature during and right after surgery decreased the incidence of infection occurring at the site of the surgery. ^[5]

5. Women Are Warmer In Sleep Than Men

Our body temperature plays a role in our sleep. When our body temperature drops, it’s usually an indication that it’s bed time. While both men and women cool down, women stay warmer than men because of the hormones involved in women’s menstrual cycle. ^[6] Women also cool down approximately 30 minutes sooner than men at bed time. The temperature change and difference between men and women, fortunately, plays no part in how well we sleep.

References:

[1] Fever. Medline Plus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003090.htm

[2] How to Take your Baby’s Temperature. NHS Choices. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/how-to-take-your-babys-temperature.aspx

[3] Surprising Foods that Toy with Your Body Temperature. Time Food and Drink.http://healthland.time.com/2013/06/15/surprising-foods-that-toy-with-body-temperature/

[4] Anhidrosis. Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anhidrosis/basics/risk-factors/con-20033498

[5] Thermoregulation and Risk of Surgical Site Infection. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/660017

[6] Sleep and 24 hour body temperatures: a comparison in young men, naturally cycling women and women taking hormonal contraceptives. Journal of physiology. http://jp.physoc.org/content/530/3/565.full.pdf

Infographic info sources:

http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/body-temperature
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_body_temperature
http://blog.internationaldrugmart.com/health-charts/normal-body-temperature-chart/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Clinical_thermometer_38.7.JPG

http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/surprising-facts-about-body-temperature/?c=d

John 8:21-30 | I'm staying at Home, Lord!

John 8: 21-30   I'm staying at Home, Lord!

The Crucified Christ with a Painter, Painted by Franciso de Zurbarán (1598-1664),  Painted in 1664, Oil on canvas, © Museo del Prado, Madrid Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’ He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.’ They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.   READ MORE     Reflection on the Painting I will leave you today with a beautiful prayer written by an Italian priest who is self-isolating at the moment and very sadly lost his own brother a few days ago to Covid-19...: I'm staying at Home, Lord! I'm staying at home, Lord! And today, I realize, you taught me this, remaining obedient to the Father, for thirty years in the house of Nazareth, waiting for the great mission. I stay at home, Lord, and in Joseph's studio, your keeper and mine, I learn to work, to obey, to round the corners of my life and prepare you a work of art. I'm staying at home, Lord! And I know that I am not alone because Mary, like any mother, is in the next room, doing chores and preparing lunch for all of us, God's family. I'm staying at home, Lord! And I do it responsibly for my own good, for the health of my city, for my loved ones, and for the good of my brother, whom you have put beside me, asking me to take care of him in the garden of life. I'm staying at home, Lord! And in the silence of Nazareth, I pledge to pray, to read, study, meditate, be useful for small jobs, in order to make our home more beautiful and more welcoming. I'm staying at home, Lord! And in the morning, I thank you for the new day you give me, trying not to spoil it and welcome it with wonder, as a gift and an Easter surprise. I'm staying at home, Lord! And at noon I will receive the greeting of the angel, I will make myself useful for love, in communion with you who have made you flesh to live among us; and, tired of the journey, thirsty, I will meet you at Jacob's well, and thirsty for love on the Cross. I'm staying at home, Lord! And if the evening takes me melancholy, I will invoke you like the disciples of Emmaus: stay with us, the evening has arrived and the sun sets. I'm staying at home, Lord! And in the night, in communion of prayer with the many sick, the lonely and all the caregivers, I will wait for the dawn to sing your mercy again and tell everyone that, in the storms, you have been my refuge. I'm staying at home, Lord! And I don't feel alone and abandoned, because you told me: I'm with you every day. yes, and especially in these days of confusion, O Lord, in which, if my presence is not necessary, I will reach everyone, only with the wings of prayer. Amen P.S.: Our rather unusual artwork today by Spanish artist Zubaran, shows a painter contemplating Christ crucified. The man is alone, set against a dark grey background. Yet he is holding a colour palette... The man, isolated, is seen contemplating his relationship with Christ on the Cross... Like many of us are at the moment... by Patrick van der Vorst

A Life Pleasing to God

A Life Pleasing to God March 31, 2020 Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent John 8:21-30 Jesus said to the Pharisees: "I am going away, and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come." So, the Jews said, "He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, 'Where I am going you cannot come'?" He said to them, "You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." So, they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world." They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father. So, Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him." Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him. Introductory Prayer: Lord, by doing your holy will the Church grows and becomes more faithful in your service. You are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace and mercy. How grateful I am to have this moment to turn to you. Without you I can do nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is you working through me, despite my failings. Thank you, Lord. Here I am ready to love you more. Petition: Lord, help me to please you in what I think, say and do. In the World but not OF the World: We profess in the Creed that Jesus Christ came down from heaven “for us and our salvation.” This truth colors everything about the Savior. He comes into the world without being of the world. His doctrine appeals to our highest and most noble aspirations. His way, his lifestyle, clashes with the way and lifestyle of the children of this world and therefore is never without resistance. In my innermost thoughts, in my words and deeds, am I striving to belong to “what is above”? Lovingly Telling the Truth: When we truly love someone, we tell that someone the truth about the things that really matter, even when the truth could be perceived as inconvenient, painfulor demanding. God the Son has loved us from all eternity. His love compels him to tell us the truth about the Father, which is a message of infinite mercy and love. His love compels him to tell us the truth about our relationship with that merciful Father: how it should be filled with gratitude and loving obedience and devoid of anything that could separate us from him. In order to belong to Jesus and to what is above, I must strive to open my heart and mind to his truth, especially in those areas of my life where he is asking for change and conversion. Seeking to Please the Beloved: Love transforms our intentions and desires. When we love someone, we want to please that person in everything. Jesus loves the Father, and therefore he does what is pleasing to him, even though the Father’s will leads Jesus to embrace suffering, rejection, and death. He endures this agony so as to bring us the gift of resurrection and eternal life. If I love Christ, then I necessarily wish to do what is pleasing to him. And what pleases Christ? My faith, hope and love; My obedience and my humility; So also my selfless service to him in those who are materially, morally or spiritually needful of my attention and support. Conversation with Christ:  I will love all my brothers, Lord. The small ones, lowering myself to their abyss; the clean of heart, becoming as they; the naked, clothing them; the sick, consoling them; the imprisoned, visiting them, my brothers of every tribe, language, and race, spilling my sweetness as a gentle perfume because kindness in love is the strongest of all chains. Resolution: I will strive to please Christ today in all my thoughts, words and deeds. Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING! FORWARD TO A FRIEND

John 8:1-11 | Pieter Breughel the Elder | Christ and the Adulterous Woman

John 8:1-11   Christ and the Adulterous Woman

Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery, Painted by Pieter Breughel the Elder (1526-1569), Executed circa 1565, Oil on panel, © Courtauld Institute of Art, London Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in full view of everybody, they said to Jesus, ‘Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, and Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?’ They asked him this as a test, looking for something to use against him. But Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. As they persisted with their question, he looked up and said, ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then he bent down and wrote on the ground again. When they heard this they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there. He looked up and said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus ‘go away, and do not sin any more.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Painting After yesterday’s painting by Rembrandt from Holland, we now move slightly further south, to Flanders, with this painting by Pieter Breughel. Painted in 1565, it is a small grisaille composition. ‘Grisaille’ means that it is executed entirely in shades of grey, beige or other neutral greyish colours. This gives a sculptural element to the painting and a certain serenity. As these types of paintings look like drawings, they can betray the hand of a less talented artist more easily than a full-colour painting. We see Jesus encountering the adulteress who was brought before Him by the Scribes and Pharisees. Adultery was punishable by death by stoning at the time. Brueghel depicts the woman as one of the few graceful figures in the scene. Just as Jesus treated the woman with dignity, so does the artist by portraying her with great serenity. Jesus stoops down to write in Flemish on the ground before her feet: ‘he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her’.  A few unthrown stones lie on the floor to the left of the woman. Jesus speaks to two groups of people in our Gospel reading of today. He first talks to the Scribes and Pharisees, who showed themselves to be most uncaring and completely lacking in compassion for the poor woman. By speaking to them, Jesus puts an abrupt end to the unpleasant situation. The stones in our reading and painting are symbolic of gossip and hurtful comments. Do not cast them, Jesus tells us. When we sin,it is like throwing stones at Christ Himself… The second conversation is between Jesus and the adulterous woman. Jesus treats her completely differently than the Pharisees. He does not condemn her. The way Jesus thinks of her is completely different to the way society thinks of her. Our own individual value is not what others may say about us (good or bad), but what Jesus would say about us!… by Patrick van der Vorst

The lockdown: One month in Wuhan

Panalangin sa Panahon ng COVID-19

PRAYER AGAINST COVID-19

John 11:3-7,17,20-27,33-45 | Rembrandt | The Raising of Lazarus

John 11:3-7,17,20-27,33-45 The Raising of Lazarus

The Raising of Lazarus, Painted by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606, Leiden - 1669, Amsterdam), Executed circa 1630-1632, Oil on panel, © Los Angeles County Museum of Art So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. READ MORE Reflection on the Painting In the Gospels, when Christ heals, the healing is not for the sole sake of the one healed, but for the sake of others and the entire community. Today’s reading is a perfect example of this. Jesus raised Lazarus for Mary and Martha. When we pray and ask to be healed, this healing is never just for me, so that I feel better, and my  sufferings go away. Jesus gives us healing for the sake of others too.  Rembrandt painted the stories and parables of the Old and New Testaments in accessible, easy to understand images. Because Dutch Calvinism forbade religious art in churches, public commissions for paintings of biblical subjects were virtually nonexistent. However, a thriving private patronage blossomed, which helps account for the dominance of religious subjects in Rembrandt's work. In our painting we see Christ's divine and human nature fully revealed. His hand is raised to perform the miracle, pointing upwards, using His divine powers. His bare feet reveal His humanity. Christ’s facial expression is beautiful. We can see that He has cried as per today’s reading, but yet His face also shows determination. Around Christ and the tomb are the astounded witnesses, among them Mary and Martha, Lazarus's sisters. The dramatic, intense darkness of the cave make all the facial expressions of the onlookers even more prominent. On the right we have a quiver (reference to Psalm 127, ‘Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!’) and a scabbard (reference to Jeremiah 47:6, 'Ah, sword of the Lord! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!’). by Patrick van der Vorst

SPECIES JUMP Woman passes coronavirus to her CAT as pet is taken ill with breathing problems, Belgium public health body says

• Mark Hodge

• 27 Mar 2020, 17:28
• Updated: 27 Mar 2020, 17:33

A WOMAN infected with coronavirus has passed the killer bug to her CAT, health officials in Belgium revealed today.

The sick moggy had difficulty breathing and COVID-19 was detected in its poo, authorities said – making this the first confirmed case of a pet in Europe having the virus.

A cat in Belgium has caught coronavirus from her owner, health officials said. 

Two dogs in Hong Kong were also struck down by coronavirus after contracting it from humans.

In the Belgium case, the woman, who authorities have not identified, lives in the city of Liege, reports the Brussels Times.

Steven van Gucht, of the country's Institute of Health, said “a coronavirus infection has been determined in a cat.”

He added: “The cat lived with her owner, who started showing symptoms of the virus a week before the cat did.”

Mr Gucht stressed that this is “an isolated case” adding “there are no indications that this is common.”

VIRUS FOUND IN CAT'S POO

“Additionally, in this case, we are talking about a human-to-animal transmission, not the other way around...The risk of animal-to-human transmission is very small,” he said.

Describing the animal's symptoms, he said: “The cat had diarrhoea, kept vomiting and had breathing difficulties. The researchers found the virus in the cat's faeces.

Belgian health authorities said the pet had “transient respiratory and digestive disorders.”

PASSED FROM HUMAN TO ANIMAL

They added that “there is no evidence to date that the virus is being transmitted from pets to humans or other pets.”

However, animal owners in the country who believe their beloved beasts may be infected should contact their vets.

Infected people are also being urged to limit their time with their pets and to wash their hands before and after touching them.

A spokesperson from Belgium's National Council for Animal Protection said: “The transmission was made from person to the cat, not from cat to person.

“Let's not go back to a dark medieval period when ignorant people hunt and kill cats for fear that they will pass on the plague.”

COVID-19 has killed a total of 289 people in Belgium while over 7,000 have contracted the bug.

In the Hong Kong cases, both dogs contracted the virus from their owners - while the first mutt that caught it died just two days after being released from mandatory quarantine on February 26.

The World Organisation for Animal Health has reiterated that there is no evidence to suggest pets can pass the virus to their owners.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11272669/coronavirus-cat-belgium/

John 7:40-52 | John Baldessari | There has never been anybody who has spoken like him

John 7:40-52   There has never been anybody who has spoken like him

Beethoven's Trumpet (With Ear), Installation by John Baldessari (1931-2020), Executed in 2007, Resin, fibreglass, bronze, aluminium, and electronics, 186 x 183 x 267 cm © Beyer Projects, New York Several people who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him. The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Sound Installation In today’s Gospel reading we see how puzzled people were as to who Jesus was: a prophet or the Messiah? This proves that He made a big impression on them. Everyone had an opinion, but they could not go so far as to accept Him fully as the Messiah. The phrase that stands out for me is ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’  This demonstrates that Jesus’ spoken words were powerful and touched everyone, whether they believed (in) Him or not. The problem when we read Scripture now is that we have somehow become overfamiliar with the texts. When we start reading the Gospels we quickly jump to concluding ‘Ah yes, I know what it is about’. But, every time we start reading whatever Scripture passage we take, we have to approach it with freshness and a sense of wonder at the newness of God. We too should have the same reaction each time we read that ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ John Baldessari’s sculpture here, called ‘Beethoven’s Trumpet with Ear’, is a large-scale work about the paradox of communication: a sculptural ‘sound’ piece about a ‘deaf’ composer. A same paradox was in the heads of some of Jesus’ followers: how can He be ‘human’ and ‘divine’ at the same time? That is what they are trying to figure out in today’s reading. Our artwork is silent until the viewer speaks into the trumpet at which point a section from Beethoven’s six last quartets will be heard. Our souls are silent too until we start speaking to Christ, upon which the full sound of Salvation can be heard! by Patrick van der Vorst

Openness of Heart

Openness of Heart March 28, 2020 Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent John 7: 40-53 Some in the crowd who heard Jesus speak said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So, a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So, the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?" The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this one." So, the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed." Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, "Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?" They answered and said to him, "You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."  Then each went to his own house, Introductory Prayer: Christ, you are the most open-spirited person in history.  You are open to all who sincerely seek you. So, I seek you now, Lord, through this meditation. I hunger for your friendship and grace. I love you, but I long for my love to grow so I can be ever closer to you and more and more like you.   Petition: Lord, open my heart to you who are truth itself. 1. The Openness and Sincerity are Convincing: Just some moments prior, Christ has spoken of himself as living water (John 7:38), and some in the crowd react much the same way as did the Samaritan woman at the well.  At first, they thought of him as a prophet, but now they begin to believe that he is the Messiah.  “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me…” (John 6:37).  Even the temple guards could not bring themselves to arrest him, so compelling were his words.  Christ tells his apostles not to prepare any words in their defense when they are dragged before judges and magistrates (Cf. Mark 13:11).  Living in the truth is our best preparation for communicating it in a compelling way. 2. Willful Blindness: The leaders however, as Nicodemus points out, are not even willing to encounter Christ and hear him out.  Their obstinacy leads them to error: “Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” (What about Jonah and Hosea?)  It also leads them to malice . They are not even willing to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt that he simply might have been delusional about his identity; instead, pushed by jealousy, they have already made up their minds to accuse him of willful deception.  Do I knowingly and willingly shy away from the truth, any truth?  Do I realize where this could and will lead me? 3. The Truth Will Set You Free: The truth is often difficult to swallow. In particular, the truth about Christ in relation to my life—he is my Lord, he is my Redeemer, he deserves my all––seems somehow fanatic, irrational, and unnatural in a world which values technological progress, political correctness, and looking-out-for-number-one. But Christians worthy of the name, in all centuries and in all walks of life, have discovered that believing in the person of Jesus Christ, who meant every word he said, is an experience of real freedom. It is a freedom from the dead-end world of materialism, sin and death. It is a freedom to live a life of love, truly human and divine, a love like Christ’s love for me, up to death on a Cross!  Conversation with Christ: Lord, no one has ever spoken like you.  You have given us your Word in the gospels.  I realize that I need to have much more frequent contact with your words so as to free me from my blindness.  Let my understanding of your Word never serve me as an occasion of vainglory or arrogance, rather as a tool to help others come to know you better. Resolution: I will break down a prejudice that I still harbor in my heart against some aspect of Christ’s message.   Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING! FORWARD TO A FRIEND

John 7:1-2,10,25-30 | Judaic rituals in the Old Testament | The Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near

John 7:1-2,10,25-30   The Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near

Judaic rituals in the Old Testament, Anonymous engraving. Mensa panum propositionis. Exod XXV. Festum tabernaculorum. Levit. XXIII. Altare, pelvis et columnae ex aere. 1 Reg. VII. VIII. Dedicatio templi Salomonis. 1 Reg. VIII., 18th century © The Library at Wellcome Collection Jesus stayed in Galilee; he could not stay in Judaea, because the Jews were out to kill him. As the Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went up as well, but quite privately, without drawing attention to himself. Meanwhile some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Isn’t this the man they want to kill? And here he is, speaking freely, and they have nothing to say to him! Can it be true the authorities have made up their minds that he is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears no one will know where he comes from.’ Then, as Jesus taught in the Temple, he cried out: ‘Yes, you know me and you know where I came from. Yet I have not come of myself: no, there is one who sent me and I really come from him, and you do not know him, but I know him because I have come from him and it was he who sent me.’ They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.   READ MORE     Reflection on the Engraving We are only 10 days away now from Holy Week. In our Gospel readings leading up to Palm Sunday, there is a growing sense of impending danger for Jesus. The intensity of His ministry continues to build. Today Jesus is preaching in Galilee; not in Judea because they were already out to kill Him. Imagine what it would be like knowing that people hate you so much that they are plotting to kill you… The Feast of Tabernacles which is mentioned lasted for eight days. Around the beginning of autumn, the Jews commemorated the protection God had given the Israelites over the forty years of the Exodus. Because it coincided with the end of the harvest, it was also called the feast of ingathering. Our engraving today shows four major rituals of the Old Testament: clockwise from top-left: In the first scene, the twelve loaves of shewbread are being offered to the Lord (Exodus 25.30); the second depicts the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23.34), which is mentioned in today’s reading; the third shows the Temple of Solomon (1 Kings 7-8; 2 Chronicles 3-5); the fourth shows Solomon's huge sacrifice at the aforesaid temple (1 Kings 8.1-5). Jesus was part of all the Jewish traditions and feasts. He came to fulfil all the promises of God in the Old Testament. Scripture, in the Old Testament and New Testament, is all about Jesus Christ, even where there is no explicit mention of Him. There is a fullness of implication in all the Scriptures that points to Christ and is satisfied only when He has come and done his work… culminating in 10 days’ time, when the fullness of Scripture is unlocked by the death and resurrection of Jesus… by Patrick van der Vorst

God’s Testimony

God’s Testimony March 26, 2020 Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent John 5:31-47 Jesus said to the Jews: "If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life. I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" Introductory Prayer: Jesus, the gift of faith permits me to soar higher. I believe in you! I lend myself to this intricate duty of faith, and with a hopeful trust, I leap toward your infinite love. I love you, Lord. I have come to spend this time with you just because I want to be with you. Petition: Lord, help me to live with purity of intention. Seeking Human Praise: Jesus said, “I do not accept human praise.” Why? His Father deserves all the credit for anything that exists because, after all, he created everything. Knowing and accepting this is indeed a quick path to holiness. Jesus is God, but he leaves us a splendid example of how man should search for God’s glory and not his own. When we look for our own “fan club,” we are really stripping God of the glory that he alone deserves. When we seek praise from men and work hard to be accepted by them, we are standing before a guillotine that severs a head from its body. However, by purifying our intentions and glorifying God alone through all our actions and thoughts, eternal life is merited for us and for many souls. The Proper Motives for Our Deeds: Self-seeking doesn’t work. True, selfless love does. There are some advantages to living a life that seeks only God’s glory. The benefit achieved is order. We learn to maintain the proper hierarchy in our values and to keep things in their place. When parents need to punish a wayward child, their question is: “Are we punishing him because he has done something wrong and needs to be taught a lesson?” Or do they allow their anger to get the best of them, and the punishment then becomes a release valve for their fury? Likewise, in our use of the material goods we have at our disposal, do we use them out of pure love of God or only for our comfort? True Peace of Heart: When children do something wrong, they usually act nervously when their wrongdoing is uncovered. However, when they are mistakenly blamed, they show a convincing innocence, and the accuser retracts in time to avoid harm. The same could be said about purity of intention. If a soul labors only for God’s glory, then a certain guarantee of fulfillment necessarily accompanies his destiny. No matter how many obstacles and misunderstandings might besiege him, the soul who follows God’s will enjoys peace. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, you teach me in the Gospel to add a supernatural dimension to all my enterprises and efforts. This mortal existence on earth is a mere drop in the ocean compared to eternity that will quickly engulf me. Help me to do all for your greater glory. Resolution: In my conversations today, I will not brag about myself. I will try to focus the conversation on the interests of others. Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING! FORWARD TO A FRIEND