I remember a cartoon when I was a child in which the main characters, children, were able to travel back in time to when Jesus was alive.  They witnessed his miracles and heard him speak.  They smelled the smells and spoke to the people.  They were truly THERE.

This story line has stuck with me over the years.  Often, I think how wonderful it would be to be able to do what those characters did.  How much greater would my faith be if I could actually witness Jesus healing people?!   I yearn to see his face and to hear his voice!

Then again, how difficult would it be to hear and see how people reacted to Jesus negatively?  Would I be able to just stand there and watch?  When Jesus is condemned to be crucified, would I grieve even though I know how his death saves me?

The truth is, I can’t go back in time.  I am stuck in the present with only the information given to me in the Holy Bible and the information given to me from people who have made it their life’s work to decipher the Bible and understand the time period in which it was written.

Is that all?  Is there anything else that helps bring the past into the present besides the Holy Bible and the studies?  I say there is.  It is the Holy Spirit within me!  The Holy Spirit is in each one of us who have been baptized.  We may not see It, but can’t you feel  It?   It is in the daily blessings we receive.  It is in the miracles, big and small, that we witness.  It is in the joy we feel knowing that God is with us.   It is the little voice within us that keeps us on the right path.  Therefore, don’t forget to praise God for the Holy Spirit . . . for this gift that allows us to be with Him in the present until we are united with Jesus and God in the Kingdom of Heaven, for it is then that we WILL see His face and hear His voice!

We are now to Week 6 of our study of the Gospel of Matthew.  Please read Matthew 11:2-12:50 and share your thoughts regarding these versus, the study questions in your study guide, and/or the questions shown below.  You can post your thoughts either on the LGB Facebook page or on the Week 6 page.

Questions:

• What verse(s) stood out to you and why?
• Was Jesus frustrated by the people who heard him and saw the miracles he performed?
• How greater is our responsibility to follow Christ when we know Christ?  What fate awaits us if we commit mortal sin? (see Matthew 11:20-24)
• What “fruit” do you produce?  Is it good?  Bad?  (see Matthew 12:33-37)
• What can we learn about Jesus from his interactions with the Pharisees in Chapter 12?
• Additional Questions found in your study guide or in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible – The Gospel of Matthew