Prophetic Words & Scripture Readings at Live Stream September 23, 2026

The following are words given by participants at the streamed meeting.  1 Corinthians 14:29 says that "Two or three prophets should speak, and the others weigh carefully what is said."  1 Thess 5:19-21 tells us not to despise prophecies, but to test everything and retain what is good.

Scripture Reading 1 John 4:7-11 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Prophecy - "You have not because you ask not."  I don't who that's for but it came very strongly.

Scripture Reading Ezekiel 11:14-17, God Will Restore Israel - Then the word of the Lord came to me:  Mortal, your kinsfolk, your own kin, your fellow exiles, the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, "They have gone far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession."  Therefore say:  Thus says the Lord God:  Though I removed them far away among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a little while in the countries where they have gone.  Therefore say:  Thus says the Lord God:  I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

I sometimes wonder, when that passage is read,  that it's meant for our families as well.

Scripture Reading 1 Thess 5:12-13 - We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are laboring among you and who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, and to show esteem for them with special love on account of their work.  Be at peace among yourselves.

Vision - I saw a vision of a white statue as if on a totem pole and the Virgin Mary was there holding the baby Jesus.  And the baby Jesus opened up his arms in the blanket and had his arms out.

Prophecy - "Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest."

Vision - I had another vision of hands folded in prayer and then opened up with a small book in them.  And the book was being held and turned to the side to show what it was.  It was a small book.  It looked orange.

I woke up this morning with that song in my head, "These are the days of Elijah".  It's in my head all day, even tonight.  

It's a victory song.

Teaching

Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ spoke on Matthew 13:44-46 - The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again;  and out of joy goes and sells all he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls; and when he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all he has and buys it.

Jesus promises us that every one of us will find that treasure if we are persistent.  Also, in Matthew's Gospel, it says, "Knock and the door will be opened.  Seek and you will find,  Ask and you will receive.  How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.  That's the treasure that enlightens our minds and our hearts and makes our lives worth living.

Both parables point to the cost of discipleship.  The parables invite us to be all in.  There's nothing more valuable than opening our hearts and our minds and centering our lives on God; asking for a deeper presence of the Holy Spirit.

Exodus 34 - Moses is communing with God and in that communion, his face becomes radiant.  St. Stephen, moments away from his death, his face was like that of an angel, glowing with light.  These are not exaggerations.  It's an extraordinary experience of those who follow Jesus and opening themselves to the fullness of God's love.  As we grow closer to the Lord, we are transformed.  That transformation is meant to be apparent to others.

Who we hang around with have a tremendous influence on us.  A church community is important.  We can't do it alone.  We need each other to support each other in this journey of faith.  

Thomas Merton, a famous Trappist monk, writes about an ecstatic experience he had in downtown Louisville - of seeing the holiness in every person, seeing us as God sees us, as beloved ones.  Yes, we sin but that doesn't stop God from loving us.  

From Thomas Merton: "In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers....There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.  It was like I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God's eyes.  If only they could all see themselves as they really are.  If only they could see each other that way all the time, there would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed."

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta picking up people dying on the streets, their bodies covered with maggots.  She saw them as the Body of Christ.  St. Francis of Assisi saw the leper and kissed his wounds because he saw the broken body of Christ.

Let's pray when we see each other, we see brothers and sisters beloved of God.  That's a vision that will transform our world.  That's a treasure worth giving everything for.