"The Lord is God"

 1 kings 18: 20-39

Matthew 5:17-19

Elijah stands alone, a solitary prophet against the followers of Baal. Baal is like the mythological God Zeus. Baal is the king (lit:Lord) of the false gods. Think Lord of the flies (baal-zebub). The top demon if you like. Satan himself maybe.

It reads like the Israelites have once again turned their backs on the real God. We don't do that eh? So it came to a showdown on Mt Carmel. Elijah vs 450 prophets of Baal. 

The game plan is the first one to get their God to set fire to an offering. The followers of Baal spend most of the day calling on Baal to set fire to the bull they have prepared. It doesn't happen.

Then Elijah steps forward and prepares his bull. In true Hollywood fashion he makes it harder by pouring water over his firewood. Then he prays:

"O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let them know today that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, that I have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Oh Lord answer me, that this people may know that you are God and are winning back their hearts".

In the Gospel Jesus reminds us that he has not come to abolish the law but to complete it. Some people think that Jesus replaced the commandments with a wishy washy love thing. That's not true. Love incapsulates everything. It's all inclusive in the Christian doctrine. I notice many Christians balk at going so far as to love. They think it reserved for just one or two favourites. They take offence at the mere mention or indication of love. I don't have to love everyone, right? Not that guy. He's a bit strange, not one of us! Or he's a bit creepy.

It's my second day back at work. I had the lawyer come around and update my will. We decided it best to make a few of my brothers executers, I'm sure they wont mind. I will not be here anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to watch. Nothing fancy please.

Yesterday morning at the last minute I couldn't find my swipe card. Oh no, I thought, my cars been broken into too! At last, several minutes after I was supposed to be at work I sat in the car resigned to have tell my supervisor I'd lost it. Then a thought popped into my head, guardian angel? "What was the last thing you did Robert before going on holiday?" 

"I changed out of my work clothes and put them in the back of the car". Just maybe...

yes they were in my trouser pocket. Praise the Lord!

Have fun but don't sin.

Tuesday

 Good morning. 

New Zealand is great.

Let your light shine before you, don't hide it under a bushel.

Have fun but don't sin.

I'm back

 We arrived back at midnight but were two hours at customs. L had brought back a lot of dried fish, the sniffer dog probably thought it smelled good so indicated to check the bag. Any way we got through eventually and got a taxi home.

L's son picked her up this morning and took her home. She thought I might be too tired. It allowed me to go to the phone company and get my old number put on my new phone.At least in theory. He said it would take two hours after I left. 10 minutes left. 

I'm feeling quite knackered and have lost a couple of kilos. Had a cough and runny nose all the time and my tummy's a bit sensitive still.

That's all. I'll have a quiet afternoon on the couch.

Friday

We are off to the Gigantes Islands today 

They are about 45 min from home and a one hour boat trip

 Evidently they are not as busy as many tourist spots.

Have fun and don't sin

Thursday

5am. I have a dry throat so got up and am lying on the couch having a coffee. Outside cocks are crowing. The little motorbikes often don't have mufflers and can here them in the distance. Birds are chirping. A couple of little lizards are on the wall. I haven't seen any sparrows or thrushes. There are lots of little black birds. Yesterday as I prayed the rosary at the grotto in the driveway a couple of little frogs were jumping around outside the front door. There is one mysterious lizard that seems to live inside and they say it follows them around and can't get rid of it. Last night we had a karaoke session with a few wines. L's sister is very good and another friend was an excellent singer. A the end of some songs the mysterious lizard would start making loud noises as though applauding. I haven't seen it but was very loud 

The water situation is peculiar. Spike says there is and water is somehow pumped up onto a cylinder in the roof. If somebody feels it via a hose it is possible to have a very low pressure shower in the  conventional way. But mostly it is empty and have to ladle cold water out of a large plastic rubbish bin over yourself. Same with the toilet. I don't know where sewage goes. The same system is used at a municiple building we visited to try and find Ls birth certificate. Even in Malls there is no toilet paper. You have to take some from a single toilet roll holder as you enter. I got caught out the first time I used one. They were waiting outside for me and asking what took me so long, because that time even that toilet roll holder was empty. 

Some one just got up so I might go and lie on my bed for awhile.

If you don't know how to love God, just act as though you did.

Immaculate conception cathedral.

This cathedral was undergoing renovation but had beautiful frescos  on the ceiling.

Oh yes...what's going on with this statue of Mary holding two children from ( the previous church).

Santa Monica Bell

Today we visited a couple of very historic churches. The first was Santa Monica.She is the mother of St Augustine.

L arranged a guided tour of the belfry.

The tour guide asked me if I would like my photo under it.  I calculated the chances of a 10 tonne bell fulling on me after hanging here for 145 years and took the gamble by crawling under it.

He let me ring it after I exited. He then gave me a steel rod to bang all the other bells. Their pitches all seemed similar to my ear. When I hit the big one  I thought RBB would say that's a C or something. But I wasn't sure.

The bell could be heard for 8 kilometres. The guide said he rings it a six every morning. In other times it was used to signal fires or pirates.

The black Jesus was unusual. I suspect it's something to do with St Augustine originating from north Africa.

The second church was the cathedral of the Immaculate conception . I'll do a separate post later.