A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people. LK 7:16
1 CORINTHIANS 2:10-16
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
As Christians, we ought to have your mind, that's what St. Paul tells us today. This man who was the greatest enemy of the Church encountered You, was invited by You to become an Apostle to the Gentiles, he heard Your invitation, accepted it, and became the greatest evangelist of all time. He was like Jeremiah who had to speak Your Word if he didn't he said, it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.
This should be true of us all, Beloved. We have received the Holy Spirit and if we allow Him to, He will transform our lives. He knows us best and will help us to weed out all that is displeasing to You. He will help us to know You, to understand Your Word, allow it to penetrate deep into our spirit and make us a new creation, one that is conformed to Your will always. And what is Your will, Beloved, it is to know You and love You and to make You known and loved by our love.
PSALM 145:8-14
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
If only we understood, truly understood, what it means to be known by God, to be loved by Him, to be possessed by His Spirit, and to be a member of Your Body, the Kingdom of God would already be established in our hearts. However, our vision is cloudy, our will is weak, our spirit is easily overcome by fear, anxiety, trouble, sadness, and we allow our feelings to control and dominate our actions.
Today the psalmist reminds us that You are a God who is kind, full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. The world is unjust in its dealings with those without power influence, or wealth but You are a just judge and no one will escape Your righteous judgment.
It is Your Spirit that sustains us. The Breath of the Spirit animates us and keeps us alive. Thank You, Beloved, for the privilege of being Catholic and for being part of the Church You established with You as its cornerstone. It is Your life and Your joy in us that makes life worth living and the assurance of an eternity with You completes that joy. Thank You.
LUKE 4:31-37
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
St. Luke tells us it is the Sabbath, a day when no work is permitted, yet here You are in the synagogue teaching and preaching and performing a miracle. Your words stir the hearts of the people who hear the Word of God in a fresh, new way, for it is the Eternal Word who is in their presence and is speaking to them.
We thank You, Beloved, that despite all that is happening in our world today, despite the pandemic, the turmoil, the anxiety, that is taking its toll on so many we know that You are in control. No suffering, when united with Yours, is in vain. You have the power to draw good from evil and You are always at work doing good.
Even demons know You and tremble at Your Word but are powerless against You. There is no power greater than Yours and after this time of testing has passed we, like silver tested in the furnace, will be the better for it. Beloved, we place all our hope and trust in You and Your Word.
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