The people that lived in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned. MT 4:16
DEUTERONOMY 18:15-20
My Soul's Beloved,
Despite receiving such a clear description of You from their most revered prophet, Moses, the Jews did not recognize You when the Father sent You into the world. Nothing was hidden to them for they knew the Scriptures. Every prophet after Moses also revealed more and more what the Messiah would be like, from where He would come, and how He could be identified. None was more clear than the prophet Isaiah. And yet they didn't. I believe the most tragic words in Sacred Scripture are, 'He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.'
This is true even to this day. Despite all that we know, all that is revealed to us, despite the evidence of those who lived with You, walked with You, knew You, and chose to die cruel deaths rather than deny You, the world is still coldly indifferent. Holy saintly men and women through the ages continue to testify that God did indeed become a Man, in order to show us how to become like God, and all too often their testimony and witness falls on deaf ears.
Those of the world readily run after tin gods, rather than the true God whose Face is revealed to us in You and in whose image and likeness we are created. To Moses God revealed,
“I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers; I will put my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all I command him." We have also received this warning, "The man who does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, shall be held answerable to me for it." Since Your coming the world has seen no dearth of false prophets and messiahs, of them God says, "The prophet who presumes to say in my name a thing I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”
PSALM 95 :1-2,6-9
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
As long as today lasts each of us has an opportunity to listen to Your voice and to receive and accept You as the only Way to the Father's house. Nothing is hidden to us for God has revealed all there is to know about Him through You, His only, well-beloved Son, whom He sent into the world not to condemn but to save it.
This is why each day we ought to give You exultant praise and thanks for the gift of new life in You.
True worship of God is to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, to enter through the narrow gate, divesting ourselves of all that is not of His Kingdom and not worthy of a child of God. The Father sent You into the world to take by the hand, His children, and to lead them by way of the Cross and the way suffering to eternal joy.
Trials, sorrows, difficulties, loss, hardships come to us all, these ought not to harden our hearts against You; they are opportunities given to us to cling to You with greater faith, confident that through it all You are yoked to us. We have Your assurance that You will never leave us, You will not forsake us for we are grafted to You.
1 CORINTHIANS 7:32-35
My Soul's Beloved,
The world looks with defiance, distrust, and disdain when presented with the Catholic view of celibacy which is not invented by the Church but was Your view as well as the view of St. Paul. Your Spouse - the Church only presents them to her children and to the world as a way to be more closely united to You, a better way to offer You an undivided, totally devoted heart that is not caught up and distracted with the cares of the world.
Neither You nor Paul have said that marriage is displeasing to God, if it were so, You would not have raised it to a Sacrament by Your Presence at the wedding feast in Cana. To each is given a singular vocation and when young people are called to live a celibate life it is a gift of grace that is bestowed on them. The world not only needs such people but it profits greatly from those not bound by ties of marriage, spouse, and children. They are better able to live the Gospel, witness to it, preach and teach it, in a far more radical way than those who are duty-bound to care for their families. It is far easier for an undivided, unfettered heart, free of worldly cares and worries to tether itself to You and love and serve You wholeheartedly.
MARK 1:21-28
My Soul's Beloved,
As the Son of God, not only did You teach with authority, but You had authority over the physical, spiritual, mental, and natural, for all power was given to You by Your Father.
Today's Gospel passage speaks of You and Your disciples entering a synagogue in Capernaum on the sabbath. You taught with conviction and all You said resonated with those who heard You because it was so unlike the teaching of the scribes.
A man with an unclean spirit entered the synagogue and shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ You did not wish evil spirits to testify to who You were. You commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man and it did as You demanded as it had no power to withstand Your authority.
Where evil is present chaos, disarray, and commotion reign. The evil spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry left him. The people who witnessed the power of Your Word at work were astonished never had they seen word and deed so perfectly attuned and Your reputation as a teacher and healer offering something new and powerful, spread rapidly.
May we who are called by Your Name continue to witness to Your Word and Your saving work by our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment