Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life. JN 6:63, 68
JAMES 2:1-9 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
We are guilty of constantly judging people either with each other or secretly in our minds. We make distinctions based on all kinds of personal or cultural beliefs. Today we are reminded that we are all equal in God's sight for it is the same God that has created us in His image and His likeness.
St. James reminds us that You did not choose the rich, the influential, the wise, the cultural elite, to be Your Apostles, rather You chose the roughest, the practically illiterate, those who labored by the sweat of their brow and trusted God to provide all they needed for themselves and their families. They were poor and simple men who were not afraid of hard work however, they were considered of no account by the spiritual leaders of the day.
To this day we judge people on the way they look, dress, their status in society, the wealth they possess, and the influence they wield. The poor, more often than not, are deliberately kept out of view from our peripheral vision. They make us uncomfortable and we prefer to remain undisturbed in our comfort zones. St. James reminds us how stupid we are to put our trust in the rich and powerful because it is they that steal and rob us of what is rightfully ours and they will not hesitate to crush us if we stand in their way.
God's standards are in stark contrast to worldly standards. We must keep Your standards ever before us and follow them always. The poor are closer in spirit to You because they rely on You to provide for them. They cling to You in their distress, they live by faith and generously share the little they have.
We live in a world that inflexibly upholds skewed standards. Wisdom and common sense have fled and in its place a bizarre sense of compassion for those whose greatest need is to understand that their warped ideas of love are the result of the terrible pain of rejection inflicted on them by those who failed in their sacred duty to love and protect them.
The world is under condemnation because we have failed to love as we ought.
PSALM 34:2-7 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
The psalmist reminds us that You always hear those who acknowledge their poverty before You. The key to a peaceful life is to know that I am dependent on You for everything and I can trust You to provide all I need.
It is the meek, the humble, the little ones, who know that without You they will wither and die and be lost forever. But those who are rooted in You receive Your life and they thrive even though the rest of the world steeped in sin is plunged in darkness and death.
Praise of God is the fuel that stimulates our spirit and keeps us alive, free from fear, and aware that with You at our side we will never be overcome.
Keep our spirit united with You, our faces lifted up to Your glory, so Your radiance may shine on us and we will have courage to live the Truth boldly.
Thank You, Lord, for the power of Your Name that saves.
MARK 8:27-33 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
In today's Gospel passage You first ask the disciples, "Who do people say I am?" Of course, there were a host of different replies and the same is true should we ask this question to people who are not Christians because they do not know You. You then ask Your disciples, "But you, who do you say I am?" It is a deeply personal question, they have been with You a while now, they have been witnesses to the many miracles You worked, they have had personal instruction from You and had heard You preaching and teaching. Now it is time to find out whether they know who You are. Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit answers, ‘You are the Christ.’ Mark tells us that You gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about You. Why? Because each of us must encounter You personally and come to know for ourselves that You indeed are the Christ. The anointed One sent by the Father for the salvation of the world.
Immediately after this revelation, You spoke plainly to them and taught them why the Father sent You into the world. You were destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and You would eventually be put to death. Peter's first response was a complete rejection of the divine plan. He actually pulled You aside and tried to remonstrate with You about why that was not a good plan at all.
Peter's reaction, human speaking, is understandable. The specter of suffering makes us quail in fear. Our first instinct at the prospect of suffering is to get as far away from it as possible yet no one can escape it for it is part of the human condition. However, for the Christian, suffering, all suffering when united with the Cross is redemptive. We are privileged to have a share in the suffering You gladly bore for our sakes in order that we may also have a share of Your glorious resurrection. You conquered sin, suffering, and death, and because You did we have hope of eternal joy in the Kingdom of God.
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