Children are great. A kindergarten teacher tells her class the Christmas story of the Shepherds and the Three Wise Men. At the end she asked them, “Now tell me, Who was the first to know about the birth of Jesus?” A little girl shoots up her hand and answers, “Mary.” Of course, Mary. How could anyone miss that. But adults miss that because adults tend to expect more complicated answers. The child’s answer is so simple and obvious that we miss it! We have this tendency to associate God with the phenomenal and the spectacular, such as the host of angels or the guiding star, so much so that we fail to notice God’s presence and action in the ordinary and normal things of life, such as in pregnancy and birth. This child’s inspired answer reminds us to take a second look at the “ordinary things of life” that we take so much for granted and see God’s hand in them.
Our gospel today begins with a seemingly casual statement: “Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way …” (Matthew 1:18). But for the average Jew of Jesus’ times this statement would be a shock. Why? Because popular Jewish belief in those days did not expect the Messiah to be born of a woman as a normal, suckling baby. Though the scribes and scholars were aware of the prophecy that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, the average person held to the popular theology which says that “Three things come wholly unexpected — the Messiah, a godsend, and a scorpion” (Sanhedrin 97a). The Messiah was expected to drop suddenly from the skies, full-grown in all his divine regalia and power. His landing space, of course, was no other than the Temple mount. Now you can understand why Satan tempted Jesus by proposing that he jump down from the pinnacle of the temple.
The Jews found it hard to reconcile these expectations with the reality of this man Jesus whom they knew to be born and raised in their midst. “We know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from” (John 7:27). They found the ordinary ways of God’s coming, God’s presence and God’s action among His people too simple to be true.
Like the Jews of old we also wait for the coming of God among us, for our Immanuel (God with us). Maybe we should take a moment and ask ourselves, how do we expect God to come among us? How does God work among us? This is necessary because sometimes the problem is not that God is not with us, the problem rather is that we do not recognize the ways of God’s presence and action among us. We are often enough like Jacob in Bethel who awoke from his sleep and exclaimed, “So the LORD is in this place – and I did not know it!” (Genesis 28:16).
The coming of the long awaited Messiah, the light of the world, the king of the Jews and the desire of the nations, not through clouds and lightning but through the nine-months pregnancy of a country girl, through thirty years of the normal human process of infancy, adolescence and adulthood, reminds us that God comes in ordinary, normal, daily circumstances of life. God comes to us in the people we see around us being born, growing up, ageing and dying. It is often hardest to see God in the people who are familiar to us, not to talk of in our own very selves. But if we see the incarnation of the Son of God as a bridge between heaven and earth, between the divine and the human, between the order of grace and the order of nature, between the sacred and the profane, maybe we will begin to discern the presence and action of God more and more in our daily lives.
An old proverb says, “Listen, and you will hear the footsteps of the ants.” Today we are challenged to listen and hear the footsteps of God who comes into our lives in ordinary ways, through ordinary people and at ordinary moments of our lives. No need to look up to the mountain top or the depths of the ocean, for “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
To find peace, heed carefully what you hear......
Think of a mountain you've been facing: What overwhelming problem has been afflicting you? What need is unmet? What have you been waiting for that would make life better? In other words, why do you need a Messiah? From what do you need to be delivered?
Isaiah says, "The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain." What have you been praying for in vain?
Look at Jesus' last words in today's Gospel reading: "Heed carefully what you hear!" God has already been telling you how to thresh the mountains in your life and crush them. He has been sending you a storm that will scatter the particles of your crushed-down mountain. But OH! Sometimes we don't like God's solutions to our problems!
God's solution to a divided relationship is for you to do good to the person who has sinned against you, even if they don't repent. That's what Jesus did on the cross: He died even for those who never accept his gift of mercy.
God's solution to financial problems is tithing (donating 10% of our total income) even if it seems that we cannot afford to give that much.
God's solution to the mountain of misery we're enduring from physical illness or a bad situation in life is to praise him in all circumstances and to offer up our sufferings as a penance for someone else's sins.
God's solution to unfair treatment is to love our enemies, do good to those who persecute us, go the extra mile when something is demanded from us, and let go when someone steals from us instead of demanding it back (see the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6 and 7).
Always, when we do things God's way, the harder it is to do, the better the results will be. By bridging divisions we gain renewed friendships. By giving generously we discover that we cannot outdo God in generosity. By imitating Christ, misery crumbles into peace and then joy. Unfair treatment no longer bothers us as much. God says, "Fear not, I will help you" and we believe him!
Heed carefully what you hear. God's solutions are often not easy. This is why Jesus said, "The kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." We cannot bring God's kingdom into our problems without opposing our normal tendencies and forcing ourselves to quit trying to solve problems the way we want to do it. Such violence to ourselves requires extra help – help that comes from the Holy Spirit.
In scripture, water usually symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Re-read today's first reading to see the Holy Spirit offering help to you: [Isaiah 41:13-20]
Their tongues are parched with thirst (for the Holy Spirit). I, the Lord, will answer them... I will open up rivers of the Holy Spirit's power.....
Heed carefully what you hear! If you do things God's way, You shall rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Yay God!
Isaiah says, "The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain." What have you been praying for in vain?
Look at Jesus' last words in today's Gospel reading: "Heed carefully what you hear!" God has already been telling you how to thresh the mountains in your life and crush them. He has been sending you a storm that will scatter the particles of your crushed-down mountain. But OH! Sometimes we don't like God's solutions to our problems!
God's solution to a divided relationship is for you to do good to the person who has sinned against you, even if they don't repent. That's what Jesus did on the cross: He died even for those who never accept his gift of mercy.
God's solution to financial problems is tithing (donating 10% of our total income) even if it seems that we cannot afford to give that much.
God's solution to the mountain of misery we're enduring from physical illness or a bad situation in life is to praise him in all circumstances and to offer up our sufferings as a penance for someone else's sins.
God's solution to unfair treatment is to love our enemies, do good to those who persecute us, go the extra mile when something is demanded from us, and let go when someone steals from us instead of demanding it back (see the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6 and 7).
Always, when we do things God's way, the harder it is to do, the better the results will be. By bridging divisions we gain renewed friendships. By giving generously we discover that we cannot outdo God in generosity. By imitating Christ, misery crumbles into peace and then joy. Unfair treatment no longer bothers us as much. God says, "Fear not, I will help you" and we believe him!
Heed carefully what you hear. God's solutions are often not easy. This is why Jesus said, "The kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." We cannot bring God's kingdom into our problems without opposing our normal tendencies and forcing ourselves to quit trying to solve problems the way we want to do it. Such violence to ourselves requires extra help – help that comes from the Holy Spirit.
In scripture, water usually symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Re-read today's first reading to see the Holy Spirit offering help to you: [Isaiah 41:13-20]
Their tongues are parched with thirst (for the Holy Spirit). I, the Lord, will answer them... I will open up rivers of the Holy Spirit's power.....
Heed carefully what you hear! If you do things God's way, You shall rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Yay God!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
What If Mary Said “No”?
Most of us are familiar with the story of the Annunciation as told in Chapter 1 of Luke’s gospel. The angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and informed her that she had been chosen to be the Mother of the Savior. Mary agreed, Jesus was born and the entire human race was redeemed. Sounds simple, right? Did you ever consider what would have happened if Mary said, “no”?
Sometimes we forget that Mary had free will and wasn’t forced to go along with the plan that would result in the birth of our Savior. It’s easy to get caught up in the story and ignore the fact that the Blessed Mother could have refused God’s offer. According to the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium , “The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman (Eve) had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life.” St. Irenaeus, one of the early Church Fathers, stated, “Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race.” Let’s examine Mary’s life and see how her “yes” occurred not only on that special day, but continued throughout her life. By looking at her constant submission to God’s will, we’ll explore how Mary’s life can be a model for each of us.
The Bible tells us that Mary was “greatly troubled” when visited by the angel Gabriel. Why? It wasn’t because of the fact that she didn’t trust God. In fact, once the angel revealed God’s plan there is no further mention of Mary being troubled. For most of us, our worrying would start as soon as God revealed His plan. However, Mary embraced God’s plan without needing to know all of the details. The most likely reason for Mary being troubled is because of her humility. She couldn’t understand why the angel would visit her and address her as “full of grace”. A truly humble individual doesn’t recognize their humility and our Blessed Mother’s concern is an illustration of that virtue.
Continuing with the story, the angel informed Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the long awaited Savior. Having most probably made a lifetime vow of virginity (in the opinion of Pope John Paul II and many others), Mary asked how this would be possible. Gabriel informed her that it would take place by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary responded with the words, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” If anything, the angel’s explanation should have made Mary more reluctant, but her incredible trust in God enabled her to agree to the plan without hesitation.
To put things in perspective, imagine the angel Gabriel visiting you today and asking you to become a religious education teacher, to start attending daily Mass, to speak about Christ in your workplace, to read the Bible more frequently, to contribute a greater amount to charity, etc. Would your answer be “May it be done to me according to your word” or would it be a series of questions or excuses? As Pope John Paul II stated in his address on July 3, 1996, “Mary was asked to assent to a truth never expressed before (a virginal motherhood). She accepted it with a simple yet daring heart.” How do we respond to the comparatively minor tasks asked of us by the Lord? Do we accept willingly or do we cite numerous reasons why it isn’t possible? While most of us have not experienced the visible presence of an angel, we have all felt this call to increased service or devotion at some point in our lives. That request may come in the form of a thought, a suggestion from a friend or a statement in a homily or television program. We may brush it off as being unimportant, but that is usually how the Lord calls us. Have we responded to His call with the same willingness exhibited by Mary?
This eagerness to submit to God’s will continued throughout the Blessed Mother’s life. As soon as Jesus was conceived in her womb, Mary traveled “in haste” to assist her relative, Elizabeth, who was 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist. When Mary arrived, Elizabeth proclaimed her to be “blessed among women” and questioned why she was honored to be visited by “the mother of my Lord”. Desiring to give all the glory to God, Mary responded with her famous Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), which acknowledged God’s greatness and her own lowliness. Even though Mary had been chosen to deliver the Savior of the world, she still managed to give all the credit to God and boast only of her own weakness. Despite all of the turmoil that was going on in her own life, Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months. This display of charity gives us a great example of how to serve others without counting the cost. Do we always serve others with the same selflessness exhibited by Mary? When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, do we then share Him with others as Mary did with Elizabeth?
After Jesus was born, Mary continued to seek God’s will for her life. As events occurred in her daily life as the mother of Jesus, scripture tells us that she meditated and “kept them in her heart” (Lk 2:19,50) In fact, her last appearance in scripture finds her praying with the apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). Do we imitate Mary by frequently praying for an increase of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Do we attempt to discern God’s will in our own lives through meditation and prayer?
When Mary and Joseph presented the baby Jesus in the temple, the holy man Simeon informed Mary of the great suffering that would be a part of her life (Lk 2:35). This prophecy would be fulfilled as she stood at the foot of the cross and watched the crucifixion of her Son (Jn 19:25). Mary never tried to avoid this suffering, knowing that it was part of God’s will. How do we handle the suffering that we encounter in our own lives? Do we lash out and attempt to avoid it or, like Mary, do we unite our suffering with the sacrifice of Christ as He hangs on the cross?
Would you like to get closer to Jesus and discover His plan for your life? Turn to Mary and ask for her help. Her entire life consisted of submitting to God’s will and she will help you to do the same. When He was dying on the cross, Jesus gave Mary to the “beloved disciple” John. Recognizing that we are all beloved disciples, the Church extends that offer of motherhood to each one of us. Your mother will help lead you to Jesus. Her last recorded words in scripture (at the wedding feast in Cana), provide us with the advice that is guaranteed to keep us on the right path –“Do whatever He (Jesus) tells you.”
Since Mary didn’t say “no” to God, we can only speculate on what would have happened had she done so. However, we do know what happened because she said “yes.” God used her to deliver our Savior! Throughout her life, the Blessed Mother repeatedly trusted in God’s plan. By meditating on her life and asking for her intercession, we can begin to trust God with our lives. Each day we have the opportunity to say “yes” or “no” to God. When things happen to us that we don’t understand, do we trust God or do we complain? Do we always obey the teachings of the Church founded by Jesus, or do we only obey those teachings with which we agree? Do we seek to become closer to Christ by meditating upon His life and keeping Him “in our hearts”? Do we make an effort to encounter Jesus through the sacraments of Holy Communion and Confession as often as possible? Throughout her life, Mary always said “yes” to God … How about you?
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Sometimes we forget that Mary had free will and wasn’t forced to go along with the plan that would result in the birth of our Savior. It’s easy to get caught up in the story and ignore the fact that the Blessed Mother could have refused God’s offer. According to the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium , “The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman (Eve) had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life.” St. Irenaeus, one of the early Church Fathers, stated, “Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race.” Let’s examine Mary’s life and see how her “yes” occurred not only on that special day, but continued throughout her life. By looking at her constant submission to God’s will, we’ll explore how Mary’s life can be a model for each of us.
The Bible tells us that Mary was “greatly troubled” when visited by the angel Gabriel. Why? It wasn’t because of the fact that she didn’t trust God. In fact, once the angel revealed God’s plan there is no further mention of Mary being troubled. For most of us, our worrying would start as soon as God revealed His plan. However, Mary embraced God’s plan without needing to know all of the details. The most likely reason for Mary being troubled is because of her humility. She couldn’t understand why the angel would visit her and address her as “full of grace”. A truly humble individual doesn’t recognize their humility and our Blessed Mother’s concern is an illustration of that virtue.
Continuing with the story, the angel informed Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of the long awaited Savior. Having most probably made a lifetime vow of virginity (in the opinion of Pope John Paul II and many others), Mary asked how this would be possible. Gabriel informed her that it would take place by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary responded with the words, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” If anything, the angel’s explanation should have made Mary more reluctant, but her incredible trust in God enabled her to agree to the plan without hesitation.
To put things in perspective, imagine the angel Gabriel visiting you today and asking you to become a religious education teacher, to start attending daily Mass, to speak about Christ in your workplace, to read the Bible more frequently, to contribute a greater amount to charity, etc. Would your answer be “May it be done to me according to your word” or would it be a series of questions or excuses? As Pope John Paul II stated in his address on July 3, 1996, “Mary was asked to assent to a truth never expressed before (a virginal motherhood). She accepted it with a simple yet daring heart.” How do we respond to the comparatively minor tasks asked of us by the Lord? Do we accept willingly or do we cite numerous reasons why it isn’t possible? While most of us have not experienced the visible presence of an angel, we have all felt this call to increased service or devotion at some point in our lives. That request may come in the form of a thought, a suggestion from a friend or a statement in a homily or television program. We may brush it off as being unimportant, but that is usually how the Lord calls us. Have we responded to His call with the same willingness exhibited by Mary?
This eagerness to submit to God’s will continued throughout the Blessed Mother’s life. As soon as Jesus was conceived in her womb, Mary traveled “in haste” to assist her relative, Elizabeth, who was 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist. When Mary arrived, Elizabeth proclaimed her to be “blessed among women” and questioned why she was honored to be visited by “the mother of my Lord”. Desiring to give all the glory to God, Mary responded with her famous Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), which acknowledged God’s greatness and her own lowliness. Even though Mary had been chosen to deliver the Savior of the world, she still managed to give all the credit to God and boast only of her own weakness. Despite all of the turmoil that was going on in her own life, Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months. This display of charity gives us a great example of how to serve others without counting the cost. Do we always serve others with the same selflessness exhibited by Mary? When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, do we then share Him with others as Mary did with Elizabeth?
After Jesus was born, Mary continued to seek God’s will for her life. As events occurred in her daily life as the mother of Jesus, scripture tells us that she meditated and “kept them in her heart” (Lk 2:19,50) In fact, her last appearance in scripture finds her praying with the apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). Do we imitate Mary by frequently praying for an increase of the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Do we attempt to discern God’s will in our own lives through meditation and prayer?
When Mary and Joseph presented the baby Jesus in the temple, the holy man Simeon informed Mary of the great suffering that would be a part of her life (Lk 2:35). This prophecy would be fulfilled as she stood at the foot of the cross and watched the crucifixion of her Son (Jn 19:25). Mary never tried to avoid this suffering, knowing that it was part of God’s will. How do we handle the suffering that we encounter in our own lives? Do we lash out and attempt to avoid it or, like Mary, do we unite our suffering with the sacrifice of Christ as He hangs on the cross?
Would you like to get closer to Jesus and discover His plan for your life? Turn to Mary and ask for her help. Her entire life consisted of submitting to God’s will and she will help you to do the same. When He was dying on the cross, Jesus gave Mary to the “beloved disciple” John. Recognizing that we are all beloved disciples, the Church extends that offer of motherhood to each one of us. Your mother will help lead you to Jesus. Her last recorded words in scripture (at the wedding feast in Cana), provide us with the advice that is guaranteed to keep us on the right path –“Do whatever He (Jesus) tells you.”
Since Mary didn’t say “no” to God, we can only speculate on what would have happened had she done so. However, we do know what happened because she said “yes.” God used her to deliver our Savior! Throughout her life, the Blessed Mother repeatedly trusted in God’s plan. By meditating on her life and asking for her intercession, we can begin to trust God with our lives. Each day we have the opportunity to say “yes” or “no” to God. When things happen to us that we don’t understand, do we trust God or do we complain? Do we always obey the teachings of the Church founded by Jesus, or do we only obey those teachings with which we agree? Do we seek to become closer to Christ by meditating upon His life and keeping Him “in our hearts”? Do we make an effort to encounter Jesus through the sacraments of Holy Communion and Confession as often as possible? Throughout her life, Mary always said “yes” to God … How about you?
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
The grace that protects us from sin.
Today we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We celebrate the awesome miracle that God the Father granted to his specially prepared daughter so that she could become the mother of God the Son. We celebrate the all-knowing nature of God, who planned ahead for Mary's participation in salvation history, knowing – before her conception – that she would choose to say yes.
We celebrate the Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, who prepared a holy womb for the conception of Jesus' human nature by first creating Mary without the affects of Original Sin. As a new Eve, her conception was "immaculate" (untainted by Original Sin), because Jesus, who is fully divine and perfectly holy, could not grow in the womb of a sinner. Only later, when he had complete control over his decision as an adult, could he join himself to the sins of the human race.
We celebrate Mary's motherhood. In today’s first reading, we see Eve become the mother of all the living, but she sins and she passes this sinfulness onto all generations. In the Gospel reading, Mary becomes the Second Eve, saying yes to the vocation of becoming the mother of the only one who could redeem us from sin. Thus, Mary becomes the mother of all the living, all who are no longer dying from the effects of sin.
We also celebrate the Church's official pronouncement of Mary's immaculate conception, which Pope Pius IX made official in 1854. Because this occurred in recent history, it seems like an "invention" of Catholicism, but Christians have understood this dogma and taught it to each other since the early days of the Church. Pius IX merely drew special attention to it. Because the world's influences were eroding belief in this ancient dogma, he made an official proclamation in order to stop the spread of heresies.
The idea that Mary could be conceived without bondage to Original Sin, and the related idea that Mary could spend her entire life free of sin, is not a glorification of her. It's a glorification of God, who filled her with grace in order to protect her in a special way and to enable her to resist temptation throughout her life. "Let it be done to me according to your word" was not a sudden or temporary leap of faith for her; it was her life-long attitude. The power that enabled her to fulfill this desire came straight from the Holy Spirit as a gift of grace.
Grace is a gift, pure gift. Grace is God's power received as a gift when we need it, regardless of what we do or don't do. Placing ourselves into God's grace, however, does depend on what we do. We were given this grace by baptism, but when we sin, we remove ourselves from the state of grace. We cannot sin and remain in God's good graces.
When we repent, God's mercy restores us to his grace. When we rely on this grace at the moment of temptation, we overcome the sin and we are restored to the peace of Christ.
We celebrate the Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, who prepared a holy womb for the conception of Jesus' human nature by first creating Mary without the affects of Original Sin. As a new Eve, her conception was "immaculate" (untainted by Original Sin), because Jesus, who is fully divine and perfectly holy, could not grow in the womb of a sinner. Only later, when he had complete control over his decision as an adult, could he join himself to the sins of the human race.
We celebrate Mary's motherhood. In today’s first reading, we see Eve become the mother of all the living, but she sins and she passes this sinfulness onto all generations. In the Gospel reading, Mary becomes the Second Eve, saying yes to the vocation of becoming the mother of the only one who could redeem us from sin. Thus, Mary becomes the mother of all the living, all who are no longer dying from the effects of sin.
We also celebrate the Church's official pronouncement of Mary's immaculate conception, which Pope Pius IX made official in 1854. Because this occurred in recent history, it seems like an "invention" of Catholicism, but Christians have understood this dogma and taught it to each other since the early days of the Church. Pius IX merely drew special attention to it. Because the world's influences were eroding belief in this ancient dogma, he made an official proclamation in order to stop the spread of heresies.
The idea that Mary could be conceived without bondage to Original Sin, and the related idea that Mary could spend her entire life free of sin, is not a glorification of her. It's a glorification of God, who filled her with grace in order to protect her in a special way and to enable her to resist temptation throughout her life. "Let it be done to me according to your word" was not a sudden or temporary leap of faith for her; it was her life-long attitude. The power that enabled her to fulfill this desire came straight from the Holy Spirit as a gift of grace.
Grace is a gift, pure gift. Grace is God's power received as a gift when we need it, regardless of what we do or don't do. Placing ourselves into God's grace, however, does depend on what we do. We were given this grace by baptism, but when we sin, we remove ourselves from the state of grace. We cannot sin and remain in God's good graces.
When we repent, God's mercy restores us to his grace. When we rely on this grace at the moment of temptation, we overcome the sin and we are restored to the peace of Christ.
Monday, December 6, 2010
What's your lifeless desert?
As we prepare to receive more of the peace of Christ this Christmas, we can use today's first reading to see what still needs healing or repentance:
How is your life like a desert, dry and lifeless except for a few prickly cactuses?
Are you thirsty for more of God? In what area of your life do you feel parched?
Are you feeble in your attempts to become more like Jesus?
Are your knees weak as you travel the difficult road of holy living?
Are you controlled and paralyzed by fear? Any fear – even the smallest one – paralyzes us from moving ahead into the life that God wants for us.
How are you blind? Are you unable to see the good that's coming from a bad situation or the hand of God working in your life or in the life of someone who's causing you to worry? Are you blind to the presence of Jesus in others because he's hidden under the garbage of their sins? Are you blind to how very, very much God loves you and wants to help you?
What has God been telling you that you can't hear? Maybe it's his guidance? Or his love song that he sings to you? Or his dreams for you?
What part of your journey toward heaven is too difficult for you? What lame excuses are you using for permission to sit down on the curb?
How has fear kept your tongue silent when you should be speaking up? Or what have you been saying that's so unlike Jesus that you sound horrible instead of singing of God's glory?
In what areas of your life are the jackals who tempt you still lurking, keeping you in sin?
In what ways do you act foolishly? What the world considers wise the Lord knows to be foolish. What worldly wisdom are you trusting?
How are you like a lion? Is there anyone you've been devouring with unkind words or impatience or contempt or bullying?
Well, the Good News is, as Isaiah points out: The Lord has ransomed us! We can escape from these peace-stealing maladies.
Today's Gospel reading shows us that Jesus was overflowing with God's power so that he could minister to people. He wants to minister to you, too. We all need this help to stay on the highway that's called the holy way. It's Jesus who strengthens the hands that are feeble and the knees that are weak.
We are like the paralytic who allowed his friends to lower him to Jesus for a healing. By humbling ourselves and allowing Christian friends to help us, we reach the power of Christ.
And then he says to us, "My friend, your sins are forgiven." With that Word, we are healed. We have peace again. With that Word, all the good things that Isaiah prophesied are becoming true for us.
How is your life like a desert, dry and lifeless except for a few prickly cactuses?
Are you thirsty for more of God? In what area of your life do you feel parched?
Are you feeble in your attempts to become more like Jesus?
Are your knees weak as you travel the difficult road of holy living?
Are you controlled and paralyzed by fear? Any fear – even the smallest one – paralyzes us from moving ahead into the life that God wants for us.
How are you blind? Are you unable to see the good that's coming from a bad situation or the hand of God working in your life or in the life of someone who's causing you to worry? Are you blind to the presence of Jesus in others because he's hidden under the garbage of their sins? Are you blind to how very, very much God loves you and wants to help you?
What has God been telling you that you can't hear? Maybe it's his guidance? Or his love song that he sings to you? Or his dreams for you?
What part of your journey toward heaven is too difficult for you? What lame excuses are you using for permission to sit down on the curb?
How has fear kept your tongue silent when you should be speaking up? Or what have you been saying that's so unlike Jesus that you sound horrible instead of singing of God's glory?
In what areas of your life are the jackals who tempt you still lurking, keeping you in sin?
In what ways do you act foolishly? What the world considers wise the Lord knows to be foolish. What worldly wisdom are you trusting?
How are you like a lion? Is there anyone you've been devouring with unkind words or impatience or contempt or bullying?
Well, the Good News is, as Isaiah points out: The Lord has ransomed us! We can escape from these peace-stealing maladies.
Today's Gospel reading shows us that Jesus was overflowing with God's power so that he could minister to people. He wants to minister to you, too. We all need this help to stay on the highway that's called the holy way. It's Jesus who strengthens the hands that are feeble and the knees that are weak.
We are like the paralytic who allowed his friends to lower him to Jesus for a healing. By humbling ourselves and allowing Christian friends to help us, we reach the power of Christ.
And then he says to us, "My friend, your sins are forgiven." With that Word, we are healed. We have peace again. With that Word, all the good things that Isaiah prophesied are becoming true for us.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Will obedience get us to heaven?
Today's Gospel reading answers the question: "Can a person lose their salvation?" Many Protestants believe in the theology of "once saved always saved" and that heaven is forever guaranteed on the day of conversion when a person says yes to the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus.
Catholic teaching, however, acknowledges that a conversion might not be sincere or complete, and that deliberate, terrible sins will turn an unrepentant sinner away from Christ forever (we call such sins "mortal", because they kill the soul).Knowing this can happen, many good Catholics fear that someday they might choose to turn away from Christ.
Salvation is more than knowing who Jesus is. Many know who he is without knowing him. He is more than a who. Demons know who he is and obey his commands. Obedience alone does not get anyone into heaven.
Jesus is more than an authority we must obey. To know Jesus is to know what he's all about (his purpose, his love, and his life). When we honestly choose to trust in the "what" about Jesus, we naturally want to be just like him. We want to follow him, doing what he does, all the way to heaven.
We can believe in Jesus and yet remain in the darkness of sin and eternal death. To live in the light of Christ and remain there, we must not only believe that he is God. We must not only believe that he is Savior. We must also believe in everything – oh yes, everything! – that he taught by word and by deed.
We enter the kingdom of heaven by listening to his words and acting upon them. Salvation is more than our words of belief. It's our actions, which we do because we believe. We act the way Jesus acted and we do what Jesus did.
This scripture ends the Sermon on the Mount, which started with Matthew's fifth chapter. Read this entire sermon to find out how well you are behaving like Christ with the people around you. We are acting like Christ, for example, when we love our enemies, and when we forgive others as he forgives us and, as he said earlier in this sermon, when we do more than what is asked of us, going the extra mile – not because he told us to, but because we genuinely care.
Obedience is merely the minimum. To be heralds of hope and flames of light that Christ brings to the world, we have to embrace the way he delivers that hope and light. Going the extra mile is the way we go to the cross with him. And while the cross looks like the antithesis of Christmas, it is sacrifice that opens the door of hope in the hearts of others.
Love is what motivates to do more than the minimum. If we care, we cannot help but want to do more for others, because unconditional love is the nature of Jesus. Thus, as long as we love others in him and through him, we are guaranteed eternal life with him.
Catholic teaching, however, acknowledges that a conversion might not be sincere or complete, and that deliberate, terrible sins will turn an unrepentant sinner away from Christ forever (we call such sins "mortal", because they kill the soul).Knowing this can happen, many good Catholics fear that someday they might choose to turn away from Christ.
Salvation is more than knowing who Jesus is. Many know who he is without knowing him. He is more than a who. Demons know who he is and obey his commands. Obedience alone does not get anyone into heaven.
Jesus is more than an authority we must obey. To know Jesus is to know what he's all about (his purpose, his love, and his life). When we honestly choose to trust in the "what" about Jesus, we naturally want to be just like him. We want to follow him, doing what he does, all the way to heaven.
We can believe in Jesus and yet remain in the darkness of sin and eternal death. To live in the light of Christ and remain there, we must not only believe that he is God. We must not only believe that he is Savior. We must also believe in everything – oh yes, everything! – that he taught by word and by deed.
We enter the kingdom of heaven by listening to his words and acting upon them. Salvation is more than our words of belief. It's our actions, which we do because we believe. We act the way Jesus acted and we do what Jesus did.
This scripture ends the Sermon on the Mount, which started with Matthew's fifth chapter. Read this entire sermon to find out how well you are behaving like Christ with the people around you. We are acting like Christ, for example, when we love our enemies, and when we forgive others as he forgives us and, as he said earlier in this sermon, when we do more than what is asked of us, going the extra mile – not because he told us to, but because we genuinely care.
Obedience is merely the minimum. To be heralds of hope and flames of light that Christ brings to the world, we have to embrace the way he delivers that hope and light. Going the extra mile is the way we go to the cross with him. And while the cross looks like the antithesis of Christmas, it is sacrifice that opens the door of hope in the hearts of others.
Love is what motivates to do more than the minimum. If we care, we cannot help but want to do more for others, because unconditional love is the nature of Jesus. Thus, as long as we love others in him and through him, we are guaranteed eternal life with him.
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