Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God. This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites. The ark of the covenant of the LORD of the whole earth will precede you into the Jordan. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; for the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a solid bank.
The Israelites left Egypt by the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea and they enter the Promised Land by another miraculous crossing. These two miracles bookend the long road from slavery in Egypt to the reception of the commandments and the Law to wandering in the desert to freedom in the Land of Milk and Honey. This passage mimics our own spiritual journey. First, we must trust in God enough to accept His call to rise up and follow Him out of our slavery to sin. Then, we must learn our faith and manifest the commandment to know, love, and serve God and His children. We must also purify ourselves of our fears, doubts, and imperfections. Lastly, we must take the leap and march forth into the world secure in our faith, hope, and love. By following this Way, we prepare ourselves for a Promised Land not in this life, but in the next... the Heavenly Kingdom where we will spend eternity with God and the community of saints.
Do we trust in God enough to let Him lead us away from out temptations and out of our sins? How can we manifest the commandments and purify ourselves of all that holds us back from being good and faithful servants? Are we ready to confidently walk the Way God has prepared for us?
O Lord, you are ever in our midst no matter where we are in our journey.
Amen.
Showing posts with label Miracles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miracles. Show all posts
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Friday, December 2, 2016
First Friday of Advent
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of, nor shall his face grow pale. When his children see the work of my hands in his midst, They shall keep my name holy; they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob, and be in awe of the God of Israel. Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding, and those who find fault shall receive instruction.
As Christians, we have nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. As long as we keep our eyes opened and see the work of God’s hands in our midst. Every day of our lives, we are witness to miracles, great and small. Moments in which God does great things for us. Moments when He gives us a small grace to get us through the day. If we keep in mind how much God does for us, then how can we not keep God’s Name holy and reverence Him? We might not always understand what He has done, but if we trust in Him, we shall gain understanding. We may not be perfect, our faults might drag us down, but if we seek forgiveness, then we shall receive the instructions we need to do better.
Are we uplifted by and fearless in our faith? Do we keep God’s Name holy and reverence Him for all He has given us? Are we seeking understanding and instruction?
O Lord, we are in awe of you and all your gifts to us.
Amen.
As Christians, we have nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. As long as we keep our eyes opened and see the work of God’s hands in our midst. Every day of our lives, we are witness to miracles, great and small. Moments in which God does great things for us. Moments when He gives us a small grace to get us through the day. If we keep in mind how much God does for us, then how can we not keep God’s Name holy and reverence Him? We might not always understand what He has done, but if we trust in Him, we shall gain understanding. We may not be perfect, our faults might drag us down, but if we seek forgiveness, then we shall receive the instructions we need to do better.
Are we uplifted by and fearless in our faith? Do we keep God’s Name holy and reverence Him for all He has given us? Are we seeking understanding and instruction?
O Lord, we are in awe of you and all your gifts to us.
Amen.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?”
It is ironic that the crowds following Jesus ask him to give them a sign so that they will believe. They had just witnessed a miracle that feed them and here they are asking for another one, just to be sure. Isn’t that the temptation we all have in life? We want certainty. We want everything handed to us on a silver platter. We avoid risks and leaps of faith. We avoid those things which might require us to sacrifice or suffer. We are blind to the Will of God and timid in carrying it out when we are faced with it. No matter how many signs God sends us we always have the final choice about whether we will follow Him or not. We can always come up with excuses as to why we can’t accomplish His Will. In the end, these excuses lead us nowhere just as the excuses and complaints of the Jews resulted in their wandering in the desert for forty years. We are faced with the same choice as the Jews and if we are obstinate and only seek certainty and comfort, then we will never reach the Promised Land because to know, love, and serve God and His children is to risk everything for them without excuse or complaint.
What signs are we asking for from God? Do we really need them or do we already know in our hearts what He is asking of us? How can we open our eyes and ears to the daily miracles that surround us and show us how to live Christ-like lives?
O Lord, we believe in you and want only to accomplish your will.
Amen.
It is ironic that the crowds following Jesus ask him to give them a sign so that they will believe. They had just witnessed a miracle that feed them and here they are asking for another one, just to be sure. Isn’t that the temptation we all have in life? We want certainty. We want everything handed to us on a silver platter. We avoid risks and leaps of faith. We avoid those things which might require us to sacrifice or suffer. We are blind to the Will of God and timid in carrying it out when we are faced with it. No matter how many signs God sends us we always have the final choice about whether we will follow Him or not. We can always come up with excuses as to why we can’t accomplish His Will. In the end, these excuses lead us nowhere just as the excuses and complaints of the Jews resulted in their wandering in the desert for forty years. We are faced with the same choice as the Jews and if we are obstinate and only seek certainty and comfort, then we will never reach the Promised Land because to know, love, and serve God and His children is to risk everything for them without excuse or complaint.
What signs are we asking for from God? Do we really need them or do we already know in our hearts what He is asking of us? How can we open our eyes and ears to the daily miracles that surround us and show us how to live Christ-like lives?
O Lord, we believe in you and want only to accomplish your will.
Amen.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.
When we are in the midst of trials, we can forget that God is with us. In our weeping, mourning, or even complaining, we can become so focused on our own needs that we fail to remember that Jesus is there beside us. We also fail to see how others are acting Christ-like toward us. The angels in the gospel try to comfort Mary by challenging her to look beyond her own worry about the missing Jesus and to see the miracle of the resurrection. She is so distraught that she can’t recognize Jesus when he is standing in front of her. It isn’t until he calls her by name that she finally realizes who she is talking to and sees the empty tomb as not an obstacle to her devotion, but a miracle of God’s Providence.
When we are in physical, emotional, or spiritual pain, do we keep our eyes open to God’s presence? Do we trust in God’s Will even in the midst of our trials and tribulations? We are the people in our lives who have acted Christ-like to us when we were in need?
O Lord, open our eyes to your presence.
Amen.
When we are in the midst of trials, we can forget that God is with us. In our weeping, mourning, or even complaining, we can become so focused on our own needs that we fail to remember that Jesus is there beside us. We also fail to see how others are acting Christ-like toward us. The angels in the gospel try to comfort Mary by challenging her to look beyond her own worry about the missing Jesus and to see the miracle of the resurrection. She is so distraught that she can’t recognize Jesus when he is standing in front of her. It isn’t until he calls her by name that she finally realizes who she is talking to and sees the empty tomb as not an obstacle to her devotion, but a miracle of God’s Providence.
When we are in physical, emotional, or spiritual pain, do we keep our eyes open to God’s presence? Do we trust in God’s Will even in the midst of our trials and tribulations? We are the people in our lives who have acted Christ-like to us when we were in need?
O Lord, open our eyes to your presence.
Amen.
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