Matthew 7:21-27
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
23 Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'
24 "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
26 And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
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This is the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, and 7). The sermon begins with the Beatitudes, and ends with this. Pretty nice pair of bookends. I recommend sitting down and reading the whole thing sometime during advent.
Only those who do the will of the Father will enter heaven. The difference between the wise man and the foolish man is whether or not they act on God's Word. This is the role of obedience. It is impossible to say that I "believe in" Christ, but not actually believe what He says. And He clearly says that we are to obey Him, here and in many other passages in the gospelsSo ... we are called to do the will of the Father. How do we know what that is? The first place to look is Scripture. We are given commandments, first from the Father in the Old Testament, then from the Son in the New Testament. Those commandments tell us directly what God's will is.
We have the Beatitudes, which also tell us directly what God's will is.We also can find the will of God by seeking it in prayer. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ tells us to seek and we will find, ask and shall be given, knock and the door will be opened. This is done through prayer. Give it a try sometime when you have an important question in your life. Do whatever you need to do to analyze it, there's nothing wrong with that. But also do this ... engage the Lord in prayer. Tell Him you don't know what to do. Ask Him to tell you. Then be still and listen for your answer.
Christ is consistent on this point throughout the gospels -- he expects us to believe AND do. He expects us to live out his commands to the best that we can.
Showing posts with label - Obedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label - Obedience. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Daily - 9/9/09
Luke 6:27-38
27 "But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.
34 If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.
35 But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.
37 "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
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There was a time when I was nearly protestant in my thinking, and very much caught up in the faith vs. works debate. Really, that whole discussion is an enormous waste of time that moves our focus away from where Christ wants it. In Luke 6, we see very clearly that Christ clearly calls us to a faith in action. Let's break it down:
Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. Give to everyone. Don't expect things back. Do to others as you'd have them to unto you. Be merciful. Stop judging. Stop condemning. Forgive. Give.
If I want to live a life in the spirit, these are the things I should be doing.
27 "But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.
34 If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.
35 But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.
37 "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."
------------
There was a time when I was nearly protestant in my thinking, and very much caught up in the faith vs. works debate. Really, that whole discussion is an enormous waste of time that moves our focus away from where Christ wants it. In Luke 6, we see very clearly that Christ clearly calls us to a faith in action. Let's break it down:
Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. Give to everyone. Don't expect things back. Do to others as you'd have them to unto you. Be merciful. Stop judging. Stop condemning. Forgive. Give.
If I want to live a life in the spirit, these are the things I should be doing.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Daily - 5/28/09
John 21:15-19
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
16 He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.
18 Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19 He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."
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This is the only dialogue between Peter and Christ that we see after the resurrection. Remember that Peter denied Christ three times immediately following the Upper Room discourse. We aren't really told what he's thinking, but he must have been filled with sorrow that his flesh failed him. Christ is gentle and loving in response.
This is a good dialogue to meditate over. Why did Christ ask Peter if he loved him .. and why three times? Each time Christ asks, Peter responds, and Christ gives him a command to obey. Tend my sheep. Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Follow me.
While thinking about that, remember the parable of the vine and the branches, and remember what came just after that in John 15:
9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
We remain in Christ's love by keeping His commandments. We are called to believe and obey. As Christ tells Peter, the obedience part can be difficult at times. It means surrendering your own will to God's. For Peter, this ultimately meant martyrdom. God is calling all of us to that, but He is definitely calling all of us to something.
So how do we love Him? By obeying the call.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
16 He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.
18 Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19 He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."
---------------
This is the only dialogue between Peter and Christ that we see after the resurrection. Remember that Peter denied Christ three times immediately following the Upper Room discourse. We aren't really told what he's thinking, but he must have been filled with sorrow that his flesh failed him. Christ is gentle and loving in response.
This is a good dialogue to meditate over. Why did Christ ask Peter if he loved him .. and why three times? Each time Christ asks, Peter responds, and Christ gives him a command to obey. Tend my sheep. Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Follow me.
While thinking about that, remember the parable of the vine and the branches, and remember what came just after that in John 15:
9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
We remain in Christ's love by keeping His commandments. We are called to believe and obey. As Christ tells Peter, the obedience part can be difficult at times. It means surrendering your own will to God's. For Peter, this ultimately meant martyrdom. God is calling all of us to that, but He is definitely calling all of us to something.
So how do we love Him? By obeying the call.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Daily - 5/8/09
John 15:1-8
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
3 You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
4 Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
6 Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
8 By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
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This is the Sunday gospel, so I'm cheating forward a day, but I just can't resist, because this is very close to the top on my list of favorites. This passage cuts to the very core of our faith. Interestingly, we began John 15 in the Friday morning bible study, so we spent a full hour talking about these eight verses.
A very crude image I use for this parable is to think about Christ as the electrical power grid. It goes everywhere, stretches into every home/office/whatever. If we are plugged in and the power switch, the light shines. If not, we've either turned off the switch or unplugged ourselves altogether.
So ... Christ is the vine. We are the branches. The father takes away any vine that does not bear fruit. Those that do bear fruit are pruned, so that they can produce more fruit.
Have you ever been pruned? Have you ever been through a difficult trial, come to the end of it, and seen the hand of God throughout, all the way to the lessons of faith you've learned? That's pruning. On a spiritual level, it's a fantastic process. However, on an earthly level ... it HURTS, and at times can fill us with extreme physical or emotional pain. That's just the way it is. As believers in Christ, we get pruned.
There's more to the lesson though, and it's very important. We are to remain in Christ, and we can't bear fruit without him. Let that sink in for a minute ... we can't do it without him. In fact, we can do nothing without him.
Keep reading. If we do not remain, we are thrown out like a branch and whither, and we will be thrown in the fire. If we do remain, ask for whatever we want, and it will be given to us. It can't get any clearer than that.
This raises the question, what does it mean to remain? Let's add two verses to find out:
9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
There it is in black and white, directly from the Christ.
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
3 You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
4 Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
6 Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
8 By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
-----------
This is the Sunday gospel, so I'm cheating forward a day, but I just can't resist, because this is very close to the top on my list of favorites. This passage cuts to the very core of our faith. Interestingly, we began John 15 in the Friday morning bible study, so we spent a full hour talking about these eight verses.
A very crude image I use for this parable is to think about Christ as the electrical power grid. It goes everywhere, stretches into every home/office/whatever. If we are plugged in and the power switch, the light shines. If not, we've either turned off the switch or unplugged ourselves altogether.
So ... Christ is the vine. We are the branches. The father takes away any vine that does not bear fruit. Those that do bear fruit are pruned, so that they can produce more fruit.
Have you ever been pruned? Have you ever been through a difficult trial, come to the end of it, and seen the hand of God throughout, all the way to the lessons of faith you've learned? That's pruning. On a spiritual level, it's a fantastic process. However, on an earthly level ... it HURTS, and at times can fill us with extreme physical or emotional pain. That's just the way it is. As believers in Christ, we get pruned.
There's more to the lesson though, and it's very important. We are to remain in Christ, and we can't bear fruit without him. Let that sink in for a minute ... we can't do it without him. In fact, we can do nothing without him.
Keep reading. If we do not remain, we are thrown out like a branch and whither, and we will be thrown in the fire. If we do remain, ask for whatever we want, and it will be given to us. It can't get any clearer than that.
This raises the question, what does it mean to remain? Let's add two verses to find out:
9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.
There it is in black and white, directly from the Christ.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Daily - 5/6/09
John 13:16-20 (Thursday gospel) -- I'm adding v15 for context:
15 I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.
16 Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
18 I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, 'The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.'
19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
20 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
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Christ had just finished washing the disciples' feet. If you look at Luke's description of the upper room (http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/luke/luke22.htm), you'll see that right after instituting the eucharist, an argument broke out among the disciples about who among them was the greatest.
Imagine how Jesus must have felt then. He gets up, strips his outer garments, and washes their feet. There had to have been silence in the room.
Peter objects. Christ rebukes him, and tells him He just gave them the model to follow (v15).
Today's reading picks up from there. He tells the Twelve that nobody is greater than He is, and that they need to understand that. Look at v19 - He tells the apostles that he is YHWH ("I AM", v19), and he just got down on his knees and washed their feet! This is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- the master of land and sea, the voice from the burning bush, the force that parted the Red Sea, the God that struck down the Pharoah and delivered Israel from Egypt.
He says ... be a servent.
15 I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.
16 Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
18 I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, 'The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.'
19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
20 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."
------------------
Christ had just finished washing the disciples' feet. If you look at Luke's description of the upper room (http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/luke/luke22.htm), you'll see that right after instituting the eucharist, an argument broke out among the disciples about who among them was the greatest.
Imagine how Jesus must have felt then. He gets up, strips his outer garments, and washes their feet. There had to have been silence in the room.
Peter objects. Christ rebukes him, and tells him He just gave them the model to follow (v15).
Today's reading picks up from there. He tells the Twelve that nobody is greater than He is, and that they need to understand that. Look at v19 - He tells the apostles that he is YHWH ("I AM", v19), and he just got down on his knees and washed their feet! This is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- the master of land and sea, the voice from the burning bush, the force that parted the Red Sea, the God that struck down the Pharoah and delivered Israel from Egypt.
He says ... be a servent.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Daily - 5/5/09
John 12:44-50
44 Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me,
45 and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
46 I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
47 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
48 Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day,
49 because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me."
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This is the close to John 12 and is the finish of Christ's public ministry that is recorded in John's gospel. Chapters 13-17 detail the discourses in the Upper Room, which are between Christ and his disciples. The Passion begins in John 18.
I like to look at this passage as Christ's "closing argument." He's made the triumphant entry. He's in full "rock star" mode, with thousands following him. Among the crowd are his enemies that are plotting to kill Him. He knows full well that they will succeed. I can only imaging the electricity and urgency in the air as this went down.
Let's step through it:
- v44-45: Whoever believes in Christ believes in God
- v46: He came as light, to bring believers out of the darkness
- v47-48: We are to hear His words and observe them. Christ's mission on earth was to save, not condemn. However, condemnation will come on the last day to those who reject His words.
- v49: These words come directly from the father -- YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
- v50: These are the words of eternal life.
This one is worth reading very slowly and carefully, and in prayer. Imagine the scene, ask God to open your mind to what He wants to teach you, and think it through. Good stuff.
44 Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me,
45 and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
46 I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
47 And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
48 Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day,
49 because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me."
------------
This is the close to John 12 and is the finish of Christ's public ministry that is recorded in John's gospel. Chapters 13-17 detail the discourses in the Upper Room, which are between Christ and his disciples. The Passion begins in John 18.
I like to look at this passage as Christ's "closing argument." He's made the triumphant entry. He's in full "rock star" mode, with thousands following him. Among the crowd are his enemies that are plotting to kill Him. He knows full well that they will succeed. I can only imaging the electricity and urgency in the air as this went down.
Let's step through it:
- v44-45: Whoever believes in Christ believes in God
- v46: He came as light, to bring believers out of the darkness
- v47-48: We are to hear His words and observe them. Christ's mission on earth was to save, not condemn. However, condemnation will come on the last day to those who reject His words.
- v49: These words come directly from the father -- YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
- v50: These are the words of eternal life.
This one is worth reading very slowly and carefully, and in prayer. Imagine the scene, ask God to open your mind to what He wants to teach you, and think it through. Good stuff.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Daily - 5/4/09
John 10:22-30 (Tuesday gospel)
22 The feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter.
23 And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify to me.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
30 The Father and I are one."
----------------
This is an excellent follow to the good shepherd passage we heard at Mass on Sunday.
I'd like to focus on verses 27 - 30. Christ says that his sheep hear his voice; he knows them, and they follow him. What does that mean for us now, 2000 years later? What does it mean to hear Christ's voice, and follow Him?
Does it mean to just hear? I don't think so.
Does it mean to hear and recognize that he is savior and has died for our sins? Many say this. But what about following? He is very clear that we are to follow Him.
Or does it mean to hear, recognize he is savior, and to follow him by obeying his words? This is what the Catholic Church says. We follow him by committing our lives to him, by doing what He says to the best that we can, and by reconciling ourselves to God when we can't.
22 The feast of the Dedication was then taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter.
23 And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify to me.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
30 The Father and I are one."
----------------
This is an excellent follow to the good shepherd passage we heard at Mass on Sunday.
I'd like to focus on verses 27 - 30. Christ says that his sheep hear his voice; he knows them, and they follow him. What does that mean for us now, 2000 years later? What does it mean to hear Christ's voice, and follow Him?
Does it mean to just hear? I don't think so.
Does it mean to hear and recognize that he is savior and has died for our sins? Many say this. But what about following? He is very clear that we are to follow Him.
Or does it mean to hear, recognize he is savior, and to follow him by obeying his words? This is what the Catholic Church says. We follow him by committing our lives to him, by doing what He says to the best that we can, and by reconciling ourselves to God when we can't.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Daily - 3/24/09
Luke 1:26-38 - Wednesday's Gospel - Mary's Fiat
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."
29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34 But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"
35 And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
37 for nothing will be impossible for God."
38 Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
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Mary calls herself a handmaid twice in Luke 1. She says it here, and also to Elizabeth at the visitation. A handmaid is a servant who literally stood waiting at the hand of the master, to do his bidding. When called upon, her job was to do whatever the master said. When she was finished, she'd return to the master's side and wait for the next order. Mary's decision to accept this role has been celebrated throughout the ages as her "Fiat," which means "let it be done" in Latin. Mary's fiat, then, is this response:
"May it be done to me according to your word."
Those words make me consider how well I respond to God's call. First -- am I even enough in tune to Him to hear it? Am I remaining in Christ so that I can even hear what I'm asked to do? If so, how do I respond? I'd like to say my answer is always "yes," and I know it has been "yes" several times. But how many times has God called me to do something, and I either missed the call completely, or I said "No"? More than I care to admit.
God’s probably not going to ask any of us to carry His child, but he does ask us to do His work. We too can choose to be His handservants – submit to His authority, do what he says, and be still and wait for the next call. I find that when I'm prepared to do that, and give God my own little "fiat", I am blessed in ways I never would have imagined.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Daily - 3/18/09
Lk 2:41-51a (Thursday's gospel)
41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
42 and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.
43 After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
44 Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
45 but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions,
47 and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.
48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."
49 And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
50 But they did not understand what he said to them.
51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them;
----------
The UCSSB website lists two choices for today, so I took this one. This is the fifth joyful mystery of the Rosary.
At the Men's Day, Msgr. Callahan talked about putting ourselves into the scene of a gospel reading. Here's one that I would have loved to witness -- a twelve-year-old boy questioning and teaching the teachers of the temple. I'd love to see the reactions of those in the temple with him. He's there for three days. I've got to believe that by day 3 of this, the Q&A dialogue was getting pretty darn detailed.
Beyond the actual scene there are a lot of things to consider:
· They find Jesus after three days. We'll here more about three days later in the story. :)
· If we want to find Jesus, where can we look? In his Father's house. He was physically there for Mary and Joseph. Two thousand years later, he is physically there for us too. It's so sad that so many have abandoned this truth.
· v50 - Mary and Joseph didn't understand what Jesus meant when he said they should have known he would be in his Father's house. I don't have a great explanation for this. We know from Luke and Matthew that they both knew exactly where he came from and who he was, but they don't understand what he's saying here. It makes me wish we knew more about Christ's early life. What was it like to have that guy growing up inside your house? What were Mary and Joseph able to see?
· Jesus is clearly superior to Mary and Joseph even at this age, yet he humbles himself in obedience to them. His example of humility and service is clear even then.
41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
42 and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.
43 After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
44 Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
45 but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions,
47 and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.
48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."
49 And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
50 But they did not understand what he said to them.
51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them;
----------
The UCSSB website lists two choices for today, so I took this one. This is the fifth joyful mystery of the Rosary.
At the Men's Day, Msgr. Callahan talked about putting ourselves into the scene of a gospel reading. Here's one that I would have loved to witness -- a twelve-year-old boy questioning and teaching the teachers of the temple. I'd love to see the reactions of those in the temple with him. He's there for three days. I've got to believe that by day 3 of this, the Q&A dialogue was getting pretty darn detailed.
Beyond the actual scene there are a lot of things to consider:
· They find Jesus after three days. We'll here more about three days later in the story. :)
· If we want to find Jesus, where can we look? In his Father's house. He was physically there for Mary and Joseph. Two thousand years later, he is physically there for us too. It's so sad that so many have abandoned this truth.
· v50 - Mary and Joseph didn't understand what Jesus meant when he said they should have known he would be in his Father's house. I don't have a great explanation for this. We know from Luke and Matthew that they both knew exactly where he came from and who he was, but they don't understand what he's saying here. It makes me wish we knew more about Christ's early life. What was it like to have that guy growing up inside your house? What were Mary and Joseph able to see?
· Jesus is clearly superior to Mary and Joseph even at this age, yet he humbles himself in obedience to them. His example of humility and service is clear even then.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Daily - 2/25/09
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
1 "(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
2 When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
4 so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
5 "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
16 "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.
------------------
Welcome to Lent!
Christ gives us instruction on Lenten disciplines.
During Lent we use tried and true spiritual disciplines -- prayer, fasting, and almsgiving -- to draw closer and closer to Christ. As Christ says in the gospel, these disciplines are between us and our Lord. We are to go about our lives as usual, and enter into these spiritual disciplines privately, or at least without fanfare. One thing I'm trying to focus on is that there is no gain from making my efforts a statement to anyone other than the Father.
We also need to have sound purposes for these disciplines. If we're fasting to lose weight, or giving alms so that others can see us doing it, we need to look closely at what we're doing. Is it really a spiritual discipline if our goal is some type of worldly gain?
1 "(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
2 When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
4 so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
5 "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
16 "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.
------------------
Welcome to Lent!
Christ gives us instruction on Lenten disciplines.
During Lent we use tried and true spiritual disciplines -- prayer, fasting, and almsgiving -- to draw closer and closer to Christ. As Christ says in the gospel, these disciplines are between us and our Lord. We are to go about our lives as usual, and enter into these spiritual disciplines privately, or at least without fanfare. One thing I'm trying to focus on is that there is no gain from making my efforts a statement to anyone other than the Father.
We also need to have sound purposes for these disciplines. If we're fasting to lose weight, or giving alms so that others can see us doing it, we need to look closely at what we're doing. Is it really a spiritual discipline if our goal is some type of worldly gain?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Daily - 1/19/09
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
7 Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
James 4:7-8
7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Psalm 46:8-11
9 Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
10 Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire;
11 Who says: "Be still and confess that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth."
---------------------------
In my opinion submitting to God is the ultimate fork in the road, particularly for men. We don’t want to give up control. But over and over and over again, throughout the old and new testament, God tells us to do exactly that. So … what does it mean to submit to God? It means a lot of things, but the first step is obedience. Submitting to God means saying that you will no longer make your rules, and that you will submit to His:
John 8:31-32
31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
When Christ calls us to remain in his word, he is calling us to obedience. Once we are faced with the Word, we have a choice to make – belief and submittal to it, or not. If we believe but we do not obey, we are caught in a kind of spiritual limbo. This happens to a lot of people. In my opinion, for men the reasons come from two places – either fear of the unknown (ie, what will happen to me, what do I have to do, what will be taken from me), or a prideful refusal to give up control.
Yet if we remain in the word (ie, obey), Christ promises us the truth, and that the truth will set us free. Some people spend years studying the word before finally coming to this point. I was one of those people. Finally I woke up and realized that the call to obedience was firm. Once I responded to this call and submitted to Christ’s authority, I was able to understand a lot more about the concept of the pursuit of spiritual maturity and the surpassing joy that can come from that pursuit.
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
7 Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
James 4:7-8
7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Psalm 46:8-11
9 Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
10 Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire;
11 Who says: "Be still and confess that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth."
---------------------------
In my opinion submitting to God is the ultimate fork in the road, particularly for men. We don’t want to give up control. But over and over and over again, throughout the old and new testament, God tells us to do exactly that. So … what does it mean to submit to God? It means a lot of things, but the first step is obedience. Submitting to God means saying that you will no longer make your rules, and that you will submit to His:
John 8:31-32
31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
When Christ calls us to remain in his word, he is calling us to obedience. Once we are faced with the Word, we have a choice to make – belief and submittal to it, or not. If we believe but we do not obey, we are caught in a kind of spiritual limbo. This happens to a lot of people. In my opinion, for men the reasons come from two places – either fear of the unknown (ie, what will happen to me, what do I have to do, what will be taken from me), or a prideful refusal to give up control.
Yet if we remain in the word (ie, obey), Christ promises us the truth, and that the truth will set us free. Some people spend years studying the word before finally coming to this point. I was one of those people. Finally I woke up and realized that the call to obedience was firm. Once I responded to this call and submitted to Christ’s authority, I was able to understand a lot more about the concept of the pursuit of spiritual maturity and the surpassing joy that can come from that pursuit.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Daily - 1/15/09
1 Samuel 3:1-11
1 During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
2 One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
3 The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was.
4 The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
5 He ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me." "I did not call you," Eli said. "Go back to sleep." So he went back to sleep.
6 Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. "Here I am," he said. "You called me." But he answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."
7 At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
8 The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me." Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
9 So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
10 the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
-----------------------------
This is the bulk of the first reading for this coming Sunday.
We had a great discussion on this in the Wednesday night bible study. How does one discern God’s call? In the account above, Samuel was hearing something, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He needed to hear the call several times before God got through to him, and he needed the help of Eli to understand what was actually going on. There were eight of us at the study last night, and every single one of us could relate to this experience.
We got to chatting about how we as individuals discern God’s call. One thing that came clear is that it works differently for each of us. That makes complete sense, because discernment is very personal and varies with the individual. However, a few common thoughts emerged from the discussion:
- Prayer – to understand God's will, we need to ask Him what it is. This occurs through prayer, concentrating on God, and listening for his words.
- Obedience and submission – to discern what God’s will is for us on an individual level, it seems pretty important to first commit to what has been written about God’s will for all of us. If we can’t commit to that, we’re going to struggle to get any further down the road.
- Sacraments – concentrating on the Eucharist and Reconciliation brings you closer to God, and helps get you in the right frame of mind.
- Trust – we need to trust that God’s will is right for us. This typically happens through experience, over time. We don’t come out of the box trusting God. It’s something that is typically tried little by little, and over time we gain more and more confidence.
1 During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
2 One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
3 The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was.
4 The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
5 He ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me." "I did not call you," Eli said. "Go back to sleep." So he went back to sleep.
6 Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. "Here I am," he said. "You called me." But he answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."
7 At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
8 The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me." Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
9 So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
10 the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
-----------------------------
This is the bulk of the first reading for this coming Sunday.
We had a great discussion on this in the Wednesday night bible study. How does one discern God’s call? In the account above, Samuel was hearing something, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He needed to hear the call several times before God got through to him, and he needed the help of Eli to understand what was actually going on. There were eight of us at the study last night, and every single one of us could relate to this experience.
We got to chatting about how we as individuals discern God’s call. One thing that came clear is that it works differently for each of us. That makes complete sense, because discernment is very personal and varies with the individual. However, a few common thoughts emerged from the discussion:
- Prayer – to understand God's will, we need to ask Him what it is. This occurs through prayer, concentrating on God, and listening for his words.
- Obedience and submission – to discern what God’s will is for us on an individual level, it seems pretty important to first commit to what has been written about God’s will for all of us. If we can’t commit to that, we’re going to struggle to get any further down the road.
- Sacraments – concentrating on the Eucharist and Reconciliation brings you closer to God, and helps get you in the right frame of mind.
- Trust – we need to trust that God’s will is right for us. This typically happens through experience, over time. We don’t come out of the box trusting God. It’s something that is typically tried little by little, and over time we gain more and more confidence.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Daily - 1/9/09
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love,
18 may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
----------------
This is Paul praying for all of us to attain spiritual maturity – to “be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,” and to comprehend “the breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
This is a description of the abundant life that Jesus came to give us (John 10:10). What do I need to do to get it? From above, it appears that I can’t get this on my own – I need to pray to have God give me this grace. My strategy is to let the Word enrich me, to strive for obedience, to pursue the sacraments regularly (i.e. Eucharist and reconciliation), and to pray for God to strengthen my inner self with his Spirit. The last part is undoubtedly a stumbling block for men, who are very much used to solving problems themselves. In this case though, Paul is clear. This abundance is granted from God, and I need to make myself available to Him.
---------------
Epilogue, 1/9/09 – This was written in June 2008. Six month later, I have to say that this strategy works pretty well for me. I’ve gotten to the point where I pray almost daily for God to increase my faith, and to help me make myself available to Him, so that I can do what he wants. I’ve learned several lessons in humility that have driven home the message that the spiritual things that happen in my life are God’s doing, not mine -- until the next time I need to be reminded.
My job is to remain in Him.
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love,
18 may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
----------------
This is Paul praying for all of us to attain spiritual maturity – to “be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,” and to comprehend “the breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
This is a description of the abundant life that Jesus came to give us (John 10:10). What do I need to do to get it? From above, it appears that I can’t get this on my own – I need to pray to have God give me this grace. My strategy is to let the Word enrich me, to strive for obedience, to pursue the sacraments regularly (i.e. Eucharist and reconciliation), and to pray for God to strengthen my inner self with his Spirit. The last part is undoubtedly a stumbling block for men, who are very much used to solving problems themselves. In this case though, Paul is clear. This abundance is granted from God, and I need to make myself available to Him.
---------------
Epilogue, 1/9/09 – This was written in June 2008. Six month later, I have to say that this strategy works pretty well for me. I’ve gotten to the point where I pray almost daily for God to increase my faith, and to help me make myself available to Him, so that I can do what he wants. I’ve learned several lessons in humility that have driven home the message that the spiritual things that happen in my life are God’s doing, not mine -- until the next time I need to be reminded.
My job is to remain in Him.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Daily - 12/31/08
James 1:22-25
22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.
24 He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.
25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.
As it says in verse 22, we are called to be “doers of the word and not hearers only.” Sometimes I am much better at the understanding than the doing. That’s not right. We are called to act on God’s commandments, not merely understanding them. Understanding is great, but if I don’t act, the flesh is winning out over the spirit.
John 3 is quoted so often about the nature of Christ’s mission on earth – down to the guy with the rainbow hair holding up a John 3:16 sign at football games. But one quote I almost never hear from John 3 is this:
John 3:36
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
Christ himself states that disobedience is the opposite of belief. I’m sure that I had read this more than a dozen times before it really sunk in with me. Obedience to God and acting on his commands aren’t a result of belief, they are belief, by Christ’s own definition.
22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.
24 He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.
25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does.
As it says in verse 22, we are called to be “doers of the word and not hearers only.” Sometimes I am much better at the understanding than the doing. That’s not right. We are called to act on God’s commandments, not merely understanding them. Understanding is great, but if I don’t act, the flesh is winning out over the spirit.
John 3 is quoted so often about the nature of Christ’s mission on earth – down to the guy with the rainbow hair holding up a John 3:16 sign at football games. But one quote I almost never hear from John 3 is this:
John 3:36
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
Christ himself states that disobedience is the opposite of belief. I’m sure that I had read this more than a dozen times before it really sunk in with me. Obedience to God and acting on his commands aren’t a result of belief, they are belief, by Christ’s own definition.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Daily - 11/21/08
James 4:7-10
7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
9 Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.
1 Peter 1:13-16
13 Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15 but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16 for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."
James and Peter are speaking directly on the subject of submitting to God’s authority.
It isn't until one truly submits to God's authority that they even see the need for obedience. Until then, God’s commands are really just a list of good things to live by. Once one submits to God's authority, the light shines on the self, and you are able to see yourself (to the extent possible for a human) through God's eyes. And once that happens, the necessity of obedience becomes obvious – you can see with your own eyes how short you truly are of what can be, and the desire for obedience begins to grow.
Look at the verses from James. Submit to god, draw close to Him, and He will draw close to you. Purify your hearts, “you of two minds.” What are the two minds? For me, this is the state I was in when I was feeling God’s pull through scripture and prayer, but I wasn’t ready to make an “all in” commitment. I was beginning to see the truth, and “kind of” trying to follow God, but I wasn’t ready to put the flesh to death, and was holding on to the life I had.
I distinctly remember the day that I submitted to God’s authority. I was at Mass on a Sunday, and was really troubled about a couple of things. I knew that I had been resisting submission to God, and I knew that it was holding back my spiritual growth. But I also knew that submission meant obedience, and THAT meant letting go of some worldliness – habits and mindsets that were precious to me. I was afraid of letting go, because all I could think about was how much I was going to lose, of what I’d have to give up, of the fun I was going to miss, of the security I might miss, and of what people would think of me.
Submitting to God’s authority requires significant work on our part. It means knowing what the rules are, and committing to following them. Look at the verses above. Humble yourself. Do not act in the desires of your former ignorance. Live soberly. Cleanse your hearts. Purify your mind. That takes work, and it’s a lifelong process. I pray almost daily for God’s help along this road, and the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist are critical to this process for me.
It is a major spiritual struggle to take this step. But once I started, blessings flowed. I began to understand pieces of scripture that I just couldn’t comprehend before. Certain things that I’d been praying for months and even years started to happen. These daily emails changed from an intellectual exercise to something much more – an exploration of faith which has drawn me ever closer to God. I have developed a desire to make myself available to God, so that he can use me to share some of the things I’ve learned.
7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
9 Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.
1 Peter 1:13-16
13 Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15 but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16 for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."
James and Peter are speaking directly on the subject of submitting to God’s authority.
It isn't until one truly submits to God's authority that they even see the need for obedience. Until then, God’s commands are really just a list of good things to live by. Once one submits to God's authority, the light shines on the self, and you are able to see yourself (to the extent possible for a human) through God's eyes. And once that happens, the necessity of obedience becomes obvious – you can see with your own eyes how short you truly are of what can be, and the desire for obedience begins to grow.
Look at the verses from James. Submit to god, draw close to Him, and He will draw close to you. Purify your hearts, “you of two minds.” What are the two minds? For me, this is the state I was in when I was feeling God’s pull through scripture and prayer, but I wasn’t ready to make an “all in” commitment. I was beginning to see the truth, and “kind of” trying to follow God, but I wasn’t ready to put the flesh to death, and was holding on to the life I had.
I distinctly remember the day that I submitted to God’s authority. I was at Mass on a Sunday, and was really troubled about a couple of things. I knew that I had been resisting submission to God, and I knew that it was holding back my spiritual growth. But I also knew that submission meant obedience, and THAT meant letting go of some worldliness – habits and mindsets that were precious to me. I was afraid of letting go, because all I could think about was how much I was going to lose, of what I’d have to give up, of the fun I was going to miss, of the security I might miss, and of what people would think of me.
Submitting to God’s authority requires significant work on our part. It means knowing what the rules are, and committing to following them. Look at the verses above. Humble yourself. Do not act in the desires of your former ignorance. Live soberly. Cleanse your hearts. Purify your mind. That takes work, and it’s a lifelong process. I pray almost daily for God’s help along this road, and the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist are critical to this process for me.
It is a major spiritual struggle to take this step. But once I started, blessings flowed. I began to understand pieces of scripture that I just couldn’t comprehend before. Certain things that I’d been praying for months and even years started to happen. These daily emails changed from an intellectual exercise to something much more – an exploration of faith which has drawn me ever closer to God. I have developed a desire to make myself available to God, so that he can use me to share some of the things I’ve learned.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Daily - 11/11/08
Romans 12:9-15
9 Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good;
10 love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.
11 Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
12 Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Here are some words of encouragement from Paul. I need to remind myself of this frequently, because my tendency is to hole up in my own house, and tend to the needs and desires of myself and my family.
However, God calls us to be engaged in our brothers’ lives on a personal level. We all have times where we get tired, or discouraged, or just completely consumed with what’s going on in our immediate lives. Paul reminds us to be fervent in spirit, rejoice in hope, and persevere with prayer. We are called to spiritually invest in each others’ lives.
And … we are to let our love be sincere. To me, this means that I shouldn’t see obedience as a means to an end. I shouldn’t serve others because I think that will get me to heaven. I should serve others because by putting the flesh to death and remaining in Christ, his desires should become my desires. I should serve out of love and hope, and not because I think I’ll get something out of it down the road.
9 Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good;
10 love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.
11 Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
12 Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Here are some words of encouragement from Paul. I need to remind myself of this frequently, because my tendency is to hole up in my own house, and tend to the needs and desires of myself and my family.
However, God calls us to be engaged in our brothers’ lives on a personal level. We all have times where we get tired, or discouraged, or just completely consumed with what’s going on in our immediate lives. Paul reminds us to be fervent in spirit, rejoice in hope, and persevere with prayer. We are called to spiritually invest in each others’ lives.
And … we are to let our love be sincere. To me, this means that I shouldn’t see obedience as a means to an end. I shouldn’t serve others because I think that will get me to heaven. I should serve others because by putting the flesh to death and remaining in Christ, his desires should become my desires. I should serve out of love and hope, and not because I think I’ll get something out of it down the road.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Daily - 9/16/08
Ephesians 5:8-14
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,
9 for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.
10 Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them,
12 for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret;
13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."
We are called to live in the light, and to try and learn what is pleasing to the Lord. How do we know what is pleasing? Really there are two easy answers. First – search the Word and you will find plenty of descriptions of what God does and does not want us to do. At times I’ve found the lists of “don’ts” depressing, but eventually I learned that taking the first steps of obedience really requires focusing on the “don’ts” than the “do’s”. Before we truly commit to Christ we live as the World lives. But we are told not to do that, to not take part in the fruitless works of darkness. These are the first steps of obedience, to recognize things are not doing to God and stop doing them (aka, putting sin to death).
What else can we do? Prayer. One of the best ways to learn what is pleasing to the Lord is to ASK HIM to tell you what is pleasing to Him. Ask God to reveal to you what he wants you to do, or what he wants you to stop doing. Then … pay attention to the answer and try and put it into practice. I have found that the more often I put such questions to God, the easier things become for me.
If we do these things, in time we move further into the light, and in turn our light shines for others to see.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,
9 for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.
10 Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them,
12 for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret;
13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."
We are called to live in the light, and to try and learn what is pleasing to the Lord. How do we know what is pleasing? Really there are two easy answers. First – search the Word and you will find plenty of descriptions of what God does and does not want us to do. At times I’ve found the lists of “don’ts” depressing, but eventually I learned that taking the first steps of obedience really requires focusing on the “don’ts” than the “do’s”. Before we truly commit to Christ we live as the World lives. But we are told not to do that, to not take part in the fruitless works of darkness. These are the first steps of obedience, to recognize things are not doing to God and stop doing them (aka, putting sin to death).
What else can we do? Prayer. One of the best ways to learn what is pleasing to the Lord is to ASK HIM to tell you what is pleasing to Him. Ask God to reveal to you what he wants you to do, or what he wants you to stop doing. Then … pay attention to the answer and try and put it into practice. I have found that the more often I put such questions to God, the easier things become for me.
If we do these things, in time we move further into the light, and in turn our light shines for others to see.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Daily - 9/10/08
Psalm 139:1-16
1 For the leader. A psalm of David. O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
2 you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.
3 My travels and my rest you mark; with all my ways you are familiar.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all.
5 Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach.
7 Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?
8 If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, you are there too.
9 If I fly with the wings of dawn and alight beyond the sea,
10 Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light" --
12 Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.
13 You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew;
15 my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.
--------------------
This is my favorite psalm!
God knows us down to our core. He knows everything about us, and he sees everything that we’re doing. The first time I read this, it was scary to me. The thought of God knowing me completely and fully filled me with guilt and fear.
Of course now I know that the true analysis of self and the conviction that comes with it is the beginning of obedience, and of the transformation from life in the flesh to life in the spirit. Over time, the thought of God knowing me completely changed from scary to comforting, and eventually became a rock for me to stand on.
1 For the leader. A psalm of David. O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
2 you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.
3 My travels and my rest you mark; with all my ways you are familiar.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all.
5 Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach.
7 Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee?
8 If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, you are there too.
9 If I fly with the wings of dawn and alight beyond the sea,
10 Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light" --
12 Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one.
13 You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew;
15 my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.
--------------------
This is my favorite psalm!
God knows us down to our core. He knows everything about us, and he sees everything that we’re doing. The first time I read this, it was scary to me. The thought of God knowing me completely and fully filled me with guilt and fear.
Of course now I know that the true analysis of self and the conviction that comes with it is the beginning of obedience, and of the transformation from life in the flesh to life in the spirit. Over time, the thought of God knowing me completely changed from scary to comforting, and eventually became a rock for me to stand on.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Daily - 8/28/08
John 8:31-32
31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
------------
When Christ calls us to remain in his word, he is calling us to obedience. Once we are faced with the Word, we have a choice to make – belief and submittal to it, or not. If we believe but we do not obey, we are caught in a kind of spiritual limbo. This happens to a lot of people. In my opinion, for men the reasons come from two places – either fear of the unknown (ie, what will happen to me, what do I have to do, what will be taken from me), or a prideful refusal to give up control.
Yet if we remain in the word (ie, obey), Christ promises us the truth, and that the truth will set us free. Some people spend years studying the word before finally coming to this point. I was one of those people. Finally I woke up and realized that the call to obedience was firm. Once I responded to this call and submitted to Christ’s authority, I was able to understand a lot more about the concept of the pursuit of spiritual maturity and the surpassing joy that can come from that pursuit.
So … I can personally testify to the truth of these two verses.
31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
------------
When Christ calls us to remain in his word, he is calling us to obedience. Once we are faced with the Word, we have a choice to make – belief and submittal to it, or not. If we believe but we do not obey, we are caught in a kind of spiritual limbo. This happens to a lot of people. In my opinion, for men the reasons come from two places – either fear of the unknown (ie, what will happen to me, what do I have to do, what will be taken from me), or a prideful refusal to give up control.
Yet if we remain in the word (ie, obey), Christ promises us the truth, and that the truth will set us free. Some people spend years studying the word before finally coming to this point. I was one of those people. Finally I woke up and realized that the call to obedience was firm. Once I responded to this call and submitted to Christ’s authority, I was able to understand a lot more about the concept of the pursuit of spiritual maturity and the surpassing joy that can come from that pursuit.
So … I can personally testify to the truth of these two verses.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Daily - 7/28/08
1 Kings 33-14
3 Solomon loved the LORD, and obeyed the statutes of his father David; yet he offered sacrifice and burned incense on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because that was the most renowned high place. Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand holocausts.
5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."
6 Solomon answered: "You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David, because he behaved faithfully toward you, with justice and an upright heart; and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today, seating a son of his on his throne.
7 O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
8 I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
9 Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"
10 The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
11 So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this--not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right--
12 I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you.
13 In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.
14 And if you follow me by keeping my statutes and commandments, as your father David did, I will give you a long life."
· Solomon’s love for the Lord came from his father David. That’s a huge lesson for those of us who raise kids. We have a tremendous responsibility to be spiritual leaders in our household. It is up to us (ie, not school, not PSR, not someone else) to develop faith in our children. What happens at school/PSR/whatever supplements it, but if they don’t see a faithful life from the parents, the chances of religious education taking hold decrease considerably.
· Given the opportunity to have ANYTHING, Solomon asks for an understanding and discerning heart. He asks God to fully equip him to carry out the assignment that God has given him. This is completely consistent with several of the New Testament passages that I’ve sent out recently about seeking out faith. God knows what we need, but he wants us to come to Him.
· Look at what happens in response. God gives Solomon more than what he asks for. He takes care of all his worldly needs.
· God asks for obedience in return: "if you follow me by keeping my statutes and commandments, as your father David did, I will give you a long life."
3 Solomon loved the LORD, and obeyed the statutes of his father David; yet he offered sacrifice and burned incense on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because that was the most renowned high place. Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand holocausts.
5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."
6 Solomon answered: "You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David, because he behaved faithfully toward you, with justice and an upright heart; and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today, seating a son of his on his throne.
7 O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
8 I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
9 Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"
10 The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
11 So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this--not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right--
12 I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you.
13 In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.
14 And if you follow me by keeping my statutes and commandments, as your father David did, I will give you a long life."
------------------
This was the first reading at Mass last Sunday. I was really struck by these things:· Solomon’s love for the Lord came from his father David. That’s a huge lesson for those of us who raise kids. We have a tremendous responsibility to be spiritual leaders in our household. It is up to us (ie, not school, not PSR, not someone else) to develop faith in our children. What happens at school/PSR/whatever supplements it, but if they don’t see a faithful life from the parents, the chances of religious education taking hold decrease considerably.
· Given the opportunity to have ANYTHING, Solomon asks for an understanding and discerning heart. He asks God to fully equip him to carry out the assignment that God has given him. This is completely consistent with several of the New Testament passages that I’ve sent out recently about seeking out faith. God knows what we need, but he wants us to come to Him.
· Look at what happens in response. God gives Solomon more than what he asks for. He takes care of all his worldly needs.
· God asks for obedience in return: "if you follow me by keeping my statutes and commandments, as your father David did, I will give you a long life."
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