Congratulations to everyone reading this---you have finished your first day of Lent 2008. Now lets get down to business. I would like to look at the readings for Mass today. It is so wonderful how the Church in all her infinite wisdom places these set of readings on the first day of Lent.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
"Here, then I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God which I enjoin on you today, loving him and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish..."
This passage may seem outdated (because we are not the Israelites looking to occupy the Palestinian's land) and a bit scary (because the God of the Old Testament is a God who punishes). Let me remind you that it is pertinent to the modern Christian, but I cannot change the fact that it is frightening.
Today, on this first day of Lent, God has set two things before us---"life and prosperity" along with "death and doom." We must literally choose between a life with God full of love, blessings and prosperity and a life separated from Him which can only lead to death and doom. I know this sounds bleak, but there is always hope in the One who came to save us and as Romans 5:5 reminds us, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." However, there is a catch. God has "poured out his love" for everyone, but we must freely choose to follow Him, which is painfull.
As Luke reminds us in the second reading this is no small task. He states: "'The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.' Then he said to all, 'If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it" (9:22-24). This teaching is a difficult one. In Deuteronomy God set life and prosperity before us against death and doom, but Luke is telling us if we choose life we must die. Does anyone else see a problem here? Luke first gives the perfect example of what he is asking us to do, but many fail to recognize that he also provides us with hope in his reference to Christ. The Son of Man suffered greatly, both physically and emotionally. The three groups a Jewish scholar should never disappoint were the "elders, chief priests and scribes." The most respected people in Jewish society rejected Christ. This is no different than the secular world laughing in the face of Christianity--we too must suffer. (Luke 22:42-45). Jesus was in such agony that "his sweat became like drops of blood and fell to the ground." Still, He freely took up His cross, but on the third day HE ROSE AGAIN! There is our hope!! Luke reminds us that if we want to follow Christ we must deny ourselves and fully grasp our crosses. Not once, but "daily." If you wish to save your life and have that prosperity you must lose your life---and if you lose your life for the sake of Christ, you will save it. That is my challenge to you these first days of Lent. Pray that the Holy Spirit reveal your crosses to you and that the Trinity give you strength to bear them gracefully.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Clothes
I decided to do meditations on Bible Verses because so many people tell me they don't read their Bibles because they don't get anything out of it. I am going to take a verse and just do a simple meditation on it. This is nothing profound or deep, just food for thought.
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." Colossians 3:12
Our dear friend Paul speeks volumes to us in this one verse. It is often thought that only the Jews are God's chosen people. However, as Catholics we know that through Jesus' death and resurrection he brought salvation for all, not just "the lost sheep of Israel" who He speaks about in Matthew 15:24. His instructions to the apostles before He ascended into the heavens were, "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matt 28:19-20). With these instructions Christ instituted a new kind of chosen people. Anyone who is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is a chosen person---they are a Christian. Since we are all part of the new breed of chosen people---that is Christians who are cloaked in the love of Christ---this verse is calling us into action.
First, it is important to remember we are "holy" and "dearly loved" by God. How awesome is this! He has an amazing and unending love for us and only through that love can we become "compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient."
But, it is important to note just exactly what Paul is calling us to do. Merely acting with these virtues is not good enough for Mr. Paul. We must clothe ourselves with these virtues. Just take a minute to think about this verb. How is clothing ourselves different than striving to achieve these virtues (although that is good----remember guys we are aiming for great)? Our clothes often define who we are. Think about a sister, a priest, a businessman, a hooker, a drag queen, etc...These peoples' clothing embodies who they are. We are called to clothe ourselves with some very difficult qualities. Just by looking at you or me can we see and feel compassion on our faces, kindness in our eyes, humility in our demeanor, gentleness in our hands, and patience in our hearts? I mean wow! What if everyone answered Paul's call and truly clothed themselves---covered their imperfect human bodies with perfect love. That is my challenge to all of you. When someone looks at you they should see and feel compassion, love, gentleness, humility, and patience without you saying a word. How many of us can say we achieve this?
With all the love of Christ,
Wendy Reimann
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." Colossians 3:12
Our dear friend Paul speeks volumes to us in this one verse. It is often thought that only the Jews are God's chosen people. However, as Catholics we know that through Jesus' death and resurrection he brought salvation for all, not just "the lost sheep of Israel" who He speaks about in Matthew 15:24. His instructions to the apostles before He ascended into the heavens were, "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matt 28:19-20). With these instructions Christ instituted a new kind of chosen people. Anyone who is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is a chosen person---they are a Christian. Since we are all part of the new breed of chosen people---that is Christians who are cloaked in the love of Christ---this verse is calling us into action.
First, it is important to remember we are "holy" and "dearly loved" by God. How awesome is this! He has an amazing and unending love for us and only through that love can we become "compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient."
But, it is important to note just exactly what Paul is calling us to do. Merely acting with these virtues is not good enough for Mr. Paul. We must clothe ourselves with these virtues. Just take a minute to think about this verb. How is clothing ourselves different than striving to achieve these virtues (although that is good----remember guys we are aiming for great)? Our clothes often define who we are. Think about a sister, a priest, a businessman, a hooker, a drag queen, etc...These peoples' clothing embodies who they are. We are called to clothe ourselves with some very difficult qualities. Just by looking at you or me can we see and feel compassion on our faces, kindness in our eyes, humility in our demeanor, gentleness in our hands, and patience in our hearts? I mean wow! What if everyone answered Paul's call and truly clothed themselves---covered their imperfect human bodies with perfect love. That is my challenge to all of you. When someone looks at you they should see and feel compassion, love, gentleness, humility, and patience without you saying a word. How many of us can say we achieve this?
With all the love of Christ,
Wendy Reimann
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
