Innermost Thoughts

Today’s Gospel Text:  And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word;  30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed." Luke 2:22-35

Reflection: What shall we say? Can we safely presume that the greatest tragedy of humanity is its inability to know the secrets of its own heart?

However knowledgeable a human being may be and whatever their achievements and however big  their accomplishments the ultimate nagging fact for the bloated one must be their proved inability to know the many secrets of their hearts and in some situations even their best friends may not be able to help them.

Do even the psychologist not say that there are some thoughts in us which we are not aware of, even as they in the same vein say that there are some which others know and some only we know and the some which everybody knows. (Johari Window: technique created by Joseph Luft & Harrington Ingham in 1955 in the United States)

Fine! if they were irrelevant thoughts of life! But what happens if dealing with those thoughts decide his eternal fate and could be a solution to his many fears and anxiety.

Some find the shadows of these thoughts too nagging and would practice a spirituality of repression or suppression and may never want to deal with it. Many may get deceived in search of that solution, in the wrong spirituality's of life.

These thoughts could affect our health too and many have restored themselves to health by wrongfully and blindly subjugating of one’s thoughts and feelings, by either focusing on a mantra, or their breathing or though bodily exercise or creating an atmosphere that lifts them in a make believe world of peace and tranquility.

There are still others who will resort to chemical dependency to help them forget the many thoughts of their hearts or would boast in public and resort to unethical behavior patterns or rational acceptance to deal with such discomfort till such thoughts are further pushed to the subconscious on account of the passage of time.

Christ Jesus is the perfect help to those who want to escape the discomfort of the many hidden thoughts that assail us: “…that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed." (vs. 35). 

He does it not by subjugation but by revealing them to us or bringing them to the open and that too in keeping with our capacity to receive. 

The medium is the the Holy Spirit, who is given to us precisely for this reason: “… the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. (John 16:7-8; cfr. Phil. 3:15) 

Prayer:  Lord, lead me by your Spirit into the way of truth, that the innermost thoughts of heart may not condemn me on the Day of Judgment.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us