Lord is with You

Today’s Gospel Text: In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." Luke 1:39-45

Reflection: And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (vs.43)

One of the greatness of Leonardo Da Vinci’s great painting on Monalisa is that a viewer looks at it from any angle and they feel that the eyes follow them.  

That which is not a reality is made to look as if it is a reality; for such is the ingenuity of the creative human mind.

Unlike the creative paintings, the reality of a life of faith is different; every human being who surrenders his life to God, in a similar way,  would experience the subtle presence of God accompanying them through life’s situation.

God does it not so much to curb us or spy on us but to lift us out of the most trying moments or to console us or to assure us that he is with us every moment of our life.

In the Gospel he comes to Elizabeth, through his most beloved daughter Mary, who is in her most sacred moment with the Child Jesus in her womb, to heal her and the child in her womb; John the Baptist. 

Hence sometimes he could send anyone as angels or instruments to reach out to us in our most trying moments or in our ordinary day to day life. 

This requires a discerning trust in God and a total dependency on him lest we be deceived by the angel of light who comes only to deceive and rob us from the eternal crown which God has prepared.

The best discernment is always our faithfulness to God and walking faithfully, sincerely and honestly in the ways of the Lord, as already revealed to us in our great tradition and scripture.

God himself will not allow such little ones who have put their total trust in him and look to him in order to be saved.

Prayer: “Teach me thy way, O Lord, that I may walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name.”  Ps 86:11

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

Watch Not

Today’s Gospel Text:  One Sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him.

7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 "When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:1, 7-11

Reflection: Why would one watch and more so watch over Jesus?

It could be either to imitate him or to see what faults they could find in order to condemn him.

As for us the safest thing to do before watching over someone or sending people as spies to watch over others is to watch over our hearts and mind first and see if we are right with God.

This also applies to those in authority and those who want to exercise authority over people by watching over them in order to discern their ways or simply spy on them.

By deliberately seeking to watch over people whom we may want to target, we are bound to fail, especially if it involves the work of God.  

    

"For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" 1 Cor 2:16

Ideally, if one wants to discern the authenticity of a person so as to discern whether they are God’s servant then the best thing to do is not to watch over that person but to watch in prayer for God’s insight about the person.

The human mind is limited and even petty in the light of the large heartedness of God and bound to make mistakes when it comes to judging a spiritual man.  He cannot be judged by anyone. (cfr. I Cor. 2:15)

On the other hand we could watch over a person in order to imitate him, yet it is never safe to do so without seeking the wisdom of God.  There are many who have been deceived by men in assumed humility but inside have been ravenous wolves. (cfr. Mt. 7:15)

These categories are not always found outside the church or among the laity but could be among the hierarchy too.  Hence the great need to trust in God, which is never an option, and carry on with life.

Prayer:  Lord, deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. Ps 59:2

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

Be Satisfied

Today’s Gospel: He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Mark 6:1-3

Reflection:  One of the qualities of the human mind is the spirit of inquiry; it asks questions and finds an answer or a solution.  Not all of its solutions may be perfect or right but many a times it manages to fix the immediate problem at hand. Nor are all answers, though logical, are perfect.

In the reading of toady we find a similar situation of a human mind seeking an answer to the mystery of Jesus’ glorious presence in their midst; “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Does this mean that we stop asking every manner of question and start believing? Or do we ask the many questions and start believing?

The problem is not in asking the many questions but rather the crux of the problem is this; why we ask the many questions when God himself is at work and more so when our hearts are made for him, then why do we doubt and our hearts not satisfied?  

It is so because we have not striven to know him nor seek him with all our hearts.  If only we knew him and who it is that speaks then we would have been satisfied with his mere presence.

Prayer: “Blessed is he whom thou dost choose and bring near, to dwell in thy courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, thy holy temple!”  Ps 65:4

  

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