-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at USCCB.org
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00 Sat and 8:00am and 6:00pm Sunday
"Revelation is Re-creation" or "Show Your Stuff"
Do you know that we lose 10% of our muscle mass for everyday that we lay in bed? We must exercise the muscles we have to preserve them for tomorrow. The point of the scriptures this week is "use it or lose it"
The disciples of Jesus and the people of God for that matter are taught to be what they are. A light. In fact, be what they are by shining (through good works) and you will become more of what and who you are. So, revealing who we are as the children of God makes us more of who we are. Revelation is re-creation.
I hear two challenges for contemporary believers.
1. Many of us are not convinced we are light in The Lord. That's a believing problem. So, we have to hear again and believe. So, a lack of spiritual "self-esteem" is causing us to atrophy. Fake it til you make it would. E the advice for this crowd. Shine AS IF you are light and your wound will be healed.
2. Many of us believe that we must do good works in order to become light in the Lord. That of course is backwards and problematic because it denies God's power in us and for us. God and grace precede us in everything. Rely on God even in blindness and you will see and be the light.
Any thoughts from your life?
3 comments:
Yeah, you're back! I feel you named the challenges corectly, but I feel as if I'm past that (don't laugh!)
For myself there was an intermediary stage, the challenge changes over time, becomes a double-edged sword. When I began to realize I am light, I then waffled between pride and false humility in living/knowing/seeing the Lord's Light in me. I'm the Light of Christ, sure, but sometimes I want to own it!
As far as the good works, same thing. God prepares us, enriches us, assists us to carry it through, yet it takes a long time to be detached from the Holy Trinity of Me, Myself & I.
It is a constant work to be centered, to keep my heart & mind fixed in Christ.
"Rely on God even in blindness and you will see and be the light". Ah, such words of wisdom.
These words rang so true in a real life situation a few years ago.
I was working on a project with an individual owner of a company for about ten months; all taking place within his office building. I was just working and "being myself" as you say, not really doing anything different than I usually do.
The relationship was business; not very much personal interdwelling or conversation with each other; just working together to accomplish the project. The only thing personal he told me that he was Jewish.
Well, not much more was said in the line of personal talk, but after the ten months were over and my work on the project complete, as I was leaving, he looked at me right in the eyes and said: "Thank you for the light that you brought here". Well, I knew he wasn't referring to the project.
It took a while for it to really "sink in" what he was seeing . . .It was the power of the light of Christ beaming through me (although I thought I was just being who I am).
I read this Scripture to several "homebound" people this past week. These are people who are truly "stuck" at home - and how they long to be OUT! Many of them responded afterwards about the beauty of the message contained in this reading. Perhaps because they are limited in the extent to which their light can shine - that is, the number of people they have an opportunity to reach - they seemed to so appreciate the meaning of the teaching. On the other hand, they were all able to name people who are "lights" for them - and to whom they are hopeful to be light in return. It was a reminder to me that these "good works" can take many forms - even if it's simply in the attitude we may have with those whom we encounter on a daily basis.
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