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| Indiana/Illinois bridge at New Harmony |
The night of the Passover was known
beforehand to our fathers,
that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,
they might have courage.
that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,
they might have courage.
When we baptize in our Catholic tradition, we anoint the
individual twice. The first on the chest, before the baptism, is a prayer for
strength. As an athlete might get a rubdown before a contest, this Christian is
prepared for whatever trials she will face. The second anointing is on the
crown of the head, with a prayer that she will enjoy the threefold spirit of Jesus ,
as “priest, prophet, and king.”
With the gift of prophecy, a Christian has knowledge of the
future. That’s because God is present to every moment in time: past, present
and future. While we may not see the future as clearly as we remember past
incidents and details, we should have a strong sense of acts and their
consequences. With maturity, we may enjoy also occasional intuitions of the Holy Spirit as to what we should do.
Where the wicked see an opportunity to profit by doing wrong
the just see the probability of retribution. Perhaps this is why the threat of
punishment, even capital punishment, seems so ineffective. It succeeds only in
keeping the honest person honest.
The just have a long memory. We are familiar with the
stories of the Old and New Testaments; we recall the lives of the saints and
the lessons of our elders. That knowledge helps us to see where we’re going as
the future unfolds.
We know there is a light at the end of every tunnel, and a
tunnel at the end of every light. Life is an endless adventure and, whether old
or young, we need God’s gift of courage in every stage of life. Our tradition
has taught us to remember the good times when life is hard, and the hard times
when life is easy. We never invest too much in either extreme and practice
fidelity in every moment.
Faith is the realization of what
is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.
The readings today speak to us of how we live in this world.
We invest in it, but not too much. We enjoy it as we pass through but our
citizenship is in heaven. When many of our contemporaries loudly flaunt their American
citizenship and denounce “aliens,” we remember our citizenship is not of this
world. In fact, Saint
Peter
Beloved,
I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly
desires that wage war against the soul.
As prophets we remember what God remembers, that we deserve
nothing, came from nowhere to live here, and are sent to this time and place to
show the unmerited goodness of God to everyone. We are grateful for the gifts
we have. We share them with others, knowing that God’s superabundant
generosity is inexhaustible to those who obey him.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.