So I look at the readings to see more clearly this God who is ‘crazy in love with me’ and who is working each day to bring this ‘unique sinful me’ to be with Him forever in eternity. Moses tells of the wonderful and fearful dialogue between God and Abraham: God is ready to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah describing the problem and nature of Divine Justice. These cities were sinful, no doubt about it, it was a precarious situation. Abraham has listened and followed the path of the Lord but he worries if God would be blind in His justice and destroy innocent people. So he barters with God. But the bottom line is that there are less than ten innocent people in these cities. In the end, God does rescue Lot, Lot’s wife and their two daughters (another tragic story comes from this) and I’m sure that God’s mercy really exceeded Abraham’s expectations. So I look at the sinfulness within me and say ‘Am I looking and asking for God’s mercy; or am I giving up and not thinking that God is merciful like the devil wants me to think? God is best at His mercy…this is repeated throughout the Old Testament and reiterated over and over by Jesus. Why do I not reflect often and deeply on God’s mercy?…it is a wonderful meditation and very rewarding how the Sprit leads me closer to God in this reflection.
It takes time to sort out Paul’s message to the Colossians. I went back to the translation by J.B. Phillips whom Msgr. Chet Michael says gives us a very down deep understanding of Paul’s letters. Rev. Phillips says, “…just as in baptism you shared in His death, and in Him shared the rising again to life—and all this because you have faith in the tremendous power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You, who were spiritually dead because of yours sins and your uncircumcision, God has now made to share in the very life of Christ! He has forgiven you all your sins: He has utterly wiped out the written evidence of broken commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross. (And verse 15) And then having drawn the sting of all the powers and authorities ranged against us, He exposed them, shattered, empty and defeated, in His own triumphant victory!” It’s about God and not about me. It’s what God has done for me and every single person, who like me is a sinner and sins: God has freed us, redeemed us and just plain loves us. Christ’s death has taken away our sins!!!! Amen…alleluia!!!
Now Jesus brings this lesson to
completion by sharing how God is all loving…and God is all
caring…God never leaves anyone alone but is always present and
active in His love and mercy…and in His mercy and forgiveness and
love He teaches each person how to care for each person He places in
our lives. Living the Word gives these insights: “Jesus
urges His disciples to persist in prayer to God, after teaching His
prayer to them. This great prayer is the basis for our approaching
God with persistence. We are told to call God Father, and then to
make two prayers of praise and three petitions to God. Those praying
move from blessing and praising God’s name and sovereignty to
asking for our most basic needs: bread, forgiveness, and deliverance
from evil. Jesus follows the gift of His prayer with advice and
encouragement.
His
advice is to persist; His encouragement is to remember that God is a
father who loves His children. God will not refuse the gift of the
Spirit to those who have been buried with Christ and have already
been raised with Him in baptism. As the author of the Letter to the
Colossians reminds us, God brought you to life along with Christ even
when you were dead in sin. How could God refuse us anything that was
truly good for us?”
This passage is concluded in such a wonderful way and the answer
to all my questions, doubts and fears that I started this reflection.
After telling His disciples to ask the Father, and never cease, He
says the Father delights in giving the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
And I look at what the Holy Spirit is all about: the most precious
gift that God gives; the one who gives all the blessings of the
Lord’s Prayer. The Holy Spirit reveals the glory, majesty and the
love of Jesus. The Spirit gives each person in so many different
ways knowledge of the things of God and opens eyes to truths in
Scripture. The Spirit aids each person in their prayers and a deeper
reverence to things of God. The Spirit gifts each person with love,
so that person can love. The Spirit lets me know how crazy in
love God is with me and how He is present to me so I do not ever have
to doubt or be afraid. Praise God! So I reflect on:- Do I have confidence that God hears every single one of my
prayers? He does…what stops me from believing this?
- Do I ask the Holy Spirit to help me in my praying? Do I ask
the Spirit to keep my pride in the background so I can ask this?
- What are the hardest things that I ask God for in my
prayer…is it prayers for me…I suspect it is…I’m so busy
praying for others I don’t think I’m that important. I am that
important; do I ask the Spirit for help in this?
- Jesus says those who ask, receive; those who seek, find…I t
seems that my ‘unanswered prayers’ blind me to what I am
receiving from God…like His intimacy and love?
- How can I develop comfortability in simply talking and
listening to God as Abraham did? One director said to use more
senses: talk out loud and write on paper…it’s amazing what
happened.
- How open am I to try a form of prayer that I have never
experienced? What is there to be afraid of?
Today’s response is: “Lord, on the day I called for help, You answered me.”
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