Daily Vigilance

23 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Prayer

Tags

Be ready, Deceit, Eph 2:12-22, Gird your loins, Light your lamp, Love, Luke 12:35-38, Mother Mary, Prayer, Satan, Sinfulness, Vigilance

(A reflection on the Gospel of Luke 12:35-38 and Ephesians 2:12-22)

This morning, in his homily on today’s Gospel, our deacon emphasized the need to live our lives in a state of readiness for the day the Lord will come. We don’t know when that day will be but we need to be ready nonetheless. When He does come, those who are vigilant, who have girded their loins (prepared themselves to follow Christ) and lit their lamps (have a desire and a welcoming spirit), will be blessed.

Certainly, I agreed with our deacon. Every time I’ve ever read this passage it has, like for most people I would guess, evoked that same vision. Thus, I had to ask myself if my loins were girded for the journey and whether my lamp was lit to receive Him when He comes. Will I have lived my life such that I will be one of the blessed for whom He has held a place in heaven? I hope so.

But, then, as I continued meditating on this passage, I realized there is more to it than this – more than trying to be ready for the day that I die, or Christ’s second coming, whichever comes first.

In today’s first reading, Saint Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians (2:12-22), tells the Gentiles that, through the blood of Jesus Christ, they have become near to God. It reminded me that we are always “near” to Christ 24 / 7 / 365. We simply have to search for Him, leave the light on within our heart, and, wherever we are, He will meet us there. It’s not a one-and-done occurrence nor reserved just for the Last Day. If our search is one based in love, our light will burn brightly enough that He will find us as often as we need Him.

How do we do this on a daily basis? I think we need to look at that word, “love”. It’s my love for my wife that keeps me looking forward to her coming home from a long day’s work. It’s my love for my children and grandchildren that keeps me looking forward to the next time I get to visit them. And so it should be with my love for Christ. It should be a love that is a constant longing for the next encounter with Him.

Many times in my reflections on this blog I have made excuses for month-long dry spells, blaming them on busy-ness and other exigencies which have kept me from writing. But, I know from experience that the most profound and closest moments with Christ come when I’m looking for them, when I truly desire His presence; and their absence is because I have temporarily ceased searching for them.

In my meditation this morning, I noticed a lukewarmness in my prayer life. I sensed that my tunic was a little looser around my waist than it should be, and that my candle wasn’t burning as brightly as it could be.

Why does this happen to me? I don’t love Jesus any less! At least not in the noun sense. But, in the verb sense, in regards to my actions and the intensity of my prayer life, I can see where missing the occasional morning of silence and solitude with the Lord does have an impact.

Still pondering this question, I fell back to the word vigilant and remembered that it’s not just the presence of the Lord whom we have to look for every day, but also the deceitfulness of Satan. If we become complacent and don’t maintain our love for Christ through constant prayer, the Evil One will find a way to loosen our tunic and dim our candle so gradually that we won’t even notice it.

I remember what my priest/confessor said to me two Saturdays ago: “It’s October – the month of Mary – and the Devil, in all his hatred for our Blessed Mother, is working double-time to take advantage of our inattention and complacency, to advance our sinfulness, and to make us do a U-turn away from righteousness.” I think he was right.

“Holy Spirit, thank You for opening my heart and mind to the Word of God today. Lord Jesus, thank You for recognizing my light as I search for You with love. Mother Mary, protect me, I pray, from the deceit and wickedness of Satan. Amen.”

(Daily Vigilance was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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Martha and Mary

09 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Daily 100, Prayer

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Luke 10:38-42, Martha, Mary, Path to Holiness, Service, The Better Part

(A reflection on Luke 10:38-42 NAB)

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary – Johannes Vermeer, 1655

Jesus told Martha, “There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part…”.

Martha thought her service to Jesus was the best thing, only to learn otherwise. Jesus didn’t say her effort wasn’t necessary, just not the better of the two.

Certainly the Church needs us to be like Martha and serve with our time, talent and treasure. The path to holiness includes service.

Jesus referred to our need, the need to attentively listen to the Word of God so our hearts can change to be like His. It is the better part on the path to holiness.

“‘Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love.’ Open my heart to the Word of God each day, and let me serve Your Church by responding to its needs with the time, talent and treasure which, through You, I have been blessed. Amen.”

(Martha and Mary was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Good Samaritans

08 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Love, Mercy

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Faith, Galatians 1:6-12, Love, Love your Neighbor, Luke 10:25-37, Mercy, Prayer, The Good Samaritan

(A reflection on Luke 10:25-37 and Galatians 1:6-12)

The Good Samaritan – Vincent van Gogh, 1890

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the scholar of the law that the greatest commandment isn’t just about loving God with all your heart, being, strength and mind, but also loving your neighbor as yourself. And, in His parable about the Good Samaritan, Jesus defines our neighbor as anyone who is near us, regardless of race, gender, social status, age, and political or religious beliefs. He asks us to be observant of our neighbors, and to look for opportunities to be charitable, especially in their times of need, even when doing so is inconvenient or forces us out of our comfort zones. In other words, He asks us to be merciful as He is merciful.

As I normally do each morning during my prayer and meditation on the day’s scripture, I try to relate to what God is revealing to me through His Word, and then write a resolution to do something along those lines that will help me grow closer to Him today. I pondered, “In what situations will I find myself today in which I can observe others and look for opportunities to be merciful?” And, then I realized my main plan for the day, besides going to morning Mass, was to stay home and work in the yard. I wasn’t going to have much of a chance to observe others.

Falling back into prayer, I asked, “Lord, unless You want me to scrap my plans to weed and spread mulch and go someplace where I can observe others, what else do You have for me today?” As I listened, my mind came back to today’s first reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians in which Paul reaches out to the new Christians after others had perverted his teaching and led them astray. Paul’s mission was to convert souls, never giving up no matter how frustrating or exhausting it was to him. I thought how lucky the people of Galatia were to have had Paul reach out to them as their Good Samaritan, and how they should have been thankful.

Then I remembered a time when some good Samaritans made it their mission to save my soul by bringing me to Christ. At a time when I was hurting spiritually, two couples, in cahoots with my wife, gently but persistently preached the Word of God through their actions and set the stage for me to meet with our Lord through His Holy Spirit. Had they not been the faithful, on-fire disciples that they are, they could have easily passed me by as I lay on my “road to Jericho” struggling for survival.

With prayers of thanksgiving for opening my heart to this revelation, I made it my resolution today to thank God, for the millionth time, for placing these merciful friends, who didn’t steer clear and look the other way, in my life at the time when I needed them most.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for these and all the other Good Samaritans whom You have put in my life! Help me, I pray, to look with love upon all my family and friends, and neighbors who are yet to be friends, and to be observant of their trials so that I will not miss the opportunities to be an instrument of Your mercy. Amen.”

(Good Samaritans was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)