Struck with Awe July 6

Let us pray: God, your Son gave signs of his divinity to his disciples and to the people whom he walked among and encountered on a daily basis. When the leaders of the church questioned Jesus, he pointed out that his power to forgive sins came from you. But your love did not stop there. You gave that power to the faithful who carried on the mission Jesus began.

Rid us of the evil thoughts and deeds which we continue to erect as obstacles to your friendship.

Help us to recognize the awesome power of that love – a love that still works in our world today. Strike us with awe that we may glorify you for giving such power over sin to those who have faith in your love and friendship. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/070606.shtml

When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings. Matthew 9:8

How many signs do we need to know the power of the love of Jesus?

As we read in Matthew’s Gospel today, the crowds are starting to come around to Jesus. The accounts of miraculous cures, exorcisms, dominance over nature, and others signs start to accumulate, the crowds are moving from doubt to belief.

What do we need to cross that chasm from doubt to belief?

Revolutions of the heart? Do we see that in the work of Mother Theresa of Calcutta?

Revolutions of the people? Do we see that in the peaceful overthrown of dictators in South Africa, Poland, East Germany and elsewhere in Eastern Europe with bloodless coups after years of resisting communism?

Revolutions of the mind? Do we see that in the work of missionaries and charities servings the refugees of the world in places like the Sudan, Viet Nam, Bosnia, Guatemala and other countries torn by war and strife?

The power of Jesus love worked miracles in Palestine 2000 years ago. That same power remains at work in the world through the communion of saints and the cloud of witnesses like Martin Luther King, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Dom Helder Cammera, Dorothy Day and many others.

Let the power of love work in our lives.

Action

Once again we are reminded today of God’s justice for those who have faith.

God’s justice has nothing to do with the justice of civil society. God’s justice means that that poor have what they need to live and love God. God’s justice means that the little ones are cared for. God’s justice means that we go beyond piety and study. We must go out into the world and proclaim God’s Good News.

Sometimes that means offering forgiveness as this story in the Washington Post religion section points out: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/20/AR2006062000804.html

What work calls you in the world? What forgiveness do you need to offer?