Monday, January 26, 2009

To Do Your Will

January 27, 2009

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. Hebrews 10:8-9

But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and (my) brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. (For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:33-35

Piety

The First Principle and Foundation
(St. Ignatius of Loyola, as paraphrased by David L. Fleming, S.J.)

The Goal of our life is to live with God forever.
God, who loves us, gave us life.
Our own response of love allows God's life
to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts from God,
Presented to us so that we can know God more easily
and make a return of love more readily.
As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God
Insofar as they help us to develop as loving persons.
But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives,
They displace God
And so hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance
Before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice
And are not bound by some obligation.
We should not fix our desires on health or sickness,
Wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one.
For everything has the potential of calling forth in us
A deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this:
I want and I choose what better leads
To God's deepening his life in me.

Study

How do we know what someone wants us to do? We can not read someone’s mind. It takes some form of communication and relationship.

Even if there is no language involved, people have a way of figuring out the needs of others. Of course the most obvious answer is a baby…a baby who has no language. When the baby needs attention for food, warmth, hugs, fresh clothing, sleep, it cries out. Based upon the time of day, the other activities, parents figure out what specific need the baby is expressing.
God wants to be in relationship with us. However, in Group tonight, one of our members said things with Adam just did not seem to work out. God told him what was needed. Yet Adam went against that and then hid himself.

So the Lord attempted to establish a better relationship with Abraham. “Walk in my presence.” Don’t hide from me. Walk with me. Once we set out to walk with God, maybe we will strike up a conversation like the one on the walk to Emmaus. Maybe we will feel His pain like the walk up Calvary. Maybe we will help His ministry like the apostles did on their walks throughout Galilee. Whatever fruit is born from these walks, God seeks a companion for his journey.

Temptation also encroached on God’s relationship with Abraham and his descendants. Instead of establishing a personal relationship, they offered sacrifices to God. However, all the laws and sacrifices did not break Abraham’s descendants of their bad habits. So, God sent his son who would “do his will” and set an example for us.

The notes from the New American Bible for the passage from Hebrews have rich interpretation for us today:

Christian faith now realizes that the Old Testament sacrifices did not effect the spiritual benefits to come but only prefigured them. For if the sacrifices had actually effected the forgiveness of sin, there would have been no reason for their constant repetition. They were rather a continual reminder of the people's sins. It is not reasonable to suppose that human sins could be removed by the blood of animal sacrifices. Christ, therefore, is here shown to understand his mission in terms of Psalm 40:5-7 and acknowledged that the Old Testament sacrifices did not remit the sins of the people and so, perceiving the will of God, offered his own body for this purpose.

Jesus offered a single sacrifice that won him a permanent place at God's right hand. Thus he has brought into being in his own person the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah 31:33-34 that has rendered meaningless all other offerings for sin.

So, to enter into one of the closest possible relationship with Jesus as a parent to child or as a sibling, He instructs us in Mark to follow his example and do God’s will. “(For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Have you ever been in a foreign country where you did not know the language? If you don’t have some kind of book or dictionary, you needed to find a companion along the way to help you enter into communication and relationship with the people in the land you were visiting. For us, to establish and strengthen that relationship, God sent Jesus and the Holy Spirit to support us in this new relationship, new covenant, with him.

Action

“Vaya con dios.” Go with God. “Walk in my presence.” When we take a journey today, walking is only one way that we can get from the proverbial Point A to Point B. We also drive. Take Metro. Fly. Bike. Swim. Run.

Wherever you go today, go with God. Take a symbol of God along with you…perhaps a cross, rosary beads, or a photo that will serve as a reminder that every step you take today, you are taking with God.

How does your daily activity change with just this awareness that you have God with you in the car, on the plane, or on the bus? Even if and when you are shoveling snow, go with God. If you do, God will go with you, too.

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