A Dwelling Place of God July 3

Your Daily Tripod July 3, 2006 Number 125

by Beth De Cristofaro

Dear Lord, give me the guidance, courage and strength to be a good citizen rather than a stranger, with the holy ones and members of the household of God. Let me deeply trust that you have set the foundation below my feet and the capstone above my head; I have only to walk in your ways. To do that, let me trust in your fidelity. Above all let me be a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

STUDY

In (Jesus Christ) you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22

http://www.usccb.org/nab/070306.shtml

Jesus came to Thomas. Doubter that he was, Thomas, who was a friend and was loved by Jesus warranted a visit from the risen Lord. With witnesses to report it. Jesus wants all of his friends to not be unbelieving, but believe. How can we believe in a promise of love when the world looks so violent, unstable and unfair? How can we believe in a God who says he walked among us as one of us?

Don’t we go through our days believing the fantastic: that someday we’ll make enough money to buy that beach house or Porsche…that we will live long, healthy lives and see our children and our grandchildren grow strong…that one of these days we will visit the Galapagos Islands or Antarctica…that our country will share its dream of democracy with the world and everyone will have a say in her/his destiny…that someday we will be recognized for a great and noble deeds…that children will no longer go hungry nor be sold into slavery and worse…

And when these dreams are not fulfilled, we have half happiness or even deep aching.

How, then, can we not believe in a love which comes to us with open arms, a heart ready to bleed and the compassion to say “I have not condemned you…go and sin no more”. In the most immensely kind, thoughtful things we do in our lives, how can we not recognize the shadow of that abundant love which calls our name and says “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed..

Is elusive happiness preferred to eternal joy?

Jesus comes to us as we say with Thomas, “My Lord and My God.”

ACTION

Make time in your day to get onto your knees to praise the Lord, glorify him! His fidelity to us is everlasting. Thank God for the faithfulness that accepts us for who we are in spite of our disbelief. Renew your belief. Share it with someone else.

De colores!

Note: Yesterday, your forgetful editor left off the link to Fr. Joe McCloskey’s web site. Here it is for those of you interested in taking another step on your spiritual journey with Fr. Joe. http://frjoemccloskey.tripod.com/