I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:3-5)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed meto bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captivesand recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)
Piety
“Lord, take me where you want me to go. Let me meet who you want me to meet. Tell me what you want me to say. And keep me out of the way. Amen.”
Fr. Mychal Judge, FDNY - died 9/11/01
http://www.usccb.org/nab/090406.shtml
Study
As one of several Lay Ministers of the Eucharist at a local hospital, we pray together before we visit patients. One of our favorite prayers is the one above. I can almost hear Paul praying this as he set out for the ends of the Roman world. Paul, who brought hundreds, if not thousands, of people to Jesus refers all glory back to the one who sent him.
But God couldn’t do it alone. He needed Paul’s sturdy legs, passion and eloquence. God needs volunteers to bring the Eucharist to the ill. God needs us to shelter the homeless on a rainy Friday evening; support the men’s team and participants on the next Cursillo; hold our political leaders accountable to help all God’s children; meet people in our day-to-day lives with patience not impatience.
In reading today’s Gospel I sense shivers down my spine. The Son of God, Messiah, the Anointed One stands up and reads the words of Isaiah. Fulfills the Scripture. But unlike Paul, He claims them for His own. This is the Word. Yet He is not recognized.
Sometimes we get caught up in the shoulds and oughts. Jesus’ audience could not see him for who and what He was because they thought He “should” stay in the role they knew: son of Joseph. In what do we get caught up? What shoulds and oughts, overwhelm us? Frighten us? Make us feel guilty because we do not do enough? Or self-righteous because someone else should step up? Or paranoid because we have to move out of our comfort zone to meet those different from us? As Fr. Joe said in yesterday’s reflection, “We do not have to deserve God's love. We have to accept it.”
God wants us, like Paul, to rejoice in His presence and love. Rather than being limited by obstacles, we can pray as it says at today’s “Sacred Space” web site: for a “greater sense of inner freedom and that I might reach the fresh and challenging possibilities that God wishes me to realize.” God guides us if we but stay open, stay loving. Jesus will not “pass through our midst” and go away if we seek His Way in our open, loving hearts. Let us each day hear in our hearts “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Action
When you feel a “should” coming on, pause. Where is the “should” coming from and what does it mean to you? Do you approach it with love and openness? Or is there apprehension and guilt involved? You can be as successful but healthier in mind and soul if you ask for joy and the power of God to replace the tension. Gods’ love is there for you no matter what.
De colores!
Beth De Cristofaro
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