Be Enlightened
October 20, 2012
Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
May the eyes of your
hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his
call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and
what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord
with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him
from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every
principality, authority, power, and
dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one
to come. Ephesians 1:18-21
"Everyone who
speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they take you before synagogues and
before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will
be or about what you are to say. For the
Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say." Luke 12:10-12
Piety
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. --Reinhold NiebuhrStudy
May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened. May we listen with the ears of our
hearts. Sacred texts and holy books are
filled with inspiring writing. Yet
connected to the lofty praise and prayer in today's reading is perhaps one of
the most serious condemnations uttered by Jesus.
Even as he knows the fate of the cross that his future
holds, Jesus offers compassionate forgiveness for any act and any word spoken
against him. However, Jesus adds an
important clause to that forgiveness. "Everyone
who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, "If we
acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from every wrongdoing." (NAB) This verse, and many others
that speak of God's forgiveness, seem to be in contrast with Luke 12:10-12 and this
concept of an unforgivable sin. So what constitutes blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit, the eternal sin that can never be forgiven?
Could it be that rejection of Jesus' gift to us is rejection
of the Holy Spirit? Jesus, through his
life, death and resurrection ransomed for us eternal life. Our lives of piety, study and action are
intended for us to imitate that life and obtain what it promises. However, what if we reject Christ's offer of
salvation, His free gift of eternal life, and thus, His forgiveness from sin.
If we do not accept His gift, we cannot be forgiven. If we refuse to open the
door of our heart to the Holy Spirit's so that we may be worthy of the promises
of Christ, then Jesus has no place to work in our lives. We cannot be forgiven if we do not want to be
forgiven.
Action
When there is a baptism, we meditate upon and repeat our
baptismal vows. We reject Satan and all
his works and all his empty promises.
Think of these empty promises and the fulfillment of the promises
of Christ as the alternative.
What empty promises are likely to tempt you today? Reject them and accept the gift of wisdom
from the Holy Spirit that allows you to tell the difference. May the ear of your heart be enlightened so
that the eye of your heart allows you to see the way to walk with the Lord.
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