“Can
You Imagine!?!” by Sam Miller
The LORD said to
Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to
a land that I will show you. “I will make of you a great nation, and I
will bless you; I will make your name great so that you will be a
blessing. I will bless those who bless
you and curse those who curse you…Abram went as the LORD directed him. (Genesis 12:1-3a, 4a)
Upright is the
word of the LORD and all his works are trustworthy…See, the eyes of the LORD
are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness…May your
kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you. R. Lord, let your
mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. (Psalm 33:4, 18, 22)
Beloved: Bear your
share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. He saved us and called
us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and
the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began. (2 Timothy 1:8b-9)
Jesus took Peter,
James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face
shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to
them, conversing with him. (Matthew 17:1-2)
Piety
LORD, you have
probed me, you know me:
you know when I
sit and stand;
you understand my
thoughts from afar.
You sift through
my travels and my rest;
with all my ways
you are familiar.
Even before a word
is on my tongue,
LORD, you know it
all.
Behind and before
you encircle me
and rest your hand
upon me. Psalm 139:1-5
Guide me through
this day with your strength!
Study
I can’t help
wondering about a few incidents and the words used to describe them in today’s
readings.
For instance, in
the Responsorial Psalm, verse 22 seems to be the same as the response except
for a couple of words. If it’s the same,
why not use the same words? “Kindness”
is not synonymous with “mercy,” but “mercy” lists “kindness” as one of its
synonyms. “Hope” is not synonymous with
“trust,” but “trust” has “hope” in its list of synonyms, and both “hope” and
“trust” have “confidence” in the lists of their synonyms. Maybe, it’s God’s way of blessing us with the
richness and diversity of His love, which I believe is synonymous with ALL
those words!
I also wonder why
Peter’s brother, Andrew, wasn’t one of the chosen to accompany Jesus in the
significant events. Brother Peter got to go with the other brothers, James
& John. Did Andrew feel slighted,
even a little? After all, Andrew brought
Simon (Peter) to Jesus. Andrew also
presented the boy with the loaves and fish!
Right?! Can you imagine?!
Can you imagine
being Abram, told by the Lord to leave the land of his kinsfolk and go to an
area He would show him? Abram didn’t
leave all his kin, and though the Exodus wasn’t as numerous as the crowd
leaving Egypt, there must have been a few malingerers and stragglers. Can you imagine runners sent from the back of
the pack, carrying scrolls, with messages such as:
“Are we there
yet?”
“How much longer?”
“Where are we
going?”
“Can we stop at
the next oasis?”
Abram had to
persevere and become the standard by which the Lord will bless all other
nations!! In faith, Abram was confident
that the Lord would show him the way!
Can you
imagine?! As the reading from Timothy
points out, “He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our
works but according to His design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus
before time began”! I can’t imagine how anyone would be able to “go forth”
except with “the strength that comes from God”!
Can you imagine
being with Jesus, with Peter, James & John and seeing Jesus’
transformation? If the guys weren’t
dazzled enough already, then Moses and Elijah show up to which impetuous Peter
says, “It’s good we’re here”!?! The
“pies de resistance” was hearing the voice from the cloud, which flattened
them!!! Can you imagine then being
lifted by Jesus and being told NOT to be afraid, but don’t tell anybody about
what you’ve seen?!
Can you imagine
that Peter, James, and John, at that time, remembered that Jesus had told them
that He would be raised?!
Action
Dear Lord, help me to imagine myself in all of Your Word and
give me Your strength to walk in and share Your light all ways!!
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