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Today's readings can be found here.
Too often we think of God as someone who acted a long time ago in a far away place, but we need to remember that he acts today in our own time. This Lent, the challenge is to seek God so that we may see him in our own time and in our own homes. In this way, we will grow closer to Him and be renewed.
God loves us and desires for each of us to belong to Him and join Him in heaven. He has made a covenant with each of us. A covenant is an oath, in Latin an oath is, “sacramentum” or sacrament. The sacraments were designed by God to renew our covenant to belong to God. St. Paul tells us what that means in his letter to the Philippians, “he will change our lowly body to conform to his heavenly one.”
God and the Church have made it easy for us to seek and conform to God. We only need participate in events that are designed to bring us closer to God. Our Baptism, Confirmation, reception of the Eucharist, Marriages, Holy Orders, our Reconciliation and our Anointings bind us again and again to God. Participation in the sacraments are ways that God renews His covenant with us. Like Abram in today's first reading, we enter into a covenant with God. Our covenant is that we belong to Him. He shall be our God, and we shall be His people. Like St. Paul says in our second reading, “Our citizenship is in heaven.”
Along with the covenant of God's love is transformation. When Abram enters into a covenant with God, his name is changed to Abraham. He grows in faithfulness and holiness and his descents eventually do number the stars, especially when we consider that we are counted among them. Peter, James and John come onto the mountain with Jesus. During the Transfiguration, their hearts become fully awake to the reality that Jesus is God's beloved son and their lives are transformed.
God has something in store for each and every person. He has a time and place prepared for each of us, where He has planed on revealing himself to us. The sacraments are special times set aside to seek God and ask for his revelation. It is during these times, we should sing along with the Psalmist, “Your presence O Lord, I seek. Hide not your face from me.”
Showing posts with label marriage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marriage. Show all posts
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Todays readings can be found here.
“We were given: Two hands to hold. To legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find.” (Anon author) In the beginning, man was alone and knew that none of the animals were enough for him. God took part of the man and made a suitable partner for him. What was originally one, is now two separate persons. As it says in the reading from Genesis, “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife.”
Weeks ago we were presented with a reading that used marriage as the metaphor to describe the relationship between Christ and our Church. In this marriage, the spouses were to help each other get to heaven. Today we are given readings that describe the union of man and woman through marriage as designed during the creation. Man and woman were once one, but are now two. We were also once one with God, but are now separated from Him.
The fall in the Garden of Eden was like a divorce from God. Our baptism and sacramental life re-unites us. Like divorce, the hardness of mankind's hearts keep some separated from God. Some people say, “I'm spiritual, but not religious.” Well, God made each and every one of us. He is Spirit and life, we are alive and we are spiritual. It is in our very nature, as created by God, to be spiritual.
The religious aspect of our spiritual life is a way that God helps us. He saw that it was not suitable for persons to be alone. He made a partner for man so that he would have a companion in life. In our spiritual life, we are given our religion as a way to unite and connect with others. The union is what we call church. The union we participate in is called the One, Holy, Apostolic and Catholic Church. This Church is created for us, to help us unite ourselves with God. He created us to live together, to be together, to be one body. This body, this Church, was created to help us get to heaven. Marriage and the Church reflect each other, as ways that two parts can become one through sacrifice and obedience to each other; and they both can get us to heaven.
“We were given: Two hands to hold. To legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find.” (Anon author) In the beginning, man was alone and knew that none of the animals were enough for him. God took part of the man and made a suitable partner for him. What was originally one, is now two separate persons. As it says in the reading from Genesis, “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife.”
Weeks ago we were presented with a reading that used marriage as the metaphor to describe the relationship between Christ and our Church. In this marriage, the spouses were to help each other get to heaven. Today we are given readings that describe the union of man and woman through marriage as designed during the creation. Man and woman were once one, but are now two. We were also once one with God, but are now separated from Him.
The fall in the Garden of Eden was like a divorce from God. Our baptism and sacramental life re-unites us. Like divorce, the hardness of mankind's hearts keep some separated from God. Some people say, “I'm spiritual, but not religious.” Well, God made each and every one of us. He is Spirit and life, we are alive and we are spiritual. It is in our very nature, as created by God, to be spiritual.
The religious aspect of our spiritual life is a way that God helps us. He saw that it was not suitable for persons to be alone. He made a partner for man so that he would have a companion in life. In our spiritual life, we are given our religion as a way to unite and connect with others. The union is what we call church. The union we participate in is called the One, Holy, Apostolic and Catholic Church. This Church is created for us, to help us unite ourselves with God. He created us to live together, to be together, to be one body. This body, this Church, was created to help us get to heaven. Marriage and the Church reflect each other, as ways that two parts can become one through sacrifice and obedience to each other; and they both can get us to heaven.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's readings can be found here.
The gospel of this week concludes the Bread of Life Discourse in John Chapter 6. The gospel, when included with the entire chapter of John, affirms that it is difficult for our human minds to believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life, but that we must eat this bread to gain eternal life. Many who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” The gospel also affirms that many people left the discipleship because they could not accept it. The ones who remained knew that even though it was hard to believe, Jesus was right. Which is why they said, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
The first reading, from the book of Joshua, also demonstrates a time when a choice was made between our God and other gods. Joshua, like Jesus' disciples, chooses God,. He says, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” The people answer that God has helped them and protected them, and they would serve God too.
Tying these readings with the second reading is an interesting exercise. The reading from Ephesians is often read at weddings. It also often upsets people due to its command to for women to be subordinate to their husbands. I'm sure after that line in the gospel, many people shut down their listening ears and say, “oh no they didn't.” But I encourage all to listen to the heart of this reading.
Husbands are to their wives as Christ is to the Church. Christ died for His Church. He put Himself up on the cross, underwent incredible suffering, humiliation, and pain until death. Husbands are to do the same for their wives. They are to love their wives and hand themselves over to lead their wives to heaven. Husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies, nourishing and cherishing her.
Maybe this isn't your marriage, nor your parents marriage. Look around, do you see a marriage like this? Have you heard of a marriage like this? This image of marriage does not always present itself in our modern world. This image of marriage is an ideal, and it is a metaphor of Christ's love for us. In a perfect Church, we are the wife, subordinate to God and God's will for us. In turn, Jesus, the spouse, offers himself for us, and for our purification, salvation, and sanctification. He protects us, nourishes us, and cherishes us.
Our duty as the Church, as the wife of Christ, is to be subordinate, believe and trust that God will care for us. The gospel, written to conclude the Bread of Life discourse, tells us that this is hard to accept. But it also tells us that these words are Spirit and life.
Husbands and wives should examine their commitment to their spouse and their responsibilities based on these scriptures. Based on these scriptures, everyone should examine their commitment to God and Church and their responsibilities to both. If we do not believe this, if we do not act and live as the wife, the bride of Christ, how will we live? To whom shall we go?
The gospel of this week concludes the Bread of Life Discourse in John Chapter 6. The gospel, when included with the entire chapter of John, affirms that it is difficult for our human minds to believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life, but that we must eat this bread to gain eternal life. Many who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” The gospel also affirms that many people left the discipleship because they could not accept it. The ones who remained knew that even though it was hard to believe, Jesus was right. Which is why they said, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
The first reading, from the book of Joshua, also demonstrates a time when a choice was made between our God and other gods. Joshua, like Jesus' disciples, chooses God,. He says, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” The people answer that God has helped them and protected them, and they would serve God too.
Tying these readings with the second reading is an interesting exercise. The reading from Ephesians is often read at weddings. It also often upsets people due to its command to for women to be subordinate to their husbands. I'm sure after that line in the gospel, many people shut down their listening ears and say, “oh no they didn't.” But I encourage all to listen to the heart of this reading.
Husbands are to their wives as Christ is to the Church. Christ died for His Church. He put Himself up on the cross, underwent incredible suffering, humiliation, and pain until death. Husbands are to do the same for their wives. They are to love their wives and hand themselves over to lead their wives to heaven. Husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies, nourishing and cherishing her.
Maybe this isn't your marriage, nor your parents marriage. Look around, do you see a marriage like this? Have you heard of a marriage like this? This image of marriage does not always present itself in our modern world. This image of marriage is an ideal, and it is a metaphor of Christ's love for us. In a perfect Church, we are the wife, subordinate to God and God's will for us. In turn, Jesus, the spouse, offers himself for us, and for our purification, salvation, and sanctification. He protects us, nourishes us, and cherishes us.
Our duty as the Church, as the wife of Christ, is to be subordinate, believe and trust that God will care for us. The gospel, written to conclude the Bread of Life discourse, tells us that this is hard to accept. But it also tells us that these words are Spirit and life.
Husbands and wives should examine their commitment to their spouse and their responsibilities based on these scriptures. Based on these scriptures, everyone should examine their commitment to God and Church and their responsibilities to both. If we do not believe this, if we do not act and live as the wife, the bride of Christ, how will we live? To whom shall we go?
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