To hear the Audio Reflections of Tuesday, October 23, 2018 click HERE
Monday, 22 October 2018
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - Do you live one moment of one day at a time or are you living only in the future?
to read the texts click on the texts: Eph 2:12-22; Lk 12:35-38
The sayings in these verses are a call to watchfulness and
readiness.
The call to be dressed for action would mean literally to draw up
the longer outer garment and tuck it into the sash around one’s waist so as to
be prepared for strenuous activity. If the servants/disciples are so ready,
they will be able to be prompt in responding to the master’s knock, and will be
blessed. This blessing will take the form of a reversal of roles. The master
will become servant/slave.
The time of the coming of the master is not known
and he may come at any time, but if the servant/disciple is always ready,
he/she will be blessed.
It is not difficult for us as Christians to relate to this
reversal of roles, simply because our God in Jesus has already become slave. It
is now left to us as servants to be ready at all times.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - Eph 2:12-22; Lk 12:35-38
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - Eph 2:12-22; Lk 12:35-38
Sunday, 21 October 2018
Audio Reflections of Monday, October 22, 2018
To hear the Audio Reflections of Monday, October 22, 2018 click HERE
Monday, October 22, 2018 - Do you possess things, or do things possess you? If God were to call you to himself at this moment would you be ready to go?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 2:1-10; Lk 12:13-21
The text begins with someone in the crowd asking Jesus to serve
as judge in the division of an inheritance. While Jesus will not accept this
role, he points the man and the crowd to a different understanding of the
meaning of wealth and life.
This different understanding is explicated through
a parable, which is found exclusively in Luke. It is about a rich man who had
more than he required and soon became possessed by his riches. This possession
leads him to focus on making provision to store his great wealth so that he can
use it exclusively for himself in future. It is self-centeredness at its worst.
The only ones in the parable are the rich man and his wealth.
In the midst of
all his planning and calculations, God speaks to him addressing him as “fool”.
There is a sharp contrast between the rich man’s planning for “many years” and
the “this very night” of God. It is clear that first of all when God calls, he
will have to go and second that when he goes he can take nothing of what he has
stored with him. There is the very real danger of forgetting God if one allows
oneself to be possessed by one’s riches.
The manner in which some of us accumulate things seems to
indicate on the one hand that we think we are going to live forever and on the
other hand that even if we have to die that we can take all of which we have
accumulated. The parable of today calls us to realise first that we can be
called at any time and hence must live in such a manner that we will have no
regrets no matter when that might be and second that whenever we are called we
can take nothing of what we have gathered together but will have to leave it
all behind. Thus while planning for the future may be necessary, obsession with
the future is uncalled for.
Monday, October 22, 2018 - Eph 2:1-10; Lk 12:13-21
Monday, October 22, 2018 - Eph 2:1-10; Lk 12:13-21
Saturday, 20 October 2018
Sunday, October 21, 2018 - How does your way compare with Jesus' WAY?
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 53:10-11; Heb 4:14-16; Mk 10:35-45
The Gospel of Mark contains three
passion, death, and resurrection predictions. These are found in 8:31, 9:31,
and 10:32-34. It is only in Mark that all three predictions are “on the way”.
This fact illustrates that Mark intends readers of his Gospel to realize, not
merely that Jesus spoke these predictions while traveling with his disciples
along the road, but also, and more importantly, that Jesus was speaking about
his WAY OF LIFE and the way of life to which those who followed him were being
invited.
After each of these predictions,
there was misunderstanding on the part of one or all the disciples. After the
first prediction, Peter is the one who misunderstands. He protests Jesus’ going to his cross. Jesus corrects this misunderstanding by
insisting that the cross is the only way. After the second, it is all twelve
who misunderstand. They discuss among themselves who is the greatest. Again, Jesus has to correct the
misunderstanding by pointing out to them the least is the greatest. After the
third prediction, it might seem at first glance that James and John
misunderstand when they ask for places of honour. A closer reading indicates that, along with
them, the other ten also misunderstand because of their indignation with the
brothers. This indignation indicates that the ten were thinking in the same way
as James and John. Jesus, however, is not indignant and again, sets about
correcting their misunderstanding. He does this by explicating his way of life
and the way of life that he will expect those who follow him to live.
This explication is done, not in
words alone but, as both the first and second readings of today point out, in
and through inconceivable and mind boggling action.
The first reading speaks of
the prophecy of Isaiah. It is part of the fourth and final servant song that is
contained in the Book of Isaiah. The suffering of the servant is a definite
part of God’s incomprehensible and unfathomable plan. It is he who will show,
through his life, what true love and service really mean. Appointed by God, he will use his power, not
to condemn, but to save. He will bring to completion and fruition the plan of
God to save all peoples everywhere and for all time. This is the theme that
Jesus takes up in his instruction to the disciples. His task in the world, like
that of the suffering servant whom Isaiah had prophesied about, was to become
ransom for all. This he would do, not by being served, but by serving. If the
disciples wanted to follow him, as fully as they ought to, they had to realize
that, in his view, authority meant service. They had to realize that wanting to
be first meant willingness to be last.
They had to realize that being master and Lord meant being slave and
servant of all.
Jesus showed them how this was done
through his willingness to embrace the cross, even if it meant scandal to those
who did not believe and foolishness to others. He was willing to embrace the
cross even if meant the end of his days, the end of his life. He was willing to
embrace the cross even if it meant that he would be abandoned by all, abandoned
even by his God and father.
This is why the second reading from Hebrews
expresses, as confidently as it does, that we, as believers, need have no fear.
We have before us a model that we can imitate. This model is not merely a
heavenly model but rather, he is a model who has been, in every way, like us
even to the point of being tested as we are. He did not show us the way from on
high, but by becoming human, so that he could inspire, encourage, invite, and
challenge us. Thus, he is able to understand us in all of our weaknesses and in
our striving for position and honour and power.
While, on the one hand, we may be
too quick to judge and even condemn the disciples for their striving, any
attempt to practice detachment ourselves indicates how difficult it can really
be. We often experience feelings of jealousy, envy, resentment, and antipathy
or hostility towards those who have more than we, or who are in a “better’
position than we are. We keep craving for things that we mistakenly believe
will satisfy.
Jesus shows us, in the Gospel text
of today, what it means to be a true disciple. He challenges us to give up our
acquisitiveness and take on, instead, the attitude of detachment. He has shown
through his life, his mission, and his death, that this detachment is possible.
He has shown us this by the totally human life that he led. He has shown us
this by going ahead of us and leading the way. The way to do this is to be bold
and to approach the throne of God’s unconditional love, mercy, and grace. The
way to do this is in knowing that, even if we fall or fail, we can lift
ourselves up because of his graciousness to us all. The way to do this is to
believe that, with his help, we can be true disciples. Are we willing to believe that this is so?
Sunday, October 21, 2018 - Isa 53:10-11; Heb 4:14-16; Mk 10:35-45
Sunday, October 21, 2018 - Isa 53:10-11; Heb 4:14-16; Mk 10:35-45
Friday, 19 October 2018
Audio Reflections of Saturday, October 20, 2018
To hear the Audio Reflections of Saturday, October 20, 2018 click HERE
Saturday, October 20, 2018 - Will you depend on God today? How will you show this dependence?
To read the texts click on the texts: Eph 1:15-23; Lk 12:8-12
The sin against the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks about in the
Gospel reading of today does not refer to a particular sin or action. It is not
an impulsive, momentary rejection of Jesus, such as Peter’s denial of Jesus in
the courtyard, but a persistent, obdurate rejection of God’s saving grace
through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is, in other words dependence only on
self and not on God.
Today the sin against the Holy Spirit is to no longer believe
that the Holy Spirit can transform me. It is to give up before one can begin.
It is to give in to despair and to lose hope. It is not to make a resolution
for fear of breaking that resolution. It is not to trust, not to hope and not
to believe.
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