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"Adoration is the first and greatest of life's responses to is spiritual environment; the first and most fundamental of spirit's movement towards Spirit, the seed from which all other prayer must spring. It is among the most powerful of the educative forces which purify the understanding, form and develop the spiritual life."
- Evelyn Underhill (Let your heart be stirred to wonder and adoration this day.) |
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IS 45:6C-8, 18, 21C-25; PS
85:9AB AND 10, 11-12, 13-14 LK 7:18B-23 At that time,
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
When the men came to the Lord, they said,
“John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,
‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”
At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits;
he also granted sight to many who were blind.
And Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at
me.” USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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In today’s culture, people are quick to take offense. Here are some aspects of
Jesus’ teaching likely to offend the modern ear:
* showing mercy to offenders (Lk 15:22-32),
* forgiving those at whom you take offense, even abusive people (see Prv 19:11),
* denying your very self (Lk 9:23),
* the simple and uneducated being more blessed than the wise,
* poverty blessed rather than riches (Mt 5:3; Lk 6:20),
* serving, rather than being served (Mt 20:28),
* not DIY (do it yourself), but rather “let it be done”
(Lk 1:38),
* salvation comes through Jesus dying on the cross, not through self-help and strength,
* fasting and tithing, and
* the humble shall lead.
For many, the
Gospel is not the Good News, but the bad news. They think it means stifling rules rather than freedom, foolishness rather than wisdom (see 1 Cor 1:18). If you were at a party and these topics came up in the course of conversation, would you be ashamed of the Gospel? (Rm 1:16)
Prayer: Father, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” (Mt 6:10). May I lay down my life for the
Gospel. Promise: “Only in the Lord are just deeds and power.” —Is 45:24 Presentation Ministries
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What is Christian Love? by Philip St. Romain (all rights reserved) Adapted from Freedom from Codependency: A Christian Response Sometimes, we learn more about something by contrasting it with another reality. In this mini-series, I will be contrasting Christian love (agape) with the kind of giving characterized in codependent relationships. We're probably all a little codependent--looking to others for
a sense of approval and worth--and it's likely that our understanding of God and love has been affected by this conditioning. I hope you will find it so. Let us begin, then, by noting that Christianity has much to say about love. In fact, the essence of our religion is love. As 1 John 4:16 puts it, “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” Jesus teaches that love of God,
neighbor, and self fulfills the law and the prophets. (See Matthew 7:12.) In an ideal world, the Church would be a community in which recovering codependents could learn about healthy love. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. One of the saddest things I have seen through the years is the disappointment many recovering codependents find in the Church. Some
have gone so far as to tell me that the Church actually teaches codependency. In Co-Dependence: Misunderstood-Mistreated, Anne Wilson Schaef writes, "The dishonesty in the church is perhaps the most devastating institutionalization of dishonesty in our society, because it takes place within the realm of the spirit — the very essence of our being. The church teaches so many forms of dishonesty that I find it difficult to know where to start." She then goes on to give examples
of narrow-minded teachings concerning God and relationships. While I agree with Schaef and others that many distortions about love are propounded from Christian pulpits and classrooms, I maintain that the true Christian teachings about love lead to healthy relationships. This series will explore the differences between sick love, or codependency, and healthy Christian love. Paperback book, PDF eBook, Kindle, ePub
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