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The trouble you feel about so many things comes from your not accepting everything which may happen to you, with sufficient resignation to God. Put all things, then, in His hands, and offer them beforehand to Him in your heart, as a sacrifice. From the moment when you cease to want things to be according to your own judgment, and accept unconditionally whatever He sends, you will be free from all your
uneasy retrospects and anxieties about your own concerns.
- Francois Fenelon
(What concerns do you need to surrender to God's providential care this day?) |
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Ex 3:1-6, 9-12; Ps 103:1b-2, 3-4,
6-7 Mt 11:25-27 At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these
things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my
Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal
him." USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture |
“Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to You I offer praise; for what You have
hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children.” —Matthew 11:25
God’s revelation is so precious. Contrary to the old saying, what we don’t know does hurt us. However, what we do know can do more than help us; it can transform us.
For example, Moses was a victim of Egyptian
oppression. He was deprived of growing up in the home of his parents. He had a speech defect. He was a murderer and a refugee (see Ex 2:11ff). However, when he received God’s revelation at the burning bush, he became a new man. His job, residence, and even his face (Ex 34:29) changed. He changed from a refugee into a mighty liberator. God’s revelation to Moses resulted in the liberation of the whole Israelite nation. Revelation leads to transformation and
liberation. We receive divine revelation not by being learned and clever, but by being more dependent on the Lord than babies are on their parents (Mt 11:25). . . We can receive revelation by praying, fasting, and knowing that without Jesus we can do nothing (Jn 15:5). . . We receive God’s revelation when we depend on God. New life is in revelation. Prayer: God, tell me “things great beyond reach of [my] knowledge” (Jer 33:3). Promise: “Father, it is true. You have graciously willed it so. Everything has been given over to Me by My Father.” —Mt 11:26-27 Presentation Ministries
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-Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Two, Encountering the Risen Christ Chapter 2: The Personal, Historical
Christ - Selected quotes The issue of developing a relationship with Christ is one that comes up frequently with people I meet with for spiritual direction. They will say things like “I don’t have a very good relationship with Jesus at this time” or
“I’m not sure where I am in my relationship with Jesus,” and ask for some suggestions on how to move toward a more positive experience. My response is usually to ask them what their experience with their spouse or a close friend is like at this time? I follow by inquiring what kinds of things they do to help that relationship grow when it begins to falter. You can
probably predict what they say: “spend more time together, get away from it all to be together, share what’s going on, listen to one another,” etc. These are very basic relational activities and we all know how helpful they can be, which is the point I’m trying to make. If we don’t do these things in our relationships with our spouse, children, family and friends, we eventually lose a sense of
closeness to them. If we make the relationship a priority and take the time to do these activities, we maintain and even grow in a sense of closeness or intimacy. Same goes for our relationship with Jesus, as the people I meet with see right away.
Our
relationship with the personal/historical Jesus grows for the same reasons our other human relationships grow—primarily because: - We consider the relationship a priority, in this case THE priority relationship of our lives.
- We take time to develop the relationship by spending time together and by
sharing and listening.
I know that might sound simplistic, but I think those are the basics. If we fall short on either one of those points, our relationship with Jesus will be diminished. If we tend to them, the relationship will deepen. Paperback and eBook versions
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