Whoever has Christ in his heart, so that no earthly or temporal things—not even those that are legitimate and
allowed—are preferred to Him, has Christ as a foundation. But if these things be preferred, then even though a man seem to have faith in Christ, yet Christ is not the foundation to that man.
... St. Augustine (354-430), The City of God
(Those "other things" are idols or
attachments. What might these be for you? How can you surrender them to God's care?)
|
AM 7:10-17; PS
19:8, 9, 10, 11
MT 9:1-8
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic,
"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
"This man is blaspheming."
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
"Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins"–
he then said to the paralytic,
"Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."
He rose and went
home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
having authority,
and not as their scribes.
Reflection on the Scriptures |
I imagine what I would be thinking and feeling had I been a bystander watching the events unfold as told in Matthew 9: 1-8. A paralytic on a stretcher who rises and walks away after hearing Jesus say, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven. Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." Upon which the man rises and goes
home.
As a bystander at the side of the road words drift through my mind…. faith, forgiveness, mercy, belief, trust; other words come to mind and include doubt, fear, struggle, paralysis, resistance. The doubt, fear, struggle and resistance are felt first. I know I would be immobilized wondering what would happen next? I would reach out to the person
next to me and share my disbelief at what I just saw. I would need someone to console me and try to decipher what had just happened? I would question if what I just saw was true? I would share my disbelief and try and convince myself and others that the man was not paralyzed. I would conjecture that this was 'fake', the man never was paralyzed, and it was all construed.
I would like to think that the one person I reached out to would challenge my doubts, fears, and resistance. That one person would have more faith and courage than I. S/he would trust and believe the truth of Jesus performing this miracle. That one person would make a difference in my life, change my disbelief into belief. In that moment of change perhaps redirect my purpose in life?
- by Cindy Costanzo
(What would you say if you were that "one person"?)
Revelations of Divine
Love - by Julian of Norwich
Fourteenth Revelation, Chapter 51
“He is the Head, and we be His
members.” “Therefore our Father nor may nor will more blame assign to us than to His own Son, precious and worthy Christ” And yet I marvelled, beholding the Lord and the Servant aforesaid. I saw the Lord sit stately, and the Servant standing reverently afore his Lord. In which Servant there is double
understanding, one without, another within. Outwardly:—he was clad simply, as a labourer which were got ready for his toil; and he stood full near the Lord—not evenly in front of him, but in part to one side, on the left. His clothing was a white kirtle, single, old, and all defaced, dyed with sweat of his body, strait-fitting to him, and short—as it were an handful beneath the knee; [thread]bare, seeming as it should soon be worn out, ready to be ragged and rent. And of this I
marvelled greatly, thinking: this is now an unseemly clothing for the Servant that is so greatly loved to stand in afore so worshipful a Lord. And inwardly in him was shewed a ground of love: which love that he had to the Lord was even-like to the love that the Lord had to him.
|
|
|
