Message of 12-14-15

Published: Mon, 12/14/15

A Daily Spiritual Seed
Monday: December 14, 2015
Message of the Day
"Jesus reveals to us the human face of God, a God who, in the foolishness of life, 'empties himself' so that I may accept him all all freedom and that I may find room for my freedom in him."
   - Olivier Clement, The Roots of Christian Mysticism -

(How are you being called to "empty yourself" in love these days?)
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Readings of the Day
NM 24:2-7, 15-17A;    PS 25:4–9;    MT 21:23-27

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.

USCCB lectionary
Reflection on the Scripture

"The utterance of one who…sees what the Almighty sees" –Numbers 24:4


Balaam was a professional "curser" hired by the enemies of Israel to curse the Israelites in the desert. In addition to being world-class at uttering curses upon nations, Balaam was world-class in arrogance as well. He boasted that he could see what Almighty God sees, yet on the trip to the desert, he couldn't even see what his donkey saw! (see Nm 22:22-35)


Those in authority at the time of Jesus considered themselves guardians of the truth and the law. In their arrogance, they considered the people lost and themselves the keepers of the truth (see Jn 7:47-49). They even challenged the authority of God to teach His own people in His own house! (Mt 21:23) Sadly, they couldn't see the Truth standing before them in the person of Jesus (Jn 14:6).


"When dealing with the arrogant, [God] is stern, but to the humble He shows kindness" (Prv 3:34). "The arrogance of men will be abased…For the Lord of hosts will have His day against all that is proud and arrogant, all that is high, and it will be brought low" (Is 2:11-12). "The arrogant may not stand in [God's] sight" (Ps 5:6). Perhaps this is why so many could not recognize the Infant Jesus at the first Christmas. It was the lowly shepherds (Lk 2:8ff) and those who invested the time and expense to seek the Lord (Mt 2:1ff) who saw the Baby Jesus and recognized Him.


The Lord calls us to repent of pride, self-exaltation, and arrogance and become "a people humble and lowly" (Zep 3:12). Those who humble themselves in the sight of the Lord are rewarded with the sight of the Lord.


PRAYER:     "Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and for You I wait all the day" (Ps 25:5).


PROMISE:     "Good and upright is the Lord; thus He shows sinners the way." –Ps 25:8


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Spiritual Reading
Theological Gems from Emile Merch's Theology of the Mystical Body
- selected by Jim and Tyra Arraj

II: Theology of Original Sin According to Christ’s Unity and Redemption

166. Personal sins are a sort of continuation of the original fault.


Nature - once it has received grace - is wounded to death when it loses grace, because the gift has actuated splendors of life which were but possible before and which, vanishing with the grace that departs, leaves nature bereft of what had become its supreme necessity, and so it is desolated by the strictest kind of privationÉ In losing grace, man loses a life that had been his own, and so this sin is for him the death of his soul. - God intends a restoration and a redemption. Belief in original sin is but an aspect of belief in God’s redeeming love.
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