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From a heart overflowing with gratitude, we will want to honour and glorify God by gratefully offering back to Him the many good gifts He has bestowed on us. We will not go to church to be entertained, to see “what we can get out of it” for our own
private gratification, but rather to praise and worship the triune God of grace and glory
- Anonymous
("A heart overflowing with
gratitude . . ." Let this be your attitude today.)
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Ez 47:1-9, 12; Ps. 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; Jn 5:1-16
R. (8)
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of
Jacob.
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
The LORD of hosts
is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth. UCCB Lectionary
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Reflection on the Scriptures |
God wants to free us from the power of sin and make us whole. But he will not force our hand against our will. The first essential step towards growth and healing is the desire for change. If we are content to stay as we are, then no amount of coaxing will change us. The Lord manifests his power and saving grace towards those who desire transformation of life in Christ. The
Lord approaches each of us with the same probing question: “Do you really want to be changed, to be set free from the power of sin, and to be transformed in my holiness?”
“Lord Jesus, put within my heart a burning desire to be changed and transformed in your holiness. Let your Holy Spirit change my heart and
renew me in your love and righteousness.
DailyScripture.net
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The Cloud of Unknowing, by Anonymous
That right as by the defailing of our bodily wits we begin more readily to come to knowing of ghostly things, so by
the defailing of our ghostly wits we begin most readily to come to the knowledge of God, such as is possible by grace to be had here.
For by nature they be ordained, that with them men should have knowing of all outward
bodily things, and on nowise by them come to the knowing of ghostly things. I mean by their works. By their failings we may, as thus: when we read or hear speak of some certain things, and thereto conceive that our outward wits cannot tell us by no quality what those things be, then we may be verily certified that those things be ghostly things, and not bodily things.
On this same manner ghostly it fareth within our ghostly wits, when we travail about the knowing of God Himself. For have a man never so much ghostly understanding in knowing of all made ghostly things, yet may he never by the work of his understanding come to the knowing of an unmade
ghostly thing: the which is nought but God. But by the failing it may: for why, that thing that it faileth in is nothing else but only God. And therefore it was that Saint Denis said, the most goodly knowing of God is that, the which is known by unknowing. And truly, whoso will look in Denis’ books, he shall find that his words will clearly affirm all that I have said or shall say, from the beginning of this treatise to the end. On otherwise than thus, list me not cite him, nor none other doctor,
for me at this time. For sometime, men thought it meekness to say nought of their own heads, unless they affirmed it by Scripture and doctors’ words: and now it is turned into curiosity, and shewing of cunning. To thee it needeth not, and therefore I do it not. For whoso hath ears, let him hear, and whoso is stirred for to trow, let him trow: for else, shall they not.
- Chapter 70
(The term, "ghostly" = "spiritual".)
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