Meditation is an ideal way to pray. Using God's word (Lectio Divina) allows me to hear, listen and reflect on what the Lord wants to say to me - to one of his disciples - just like He did two thousand years ago.
The best time to reflect is at the beginning of the day and for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
Prior to going to sleep, read the Mass readings for the next day and then, in the morning, reflect on the Meditation offered on this website.
I hope these daily meditations allow you to know, love and imitate the Lord in a more meaningful way.
God bless you!


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Lk 11:29-32 Someone Greater Here

Lk 11:29-32 Someone Greater Here

(Click here for readings)

We have reduced ourselves to the lowest common denominator. We have become so practical that we are in danger of becoming mathematical. In many ways we are surrounded by a reductionist mentality. Art is reduced to scandal; music to trends; fashion is skimpiness; beauty to bones. Man is seen as just another animal. We can continue: School has been reduced to grades; graduation to rewards and awards. Success is income; family is 1.2 children and a child has been reduced to “a choice”. Now Man has become less than an animal! Life has been reduced to a job; health to living longer; happiness to feelings; love to sex; man (woman) to particular organs. Man is less than whole!

The same goes for God. God has been reduced to “a power” or “Mother Nature” or “Greenness”. God is the color green. Christ, throughout the centuries, has been constantly reduced to a “reformer”, a motivational speaker, a wise-man, a good man, a decent man, a man. But He can never be the God-Man!

We reduce things in life so that we can ignore what we cannot understand or let go from what we cannot grasp. We have a hard time understanding Christ, so we reduce him to another Buddha. We have a hard time praying, so we reduce praying to yoga or even simple exercise.

Today, the Lord presents us with the brutal facts. Jesus, the Lord, is greater than all the prophets, all the patriarchs, all the Laws! In fact, he is above the law because he leads by example. He lives what he preaches. He gives it all, unconditionally. In fact, Christ is alone in all humanity because he can forgive unconditionally and give unconditionally. No human being has ever lived as he lives. No one ever will for Christ is something greater than we could ever imagine: Jesus alone is God. When he walks it is forever. When he speaks it is forever. When he raises his right hand it is forever! Life should not be reduced to the "now." Life is forever, eternal.

He can take the worst day of our lives and call it a blessing. He alone can fall three times and rise up for all eternity. With his simple words he has changed the course of human history and inspired countless generations of men and women to follow him to the remotest corners of the world.

The Lord continues to surprise us to this day! In England we are witnessing a miracle. With the on-going decline of priestly ordinations, the reductionists were licking their chops and pointing fingers to Rome asking when the Holy Father would wake up to the signs of the times! We need to solve this problem! We need women priests! We need an end to celibacy and poverty. We need an end to these archaic principles routed in our poor and misguided Lord and Bride.

Well, on Ash Wednesday, over sixty Anglican priests were officially welcomed as catechumens and candidates for reception in the Catholic Church. They will be ordained priests by Pentacost. Four thousand and seven hundred people will be received into the Roman Catholic Church on Easter Sunday, a record. Who would have imagined. No one, unless you think in terms of milleniums rather than in the "today." The Church thinks long term, longer than a lifetime. It thinks eternal.

Why don't we think the same way? Because we tend to forget that there is someone greater than you or me.

9 comments:

  1. I love this entry Father--especially how you put "Jesus alone is God"!
    Thank you for your continued inspiration!
    Blessings,
    Kathie

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  2. When I read the gospel this morning in my meditation the Lord showed me that I am like the generation in the time of Jesus.

    He speaks to me through the scriptures, people, circumstances and straight to my heart. I understand, I believe, He confirms what I believe I've heard. I've seen miracles in my life, often in fact. And then the doubt sets in. The devil plants lies, lies that I believe and then I doubt what I know, what I've seen. I doubt my interpretation of His words even though the earthy confirmations are there. I doubt truth.

    I doubt truth because it is contrary to human logic. I start putting earthly limitations on God.

    He has given me all I need to believe, know and accept the truth including grace and wisdom and yet I doubt. Then I want more confirmations and sometimes I get them and the cycle starts all over again.

    Lord help me fight the lies and accept truth.

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  3. father alfonse, thank you for such a beautiful blog this morning. truly inspiring and a wakeup call to us all! amen!

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  4. "He can take the worst day of our lives and call it a blessing."

    Thirty years ago this past Monday I married a sociopath. I was only 18 and he was 28. He had every vice I can think of, exactly the guy you DO NOT want your daughter to marry and yet my parents said nothing.

    He lied, stole, cheated, did drugs, drank, did I say lie? He had bi-sexual/gay partners (while we were married), He had been involved in devil worship and had a tattoo to show it. And did I say lie? He played mind games with me that messed me up. He couldn't or wouldn't keep a job. He was irresponsible, duh. The only thing he didn't do was beat me. I finally divorced him three years later, leaving me a single mom with an 18 month old daughter. It was tough, real tough at times. But that little baby girl is what got me through it. She was my reason to keep going and not giving up and just killing myself.

    She's 18 months from being 30 right now and she is the most amazing young woman. She is so many things I'd like to be. She loves when there is no reason to love, she is more patient than Job, I believe. She has a gentleness, that flows from her words and actions. She gives until there is nothing left to give. She judges no one. Her faith in God amazes me. She constantly reminds me that God is in charge and she lives that reality daily. She only reverted a few years ago and yet she's light years beyond me in the virtue department. Yes I am her mom, but these things are all true. She is far from perfect, but it seems her imperfections are things that do not matter in eternity.

    Why am I sharing all this? Because God took my most regrettable day, March 14, 1981 and turned it into the biggest blessing of my life and the lives of those she works with. She actually goes out in the streets of Dallas in the middle of the night looking for homeless teens to help. This is her very low paying job with eternal rewards.

    God is amazing. He can take any sludge we hand him and turn it into pure gold.

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  5. Dear Anonymous at 9:41 PM,

    Thank you. Thank you for sharing how God brought love and beauty out of pain. You have strengthened my hope with your testimony.

    God Bless you! (Well it looks like you have already let him :)

    - Jessica

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  6. wait.. what is happiness supposed to be, if it's not a feeling? thanks.

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  7. Happiness occurs in our life when what I want to do is the same as what I should do. Unity of mind, body and soul.

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  8. Teri

    Your comment reminded me of something that the Lord spoke to me the other day.

    I was asking how to suffer joyfully. The answer was I had to live joyfully, then,"how do I do that?", "Find peace", "how do I do that", "Let go of control", "how do I do that?", "tackle each incident as it comes up and make a choice." Sounds easy, righ? Oh yeah, He let me know that I've been trying to control Him with my prayers. Man...He sees everything! I didn't even realize that one, but it's true.

    Jessica,

    I'm glad to be able to share how God's Glorious Ways have touched my life and others in a way that I never could have dreamed of 30 years ago.

    By the way my daughter's name is Jessica too.

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