Luke 6:43-49 The Foundation (click here for reading)
A college freshman sent me this beautiful quote from St. Augustine."Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation."
The Lord consistently calls me to a deeper relationship with him. Do I desire such a friend, a lover, a God? Am I willing to work for this love? What draws me to him? I have never had to work for such a love. These questions I have always asked but not always answered. The questions can be very scary. But the truth is they will never go away. The storms always hit when I least expect them, when I am ill prepared and when I am at my weakest moment.
Fear not, it is I, your friend, your brother, your God. Why do you hurt me so much? How else will you know that without me you can do nothing? I know that I am a hot air balloon. Filled with nothing, easily tossed around. It is the Universe that keeps me afloat! It is God that is my rock, the foundation, of my mind, soul and heart. He is my life. The Lord knows my heart because he made my heart. He knows my falls because he knows the devil and my weaknesses. I call out to him to heal me from my wounds and he does answer. This is the prayer that he always answers. Am I ready for the answer?
God asks just one thing from me: everything. He wants not only my heart and mind but all that I do!
There is a prayer that we teach our children to pray. It is not only for kids. It is for the child-like. Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work. I give you eyes to see as you see. I give you my tongue to speak your words. But above all, I give you my life so that you can breathe, move and work through me. Amen.
It is a scary prayer because we know what Christ wants to do: lay down his life - the foundation - for the world!
The Lord consistently calls me to a deeper relationship with him. Do I desire such a friend, a lover, a God? Am I willing to work for this love? What draws me to him? I have never had to work for such a love. These questions I have always asked but not always answered. The questions can be very scary. But the truth is they will never go away. The storms always hit when I least expect them, when I am ill prepared and when I am at my weakest moment.
Fear not, it is I, your friend, your brother, your God. Why do you hurt me so much? How else will you know that without me you can do nothing? I know that I am a hot air balloon. Filled with nothing, easily tossed around. It is the Universe that keeps me afloat! It is God that is my rock, the foundation, of my mind, soul and heart. He is my life. The Lord knows my heart because he made my heart. He knows my falls because he knows the devil and my weaknesses. I call out to him to heal me from my wounds and he does answer. This is the prayer that he always answers. Am I ready for the answer?
God asks just one thing from me: everything. He wants not only my heart and mind but all that I do!
There is a prayer that we teach our children to pray. It is not only for kids. It is for the child-like. Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work. I give you eyes to see as you see. I give you my tongue to speak your words. But above all, I give you my life so that you can breathe, move and work through me. Amen.
It is a scary prayer because we know what Christ wants to do: lay down his life - the foundation - for the world!
Beautiful meditation!!
ReplyDelete"Why do you hurt me so much? How else will you know that without me you can do nothing?"
ReplyDeleteAt this point in my life, I am actually thankful for all the trials that I’ve been given because they forced me, finally, to turn to Him.
And it didn’t take a few difficult experiences before I broke down, quit trying to do it all myself and allowed Him in.
The opportunities for growth still come and I still don’t enjoy them but now I know, truly know beyond any doubt that He will see me through it.
It wasn’t until VERY recently that my heart was finally penetrated by this truth. I don’t know how it happened; it must have been His Grace, because I certainly did nothing to merit this life changing ability to TRUST HIM.
There is a peace that I never knew or even thought possible.
Without all the pain, I would still be arrogantly trying to ‘save’ myself, do it myself and even believe I was in control.
“I call out to him to heal me from my wounds and he does answer. This is the prayer that he always answers. Am I ready for the answer?”
I think I am until I find out the cure may require more than passive cooperation from me, like a magic pill.
Sometimes it requires much more. Sometimes the treatment can be excruciatingly painful or require an organ transplant, like a heart, and sometimes it may even seem that dying would be easier than facing the treatment.
So the answer quite often is, “not yet.”
1 Corinthians 10:14-22
ReplyDelete“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons” (10:21)
As Catholics we partake in the Body and Blood of Christ at every Mass. And in order to do this more worthily we need to live as Christ lived. When others see us do they see Christ? Are our words kind and compassionate? When we are hurt by another’s actions do we strike back or are we merciful? Do we turn the other cheek? Do we struggle against our temptations or give into them easily?
We can’t have it both ways. “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30).
We either drink of the cup of the Lord or the cup of demons. We are called to rise above our demons, to struggle tooth and nail against our temptations.
And where do we get the strength to do this? From our Lord! “Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).
Luke 6:43-49
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? (6:46).
Our words are meaningless unless we back them up with our actions. “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16).
How can I bear good fruit when my heart is full of jealousy and pride? When I give in easily to the temptations of impurity?
I have to run to our Lord, drop to my knees and ask for his forgiveness. I have to open my heart and confess the things that are in the deep, dark places of my heart. The things I can barely bear to look at because I am so ashamed.
“Admitting sin is one of the hardest things in the world to do. We are not so reluctant to confess the small sins or the sins that matter very little to us, but we struggle to present honestly to God the sins most deeply woven into the fabric of our lives and, in confessing them, to let them go. We call on the power of Christ’s cross to free us from these bonds that hold us” (from Magnificat).
Through the blood of the Cross I am made whole. Through the forgiveness of my sins I am able to rise and begin again. And by God’s grace I am given the strength to overcome my sinfulness and bear good fruit. And when I give of myself freely, my fruit will nourish others and allow them to bear fruit as well.
“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).
"This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving soemthing in its place I have traded for it. It want it to be a gain, not loss- good, not evil success, not failure in order that I shall not forget the price I paid for it." This is what I have been fervently praying.
ReplyDeleteWhy would you post everything so public? Do you not know that you would get caught?
ReplyDelete