Title: Meditation: Thursday, January 10, 2002
The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, January 10, 2002
Thursday After Epiphany
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 John 4:19--5:4
Psalm 72:1-2,14-15,17
Luke 4:14-22
A Reflection on Today's Scripture:
In today's Gospel we see the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.
Heretofore much about Him has remained hidden; from now on there are
stronger and stronger indications that He is the long-awaited
Messiah. This is not just conjecture on the part of astute observers,
but a proclamation on Jesus' part. He comes right out and says that
He is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the
Messiah.
The reaction of those who listened to Jesus' opening remarks
concerning His mission was at first favorable. We are told they found
His discourse appealing. It is noteworthy that when Jesus begins to
illuminate their accumulative faithlessness, the tone of the crowd
abruptly changes. One moment Jesus was said to be appealing, the very
next he was the source of the audience's indignation.
This short little glimpse into how Jesus reveals Himself and then
uses His rightful authority to instruct, direct and correct tells us
much, not only about Jesus, but about ourselves.
If we consider how often we are at once inflamed with love for Christ
and then almost as quickly turn lukewarm, we realize how utterly
dependent we are upon God's grace to sustain in us lively faith, hope
and love. It isn't just a matter of feeling faith-filled, anxiously
awaiting the hoped for promises of Christ or experiencing the warmth
of love engendered relationships; we must remain steadfast even and
especially when all our sensible emotions and feelings have vanished.
This is when the true test of what we believe in, begins. When Jesus
reveals to us our shortcomings it is to purify us and make us begin
the journey to perfection. The question becomes: Will the
illuminating Light of Truth stir our hearts toward true contrition
and greater resolve to do good, or will we succumb to sinful pride
and discount the authority and veracity of the "messenger" as did the
people in today's gospel.
Let us pray for God's ever-present grace and the humility to seek it
that we might endure the refining purifications that will strip us of
all that might make us unworthy to be in God's presence and serve Him
with an undivided heart.
- Donna Raye Nelson, ocds
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All scripture quotes are from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Catholic Bible.
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