Title: Meditation: Thursday, January 31, 2002
The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, January 31, 2002
St. John Bosco
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
2 Samuel 7:18-19,24-29
Psalm 132:1-2,3-5,11-14
Mark 4:21-25
A Reflection on Today's Scripture:
As a Catholic believing that Holy Scripture is the inspired word of God,
I'm occasionally left wondering what particular passages of Holy
Scripture are talking about, what the Holy Spirit intends me to know.
When these occurrences happen, I wonder if I've misread the words or
have not understood the context or writing style.
With today's Gospel I've discovered that it takes more than just careful
reading or study, it takes desire. Not desire motivated by a "need to
know" or desire because it's "nice to know", but desire that springs
from a heart that yearns to hear God's voice and be docile to all it
instructs.
Perhaps this can account for the times when suddenly after repeatedly
hearing a scriptural passage we suddenly hear it as if for the first
time, but with a kind of clarity that makes us wonder why we didn't "get
it" before.
God honors our free will so scrupulously that even when it seems
impossible for us to "miss the point", we do -- unless our hearts are
really open and receptive. Only with God's continuous outpouring of
grace and our desire to receive and cooperate with it, can we dare hope
to know and understand what God wishes.
Let us then do these things:
First let us pray for genuine desire born of love and then let us do
what today's Gospel instructs: "Listen carefully to what you hear!" This
careful listening will involve active assent on our part for no one can
listen carefully without consenting to make some effort. With our
consent God will illuminate our minds according to His plan and design.
We will learn what is most instructive and beneficial for our salvation
and that of others.
Finally we must remember that God's plan for us is His plan and
unfolds as He wills and for our benefit. Thus it is no surprise that
Jesus says, "For there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest;
nor is anything concealed that will not come to light."
Be patient then -- patient with God and patient with yourself as you
strive ever more perfectly to know, love and serve Him who sometimes is
hidden in His word.
- Donna Raye Nelson, ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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All scripture quotes are from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Catholic Bible.
Full text from the New American Bible: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
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