Saint Benedict and the miracle of the poison bread
The more productive his land,
the more sacred pillars he set up.
How do we respond when we are blessed? Do we give thanks to God? Or do we fail to recognize the source of our blessings and pursue idols instead? If we are able to experience something nice because we had the money for it do we thank God for that or do we rather seek to increase our wealth so we can create more blessings on our own apart from him? It is easy to forget the one who blesses us and to spend our effort in the mechanisms of this world which, at best, are merely used by him.
Sow for yourselves justice,
reap the fruit of piety;
break up for yourselves a new field,
for it is time to seek the LORD,
till he come and rain down justice upon you.
We get so distracted trying to bless ourselves that we forget what the LORD is asking of us. We are called to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (see Matthew 6:33). We experience the most blessing when the blessings aren't the primary motives. The more we try to grasp blessings themselves the more they slip through our fingers.
We give thanks for the blessings we do receive. This helps us to be free to seek God and to follow his direction.
Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
Many of us would prefer to remain at home to answering this call. It isn't easy to see how a selfless journey like this can compare to the our normal life of comfort. But if we have been thanking God for all that Jesus has done for us thus far we are able to trust that this too is the best thing for us, or else he wouldn't be calling us to it.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
The world is full of lost sheep. The commission now extends into pagan territory (after all there isn't much else). We need the freedom to answer the call.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
If we double down on earthly blessings we are building on sand. But if we do heed the call we build on rock and store up treasure in heaven.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (see First Thessalonians 5:18).
No comments:
Post a Comment