[ Today's Readings ]
LORD, you don't want our peace of mind to be disturbed by dissension nor debate. You don't want our hearts to be troubled or afraid even when we don't understand things and you yourself seem far away.
You send an Advocate to us who is always near, who reminds us of your words, and keeps us always connected to you and therefore to the Father as well.
The Father and the Spirit join you as you make your dwelling us us. This is what happens when we keep your word. This is true meaning of your word remaining in us. The circumstances of the world may appear dire. But the circumstances of the world are not the source of our peace. You give us peace by the fact of your presence within us. You yourself are the word which abides in our hearts. And it is not the feeling of your presence which is to be the source of our peace, but rather the fact of it. This empowers us to have peace even when we don't feel like you are close. It empowers us to believe that you will come back and make everything right even if right now nothing is right and nothing seems fixable.
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
You show us the way, LORD. You go to the cross, but you know that at a deeper level you go to the Father. The cross is temporary. Your bond with the Father is eternal. We see the circumstances and weep. But we ought truly rejoice for the deeper reality. The reality of your coequal union with the Father is greater than the external reality of the human suffering which you undergo.
You send people out from the number of the Church with the blessings of the Advocate so that we can share in them. You send us your Spirit so that we can share in the peace you give.
It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities
Dissension and debate cannot disturb us. Circumstances can't shake us. Even the cross ultimately can't take the peace you give.
We live even now with our lives illuminated by our unshakable hope. In the darkness of the valley of death we see the light of the kingdom to come.
I saw no temple in the city
for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.
The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gave it light,
and its lamp was the Lamb.
And in this light, the very light of your face, we praise you.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
No comments:
Post a Comment