4 August 2017 - eternal rhythms

Today's Readings

But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."

There is such a thing as being too close to a thing to see it. This is a risk of which we need to be conscious. We spend enough time around Jesus that it is really all too easy to forget how amazing he is. We stop noticing the difference he makes in our lives even though without him our lives would be completely different. We are called to look with fresh eyes. After all, if it seems like Jesus isn't doing many mighty deeds in our midst today isn't it likely that it is because of our lack of faith? This could seem hopeless. What do we do if we lack faith? Yet looking at Jesus is always an invitation to faith, always an invitation to recognize more than the carpenter's son.

Is he not the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?

We need to approach the feasts of the LORD attentively. By their nature, the feasts repeat.

"These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day."

They instil in us the rhythm of eternity if we let them. But if we ignore them they do worse than pass without profiting us. They give us the false impression of familiarity. When we experience the feasts inattentively it seems to us that we already know everything about what God is doing and his plans. Our expectations of God become very low because we've been looking more inward at ourselves than outward toward him while these expectations form. Like everything God does, these feasts are geared toward drawing us ever more deeply into relationship with him.

Let's worship the LORD actively and attentively. Let us praise him with full voice. We will certainly see him begin to move. Though we had surrendered our hope we will yet see his mighty deeds and wisdom.