7 February 2022 - arise, O Lord

Today's Readings

(Audio)

The tabernacle had served as a visible reminder of God's presence among the people of Israel since their exodus journey through the wilderness.

And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, "Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you" (see Numbers 10:35). 

In the time of Solomon their enemies had at last been scattered, and they dwelled in the peace of the promised land. Today's psalm about the repose of the ark in the temple echoes the words of Moses, but with the difference the ark is now going to rest rather than to battle.

Arise, O Lord, and go to thy resting place,

thou and the ark of thy might.

It was because of the presence of the Lord that the children of Israel were eventually able to attain the promised land. It was God himself, symbolically present in the tabernacle who scattered their enemies and brought them safely to their destination. It did not, however, go well for Israel when they failed to recognize the holiness of the ark or when they tried to make it serve their plans rather than they making themselves servants of God's plan. But when their trust was in the Lord and not themselves his dwelling place was their most powerful weapon against their enemies. 

When the priests left the holy place,

the cloud filled the temple of the LORD

so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud,

since the LORD’s glory had filled the temple of the LORD.

The presence of the holiness of the Lord was so intense that the people could not come close, nor could even the priests minister. The presence of God was powerful, primary, but still somehow separated and finally unattainable. His holiness was something so dense and overwhelming that it could those who lived then could not enter it. They were very much still a people of unclean lips who needed the purifying coal from the alter before they could stand in the council of the Holy One. They could not yet enter into the presence of God's all consuming holiness without being themselves consumed.

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (see John 1:14).

The humanity of Jesus was the means that made it possible for men and women to enter the presence of God without being consumed, for it would be in him, united with him, that they would safely experience God's power. Therefore, the experience of the presence of Jesus was one of holiness, but drastically different than the ark, for the people were drawn toward and not pushed away from Jesus.

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,

they laid the sick in the marketplaces

and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;

and as many as touched it were healed.

In Jesus the presence of God was brought near to us so that we could touch that presence and be healed. The tassel on the cloak of Jesus was a reminder of the law that was kept in the tabernacle. But to touch the tabernacle meant death whereas to touch even this tassel meant restoration and life.

Those in the land at Gennesaret may seem to have been at an advantage with the ability to physically touch the body of Jesus himself. But we should remember that Our Lady continues to be present among us spiritually, helping us to experience the presence of God for which she was designated as the new and more perfect ark of the covenant. When approached with appropriate reverence she can help us to touch Jesus more deeply than did anyone in those ancient crowds, for we actually receive his flesh, blood, soul, and divinity in every Eucharist. If the old ark could conquer worldly foes why is our faith in the power of this new ark so limited? God, increase our faith!

David Brymer - Worthy Of It All

6 February 2022 - into the deep

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,

he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.

Once we meet Jesus he will begin to ask us to involve him in our lives. Jesus had already healed Simon's mother-in-law and dined together with him at his house. Simon had good reason, then, to call Jesus "Master" and to put his boat into the service of Jesus's mission. He was at least somewhat familiar with the wisdom of Jesus as well as his miraculous power. Many Christians have only come thus far, recognizing Jesus as a wise master and worker of miracles. But Jesus would have us know that he is more than that.

After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,

“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”

Simon said in reply,

“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,

but at your command I will lower the nets.”

When Jesus takes our incipient faith and initial understanding of his identity to the next level he often does so with a new invitation to trust him. It is not that we didn't trust him before, but rather that this trust now takes on a new character, related to the circumstances of our lives and the condition of our hearts more deeply than before. That is to say, what was previously something that seemed more external becomes deeply personal.

“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,

but at your command I will lower the nets.”

Now our day-to-day lives, our patterns of behavior are implicated and come under the auspices of Jesus himself. As they do our hearts are exposed, hearts that have been heretofore unable to satisfy themselves, no matter how hard or how long we have worked through the night. Jesus now hopefully finds us ready for him to motivate in us actions which we would not have chosen, we seemed in our eyes to be impractical. On our own, casting ours nets once again might have pushed us past the breaking point of despair. But when Jesus asks it is different. 

When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish

and their nets were tearing.

When we open ourselves to respond to Jesus in faith Jesus can act in ways that seize us with astonishment. It is when we truly give our hearts over to him by such acts of trust that he is able to reveal himself in a deeper way, a way that transcends even the miraculous catch we may experience in response.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,

“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

It wasn't just because Jesus knew where to find fish that Peter experienced this deeper revelation of the identity of Jesus. It was because what Jesus asked of Peter addressed a frustration and longing deep in his being, something for about which he frustration with fishing was a mere symptom, ice above the surface of a larger iceberg beneath. 

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,

“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Peter was so moved that he went from calling Jesus "Master" to calling him "Lord". Indeed, what he experienced was a theophany. He experienced his own lack and the abundance of Jesus himself. He came to see himself not as one who deserved something from Jesus, but now as one who was overwhelmed by the outpouring of grace. He stood in the presence of a holiness so profound that when Moses experienced the like he had to remove his shoes, a holiness not altogether different from what Isaiah experienced in his vision.

Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!

For I am a man of unclean lips,

living among a people of unclean lips;

yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Note, however, that both Isaiah and Peter saw the holiness of God first, and then and only then did their need for purification become apparent. It was not the case that they so cleansed themselves as to be ready for God to manifest as he did. It was rather that in both cases God himself would provide purification that could only even be received by those who had seen him enough to know of the need in which they stood. At no point were Peter or Isaiah meant to be cast back on themselves and their own efforts to make themselves worthy of such a vision. It is true that is the pure of heart who will see God, but it is only God himself who can make hearts pure.

He touched my mouth with it, and said,

“See, now that this has touched your lips,

your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

For Isaiah and for Peter the Lord did not dwell on what might have made them unworthy, but instead directed them to a new positive reality. He gave them both a commission that contained within itself the power to become who they would need to be.

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;

from now on you will be catching men.”

When they brought their boats to the shore,

they left everything and followed him.

Perhaps the Lord has been asking to use our boat for some purpose of his. Has he been asking to involve himself in parts of our lives that are so fundamental and fixed that we are reluctant to cede control to him? Do we perhaps worry that doing so will turn a night without fish into a full-blown experience of all-consuming despair if it leads to one more experience of frustration? Assuredly the Lord is very much looking for us to trust him in such situations, in the nitty-gritty of our so-called 'real lives' so that he can manifest himself to us at the very core of our need.

For I am the least of the apostles,

not fit to be called an apostle,

because I persecuted the church of God.

We may flee from the invitation of the Lord because of our own sense of unworthiness. But we are called to see in the examples we are given today, Peter, Paul, and Isaiah, that the Lord himself is more than able to make up for any insufficiency on our part. It is precisely this experience of grace that can take our faith to the next level, leading us into an ever more clear vision of the Holy One himself. May we join these great saints in the deep waters to which we too are called.

But by the grace of God I am what I am,

and his grace to me has not been ineffective.

Hillsong United - Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

Newsboys - Fishers Of Men

5 February 2022 - come away and rest

Today's Readings

(Audio)

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus

and reported all they had done and taught.

It was important that the Apostles come together to celebrate all that the Lord had accomplished through them. This was so for several reasons. It would help the group who heard to grow in faith as the learned all of the ways in which the Lord could work, all of the things he might choose to do through them. It would also help the one who shared with the others to treasure and what the Lord had done through him and be thankful for it. We might be afraid to come back from a mission like this and talk about our successes for fear of bragging and pride. But the disciples, by talking about what had happened and not concealing it, learned to speak and think about it correctly as the work of God rather than their own. And so, in addition to edifying the others, and edifying the one who shared, the third benefit of recounting the Lord's blessings was the occasion it offered for correction, for a refinement of discernment. We saw this more clearly in the Gospel of Luke after the return of the seventy-two:

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” ... Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (see Luke 10:17, 10:20).

Humanly speaking, if everything was going as well as it apparently was we might have been reluctant to return to Jesus. Why stop, we might reason, when everything seems to be working so well? The risk is that success could lead to self-satisfaction, to the illusion that we could continue to proceed without the help of Jesus, or, for that matter, without the help of other disciples.

Jesus does send us out, but always so that we can return to him, and to regroup with other disciples in order that we might learn from our own experiences and those of others and be thereby edified. Without this counterpoint to our active work in the world we tend to become confused as to the point or purpose of that active work. It begins to seem like a burden for which we are entirely responsible, and we no longer quite remember why it should be so important. We need Jesus himself and his community to provide the context for what happens in the periods of activity and mission. 

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 

Jesus does not intend for us to face the task he has given us on our own strength. We are meant to come away with him and experience the rest with which he himself desires to restore us. This means, insofar as is possible or practical, making a temporary escape from the noise and haste, even though there might seem to be a thousand pressing needs, even if it is only a matter of time before the crowd discovers where we've gone. Even a moment matters because it is no merely human rest that we receive. Jesus desires to give us a rest that is a profound supernatural reality, the same rest that God pledged to give his people in the promised land (see Exodus 33:14), which is now revealed to be wherever Jesus himself abides.

People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.

It may seem all too soon before the crowds discover us and our time alone with Jesus is interrupted. But our time with Jesus should help us to meet the pressing crowds as Jesus did, with hearts moved with pity for them, recognizing their need, willing to see them draw them into the rest Jesus first desired to give us. We will not feel jealous as Jesus shares and widens this place of rest to all of the sheep. All of those who long for green pastures stand in this same fundamental need of the shepherd. This apparent interruption can still be an invitation to lay down together with them in the pastures of the Good Shepherd.

Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart

to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.

As disciples of the Lord entrusted with the mission of his Kingdom we need listening hearts like the one for which Solomon prayed. In some sense we know that this prayer was already answered in us by the gift of the Holy Spirit that we received at Baptism, and that was strengthened in Confirmation. But we also know that all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit should not be taken for granted. We must return to Jesus to be recharged, so that the gifts may fan into flame.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (see James 1:5).

We go out into the world relying on the wisdom we have received, but we return to Jesus and his disciples to confirm and continue to grow in that and all of the gifts. He sees that we ourselves are tired and need to be refreshed, that the crowds are hungry, in need of nourishment. He desires to give us all his word to nourish us and give us the strength to continue our pilgrimage, to fulfill our mission.

With all my heart I seek you;

let me not stray from your commands.

Brian Doerksen - Resting Place

4 February 2022 - the voice of truth

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,

and kept him in custody.

When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,

yet he liked to listen to him.

It is not enough to enjoy hearing truth speak while it remains as yet imprisoned in our lives. The truth is oddly compelling, even when it tells us what we would prefer not to hear. Because this is so we seldom want to silence it entirely. Instead, we provide a little cell to contain it, where it can't disrupt our lifestyle too much. We can even deal with conviction about our actions as a mere abstraction, as long as it doesn't escape and start interfering in our behavior and our relationships.

What was clear from Herod's imprisonment of John the Baptist was that, although it was John who was literally in custody, it was Herod who was the less free of the two. He was so much a servant to his pride, his sensuality, and his arrogance that he promised half of his kingdom at the behest of one girl, because of a single occasion of temptation. After it happened Herod was conflicted for he knew that he ought not kill John, that John had something important to say that Herod had yet to accept. He had been entertained by the things John said, had been interested in them, so much so that he spent time listening even to one whom he had imprisoned. But he had not taken the voice of John seriously enough to be protected by the power of the truth it spoke. His voice was for Herod very much a seed that fell on the path and was too choked by thorns to bear any fruit.

The king was deeply distressed,

but because of his oaths and the guests

he did not wish to break his word to her.

When Herod chose not to acknowledge the truth that the Baptist spoke, even while on some level recognizing it as truth, he created for himself the conflict that would eventually lead to the fracturing of his identity. There was the part, the truer part, that knew that John should live and speak. But there was the part that held sway that thought that all the pomp and circumstance of his kingdom was more important, that any choice that he made as king was a correct choice. Not heeding the truth led to the conflict. Conceding to the power of the lie led to his being haunted by what he had done.

But when Herod learned of it, he said,

“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

Herod was not entirely wrong. The truth could never really be killed entirely. What John the Baptist spoke in a partial and fragmentary way was incarnated fully in Jesus himself.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (see John 14:6).

Jesus would not allow himself to be contained in the prison cells of petty little kings such as Herod or ourselves. He burst even the bars of death in order that his voice could not be silenced, not be merely interest or entertain, but free to restore and heal. Herod was right to suspect that, if he listened, Jesus wouldn't leave in tact the sinful circumstances in which he lived. However, Jesus would not stop at criticism without offering himself as a solution. He himself could offer the forgiveness and restoration of which Herod stood in dire need. But Herod seemed to have anesthetized himself truth by the point that he heard about Jesus. Scripture doesn't tell us, but we could hope that the seed that John planted was eventually given freedom to grow by what he heard or experienced of Jesus himself. Even if the extra biblical accounts make this seem unlikely, who knows what he remembered and embraced as his hope at the hour of death.

There is no story too depraved for God's forgiveness to redeem it. In our first reading this morning we read praises for the many great deeds of King David, but those deeds were remembered and praised precisely because the "Lord forgave him his sins". Only then was his strength truly exulted. Could a king like Herod still end his life with the success and exultation of David? With God all things are possible.

You who gave great victories to your king

and showed kindness to your anointed,

to David and his posterity forever.

Casting Crowns - Voice of Truth

3 February 2022 - he gave them authority

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two

and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

It was the authority of the words of Jesus himself that first made such an impression on the crowds (see Mark 1:22 and 1:27). His power over unclean spirits made strong first impressions on those who witnessed it. His authority extended even to the forgiveness us sins, which he demonstrated by displaying a lesser but more evident authority over disease (see Mark 2:10). In order to equip the disciples for mission Jesus gave them a portion of his own authority, summarized in the power over unclean spirits. Because they had the same authority as Jesus himself it would be clear that when the disciples taught that their words were not empty words, just as it had been clear when Jesus himself taught. They would be able to astonish crowds just as he himself had done first.

What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him (see Mark 1:27).

The disciples used the authority they received to drive out demons, but also to anoint the sick and to cure them, and perhaps in many other ways Mark does not mention. 

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick

–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.

The authority given by Jesus himself would be enough to ensure the success of the mission. Further, the mission was to be its own reward. The disciples needed to learn to depend on the power of God at work rather than their ability to predict and prepare for the circumstances of their journey.

They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.

For us such a mission seems reckless. We would never establish a program of evangelization in our churches that was so utterly dependent on the grace of God. And while it was true that the disciples needed to learn by an extreme example for the sake of their unique mission it is nevertheless also true that we tend to err more on the side of trying to plan and prepare for all contingencies than by trusting recklessly in God. In fact, can one even trust too recklessly in God? Such a fault would not truly be trust, but presumption. We should discern anything that God inspires us to do, but if he is truly the one speaking, there is no level of trust that is too much trust.

Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.

When we go out to others we need to be cautious that we don't attempt to change plans merely because some other accommodations seem more comfortable. We are told to eat what is set before us, even if another house might possibly have better food. If we start chasing our preferences overmuch as we evangelize our trust motives will become obscure and murky. We will seem to be seeking our own comfort rather than the good of others. This is why Paul himself was so careful to work rather than making full use of his legitimate rights as an evangelist.

But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision (see First Corinthians 9:15).

Jesus was clear that the spiritual authority he gave to his disciples worked differently than worldly power structures. It was not an authority that was to be lorded over others (see Luke 22:26), or abused to benefit oneself, but was rather an authority to serve. By keeping themselves untethered from earthly rewards for their mission the disciples fostered the growth in themselves of servant hearts.

Servant hearts, faithful to the law of God are those God desires to see on the thrones of the new Israel, his Church. It is such hearts that will not succumb to the faults of Saul, David, or Solomon, but will truly be established, rooted firmly in God's plan for his people. 

It is not only to the ordained that this message of authority is addressed. Theirs is one unique kind of authority, ordered toward the service of the Church. But we have all been anointed priests, prophets, and kings and queens in virtue of our baptism. The anointing we ourselves have received gives us we ourselves authority in our legitimate sphere. And what is that sphere if not the world, the world of family, of politics, and of commerce, the world to which the authority of the clergy is not directly addressed. The Church has made a point of emphasizing the apostolate of the laity in recent years, reminding us that we are all responsible together, though in different ways, for the work of evangelization. If this is true (and it is) and if our words are to be credible we must learn to avail ourselves of the authority we have been given, even to the point where the manifestations are supernatural, what Paul called demonstrates of the Spirit and power (see First Corinthians 2:4). We can begin to trust the anointing we have received in small ways, each and every time we choose to put our trust in God rather than our cleverness, wealth, or skill. We will learn again and again that God rewards those who trust in him.

In your hand are power and might;

it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.

The Dameans - You Have Anointed Me

2 February 2022 - the LORD whom you seek

Today's Readings

(Audio)

And suddenly there will come to the temple

the Lord whom you seek,

And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.

The presence of the Lord God himself was the very purpose of the temple, the center around which the outer courts were built. That presence was essential to the temple truly fulfilling its intended purpose as a place of meeting between God and humankind. Yet it had been some time since that presence was there in fullness, for the cloud of glory had departed.

Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim (see Ezekiel 10:18).

The lack of the glory cloud of God corresponded to the lack of the ark which was the visible sign of God's presence ever since the ark had been concealed to keep it safe from conquest. Jeremiah had hidden the ark of the covenant in a cave, "until God finally gathers his people together and shows mercy to them. The Lord will bring these things to light again, and the glory of the Lord will appear with the cloud, as it was seen both in the time of Moses and when Solomon prayed that the shrine might be worthily consecrated" (see Second Maccabees 2:7-8).

During the absence of the glory of God from his temple there were those who nevertheless persisted in fidelity, staking the very meaning of their lives on the eventual fulfillment in which God's very presence would finally fill the temple once more. 

This man was righteous and devout,

awaiting the consolation of Israel,

and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit

that he should not see death

before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

Simeon was among the first to truly experience Jesus as the fulfillment of the great Messianic promises. He was among the first who had eyes to see. This was a needed characteristic, for without such eyes what was truly happening would not have been obvious.

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and glory for your people Israel.

Simeon looked to the young child brought before him and saw something more intense than a refiner's fire or a fuller's lye. He saw the light of God's revelation to the Gentiles. The bright light that Jesus himself would later make visible in the Transfiguration Simeon already experienced with eyes of faith. 

How wonderful and strange was this way in which the Lord himself returned to his temple. Not as a conquering king, nor even a power that overwhelmed the senses of those present did he he come. Rather, he came with an intensity that was not less than those things, but more. Yet it was an intensity only revealed itself to eyes of faith like those of Simeon and Anna. Jesus brought the presence of God himself back to the temple, but humbly, in in a hidden way. His purpose in coming in a hidden way was not to hide, but to ensure that he didn't simply crush us with his overwhelming glory. Faith would allow that glory to be revealed to the degree that we opened ourselves freely to experience it. 

Jesus can be for us what he was for Simeon and what he was for Anna. He can be the fulfillment to the trajectory of our lives as well, the thing that ultimately gives us the grace to die in the peace of God. Our eyes can continue to be eyes of faith which see Jesus in the ways in which he is still hidden, in the Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. But we are meant to recognize that, although he is hidden in many ways, he is also already a light of revelation that is meant to be shared. It is a light into which we are meant to invite the whole world.

And coming forward at that very time,

she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child

to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

It was a child who was destined for the fall and rise of many in Jerusalem, not a conquering king. He came this way, vulnerable, in an act of pure love, in order to as much as possible court a response of welcome in our hearts, rather than kicking down the door. The potential tragedy of this was that it became easy to miss him entirely, to assume nothing new had taken place, and to go about life as usual. This temptation may crop up again and again in us as life seems to shift from the brief peak experiences of the presence of God back to business as usual. To counteract this we need to reflect thankfully on God's presence among us as often as we can, to allow ourselves to be amazed at the things spoken by Simeon again and again. Because as for Simeon, recognizing God in his hidden presence has the potential to entirely transform our lives.

Since the children share in blood and flesh,

Jesus likewise shared in them,

that through death he might destroy the one

who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,

and free those who through fear of death

had been subject to slavery all their life.

There will come day when the light so blazes forth that there will no longer be time for us to recognize and welcome it with our own freely given loving response. Before that day let us all strive to see and make known the light of revelation, the glory of the presence of God revealed in Jesus, and so help in some small way to prepare the world to meet that day in peace and not in fear.

Andy Park - I See The Lord

1 February 2022 - great is your faith

Today's Readings

(Audio)

“My daughter is at the point of death.

Please, come lay your hands on her

that she may get well and live.”

Our love for others can draw from us great faith. Many of us intercede for others in a rote and formulaic way most of the time. We work through our list to make sure no one gets omitted. And there is nothing wrong with such a litany of requests. However, at other times, we become so deeply invested in the outcome that our intercession is an entirely different experience. When something equivalent to the life of our daughter is on the line we may become so desperate as to fall at the feet of Jesus, forgetting our synagogue status, and pleading with him earnestly. When our desire for our prayer to be answered is no mere abstraction more faith is required. We will desire to believe that Jesus can do what we need, because if we are able to believe it we can hope. We might, however, worry that since our motivation is not entirely altruistic Jesus would not honor it. We might then experience a litany of doubts, pushing us toward despair.

“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” 

But Jesus is emphatically able to work with us in our human circumstances, even with motives that are not yet perfect. Love for a daughter can lead to greater faith in him, leading in turn to greater love for the daughter, in a virtuous cycle.

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

Jesus does not enter our circumstances as merely one more perpetrator of the world's commotion. In fact, to begin his process of healing and transformation he casts out the weeping and wailing of the world. He creates a space where the world's short-sighted perspective loses its power, where even the desperation that originally led Jairus to summon Jesus gives way to faith and to new life. Perhaps if we are in need of new life we can begin by allowing Jesus to cast out all the voices of despair that end up making us feel hopeless. Maybe then, finally, we will hear him speak to us as he did to the girl.

He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” 

which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”

The woman with the flow of blood was another example where the greatness of the need impelled an individual to an act of great faith.

She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”

We ourselves touch Jesus every time we go to mass, more intimately than merely touching his clothes. But do we touch him with this level of faith, faith which understands that anything is possible for him? We ought not give up even if our need has persisted for twelve years. Perhaps all of that time has just been a preparation of our faith for the opportunity to finally encounter the power of the touch of Jesus.

We may, like David, be face circumstances that drive us and our loved ones into periods of mourning. The time between tragedy and the Last Day might be measured in many years. But unlike David we know that we and our loved ones have a hope beyond this valley of tears. More than Jairus we have reason for joy, for his daughter would die again, but our hope is life without end. The sorrows of this world can serve for us as a reminder that eternity awaits, and the hope of the glory of that life. May the Lord strengthen our faith so that we might be ready for that day.

Matt Maher - Alive Again