Daily Meditation - Thursday 24July 2008 - WE HAVE EVERYTHING HEAVEN HAS TO OFFER

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Matthew 13:10-17
Jesus’ words sound harsh: Those who already have, get more; those who don’t have much, lose what little they have (Matthew 13:12).

** How is that godly?**
  • The very thought contradicts our notions of fairness and justice.
  • It conjures the image of a stern, vindictive God who isn’t even as just or merciful as we are.
  • Yet, notice, the disciples ask questions, and Jesus explains his teaching to them.
They are those who have, and they are receiving more because they are seeking more.

The issue here isn’t how stingy God is;
it’s how hungry we are.
  • For thousands of years, prophets and righteous people longed to see the fulfillment of God’s plan and promise:
  • the kingdom of heaven come to earth (Matthew 13:17).
  • The desire of godly hearts was restoration of the relationship that our first parents enjoyed with God,
  • a relationship characterized by close friendship, shared thoughts and dreams, and dominion over the earth.
People’s hearts ached to live in his kingdom.
  • We live in the time they longed for.
  • Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the gates to the kingdom have been flung wide open.
  • God has brought us into the “garden land,” giving us access to its “goodly fruits”
  • —yes, even the riches of heaven (Jeremiah 2:7).
We are forgiven, redeemed, restored to friendship with God.
  • We have Jesus’ words in Scripture,
  • we have the sacraments,
  • we have the indwelling Holy Spirit.
We are rich! When we cry, “Where is the Lord,”
  • we know he will call back, “Here I am!”
  • When we welcome the Spirit into our lives,
  • he enables us to hear from the Father and receive the treasures that God delights in pouring out for us.
We are blessed!
  • We have access to everything heaven has to offer.
  • So take advantage of this privilege.
  • Eat of the fruit of this garden land, for God’s words are sweet (Ezekiel 3:3).
    You don’t have to hope and long, you have only to turn to your friend, Jesus, and ask.
  • The more questions you ask him, the more he will teach you.
  • And the more you get,
  • the deeper into his life you will go!
    “Jesus, I want to know you. Stir up in me today the longing of your prophets and the confidence of the disciples. I want more of your life, more of your wisdom and understanding, more of your peace and power!”
 
Something struck me this morning at prayer and I am hoping I can explain it and it is connected to this meditation.
In the times of Jesus, many who saw Him could not understand what He was saying, nor looking upon this quite ordinary looking man could they insight The Divine. I can sometimes reflect that if I were there, I would have been one to understand it all…but would I?.. do I:?
We, today, can be very much the same with Scripture, The Sacraments and the Indwelling Blessed Trinity…e.g. Some can sight the Tabernacle, even go to Holy Communion - but cannot see The Reality present. Some are finding great difficulties with The Sacrament of Penance because they cannot see The Merciful Loving Jesus present there. We have eyes that see - but we cannot see. We need to pray “Lord that we might see, Lord that we might hear” and in very many ways.
The Church explains to us in many different ways Scripture, The Sacraments and the Indwelling Blessed Trinity…and we hear but cannot hear. We look but cannot see. We see what is there - but yet we cannot see. In another thread, here (see note below) quoted Thomas Merton - that our holy desires are sufficient for The Lord …and they are because only He can fulfill them. To desire, and desire ardently is a gift of Grace too, as is the fulfillment of those desires. All is Grace! We need to ardently desire to truly hear and to truly see…“Lord take my heart of stone, and grant me one of flesh” (I first really heard these words during Lent a few years ago)…grant me ardent desires - a heart that burns within me of desire (“did our hearts not burn within on the road to Emmaus?” - as Jesus walked with them and explained Scripture and opened their eyes and ears to see and hear)…Prior to that particular Lent, I was hearing - but could not hear - until my ears were opened to that verse.

“Lord that I might see”…“when Lord may I enter and see Your Face?”…
Pheww…I hope all that was not too confusing!

Blessings…Barb:)

Note: The whole thread by NCJohn “Mercy rather than Sacrifice” is worth the read: here
 
Another Sacrament that we look upon it has occurred to me … but cannot see often is our Baptism. Baptism is amongst many things our primary call and vocation from God bound by vows. It is a call and vocation to a specific way of life. I’ll chase up a link that gives an explanation of our Baptism - for myself too.
Edit: A quck look indeed at the Catholic Catechism and at the internet seems to indicate that it may take a bit of time to put something together on Baptism. May start a new thread on it once I feel I have something worth posting and then cross reference a link to that thread into this one.
 
Decided to confine information collated on Baptism from three sources to this thread.
Because we have restricted the word “vocation” to mean the priesthood or religious life, it has tended to obscure the fact that our Baptism is our primary vocation, and we are bound to it by vows, which we renew every Easter and in our parish with every baptism. I am unsure if this latter applies everywhere.
dwc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=691
The English word ‘vocation’ has its origin in the Latin ‘vocare’ (‘to call’). ‘Vocation’ today is understood to be a call to holiness/wholeness for ALL Christians by virtue of their baptism. Married life, single life, ordained and religious life are all responses to this baptismal call to live in the love of Jesus Christ and to bring the gospel alive to the world. ]
newadvent.org/library/docs_df76ii.htm
“On the other hand, there is a universal vocation of all the baptized to the exercise of the royal priesthood by offering their lives to God and by giving witness for his praise.”
All you ever wanted to know about Baptism and related matters (series of links to articles)

catholic-pages.com/dir/baptism.asp
 
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