Our neighbour - The holiest person present to our senses

[BarbaraTherese]

Reading another thread in another CAF Forum tonight, a poster stated “with gentleness and reverance” and was speaking of when writing a post - and that gave me a big nudge with a jolt…and then this was in my Inbox which gave me another real, huge, nudge and a big jolt!
Mea culpa!
The article is only two pages and not long at all. It is a pdf document but it downloaded in what must have been less than 30 seconds I think.

“your neighbour is the holiest object
presented to your senses”
(From Catholic Church Resources - Mission & Spirituality News)

When the inspired writers of Genesis sought to depict the connection between
human beings and God, they could not have employed a more ‘earthy’ image.
In the first book of the Bible we read that the Creator picks up mud, breathes
life into it… and the human being is formed. For a moment forget the endless
debates as to the historical veracity of this depiction. Instead, focus on what
we do know – that the Genesis writers are trying to tell you something about
who you are and, ultimately, about who God is.
Why does God create? God is perfect in every way. God doesn’t need
anything. God wasn’t looking for something to do. God wasn’t entertaining
himself by experimenting with the properties of mud. Instead, God had a
purpose and a reason for doing what God did. One way of understanding it is
that God was being hospitable: “God as Father, Son, and Spirit can make
room in himself for others, and the room that he makes is our created HERE

***Shane Dwyer - ******Academic Dean - ***Theology Department Co-ordinator

Mea maxima culpa!

 

[brigid12]

“your neighbour is the holiest object
presented to your senses”
(From Catholic Church Resources - Mission & Spirituality News)
Mea maxima culpa!

That’s an amazing thought! And, if we were able to keep it in mind it would be easier to have that “mutual respect” for each other that you spoke of in the other thread.

A thought just came to me this instant in reading your post as to why Jesus used mud/clay to give sight back to the man who asked for renewed sight. He may have been showing that he wants to use “normal” means to give us miracles whenever possible. (I said the thought just came to me, so it’s not well formed nor do I even have the Scriptural reference yet, but I’m sure you know the miracle I mean.) What do you think?

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Quoting Brigid:

That’s an amazing thought! And, if we were able to keep it in mind it would be easier to have that “mutual respect” for each other that you spoke of in the other thread.

…Amen…

A thought just came to me this instant in reading your post as to why Jesus used mud/clay to give sight back to the man who asked for renewed sight. He may have been showing that he wants to use “normal” means to give us miracles whenever possible. (I said the thought just came to me, so it’s not well formed nor do I even have the Scriptural reference yet, but I’m sure you know the miracle I mean.) What do you think?

Hi there Brigid…I think this is the quote you mean:
John 9

6 When he had said these things, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and spread the clay on his eyes,

Scripture sure is an “endless treasury” and there can be that special message just for an individual besides a general meaning for all.
I think your thoughts are very true and on reading your post it came to mind that many modern day miracles we overlook or take for granted come to us through our fellow humans…hence Jesus uses spittle to make some moist clay out the ground (mud) to bring the miraculous into our world - and medicine and its discoveries for one immediately comes to mind. There are many such examples and not only medicine where save for God’s Grace there would be nothing wonderful in mere dust or clay as we all are. There are those times when Grace (action of Jesus) and a human (dust or clay) interact to bring to another human great comfort and consolation…this is a sure miracle!..and one of Grace.

The other thing that came into my mind on reading the text, is why should I be surprised if I or a fellow human being lets me down in some way or perhaps hurts me in some way, since we are dust indeed! In fact we are all made of dust and sometimes this shows through…as can something quite wonderful in a person and a miracle of Grace and God’s gift to what is mere dust or mud.
Out of mere dust and clay, The Lord can create something absolutely wonderful, and our saints come to mind too. Miracles of Grace in dust and clay.

Blessings and warm regards…Barb

 

[brigid12]

Hi there Brigid…I think this is the quote you mean:
John 9

:yup:

Scripture sure is an “endless treasury” and there can be that special message just for an individual besides a general meaning for all.
I think your thoughts are very true and on reading your post it came to mind that many modern day miracles we overlook or take for granted come to us through our fellow humans…hence Jesus uses spittle to make some moist clay out the ground (mud) to bring the miraculous into our world - and medicine and its discoveries for one immediately comes to mind. There are many such examples and not only medicine where save for God’s Grace there would be nothing wonderful in mere dust or clay as we all are. There are those times when Grace (action of Jesus) and a human (dust or clay) interact to bring to another human great comfort and consolation…this is a sure miracle!..and one of Grace.

Definitely! However, does this also mean that it’s our responsibility to discern the most apt thing for Him to work a miracle through? After all, anything is possible for Him!

The other thing that came into my mind on reading the text, is why should I be surprised if I or a fellow human being lets me down in some way or perhaps hurts me in some way, since we are dust indeed! In fact we are all made of dust and sometimes this shows through…as can something quite wonderful in a person and a miracle of Grace and God’s gift to what is mere dust or mud.

Ah, this is where ego can cause either oversensitivity or conversely block the recognition of His Grace.

Out of mere dust and clay, The Lord can create something absolutely wonderful, and our saints come to mind too. Miracles of Grace in dust and clay.

A good thing, cause otherwise there wouldn’t be any hope!

Blessings and warm regards…Barb

Christ’s blessings to you, Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Quoting Brigid:

Definitely! However, does this also mean that it’s our responsibility to discern the most apt thing for Him to work a miracle through? After all, anything is possible for Him!

No way!..and indeed all things are possible to God. Your point reminded me of what was said of Jesus “What good can come out of Nazareth”. Other than that there is absolutely nothing, nothing, that The Lord cannot bring good out of…some saint (name escapes me, might have been St. Benedict)said that we should strive to think always the best of any person…to look for the good and address that - rather than get picky and focused about other things. Of course, one does not take this to extremes and The Holy Spirit and wisdom and prudence will inform the direction.

Ah, this is where ego can cause either oversensitivity or conversely block the recognition of His Grace.

… …too true!..mea culpa!..I have a Vatican doument here on Faternal Life in Community which states that ‘difficult members’ are sent by God to provide extra opporunities for virtue, and to strengthen them. That gave me a real big smile…and how true it is and not only for religious living in community. I am quite confident that often I give others an opporunity for virtue and/or to strengthen the virtues they do have!
It is for sure one thing to sit down and type with time to think over even edit one’s thoughts and another thing entirely to live them out…

A good thing, cause otherwise there wouldn’t be any hope!

Our saints for sure are great consolations, examples and encouragement to us!

And may The Lord ever richly bless you and yours also…barb

 

[water]

“your neighbour is the holiest object
presented to your senses”
(From Catholic Church Resources - Mission & Spirituality News)
Mea maxima culpa!

Bishop Sheen said something very similar to this on Relevant radio this morning.