“He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mrk 4:40-41
Jesus’ closest friends ask: “Who then is this?” I wonder about that question. Like the disciples in that boat perhaps I should also ask that about Jesus. “Who then is this?"
I am baptized into the Body of Christ. I have opportunity and desire to receive the faith as fully as I can. I read and study the scripture narratives of Jesus’ life.
I meditate and reflect on his life and message. I worship sacramentally with a community of believers. The creeds are my formal statements of belief. I have at my disposal centuries of theological reflection.
With all that, will I or we ever or be even capable to fully know Jesus here in this life? And through him, fully know God? Never fully it seems because we are only human. More to the point realistically for this life here and now, am I or we ever, day in and day out fully aware of the Holy Spirit residing within me?
The first letter, John tells us the way to know Jesus and through him know God. “Now by this we know that we have come to know him if we obey his commandments. By this we know that we are in him: whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk in the same way as he walked.
Frederick Buechner from a quote in the Cowley Magazine: “Jesus comes into the very midst of life at its most real and inescapable moments. He freely enters into the maelstrom of our lives, into our questions and our doubts.” We must walk in the same way Jesus walked. We become his hands, his feet.
In the letter to the Romans, Paul gives us hope if we have love in our hearts: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
Are Paul’s words enough? Is it enough to say all good things come from us who are called by God to do God’s work according to His purpose?
From St. Thomas Aquinas: “Three things are necessary for humanity’s salvation”:
to know what we ought to believe: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
to know what we ought to desire: to seek and serve Christ in all persons.
to know what we ought to do: strive for justice, peace and the dignity of every human being.
Isaiah 6:9; and 63:1b depicts the Lord “Who is this so splendidly robed, marching in his great might? It is I, announcing vindication, mighty to save.” Isaiah reminds us victory does eventually come after evil has been judged and justice restored. This is true for our world, our communities, and our hearts. The struggle continues. This is about our spiritual and moral health. This is about the moral and spiritual health all people. I believe now we are at a real and inescapable time. We are called to meet today’s challenges. We need courage and faith every day to do God’s work in the world, to fulfill God’s purpose. I believe it is God calls us now at this time to advocate for the human dignity of our migrant brothers and sisters. Are we listening? Are we seeing? Do we understand?
Yet we “Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.”
Jesus’ closest friends ask: “Who then is this?” I wonder about that question. Like the disciples in that boat perhaps I should also ask that about Jesus. “Who then is this?"
I am baptized into the Body of Christ. I have opportunity and desire to receive the faith as fully as I can. I read and study the scripture narratives of Jesus’ life.
I meditate and reflect on his life and message. I worship sacramentally with a community of believers. The creeds are my formal statements of belief. I have at my disposal centuries of theological reflection.
With all that, will I or we ever or be even capable to fully know Jesus here in this life? And through him, fully know God? Never fully it seems because we are only human. More to the point realistically for this life here and now, am I or we ever, day in and day out fully aware of the Holy Spirit residing within me?
The first letter, John tells us the way to know Jesus and through him know God. “Now by this we know that we have come to know him if we obey his commandments. By this we know that we are in him: whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk in the same way as he walked.
Frederick Buechner from a quote in the Cowley Magazine: “Jesus comes into the very midst of life at its most real and inescapable moments. He freely enters into the maelstrom of our lives, into our questions and our doubts.” We must walk in the same way Jesus walked. We become his hands, his feet.
In the letter to the Romans, Paul gives us hope if we have love in our hearts: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
Are Paul’s words enough? Is it enough to say all good things come from us who are called by God to do God’s work according to His purpose?
From St. Thomas Aquinas: “Three things are necessary for humanity’s salvation”:
to know what we ought to believe: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
to know what we ought to desire: to seek and serve Christ in all persons.
to know what we ought to do: strive for justice, peace and the dignity of every human being.
Isaiah 6:9; and 63:1b depicts the Lord “Who is this so splendidly robed, marching in his great might? It is I, announcing vindication, mighty to save.” Isaiah reminds us victory does eventually come after evil has been judged and justice restored. This is true for our world, our communities, and our hearts. The struggle continues. This is about our spiritual and moral health. This is about the moral and spiritual health all people. I believe now we are at a real and inescapable time. We are called to meet today’s challenges. We need courage and faith every day to do God’s work in the world, to fulfill God’s purpose. I believe it is God calls us now at this time to advocate for the human dignity of our migrant brothers and sisters. Are we listening? Are we seeing? Do we understand?
Yet we “Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.”
RSS Feed