Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)
Hebrews 6:10-20 & Ephesians 1: 15-22
Hope transforms our lives from sheer survival to thorough thriving. God calls us to hope, not to ‘pie in the sky’ and some figments of imagination, but through the death and resurrection of Jesus, his Son, he calls us to hope in all that has been and that will be through his creation and redemption of our lives. When I choose to take time to comprehend how great is the hope to which we are called, I begin to breathe in the love and faithfulness of God, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Holy Spirit, help me to comprehend how great is the hope to which we are called. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain. (Hebrews 6:19) Soli ad gloriam dei
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Mark 1:29-39
It is the fevered places –my mind churning with indecision or resentment, my soul tossed on waves of grief, my body fighting a viral or cancerous invader –that cause me the most difficulty in life. But just as Jesus attended Peter’s mother in law, touched her and the fever left her, so can he heal the “fevers” of my being. When I notice the fevered places in me, I toocan invite Christ ‘under my roof’, visit with him, and ask him to attend to the fever that is making me sick in spirit. Then when he heals me, like Peter’s saki I can get up and serve him and others with him. Christ Jesus, touch the fevered place(s) in my being and heal them. Jesus cured many who were sick with various diseases. (Mark1) Soli ad gloriam dei Mark 1:29-39
There are many deceits that pose as truths in life. ‘It doesn’t matter’; ‘I can’t do anything about it’; ‘Just this once won’t hurt’; 'I need this for myself'; and etc. Usually these deceits are the thin edges of the many wedges that would come between [me] and God’s truth and love. Do I respect or resist the nudges away from the deceits of sin, created by the Holy Spirit as I walk through the minutes of my days? Holy Spirit, guide me away from the deceits of sin. If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.(Psalm 95) Soli ad gloriam dei Mark 1:40 – 45
Holy Spirit, guide me away from the deceits of sin . .. There are many deceits that pose as truths in life. ‘It doesn’t matter’; ‘I can’t do anything about it’; ‘Just this once won’t hurt’; ‘ I need this for myself’; and etc. Usually these deceits are the thin edges of the many wedges that would come between [me] and God’s truth and love. The leper healed by Jesus, rather than listening to Jesus’ words of caution and going to show himself to the authorities as the Lord commanded, chose to do what he thought best, and gave in to the small deceitful urge to tell the world about his healing. The result of this small disobedience was huge –Jesus could no longer go into a town openly. Do I respect or resist the nudges created by the Holy Spirit that would take me away from the deceits of sin, as I walk through the minutes of my days? Holy Spirit, guide me away from the deceits of sin. If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.(Psalm 95) Soli ad gloriam dei Mark 1:21-28
As followers of Jesus, we are called to heal . How can I heal the sickness and disease of heart, mind, soul and body so prevalent around me? Jesus’ example in the Gospel today shows us his way of healing. Christ didn’t engage the ‘unclean spirit’ manifesting itself in the man with mental health issues in the synagogue in Capernaum. Rather, he lived into his holy identity and calling to love God and love others, under-girded by a life of prayer and self-discipline; perceived the man to be a beloved human being; and ‘rebuked’ the sickness. What does this teach me about Jesus’ understanding of healing? Christ Jesus, teach me your ways of healing. With you, O Lord, is the fountain of life, and in your light we see light. (Ps 35) Soli ad gloriam dei |
AuthorBeverly Illauq lives in Kemptville, Ontario, where she greets each morning by seeking the Gospel Mystery of the Day - the Word of the Lord for direct and practical application to the specific challenges & joys of the day. Archives
March 2024
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