Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)
Ezekiel 47: 1-12 Without deliberate choice on my part, I slip quite easily into the self-serve Pit of despair and self-imposed separation from God. With the blinders of self-indulgence on, I don’t see the hand of God reaching out to me with the words, “Behold the works of the Lord; see what awesome things he has brought on the earth.” When I behold the wonders of nature, of the beauty of individuals, or the rivers of healing and life flowing out from beneath the altar of God, I am drawn out of the confines of the Pit and into the wondrous kingdom of God. Christ Jesus, help me behold the works of the Lord with you. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) At [our apostolate] we paint these words onto all of our mirrors: “God’s Image,” so that when anybody looks in the mirror, they see that they are God’s image.” Catherine Doherty Soli gloriam dei .
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Psalm 30
Christ Jesus, restore me from the Pit to life. .. When we descend into the Pit of self-service, and ultimately despair, we have lots of company, but it becomes hard to leave. The more time we spend saying to God, “I’ll do it my way” or “I’ll serve myself, not others”, the more we sink into the depths of darkness and the mire of hopelessness in the ‘Pit’ (separation from God). The good news is, God longs to restore us to full health - which is wholeness, or holiness. Christ Jesus is only a hope away. Holy Spirit of God restore me from the Pit to life. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. (Psalm 31:5) Charity is that with which no one is lost, and without which no one is saved. St. Robert Bellarmine Soli gloriam dei Hosea 5:15b – 6:6
At times life seems pointless. Especially when we are unemployed, without family, or disabled by physique or illness, our culture tells us that we are more of a burden than a boon to society. But the ultimate point to life is that we know our Creator, Father God with heart, mind, soul and strength –inside, outside, through and through. No matter what [my] circumstance, this is a worthy purpose for life, one that gives direction to each year, each day, each moment. Holy Spirit, help me press on to know the Lord. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all his benefits; it is he who forgives all your sins. (Psalm 103:2) Charity is that with which no one is lost, and without which no one is saved. St. Robert Bellarmine Soli gloriam dei . Hosea 14:1-9 & Mark 12:28-34
Our identity as God’s child, as we are made in his very image, is scripted by the DNA of our bodies. Our allegiance to the ways of God proclaimed by Christ Jesus in his birth, ministry, death and resurrection, is scripted by our baptism. No wonder disloyalty to the Lord makes us stumble into all kinds of darkness, while loyalty to the Lord makes us flourish in the mercy and love of God. The question is, will I continue to stumble along on the paths of my own choosing, or am I willing to turn back to the Lord to be healed and restored to holy love? Holy Spirit of God, heal my disloyalty. In distress you called, and I rescued you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! (Psalm 81:7,8) Am I fascinated with the works of my hands, or with the story God is writing with my life? Soli gloriam dei . Deuteronomy 4: 1-9
God reminded the Israelites to “Give heed to the statutes and ordinances,” those principles of life that allowed the mercy of God to flow into each person, and then to be extended to others. The thought continues, “Neither forget the things that your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your mind.” Memories are very powerful. When the memory of a traumatic event is not healed, it can sabotage our thinking and lead us into bouts of rage, grief and anxiety. Similarly memories of all the mercies we have received at God’s hand – the beauties of the natural world, the kindness of another person, a sense of God’s caring presence at church – can guide us into abundant life. When I remember all the mercies of God (sometimes it is helpful to list these!) disordered affections become ordered, traumatic events take their place in the eternal regeneration of creation, and my domineering pride and prejudices give way to humility and understanding. Holy Spirit of God, help me remember your mercies. Let my steps be guided by your promise; may evil never rule me. (Psalm 119) Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits –who forgives your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s A Psalm of David, Psalm 103 Soli 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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