Good News Reflection
Friday of the 28th Week of Ordinary Time
October 15, 2010
Today's Saint: Teresa of Avila
Pray to learn mystical prayer:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/TeresaAvila.htm
Today's Readings:
Eph 1:11-14
Ps 33:1-2,4-5,12-13
Luke 12:1-7
http://www.usccb.org/nab/101510.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_10_15.mp3
A prayer that reveals what is hidden
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus says, "There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed...." We can make a prayer out of this scripture for the people we know who are caught up in deceptions and other hidden dangers.
Here's an example of how this works. When our daughter was a college student, she planned to move into an apartment with an emotionally troubled gal who'd been her best friend in high school. Knowing that there's a huge difference between occasional sleepovers and living together, my husband and I were concerned about what would happen if she became exposed to this friend on a daily basis. Our daughter didn't think that her friend's problems were all that bad, so we prayed that Jesus would reveal whatever was concealed. We asked him to shed the light of truth on the situation so that she could see the warning signs before it was too late.
Soon after, the truth came out. Our daughter discovered that her friend had been lying to her for a long time. Then other disturbing facts began to surface that made her dislike the idea of living with this friend.
Sometimes this prayer reveals the truth almost immediately, or it can take many months if the person who needs to see the truth prefers to stay in the illusions of falsehood. But always what is hidden in darkness does become visible.
Jesus also says in this scripture: "Don't be afraid of anything except that which can send you to Gehenna [hell]." (Gehenna was a valley just outside Jerusalem wherehuman sacrifices were made and garbage was burned; its horror and stench inspired the description of hell that we still use today.)
Jesus adds that we have nothing to fear, because God cares about us. He cares much more about you and me than he cares for the sparrows that he feeds. He cares so much that he knows how many hairs we have – and he cares about each strand, even the grey ones and the falling-out ones!
In caring so much about us, God wants us to know the truth. If we don't understand a Church law or teaching, we can ask the Holy Spirit to explain it to us, and of course he will. If we can't understand why something painful is happening to us, we can ask the Holy Spirit about it, and we'll gain new wisdom when we quiet ourselves. If we're uncertain about the value of a particular relationship, or if we're wondering if there are any hidden dangers, when we ask Christ to shed his light on it, he will do it.
Even so, if we don't want to know the truth, we won't see it. Jesus told us to be on guard against such hypocrisy. Trust God! He will never neglect your need for the truth.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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Pray to God for his grace to reveal himself to you, he is dwelling inside you. Ask his grace for you to realise the truth. Other prayers are as good as asking stones instead of bread!
ReplyDeleteJohn P K