Good News Reflection
Friday of the 2nd week of Advent
December 10, 2010
Available as a Good News Ministries Podcast:
http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts
Today's Readings:
Isaiah 48:17-19
Ps 1:1-4, 6
Matthew 11:16-19
http://www.usccb.org/nab/121010.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_12_10.mp3
Peace is found in the wisdom of our beliefs
The point Jesus makes in today’s Gospel reading is summed up in the line: "But wisdom is vindicated by her works."
There will always be people who dislike us or reject our wisdom because they misunderstand the faith that we have. However, if they were to pay attention and observe us astutely, they'd see proof that we are wise to have this faith. The proof is in the good works that we do. It's in our Christ-like behaviors. It's in our sometimes supernatural ability to feel peaceful in the midst of difficulties.
Our good deeds and our loving actions reveal God's presence within us, and these are the only justifications that we need. For, without our loving Father dwelling within us, without Christ redeeming us, and without the Holy Spirit empowering us, we would be self-centered snobs who cause more chaos and confusion than children scrambling around the marketplace shouting jibes at each other about flutes and dirges. (I know that's how I'd be if God were not the source and center of my life.) We would be just as easily misled by the facts in front of us as the people who thought that John the Baptist was demonized and that Jesus was a party pig.
John 8:12, which is our response in today's psalm, explains why we have wisdom instead of confusion: "Those who follow you, Lord, have the light of life." When we're immersed in the light of Christ, we have the ability to see how foolish it is to follow the counsel of the wicked, as today's responsorial psalm describes.
When we're immersed in the light of Christ, we have his life growing in our lives, and thus we are like a tree planted near an endless source of nourishment. We thrive, our works produce wonderful fruits, and during trials we do not wither up and shrivel into chaff that gets easily blown away by the hardships, but we feel peace instead of anxiety. We are strengthened into good trees that endure the storms as we persevere in the life of Christ.
Such faith is the best proof in the world that God is real and that Jesus is truly our Savior.
The next time you're misunderstood and you feel tempted to defend your faith and explain your motives, zip your mouth shut and let your Godly works speak for themselves. This isn't easy, though, because we want instant vindication. We need to remind ourselves that God defends us far better than we could, and he does it by doing his works through us, which is often the only language that disbelievers understand.
Some people will eventually be converted by this. Others will remain blind to the truthdue to their stubborn resistance, but regardless of what happens to those who observe our Christianity, our faith will grow. The more we try to prove our faith by how we live our faith, the purer our faith becomes.
God's vindication might take a long time before it bears fruit that we can enjoy, but in the meantime, we're growing stronger in our ability to remain in the peace of Christ. And that is another reason to praise God and rejoice.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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