Tag: <span>Promise</span>

April 21, 2021April 1, 2021

A Duality

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

From the beginning, the story of the Christian Church has been an interplay between the operation of the Holy Spirit for the transformation of the souls of believers, and persecution in various forms from those who do not want to center their lives on Christ.

In today’s first reading, that full duality plays out: A severe persecution of the Church breaks out in Jerusalem; as the disciples scatter throughout the countryside, rather than hunkering down and slowly disappearing, they bring many more to believe in Christ.

In our Christian effort to create in the world a just society in line with the principles of the Gospel, we often can become so idealistic that we forget that this duality of conversion and persecution is willed by God; it is His plan for history. We should not shy away from the persecution side of the equation, because the other side of that coin is the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit in bringing souls to Himself, as He has for all ages of the Church.

Jesus did not come with the objective of winning every single heart on earth to Himself, but rather those who would freely accept Him.

But in today’s gospel, He makes a beautiful pledge to those who do accept Him:

And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you accept Him with your whole heart, unconditionally, and ask Him to work through you the transformation in souls that He worked through the apostles, in the midst of glorious conversions and of persecutions.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

April 6, 2021March 18, 2021

Are We There Yet?

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

The Resurrection of Jesus is beautifully mysterious. In its monumental power, it holds an air of great expectancy: There is an “already” aspect to it, and a “not yet” aspect.

The “already” aspect can be seen empirically in today’s gospel; Jesus has clearly “already” risen. And yet, the “not yet” aspect is there too. “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” It’s as though Jesus’ earthly resurrected embodiment is just a way station on the path to the definitive glory He will enter, and which we will one day enjoy with Him.

We see this dichotomy likewise in the first reading. The power of the resurrected Christ is “already” present, leading to the conversion and baptism of three thousand persons in a day. And yet, what the apostles are “selling,” so to speak, is described as a “promise,” not as a “fulfillment” in the here and now.

Because of the “not yet” element, the Resurrection, perhaps like few other mysteries, provides us with the opportunity of a glorious faith and hope. Even though there will be no joy like definitive possession of God, there is also a special pleasure in the anticipation we can enjoy as we await the full revelation of the Resurrection in which we believe.

Heightening this anticipation is another mystery that we see in today’s gospel: Mary at first does not recognize Jesus, just like the two disciples on their way to Emmaus in another passage. Jesus is Jesus, He is real, He can eat and be touched…but there is something gloriously different about Him, which the Gospel does not fully describe to us.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to fill your heart with the joy of hope, even though you do not yet experience the full joy of eternal revelation.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

February 21, 2021February 5, 2021

More than a Pinky Promise

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

“This is the time of fulfillment,” says Jesus. The fulfillment of what? A promise? What promise?

Today’s second reading can be seen as a sort of axis around which the first reading and gospel revolve. In it St. Peter reveals profound symbolism: The ark of Noah prefigures baptism.

Both involve salvation by water, he says. In the time of Noah, water cleansed the earth of sin. It was also destructive, however.

We cannot expect the impact of baptism to be any different as it cleanses, not the earth, but our souls. What does the spiritual “water”–sanctifying grace–destroy? If we allow that grace to act and facilitate it through prayer and regular reception of the other sacraments, it destroys our old selves, those carried along by the comfortable inertia current of our sinful tendencies. It destroys selfishness which, though evil, is sweet and cherished.

But the result is a profound, radical cleansing; the result is a new person, alike to a person bathing in clear, clean water after wallowing in a swamp.

God seals His promise never to flood the earth again with the sign of the rainbow. He will never have to wipe out humanity again. His Son comes to fulfill the post-flood promise by instituting a sacrament of water that does not need to wipe away the human person in order to wipe away sin.

This is the fulfillment Jesus came to bring. And Lent is the special time to take full advantage of the waters that poured over us at baptism by taking frequent and rich advantage of the cleansing sacraments, especially Penance, and practicing self-denial to uproot the deeper sources of sin in our lives.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Think of the day you were baptized as a small, helpless infant (or perhaps later, as a child or adult). Imagine the water pouring gently over you in the simplest of ceremonies. Consider the profound effect this sacrament has had in your life, by introducing you into friendship with Christ. Give thanks to God for this unmerited gift, and for those (for example, your parents) who had the insight and generosity to help ensure that you received it.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams

January 19, 2021January 12, 2021

The Pledge

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Life is overwhelming; if we take its responsibilities seriously, it is more than we can handle. But while remaining diligent, we need to take our responsibilities in stride. Because Jesus has pledged to take care of us, and this extends to our responsibilities as well.

Today’s first reading from the letter to the Hebrews points out what perhaps should be obvious: That God is always faithful to His oaths. He fulfills what He promises to do. He swore on Himself to provide descendants as numerous as the stars for Abraham, despite the apparent impossibility. Even though it didn’t seem to make sense, Abraham believed God, and patiently waited for the promise of the birth of his heir to be fulfilled.

But then, what has God promised to us? In the Gospel, Jesus promises us the care of the Father when He talks about how much more valuable to the Father we are than the exquisitely-attired lilies of the field, how we are much more valuable than many sparrows, how every hair on our heads is counted (cf. Mt. 6:25-34)… And He sealed this oath with His own blood.

So, God has promised, with the same solemnity of His promise to Abraham, to look after our every need. Sometimes we look at the world around us, at the apparently random tragedies and misfortunes that befall people, and we become scared. Perhaps we doubt God’s Providence, or perhaps we allow ourselves to think that God does not take care of some people because they have not earned His care with a good life.

This is a cruel lie. We do not earn His care. Rather, He wants to give it as a free gift; we either allow Him, or we do not. Many do not; they shut Him out of their lives. Now, the act of allowing Him to care for us is our obedient “yes” to Him. And, that is a “yes” given to Him in both our prayer and our life. But in the end, we earn nothing.

If we place our relationship with God as our top priority, the providential gift of His care will exceed all our desires and expectations–we can rely on it. It is not that difficulties, misfortunes, even tragedies will not befall us. Rather, these will come from the providential story He has written for our lives, fitting right in as key elements for bringing us to fuller happiness in Him.

As today’s psalm says, “The Lord will remember His covenant forever.”

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Talk to God about the ways you have not completely relied on His Providence in the midst of life’s ups and downs, but have been carried away by the fear of the moment. Ask Him to give you the only thing He asks from you: Trust, complete trust in His Providence.

Follow the Author on Twitter:
Follow @mvhaywilliams