Manservant

‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ 
Lk.1:38

Mary's angelic visitation could have had her responding with flight, fight or submission. She chose the latter. 

I'm not sure how I would respond to an angelic vision. Mary's response reveals her extraordinary trust in God. Being a handmaid wasn't just a figure of speech. That is exactly how she saw herself.

Am I a manservant of the Lord? Do I perform close, personal duties for God? Not to the degree Mary did. 

The key words here are "close" and "personal". I need to get closer and more personal with Jesus. Put simply, just hang out with him like mates do. 

When I have this level of intimacy with Jesus, Mary's instruction to the Cana wedding marshall's servants can apply to me. "Do whatever he tells you". 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Love Shown By Mercy

 

A lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’
Lk.10:25

Where am I in the parable of the Good Samaritan? Great question. 

Interestingly, I'm drawn outside of the famous parable and seem to identify with the conniving lawyer. I'm struck by how Jesus drew out of the lawyer the right answer... twice. Firstly that eternal life is found in loving God and loving others and then it is mercy that shows the outworking of these two great loves.

The lawyer actually knew the right answers, he just needed Jesus to draw them out. That's me. I already know what is right and what is wrong. That has been placed in all of us by God. I need Jesus to draw "rightness" out of me. 

How does that happen? By doing what the lawyer did. Enter into conversation with Jesus. Even though the lawyer's motivation was corrupt, Jesus drew right answers out from him.

Jesus, you see gold in my miry clay. Draw out of me all that is good, beautiful and true. Let my love show itself in mercy.

Less of Me More of You

I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.
Lk.10:21

Any vainglory the triumphant seventy-two may have been tempted to embrace is deflated by Jesus. He calls them mere children.

I've come off leading a successful retreat and faced this same temptation. Haven't I done well. Well... no, I haven't. He has done well. I am just a child doing what I've been told.

Maybe a better response to watching "even devils submitting" is to say, 'I'm constantly amazed at how Jesus uses me.'

Jesus, less of me and more of you. My reward is that you know my name.

 

Less is More

Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 
Mt.18:3

In Jesus' eyes, lesser is greater.

If there is to be any striving in God's Kingdom it is the striving to be the lesser. I'm reminded of those always-funny comedy scenes where two people are arguing over who should go through the door first. "After you. No, after you. No, I insist, after you!" Then out of frustration they both lunge for the door, only to both get jammed there.

Striving to be the least is counter culture in a world that esteems the biggest, the best, the brightest and the beautiful. 

To be honest, humility doesn't come naturally to me. Yet, if I desire to follow Jesus, humility is my very first step. I'm encouraged to know that Saint Thérèse at first struggled with this. Then a point came where she surrendered her ego to Jesus and "littleness" became her boast. 

Jesus, help my less become more. Saint Thérèse, please pray for me.

Be Ready for Any Good Work

This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.
2Tm.3:17

How can I be fully equipped and ready? By profitably using sacred scripture.

One of the first fruits of my receiving baptism in the Holy Spirit was gaining a ravenous hunger for scripture. I became inspired by what was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

So, what does the Holy Spirit want me to be equipped and ready for today? Any good work.

Thank you Lord for the gift of Sacred Scripture. Let me not stray from your commands.

Angels of God

You will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.
Jn.1:51

Our world is more than what we see. There is a constant traffic of angels ascending and descending between heaven and earth. 

This feast day of the Archangels expands my view. I'm invited by the Church to lift my head and see beyond what is in front of me and to envision the presence of angels, those pure spiritual creatures created by God to serve as His servants, messengers, and protectors of humanity.

I find this reassuring. There is a host that is on God's side, protecting me and those I love. 

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in the day of battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
cast into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen. 

Fill Your Tank

In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Ps.89:14

Love in the morning gives joy through the day.

God's faithful, furious love is poured out morning by morning. This is the fuel that fills my tank, that sustains me through the day. I am reminded of my identity in God. A Beloved Son in whom God is well pleased, right where I am and not where I ought to be.

Thank you Father for your merciful love. Morning by morning new mercies I see.