How Visible Is The Path

Daily Reflection – 2/18/2020

Sacred Scripture

They had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. He enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, “Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?” They answered him, “Twelve.” When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?” They answered [him], “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8: 14-21)

Reflection

Jesus came to show the world a new way. The disciples were clutching their old beliefs to retain a false sense of control and righteousness.

Jesus, realizing that the disciples were not getting His message of watching out for the leaven of other authorities, had to go back to the basics because they were worried about food.

He had to remind them that they need not worry about food, look who they were with, the person who feeds thousands out of a few loafs of bread. He had to remind them to count their blessings and to trust in God before they could begin to hear and understand the other important messages, He had for them

Aren’t we like the disciples? How often do we focus on a perceived lack when what we’re asked to see is God’s love for us and the whole world – compassion that knows no bounds? It’s more than enough for every soul on the planet, today and for all eternity.

Because of our fixation with the immediate and the material, we don’t focus on the real goal – our eternal union with Him. The part that we often forget is that there is a clear path for that eternal union. It lies in our willingness to give ourselves to Him. The journey of truly following Him is the gift of self, of abandonment, of service, of availability, of acceptance of conflict, knowing that there will be resurrection. The cross is not an accident on the way, but forms part of this road. In a world organized around egoism, love and service can exist only crucified! Anyone who makes his life a service to others, disturbs and bothers those who live attached to privileges, and therefore suffers. 

Saint James reminds us that, “all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (Jas 1:17).  Everything that we have in life and all that we are is not because of us, it is because of God. If we truly believe that then each of us should willingly turn the focus of our life to Him and ask simply that He use our life for His glory.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, you alone can sustain me with your life-giving Word and Spirit.  Give me joy and strength to serve you always and help me to turn away from the leaven of sin and worldliness which brings corruption and death.”

Daily Note

Our Christian faith is based on a love-relationship with God. From this love, our actions and our rituals flow. From this love flows our non-judgmental attitude to others. Into this love happiness enters from God and flows from us to others.