Daily Reflection – 2/14/2023
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.” And they discussed it with one another saying, “We have 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? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take 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. He had to remind them of whom they were with — the person who fed 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.
He upbraided them for their lack of trust in God.
But truth is that we are all a bit like the apostles. We too easily get preoccupied with the problems, needs and worries of the present moment. We forget the most important reality of all – God’s abiding presence with us, every single step of the way. Just as He was with the people of Israel when they wandered homeless and helpless for 40 years.
Because of our fixation with the immediate and the material, we don’t focus on the real goal – our relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants to enjoy our victories but, even more keenly, He wants us to know that He is at our side every step of our earthly journey.
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. We can never believe that any cross given to us is too heavy to bear. When it feels the heaviest, he lifts it for us. But how do we get to that belief? Easily.
By turning all of our life over to Him. By giving Him all whom we love to protect. By trusting that when we give all of us to God, He will be there. Every single moment.
As Christians, we know that 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! Why is that? Anyone who makes her/his life a service to others, disturbs and bothers those who live attached to privileges and they do not understand the benefits of that love.
How do I turn that belief into daily life. One of my simple conversations with God occurs morning and evening. It’s this “I turn it over to you.” That is combined with another simple conversation “I trust in Jesus Christ.”
In moments of despair or sadness, those two prayers become a mantra and I repeat them constantly. They never fail. I begin to feel more relaxed. I begin to notice that I really do believe He is with me and reminding me quietly that He will work it out.
The apostle James reminds us that, “all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 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 must willingly turn the focus of our life over to Him and ask simply that He use our life for His glory. We do that by acknowledging and believing that in both our head and heart.
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.
