Daily Reflection – 8/15/2023
Sacred Scripture
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14)
Reflection
Have you ever noticed that children just seem to get it? They don’t follow a circuitous process of logic and elimination. When it comes to God. they seem to understand that God dwells in their hearts. Of course, if you asked them how they know this they may look at you with a confused look and not know how to respond. But, nonetheless, somehow, they do understand that God dwells within them.
So what would you say if someone asked you, “How do you know that God comes and makes His dwelling within you?” Perhaps you also may be at a loss for words to describe this incredible mystery of our faith. Do you believe this to be true? That God wants to make your heart and soul His dwelling place? If so, how does this happen?
By the gift of faith! We, like little children, just know that God wants to dwell within us. We know that He wants to possess our souls, speak to us, strengthen us, lead us and guide us. We know, by the gift of faith, that God is real and desires the deepest and most intimate relationship with us. We just know.The good news is that it is the same faith that leads to understanding. This means that the more we are attentive to the voice of God speaking within us, leading and guiding us, the more we begin to understand His indwelling presence. As St. Augustine said, “Faith is to believe what you do not see. The reward of faith is to see what you believe.”
That is why it is so very important to spend time each day alone with God. In the stillness of our time, simply relax, take a few deep breaths and ask him to come to us. For me, when I have quieted myself, it is peaceful for me to repeat over and over again: “Come Lord Jesus. Come.”
Faith in God’s indwelling presence leads us to hear and accept the gift of fidelity to God. We are expected to share that faith. We can share our faith with others, give witness to His presence in our lives, and give those around us the answer to that question through faith.
If the word is everywhere, it belongs to everyone. By its nature it must be shared, or it dies.
Just as the Father’s word, as Jesus said, “is not mine” but is “to instruct you in everything,” so the word we receive in our hearts must continuously flow through us to inspire new life in others. For more than 40 years, the adage of my life is “ To Love Him Is To Live Him.”Imagine if we all did that. We modeled our life by following his life. Each moment that we do, we can feel His presence grow within. We become a person of faith. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Prayer of The Day
Lord, come live in my heart. Make my heart Your dwelling place. Help me to see You there, to meet You there, to converse with You and to love You in my soul.
Daily Note
Reflect, today, upon the Lord living within you. Let Him speak to you and, in that ever-deepening conversation, allow His Indwelling Presence to grow and to become manifest to others. God wants to not only dwell within you, He also wants to shine through you.
