To Live In Faith Leads Us To Him

Daily Reflection – 2/5/2024

Keepers Of The Tabernacle

Faith Series

Sacred Scripture

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed. (Mark 6:53-56)

Reflection

I can’t help but wonder how would we react if Jesus appeared to us today? Would we seek Him out and ask Him to heal us? What is the healing that we would ask for? Or would we be skeptical and watch Jesus from a safe distance? What is it that might keep us from approaching Jesus and asking Him for what we desire: fear, a sense of unworthiness, skepticism or shyness? For answers, perhaps we need to revisit the scene from today’s Gospel.

The response to Jesus and his power to heal had grown exponentially. After having attempted to escape the crowd for prayer, rest, and renewal, Jesus once again is recognized “and people rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.”

There were two predominant emotions at play here. Hope and Faith. One or both are present in most people’s lives. And there is a bridge between the two. One that can allow us to grow in faith.

We begin with hope. It is that seminal seed in people that propels them to move forward. In some, it can move them to discoveries, to inventions, to words and actions which change others’ lives positively. We all experience it.. We “hope” for material things. We “hope” our children will have a good life. We “hope” to find the right person to be a partner in our life or for our children when they are grown. It conjures up warm feelings for us, sets goals for us and gives us motivation  to go on.

It is hope which prepares the mind for faith. Our desire to see things as they could be, our desire to live a life which serve a model for our children, our refusing to give into negativity and instead see things more positively. Those are the signs of hope which can lead us to faith.

Faith. Much has been written, preached and discussed about it. We believe that Faith is a gift to us by God through the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who moves the heart and converts it to God. It is the Holy Spirit that opens the eyes of the mind and helps us to understand, accept, and believe God’s word.

 For the vast majority of us, faith does not arrive like a clasp of thunder. Instead, it grows as we listen to more about God. And it grows as we begin to see more evidence of Gid in other people’s lives. We need to live Christ’s teachings as we endure all the twists and turns of life. Even though it is not clear how the news of our lives will play out, we need to live as people who love our families and friends, who treat others with respect, and who care for the poor. As we commit ourselves to live lives of integrity and wisdom, we trust in a God who will not forget us. When the disciples saw Christ’s transfiguration, they witnessed something they had never seen before. They saw something on an entirely new level, and so should we.

Despite the dark clouds around our world, we know that Jesus is in our midst today and every day! We may not “see” Him as the people in His day did. However, if we have “eyes of faith,” we will see and experience Jesus. And He will gift us with the grace we need for this day. We just need to have open eyes and believing hearts! We also need to be on the lookout for Jesus. We need to expect Him to come to us. True, we do not know the day nor the hour nor the manner in which he will appear. However, if we are “awake” we will experience Jesus in some way today! The more we experience him, the stronger our faith grows.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, let my heart sing for joy in your presence.  Give me eyes of faith to recognize your presence and fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may walk in your way of love and peace.”

Daily Note

Pray to the Father with confidence that he will show you his will and give you what you need to follow him.  Ask the Lord to increase your faith and gratitude for his merciful love and provision for your life.