Today's readings: March 15, 2009
Reading One:
Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 ;
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:22-25 ;
Gospel: Jn 2:13-25 ; go to this page (for all three sections listed above on one page) And here's an audio file; & reflections (video)
I found an old book with reflections for Lent on the shelf today and picked it up for some reason after it sat on the shelf for 6 years unopened,since Lent 2003. Why, I have no idea. And I found the day that corresponded to today's readings that offered some thoughts from a priest named Father Richard Veras. He shared that for many people, Jesus is the nicest, sweetest, and kindest person we could ever imagine - and how we can begin to follow a figment of our imagination regarding who Jesus is and what he is about. We become like a little kid who dreams about finding Mr/Mrs Right and how our dreams are limited by our imagination, as opposed to what is actually the truth. The Jesus of our imagination can be malleable, and we can fall into the trap of manipulating this dreamy Jesus to rationalize every sin and leave unchallenged every attitude and behavior.
In today's reading, Jesus refuses to stay in the box of our imagined world. He breaks out of our imagined world and shows himself to be very real, and honestly it is kind of scary too. His disciples are also very confused.
But Jesus does not trust Himself to men because He understands our human nature all too well. He knows how we manipulate the truth and explain away things or situations that make us uneasy. So, what are supposed to do?
He asks us to trust not in ourselves or the imagined Jesus, the one we can put into a box with our limits - but to the Jesus that is beyond our understanding. The Jesus that is very real. The Jesus He really is. Our minds can actually make Him something less than He is if we fall into this trap. His Love is very much like a fire that can refine and purify but that will not be an easy or pleasant process a lot of the time. I spoke with a friend yesterday who told me she once prayed over and over again for patience. And in the course of the next year - so many difficult things happened where she learned to be patient because she had no choice. I laughed because I remembered similar experiences relating to prayer. And I said - you know what is funny, it didn't, in my own experience, have to be so hard, but my stubborn nature made it so. I actually did have a choice, I just needed to trust in Him, and not my imagined Jesus.
There's a good book on this subject that is called Your God is Too Small. Check it out for the first time or read it again if you find yourself in spot where your faith is dry or that you find yourself getting little out of your relationship with God. Have a great day of rest, and please pray for those you know that could use a prayer, including yourself. We all need prayers for ourselves and each other. And please, if you can - say a prayer for me.
