Sunday, September 24, 2017

Dreaming Made Him Brave

Consider the story of Saint Joseph. He is about to get married to a young woman named Mary. Then came along the news, she is pregnant and he is not the father, add to that is the explanation that it was from the Holy Spirit.

How could it be believable other than if you are a man of God? He was probably confused, fearful and at the same time angry, a mix of emotions! Questions arise and he might have felt betrayed.

Imagine you are about to get married and then at the last minute you know she’s pregnant and the father is not you?  

But based on his decision, Joseph is different; it shows he is a discerning man and his heart aligned with God. Why? Only a man of God can comprehend in faith what is happening around him. If not, it would have been easy to decide the other way.

Upon learning it and not knowing what to do, he might have said, I will sleep this over… meaning, I will fully trust in Gods will. And because he is connected with God, he understood that it was the angel of the Lord who appeared to him in his dream, he listened and he obeyed. The dream made him brave enough to wake up and decide to take Mary with him.

Saint Joseph, pray for us. 

Saturday, September 2, 2017

O God, You Search Me

In one of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the conference of SFC last weekend, there was this communion song that I found beautiful. Written by Bernadette Farrell, here is the lyrics of “O God, You Search Me”:

O God, you search me and you know me.
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze.
When I walk or lie down, you are before me,
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.

You know my resting and my rising.
You discern my purpose from afar,
And with love everlasting you besiege me:
In ev'ry moment of life or death, you are.

Before a word is on my tongue, Lord,
you have known its meaning through and through.
You are with me beyond my understanding:
God of my present, my past and future too.

Although your Spirit is upon me,
Still I search for shelter from your light.
There is nowhere on earth I can escape you:
Even the darkness is radiant in your sight.

For you created me and shaped me,
Gave me life within my mother's womb.
For the wonder of who I am, I praise you:
Safe in your hands, all creation is made new.

O God, you search me and you know me.
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze.
When I walk or lie down, you are before me,
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.

What an affirming lyrics in a life were there is so much unknown. Put in our heart O Lord, trust and confidence in you, knowing that you know fully well. Amen.

by aats