Reading 1
Eph 1:11-14
Brothers and sisters:
In Christ we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance
toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.
Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13
Responsorial PsalmR. (12)
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten‑stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Gospel
Lk 12:1-7
At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
Meditation: Ephesians 1:11-14
“… so that we might exist for the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:12)
If you had to define God’s glory, how would you do it? It’s a difficult concept to put into words, but we know it when we see it. Any time God is manifested—in the beauty of creation, in a miraculous healing, in the Eucharist—we see his glory. In fact, God cannot be separated from his glory, just as he cannot be separated from his love, his justice, or his mercy. It’s simply who he is.
In today’s first reading, St. Paul tells us that God sent Jesus into the world to redeem us so that we might live for “the praise of his glory.” As comforting as this statement it, it also issues us a challenge: How can we live, here and now, in a way that manifests and gives praise to the glory of the Lord?
Simply by letting God’s glory shine through us. Remember: We are all temples of the Holy Spirit, and that means that God himself lives in us. And wherever God is, so is his glory. This means that we manifest God’s glory in every relationship that reflects his own sacrificial love. It means that we show his glory whenever we pray with expectant faith or when we readily ask for forgiveness and forgive someone who has sinned against us.
Obviously, we give glory to God when we raise our voices in worship. But it also happens when we trust him through a difficult situation, when we share our faith, when we celebrate the sacraments, and when we give up our time to help someone. In all these ways, we are letting God’s glory shine through us.
What God has done for us by redeeming us is a pure gift. There’s nothing we have done or could do to merit such favor. But we can respond to this great gift by making our lives into a hymn of praise to the Lord. We can manifest his glory by keeping him at the center of our hearts, seeking to please him in all that we say and do.
“Father, your love overwhelms me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that each moment of each day, I live for the praise of your glory.”
No comments:
Post a Comment