Daily Retreat 12/14/06
2006 Dec 14 Thu:John of the Cross, p, dr M
Is 41:13-20; Ps 144(145):1 and 9,10-11,12-13ab; Mt 11:11-15
From today’s readings: “Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.... The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.... From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force....”
Worms and Maggots
Children are taught not to insult others by calling names, and it’s generally a sign of immaturity when adults stoop to that level. So it comes as a bit of a shock to pious ears when God Himself inspires prophets to say such things as “Fear not, O worm Jacob!”
Since it comes from God, we can rule out such divine designations as mere immature slurs. And the context confirms this: God is not intending to degrade the people of Jacob and Israel, but He is making a point about their helplessness and His own omnipotence.
It’s hard sometimes to settle on a healthy harmony between our dignity yet utter dependency as children of God. It’s wrong to think of ourselves as worthless worms - if that were truly the case, that would call into question God’s job of creation and commitment to redeem and sanctify us. Yet the other extreme is the more common temptation: to overestimate our own merits and abilities at the expense of giving proper credit to God’s grace. Instead of worrying about whether our self-esteem is too low or too high, the better approach is to seek to grasp how God esteems us!
Is 41:13-20; Ps 144(145):1 and 9,10-11,12-13ab; Mt 11:11-15
From today’s readings: “Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.... The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.... From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force....”
Worms and Maggots
Children are taught not to insult others by calling names, and it’s generally a sign of immaturity when adults stoop to that level. So it comes as a bit of a shock to pious ears when God Himself inspires prophets to say such things as “Fear not, O worm Jacob!”
Since it comes from God, we can rule out such divine designations as mere immature slurs. And the context confirms this: God is not intending to degrade the people of Jacob and Israel, but He is making a point about their helplessness and His own omnipotence.
It’s hard sometimes to settle on a healthy harmony between our dignity yet utter dependency as children of God. It’s wrong to think of ourselves as worthless worms - if that were truly the case, that would call into question God’s job of creation and commitment to redeem and sanctify us. Yet the other extreme is the more common temptation: to overestimate our own merits and abilities at the expense of giving proper credit to God’s grace. Instead of worrying about whether our self-esteem is too low or too high, the better approach is to seek to grasp how God esteems us!
posted by FrPitstick | 12/13/2006
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