Daily Retreat 06/05/08
2008 Jun 5 Thu: Boniface, bp, mt M
2 Tm 2: 8-15/ Ps 24(25): 4-5ab. 8-9. 10 and 14/ Mk 12: 28-34
From today’s readings: “If we have died with Him we shall also live with Him; if we persevere we shall also reign with Him; but if we deny Him He will deny us.... Teach me Your ways, O Lord..... To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.... ”
The Word of Truth without Deviation
Some parts of Paul’s letters are very basic: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my Gospel....” Clearly, Paul was always Christ-centered; true, at times he seems to go off on a tangent, but we can assume he was addressing or preempting misconceptions among the communities to which he wrote.
On the other hand, although he never tires of repeating the core message of the Gospel, he does not shy away from plumbing the depths of the philosophical and moral implications of Christian life, always succeeding in “imparting the word of truth without deviation,” as he urges Timothy to do as well.
Here then, is the lesson for you and me: our Christian discipleship must be centered on the person of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead! That is to say, Christianity means following Christ, so our faith is more than just a philosophical system or moral code. There’s an unfortunate tendency to reduce Christianity to a convenient vehicle for secular humanism, because of some overlapping values. But such an attitude is a betrayal of our faith, and selling it way short! On the other hand, another temptation to avoid is spiritualizing or compartmentalizing our faith, thereby divorcing it from “real world” application. Rather, awareness of the risen person of Jesus Christ (and His teachings) is meant to be reflected in our daily lives, thereby living the Word of Truth without deviation!
2 Tm 2: 8-15/ Ps 24(25): 4-5ab. 8-9. 10 and 14/ Mk 12: 28-34
From today’s readings: “If we have died with Him we shall also live with Him; if we persevere we shall also reign with Him; but if we deny Him He will deny us.... Teach me Your ways, O Lord..... To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.... ”
The Word of Truth without Deviation
Some parts of Paul’s letters are very basic: “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my Gospel....” Clearly, Paul was always Christ-centered; true, at times he seems to go off on a tangent, but we can assume he was addressing or preempting misconceptions among the communities to which he wrote.
On the other hand, although he never tires of repeating the core message of the Gospel, he does not shy away from plumbing the depths of the philosophical and moral implications of Christian life, always succeeding in “imparting the word of truth without deviation,” as he urges Timothy to do as well.
Here then, is the lesson for you and me: our Christian discipleship must be centered on the person of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead! That is to say, Christianity means following Christ, so our faith is more than just a philosophical system or moral code. There’s an unfortunate tendency to reduce Christianity to a convenient vehicle for secular humanism, because of some overlapping values. But such an attitude is a betrayal of our faith, and selling it way short! On the other hand, another temptation to avoid is spiritualizing or compartmentalizing our faith, thereby divorcing it from “real world” application. Rather, awareness of the risen person of Jesus Christ (and His teachings) is meant to be reflected in our daily lives, thereby living the Word of Truth without deviation!
posted by FrPitstick | 6/03/2008
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