Daily Retreat 05/18/09
2009 May 18 Mon:Easter Weekday/ John I, pp, mt
Acts 16:11-15/ Ps 149:1b-2. 3-4. 5-6a and 9b/ Jn 15:26 -- 16:4a
From today’s readings: “...the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.... The Lord takes delight in His people.... I have told you this so that you may not be scandalized.”
An Open Heart to Pay Attention
Our modern pace of life and the storm of stimuli that goes with it continues to erode our ability to focus our attention on anything for very long. We expect our environment to resemble the internet - if what we’re looking for doesn’t grab our attention right away, we simply turn our gaze in another direction, just as we do when scanning a webpage: if we don’t find the right info in the first screen, we certainly don’t bother to check out the site any further; rather, with just a click, we jump to a new lead, following any one of the myriads of links at our disposal.
I suspect that’s part of the reason why God sent His Son 2000 years ago - in spite of all the adversities of ancient life, in His Providence, God saw those times as more receptive for the initial sowing of His seed. Since God made the people of this generation just as He made those of past generations, His Gospel will necessarily resonate with human hearts just as much today as in the past. However, aspects of our modern lifestyle impede the Gospel from reaching the heart at all! Christian faith provides the answer to man’s search for meaning, it supplies inspiration for every moment of life, it offers comfort in every trial, and it furnishes hope to overcome all despair. However, hearts hardened with modern marketing distractions aren’t often open enough to embrace such ultimates - rather, most people content themselves with a mix and fix of philosophical junk food and emotional narcotics which are temptingly designed for nothing but a fleeting “feel good” sensation. Christianity insists that there’s more to life than a series of stimulations!
In Paul’s day, the Lord opened the heart of Lydia and others who listened and paid attention when the Gospel was proclaimed in their midst. In our day too, whoever places his heart in the Lord’s hands will allow Him to open it to the ultimate embrace of the fullness of His Truth!
Acts 16:11-15/ Ps 149:1b-2. 3-4. 5-6a and 9b/ Jn 15:26 -- 16:4a
From today’s readings: “...the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.... The Lord takes delight in His people.... I have told you this so that you may not be scandalized.”
An Open Heart to Pay Attention
Our modern pace of life and the storm of stimuli that goes with it continues to erode our ability to focus our attention on anything for very long. We expect our environment to resemble the internet - if what we’re looking for doesn’t grab our attention right away, we simply turn our gaze in another direction, just as we do when scanning a webpage: if we don’t find the right info in the first screen, we certainly don’t bother to check out the site any further; rather, with just a click, we jump to a new lead, following any one of the myriads of links at our disposal.
I suspect that’s part of the reason why God sent His Son 2000 years ago - in spite of all the adversities of ancient life, in His Providence, God saw those times as more receptive for the initial sowing of His seed. Since God made the people of this generation just as He made those of past generations, His Gospel will necessarily resonate with human hearts just as much today as in the past. However, aspects of our modern lifestyle impede the Gospel from reaching the heart at all! Christian faith provides the answer to man’s search for meaning, it supplies inspiration for every moment of life, it offers comfort in every trial, and it furnishes hope to overcome all despair. However, hearts hardened with modern marketing distractions aren’t often open enough to embrace such ultimates - rather, most people content themselves with a mix and fix of philosophical junk food and emotional narcotics which are temptingly designed for nothing but a fleeting “feel good” sensation. Christianity insists that there’s more to life than a series of stimulations!
In Paul’s day, the Lord opened the heart of Lydia and others who listened and paid attention when the Gospel was proclaimed in their midst. In our day too, whoever places his heart in the Lord’s hands will allow Him to open it to the ultimate embrace of the fullness of His Truth!
posted by FrPitstick | 5/16/2009
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