Greetings, Sisters, Brothers, and Friends!
I pray this note finds you all well and at peace.
There were two strong themes that wove their way through the lectionary series for today (June 8th - Hosea 5:15-6:6 Psalm 50:7-15 Romans 4:13-18 and Matthew 9:9-13). Both themes are great reminders for us about the nature of Our Father. One theme is that He is ever-present. Hosea tells us that His appearance is as sure as the dawn; Psalms exclaims that He is near enough to respond to our call for help; and Matthew demonstrates His strong desire to be with those in need as manifested in the actions of Christ as he mingled with “tax collectors and sinners.”. He is near, and He is for you.
The other theme stresses what He is looking for from us. It certainly isn’t material or animal sacrifices, since, as He says in Psalms, “I already own everything physical – what can you give me of that?”
What He is looking for from us is what He can’t force on us – acts of love, acts of mercy, acts of thanksgiving, acts of faith. “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice; the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Gee, and I was all ready for Him after my last Bar-B-Que attempt on Saturday.)
We can respond to His desires through our prayer, study and service. This is what He is looking for, and this is why what we do is so important.
We can’t give Him things of the earth as they are already His, but we can give Him the things of our heart.
Moment by moment, keep alert for ways to offer Him your love, your thanksgiving, your faith, and your mercy.
Bless you for the work that you do!
Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG
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