http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022413.cfm
I have to admit, these readings don't speak to me as much as the readings that built up to the end of this week. As we worked through the week we were reminded to accept and embrace God's presence in our life, then we were challenged to take that presence and becomes leaders of the church. Shepherd our flock through the grace and guidance of God's love. We end this week with a compilation of stories that foreshadow Jesus' true meaning here on earth and the new laws he plans to set fourth. Saturday's gospel is the gospel of the new covenant: Love thy neighbor as thyself, today's gospel reinforces the authority of that covenant through God's revelation to Peter and James that Jesus is indeed God's own son.
Both the Gospel and the readings have these images of darkness contrasted with light. The first reading states: "As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him." The Gospel states: "a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud." Both the darkness and the cloud bring terror to the people in the stories. God reaches out through the darkness and touches the hearts of the people to bring back the calm. What is the darkness that covers your life and prevents you from experiencing and feeling God's mercy and love? What distractions to we need to remove to be more connected to God's grace and love? I think these are two questions we will continue to wrestle with the rest of the Lenten season.
Have a good Sunday!
All my love
Laura
Greetings Laura! Thank you for your constancy! We had a busy church day yesterday from sun-up to sun-down and didn't even get to read the readings. We'll post Monday's readings tonight before we go to bed.
ReplyDeleteWhat I got out of these readings is how God/Jesus appeared to Abraham and Peter, James and John as something really flashy -- a flaming torch, an apparition and a big cloud. We know many other stories of apparitions to very good and holy people. I have yet to see an apparition of this scale. Yet when I am in touch with the Christ in me, I see evidence of him all around me. I see it in the people as they process forward to receive the body of Christ. I saw it yesterday in a lonely elderly woman who happens to be a patient and was at the same Ministry formation program which we attended yesterday. At break sessions it seemed she was constantly by my side and that was OK. We had a wonderful turn out at our Weekend Renewal last night and Cobbs house was filled with stories of transformation and some of the smallest stories were the most powerful. I am enriched and fully satisfied! When God appears to me in a cloud and tells me that my grand babies will be as numerous as the stars in the sky -- I will definitely let you know!
Love you!
MOM