The 22nd Monday in Ordinary Time
(2 Thessalonians 2: 1 – 3a, 14 – 17; Ps 96; Matthew 23: 23 – 26)
St. Paul writes: “…He has also called you through our Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – this is what our God desires for us – to be filled, embraced, held by the glory of the Lord Himself – the glory Peter, James and John beheld on Mt. Tabor – the “otherness” of the Lord Jesus.
The glory of the Lord Jesus can be mere words or a pious statement if our hearts are meager in desire if our prayer is half-hearted – if other things are of greater importance, things in relation to the glory of Christ, things that are, in the long run, trivial, secondary, even worthless – trying to fill up an emptiness that remains empty!
Jesus addressed this in the Gospel – people “who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel” – busy with the cup and the dish and unaware or ignorant of one’s own heart and God’s desire. Being honest, when push comes to shove, are there things, objects in my/your life that compete very much with God, things that take over even govern.
St. Paul speaks about “possessing the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ” – in reality, we will never possess the Lord as we possess a thing, an object – rather we come to be possessed by God, a possessing that is merciful, infinitely respectful, totally free, gracious and generous beyond words – never domineering and always creating trust. Our God, through the Lord Jesus, has revealed for all time His total devotion to and for us.
To be possessed by God in such a way is the journey of faith, a moving into intimacy, of being received into God’s eternal life, His glory – the glory, the life we taste already.
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