|
The Heart of the Matter
Matthew 2:1-12 Introductory Prayer:Father, you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Lead us to your glory in heaven by the light of faith. Draw us beyond the limits that this world imposes, to the life where your Spirit makes all life complete. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Petition:Jesus, grant me an honest, sincere heart. 1. Where Is the Newborn King of the Jews? Jesus once told a parable of a man in search of a precious pearl who combed the city until one day he found what he sought. He did not hesitate to sell everything to possess it. The Magi, pagans in name but not in heart, are earnestly seeking the finest of all pearls. They are contrasted with the chief priests and scribes who failed to see the signs because they grew complacent in their faith and love. There is a continual danger in the spiritual life: settling in, thinking that we have arrived to where we need to be, where we have it all pretty much “figured out” so that we are “comfortable” with our Christian faith. But those who seek the truth so as to build their lives on the truth never surrender in their endeavor to possess the truth. The Magi will arrive at the greatest of all truths, namely, that truth itself is a person and their search for truth is actually a search for God’s face: “Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks; your face O Lord, I seek” (Psalm 27:8). These “pagans” show us that we must never tire of looking for Jesus. This search for Jesus everyday helps keep our love fresh and our longing to serve him strong. 2. When King Herod Heard This, He Was Greatly Troubled. Herod is “greatly troubled,” yet how different his disposition is from that of a young Jewish girl who was also “troubled” by the words of an angel. Mary was “troubled” by the magnitude of God’s plan involving her very person in a unique way. Herod, on the other hand, is “troubled” at the prospect of competition in his life. A jealous person fears a competitor whom they suspect will take away a good possessed. Envy desires the good that I lack but that another person possesses. If we are not attentive, this same sentiment can begin to grow in our hearts. Roots of envy and jealousy towards others grow silently and begin to grip our will while strangling our capacity to love unconditionally. Rather than unity, it sows discord and suspicion. We can even begin to look for ways to “bring them down,” not necessarily physically, but verbally, by assailing their character and exploiting their weaknesses when speaking to others. It eventually enters into our relationship with God: we become less and less generous with God to the point of being threatened by what he may ask me to do or to give up. Because of Original Sin, attitudes like Herod’s assail the heart of each one of us. Yet we do not need to consent to such temptations. It is Mary’s example that helps us see clearly the proper disposition of heart in all our dealings with God: “Let it be done in me according to your will.” 3. They Opened Their Treasures and Offered Him Gifts. What is more precious to God than my heart? Jesus is not interested in gold, frankinsense or myrrh. Yet the Magi’s offering is pleasing to God. Why? Because of their love. Their search for the truth is not only cerebral, it also involves the heart. One day Jesus will call his disciples together and point to a woman who is depositing two coins in the treasury. What were the coins worth? Practically nothing. And the love with which they were given? Who could possibly measure that love? God can. God is the unobserved bystander in each activity of my day. He witnesses the generosity or selfishness of my heart. He invites me down the path of generous love. These men had already sacrificed much to follow that star in faith. Now they crown their journey of faith with generous love. Through their example we discover a remedy that is stronger than the selfishness and jealousy exemplified by Herod. Like these holy magi, today I want to open the treasure of my heart and my life to Jesus, trying to love him in the big and the small, as a way of paying him homage for all he has done for me. Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, thank you for giving me so many examples of virtue and goodness. These examples spur me on to a more generous love and a deeper commitment to seek you with all of my heart. You know that I am weak, but you are strong and your friendship is irrevocable. Help me to love you as I should and be your witness today. Resolution: Today I will make three acts of hidden charity. |
|
||
| Printer Friendly Version |
||
| You Already Have It! | ||
Is 60 :1-6 / Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Mt 2:1-12
More than a century ago, a great sailing ship was stranded off the coast of South America. Week after week the ship lay there in the still waters with not a hint of a breeze. The captain was desperate; the crew was dying of thirst. And then, on the far horizon, a steamship appeared, headed directly toward them. As it drew near, the captain called out, "We need water! Give us water!"
The steamship replied, "Lower your buckets where you are."
The captain was furious at this cavalier response but called out again, "Please, give us water."
But the steamer gave the same reply, "Lower your buckets where you are!" And with that they sailed away! The captain was beside himself with anger and despair, and he went below. But a little later when no one was looking, a yeoman lowered a bucket into the sea and then tasted what he brought up: It was perfectly sweet, fresh water! For you see, the ship was just out of sight of the mouth of the Amazon. And for all those weeks they'd been sitting right on top of all the fresh water they needed!
There is in all of us a restlessness that keeps us searching, moving, changing, looking far and wide for something — we're not sure what — but something that can satisfy us and fill us full.
We search and search, for the latest look, the fastest new sports car, the perfect BEST FRIEND, the hottest new resort, the ultimate cabernet. We find them — more or less — and before you know it we're weary and listless again. A vague feeling of emptiness whispers, even as we find some new treasure, "Not enough, not enough."
Eventually we ask: Will it ever end? Will we ever find the satisfaction and peace we seek, or will we die listless and world-weary as so many have before us?
As the three kings could tell us, it all depends on where we look. What we're seeking isn't to be found out there. We can't buy it, lease it, invent it, or negotiate for it. We can't beg, borrow, or steal it. We can't move to a new place and find it. What we're really seeking is already inside us, waiting to be discovered, waiting to be embraced: The Holy Spirit of God who has lived within us from the first second of our life. The Holy Spirit who is saying to us at this very moment, "Lower your buckets where you are. Taste and see!"
Only the Holy Spirit of God is large enough to fill us full, to calm our restlessness and bring us the peace and contentment we crave. Nothing less will do. So there's nothing left to do but to whisper our prayer from deep in our heart: Come, Holy Spirit! Fill our hearts, and set us on fire! Amen.