Isaiah 49:8-15 / John 5:17-30
Jesus speaks to the people
“I seek not my
will but God’s.”
Hikers and
mountain climbers sometimes experience incredible highs. A Swiss hiker
describes such a high. It took place on the sixth day of a hike with a group of
friends. All of a sudden, she had the feeling of being raised out of herself.
She says: “I felt the presence of God ... as if his goodness and power were
penetrating me.”
The hiker was so
overwhelmed that she let the others pass her up. Then she sat down. She said
later: “My eyes overflowed with tears. I thanked God that in the course of my
life he had taught me to know him. I begged him ardently that my life be
consecrated to his will.”
*****
How ardently do we
desire God’s will? Jesus said,
“Father ... not my will but
yours be done.” Luke 22:42 (ML)
*****
One of the
emotional afflictions that people suffer from and yet will not want to admit it
is this feeling of loneliness. They may be the life of the party but when the
party is over and when they are left all alone, they feel like a used paper
bag. And when the feeling of loneliness and emptiness is too much to bear, they
may want to numb the feeling by resorting to other forms of entertainment
or excitement like chatting with strangers over the INTERNET or other means of
social media. The longing for companionship and love in the emptiness of
loneliness can make a person do something quite questionable and adverse. The
question is that in times of loneliness, where do we look for companionship and
love, and who do we look for it.
In the 1st
reading, the Lord spoke in these words - Does a woman forget her baby at her
breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb? Yet even if these forget, I
will never forget you.
This is one of the most endearing and tender expressions of the love of God for us. Moreover, Jesus said in the gospel - My Father goes on working, and so do I.
It means that God labours on to be with us and pours His love into us so that we won't look for love in the wrong places. And if we look at God for love and companionship, we can never say that we are lonely. (SY)
This is one of the most endearing and tender expressions of the love of God for us. Moreover, Jesus said in the gospel - My Father goes on working, and so do I.
It means that God labours on to be with us and pours His love into us so that we won't look for love in the wrong places. And if we look at God for love and companionship, we can never say that we are lonely. (SY)
