Awakening to God’s Power Within Us
(Eph 3:13-21; Ps 33; Lk 12:49-53)
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During a retreat I was conducting for the priests of the Diocese of Corner Brook-Labrador in Cow Head, Newfoundland, I enjoyed walking the beach at low tide. Being a westerner, that phenomenon was new to me. One day as I walked, I noticed rivulets of water under my feet still running over the hardpacked sand towards the Gulf, and realized the tide was still going out. The next morning, as I prayed in my room looking out the window, I began to notice mini-waves of water rolling up the sand towards the shore, and realized the tide was coming back in. Sure enough, rocks of all sizes slowly disappeared as the water relentlessly moved towards high tide.
Ebb tide
This phenomenon of high and low tides became an invitation for me to be more aware of and appreciative of the power of God’s love and the Spirit of Jesus dwelling us.
Beach at low tide
The first reading is all about the power of faith, hope and love. Paul is suffering imprisonment for the sake of the gospel, yet he turns that suffering into something positive, the opportunity to evangelize and strengthen his fellow believers. He reminds them Christ is dwelling within them, they are grounded in God’s love, they know the love of Christ, and they have the power of the Spirit within them, helping them to see the breadth, width, depth and length of God’s love that surpasses knowledge and is the fullness of God. He then adds God’s power working within us accomplishes far more than we can imagine. He is alluding to the divinization and transformation that is ours in Christ.
That faith is the source of hope giving us the strength to endure suffering and persecution like St. Paul. That suffering and persecution is what Jesus is alluding to in the gospel when he speaks of the divisions that will happen, even within families, because of him. It is not that Jesus brought division – division will happen because of the evil in our world and because his presence necessitates a choice for or against him.
There are two words describing the force of evil in our world: Satan and Devil. The word “devil” comes from the Greek “diablos” which means “to divide.” So, wherever there is a divisive force in our lives and society, it is the devil who is at work, trying to divide and conquer. On the other hand, Satan seeks to gather people together, but for an evil purpose – to kill and destroy. Think gangs, ISIS, Boko Haram, any mindless mob bent on destruction. That is a Satanic force, seeking only to harm. And evil as Satan and the devil is always at work in our world, wreaking havoc in the form of destruction and division.
It is said more Christians are being persecuted around the world today than ever before. Once in a while we come across an account of someone who has had an experience of Jesus within a Muslim or Hindu family, the choice they made for Christ, and the subsequent persecution they underwent, often having to escape for their lives. The latest is a captive of Boko Haram who, when asked if she was a pagan (apparently her captors refer to all non-Muslims as pagans), honestly stated she was Christian. Those who were released urged her to renounce her faith so she could leave with them, but she refused to do so, and as a result, remains a captive.
John Allan Jr. is doing research on a book about Christians persecuted around the world. In his travels, he met a woman in Kenya who had many of her family members killed by Boko Haram. Yet her vibrant faith and joy amazed him. When he asked her how she could be that way after what happened to her, she replied the greatest gift God gave her was her faith in Jesus. They had taken most of her family – she was determined not to let them take away her faith, so she had forgiven them as Jesus taught us to do.
n the gospel, Jesus speaks of a baptism he has come to accomplish. That baptism alludes to the power of the Holy Spirit waiting to work within us through forgiveness and healing. That baptism is his passion, death and resurrection leading to our participation in the eternal life God wants to share with us. It is a spiritual spiral – passion, death and resurrection. When we become aware of some sin or defect of character within us, that is our passion. Praying about it and receiving forgiveness for any hurtful action because of it is our death. Letting it go and receiving the healing of the gift of the Holy Spirit to takes its place is our resurrection and transformation. It all depends on our faith in God’s love, and our humility to cooperate with that love.
The psalm reminds us of the goodness of God in all of creation, in spite of the presence of both satanic and diabolical forces in our world. I experienced a touch of that as I prayed one morning watching the tide roll in. Two seagulls landed on the water right in front of me, and proceeded to start dancing. They paddled in a tight circle for a while, just like they were doing the tango. Then suddenly, they turned in unison and swam side by side for a time, just like they were doing a waltz. Then they drifted apart and went their separate ways. I realized I had just been treated to a little taste of the goodness of God in all of creation, and felt joy in my heart.
The Eucharist is a foretaste of our heavenly banquet that has sustained martyrs for over two thousand years, making present the love of God in Christ lived out through his passion, death and resurrection.
May our celebration ground us in a faith and love strong enough to face whatever challenges and difficulties we might face in life with joy and magnanimity.
Awakening God’s power is telling us what challenges and difficulties is coming near us when we decided to believe and trust God being in our lives. While believing in him we are to acknowledge and understand his teachings and love that God is giving to us . We should experience some pain and sufferings without any anger, bitterness, stubbornness and resentments. The pain and sufferings should be joyful, peace and loving that like Jesus’s death and resurrection. Sometimes when we meet difficult situations it can be peaceful like an very old senior who has many sickness and physical pain ; they have been dealing with this passion and carrying this cross for many years. Until when it comes time that God leads this person to eternal life. This senior dies peacefully, having joy and blessed as a person when he or she is to enter into the Kingdom of God. He or she is feeling pain and suffering while living on this earth. This persson does not have any hatred, regrets , bitterness and anger in their minds. Lastly, they will know when to receive this awakening power from God calling them . We are to do the same by having faith, hope and love. Amen. The word of God Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Well thanks Bishop Sylvain for the messages and pictures that is related to the readings. It is an awakening call from God telling us to spread his words to people after learning his passion, death and resurrection leading to his ascension. We are to build an intimate relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Let us rejoice ! Your homilies are being more blessed than ever. It is inspiring .