+ We have interesting readings today at mass. The
first reading demonstrates Abraham’s ultimate act of trust in God, it gives
evidence of a faith in the Master Designer and Planner that seems illogical and
unthinkable, it gives us all a lesson in letting God have his way – which
always ultimately has our very best interest in mind.
At the Lord’s bidding Abraham
was willing to go so far as to sacrifice the life of his own son.
What is so remarkable is the
speed, and alacrity at which Abraham obeyed the command of the Lord. He did not
stop to think, process and begin a bargaining process that any right-thinking
parent would do. He simply did what God asked – unconditionally and without
arguing.
What resulted was a change in
the course of salvation history: God rewarded Abraham for his absolute trust and
confidence, loyalty and immediate decisiveness and he not only spared the life
of his son, Isaac, but he made Isaac, along with his brother Jacob, and himself
the launching point for a host of descendants that cannot be numbered to this
day: of BELIEVERS in the LOVING DESIGNS of a FATHER GOD who would always look
out for the welfare of his spiritual children.
The only thing that would mess
things up, and it did many times, is when the children take matters into their
own hands, and decided to be God: the one with the Master Plan, the Master
Potter, the Master Gardner. This never works out – and God is always ready and
willing to take the errant children back “when they come to their senses” and
“turn back to him, the very source of their entire lives.”
The gospel passage shows how
Jesus and his Father are truly our brother and our Father – who has immediate
and ultimate control over not only nature – that is, all of creation, in its
many and varied aspects, but also over moral rectitude and the process of
reconciliation for sin.
Jesus, in healing the
paralytic showed his supreme power over both disease and bodily ailments, as
well as spiritual disease and spiritual ailments: “Your sins are forgiven,
stand up and walk,” Jesus commanded, thus multitasking and amazing his audience
who will shortly condemn him for blasphemy, as they say, “only God can forgive
sin,” obviously missing the point that they were right, but that Jesus was
indeed God made man.
Jesus can heal us of physical,
mental and spiritual ailments if we simply ask! And so we do, we simply ask for
healings, deep healings not only for ourselves, but for our families, our
visiting family, friends, acquaintances and even those we do not want to
associate with, or find it difficult to do so!
Then God will smile on us,
grant our request, and place us squarely among a family of brothers and sisters
– who daily march toward the kingdom and a life prepared beyond all our wildest
imagining!
Amen.
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