Jan 9 - Wednesday after Epiphany

+ There are a couple of interesting highlights from the readings today. In the first reading, St. John continues his “discourse on LOVE!” He is saying that anyone operating the love dynamic (whose origin IS God), experiences God. This is enormous! But a corollary is also true, once we come to our senses and know this by experience to be true, then two things automatically must follow: we pause if only for a moment, to give thanks to God as a grateful child of his, and then we operate the love dynamic to as many as we can – by helping them, understanding them listening to them, encouraging them, standing by them in their need, and even just having fun with them – thus making new friends and acquaintances wherever you go – which will prove that the Jesus-love-dynamic works and that to be a member of God’s family we simply have to believe it and use it often.

The gospel passage is a classic: after showing the disciples that he can do anything at all required to help people and to be compassionate to them by feeding 5000 of them with 5 loaves and 2 fish: now the wind was strong that night as the disciples were in the boat going to the other shore – and when Jesus comes walking towards them in the water they proved that they just did not get the magnitude of Jesus / God’s presence that would be available to them from now on – they were fearful and cried out: “It’s a ghost” – to which Jesus replies in so many words: “Relax guys, it’s just me, Jesus”  When he got into the boat the wind died down – and they were just astounded.

The question for us is this: do we “get” the enormity of Jesus’ reality and presence that is available to us in so very many forms each day? especially  when we with his help operate the true and authentic love-dynamic? We have so much more experience with him then the disciples had at this stage in their walk with him. All we need do is simply to pause often during the day – and experience Jesus really and truly present deep within our souls, our hearts, our bodies – the wind and waves of the day will calm down every time – Jesus will get into our boat and we can sail into smoother waters for the rest of the hour or the day!

Glory to you, O Christ, proclaimed to the Gentiles. Glory to you, O Christ, believed in throughout the world. Amen.