“When all these things were made by me and all belong to me? - declares the Lord. But my eyes are drawn to the person of humbled and contrite spirit, who trembles at my Word.” Isaiah 66:2
Whose prayer does God listen to? What are the fundamental virtues we need when we approach His Word? The prophet reveals that the Lord is drawn to the person with these virtues: true humility, deep repentance and reverent fear of God. Let us approach our Lord this way so that He will draw near and reveal Himself to us.“When Your words came, I devoured them: Your Word was my delight and the joy of my heart; for I was called by Your Name, Lord, God Sabaoth.” Jeremiah 15:16
Those whom the Lord has called will find delight in reading and meditating on the Scriptures because it is food for our soul. The Word of God is Jesus Himself, so our joy will be complete only once we devour His Word and allow it to bear fruit in us. So let us try to spend some time everyday nourishing our soul with Sacred Scripture.“May I live only to praise You, may Your judgements be my help.” Psalms 119:175
At some point in our lives, we ask ourselves: What am I living for? What is the purpose of this life? The answer is in this psalm. Our Lord, who created us in His great love, wants every person’s life to become a hymn of praise. It is our supreme duty to praise God in all circumstances. Let us draw nearer to the Word of God because it is the Lord’s judgements, the Scriptures, which can help us to praise God from the depths of our hearts.“And He won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from His lips. They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’” Luke 4:22
What Jesus spoke was not any human word, but God’s Word. Sadly, we often fail to acknowledge that this Word of Grace has the power to build us up and give us an inheritance among all the saints. Sooner or later as we realise this, we will confess with St Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life!”“Set your hearts on His Kingdom first, and on God's saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Many of us are hesitant to lead a spiritual life because we presume that we will be deprived of comforts in the world. But our Lord clearly tells us that we will not lose anything if we set our hearts on His Kingdom. May we never forget that the Lord knows what is best for us, and He always makes sure we get the best of the best. Those who seek God, lack nothing good.“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:15
These were the first instructions that Jesus gave to the world. He reveals that faith comes through repentance. True repentance is not momentary, but it is a grace that should remain with us throughout our life. May our Lord grant us the grace to start each day with fresh repentance and renewed faith.Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Matthew 16:16
Who was Jesus? Was he a prophet, miracle-worker, teacher, or a new religious leader? For Simon Peter, Jesus could not fit in to any of the descriptions that the people gave. From the depths of his soul, he answered the question of Jesus from what he knew to be the greatest truth, “You are the Son of the living God.”On him will rest the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and insight, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2
The Spirit of the Lord is sometimes a broad term. Prophet Isaiah, the greatest among the Prophets, describes the gifts of the Spirit of the Lord - wisdom, insight, counsel, power, knowledge, fear of the Lord and devotion to the Lord. Let us pray for the seven-fold Spirit, the same Spirit which was in Jesus Christ.So do away with all impurities and remnants of evil. Humbly welcome the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. James 1:21
The Word of God is holy. It cannot abide where there is any uncleanness. Uncleanness of soul begins with pride, grows with human anger and takes root through bitterness. The remedy for all these ills is humility, the virtue which prepares our soul to receive the holy Word of God, and so save our souls.The Word became flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Behold the greatest of all mysteries - the Word of God becoming flesh and living amongst human beings. God, Who was unseen, unknown, mysterious, beyond the grasp of human beings, now becomes flesh seen, known, revealed and dwelling in our midst. But although human, He is God; although veiled in flesh, the fulness of grace and truth dwells in Him.