Sunrises and sunsets speak to us!
They seem to speak of something awe-some, grand,
mightier than our little worlds!
No wonder Saint John writes (1 Jn 1:5-2:2):
"God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
If we say that we share in God's life
while we are living in darkness, we are lying,
because we are not living the truth.
But if we live in light, as he is in light,
we have a share in another's life,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin."
He wants us to live in that Light which is God:
"My children, I am writing this to prevent you from sinning...."
I can only live in that Light when I die to any blindness,
or die to any obstinacy to live God's Word:
hatred, envy, fear, jealousy, regret, guilt ...
provide my darkness,
and that is certainly not my destiny!
Why remain in that space?
Why remain trapped?
The Responsorial Psalm reminds us :
"We escaped like a bird from the fowlers' net.
The net was broken and we escaped" (Ps 124).
King Herod was trapped (Mt 2:13-18)
and so he ordered the slaughtering
of all males below 2 years of age
(the time the Magi spent following the Star to Bethlehem
to worship the "King" of Israel).
How many more people must I "slaughter"
by not forgiving, or letting go,
or simply "dying" to what is not Light in me?
Instead, by
Living the Word of life we die to ourselves.
We are set free to be what Giod wants us to be,
and what God wants others to be.
May the recalling of the slaughtering of the Innocents
in Bethlehem remind us to let go of what haunts us,
or prevents us from living the Word of God
as the Word of Life.
May their sacrifice provide the grace to "die to ourselves"
and set others free to be what they were ordained to be.
Stay blessed!
G
[pic: I took south of Rio de Janeiro, 4pm one afternoon, Feb 2001]
[ Living the Word of life we die to ourselves.
Vivere la Parola di vita morendo a noi stessi)
Viver a Palavra de vida morrendo a nós mesmos
Vivre la Parole de vie en mourant à nous-mêmes
El Evangelio pide la muerte de nosotros mismos
Nach dem Wort Gottes zu leben bedeutet,
dass wir immer wieder uns selbst sterben müssen
Het Woord van leven beleven door te sterven aan onszelf ]
