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Home Sections The Daily B.R.E.A.D. Jan 25, 2010 - Monday Meditation (Change - Cooperation with God's Grace)
Jan 25, 2010 - Monday Meditation (Change - Cooperation with God's Grace) PDF Print E-mail
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Sections - The Daily B.R.E.A.D.
Written by Bobot Apit   
Saturday, 23 January 2010 21:30

 

Forgiving often seems more difficult than going and doing something difficult. Interior change is harder to begin than exterior conformity. But sometimes going and doing something precedes or accompanies a change of heart. Ananias provides a remarkable example of cooperating with God, and in doing so he participated in God’s wondrous work in and through Paul.

 

 

 

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

 

Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22

 

Psalm 117:1bc, 2

 

M ark 16:15-20  [alternate reading: Mark 3:22-30] And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. (16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (17) And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; (18) they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will  recover." (19) So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (20) And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen. 

 

 

 

Meditation by Edward Morse

 

T oday’s readings reflect the challenge of going and doing difficult things. Sometimes it is hard to get moving, and it can be especially difficult to change directions if you are going the wrong way.  Thanks be to God that He uses others in our lives to help get us moving and to help us to see clearly.  

 

Today is my father’s 90th birthday, and his life reflects a long and steady practice of going and doing difficult things. He is part of that so-called “greatest generation” who was called to war in Europe in his youth, and he was fortunate enough to return home to raise five children with my mother (his wife of 64 years) on the farm where he, too, was raised. My folks have also been blessed with a spirit of generosity, which continues to involve helping and serving others. I have been blessed to observe this consistent and faithful pattern and to feel its influence in my life.  It is not particularly dramatic, but it has been a powerful force in shaping my life in a positive direction.

 

Few of us have dramatic experiences that change their lives in the manner of Paul.  Paul’s Damascus experience resonates in a special way as I consider how his experience with Jesus changed his life’s direction. Paul’s youthful enthusiasm, wrought by his years of education and fueled by the approval of those in the reigning power structures within his community, took him down a path where he acted with great certainty in oppressing those who followed Jesus.  But an encounter with Jesus forced him to answer the question:  “Why are you persecuting me?”  Oddly enough, Paul did not know who was asking this question.  Perhaps he really did not know what he was doing. 

 

When Paul learned it was Jesus, he did not respond with all of the arguments he had in his arsenal.  I am surprised that he did not seek to justify his persecuting ways. Instead, he just did what Jesus told him. We are told that later scales fell from his eyes and he was able to see clearly.  The product of his new vision and his changed life has touched many other lives, too. 

 

The story of Ananias is just as surprising as Paul’s story.  Ananias was a faithful man who undoubtedly identified with the persecuted Christian brothers and sisters who suffered because of Paul.  If I were in Ananias’ shoes, not only would I be fearful, but I would also be plenty frosted with this zealous and arrogant persecutor of my friends. Isn’t it interesting that Ananias, who knew God’s voice, needed to ask God if he knew all the facts?  I like his honesty.  And I admire the fact that somehow Ananias was able to put all of this past aside, to the point of not only going to Paul and praying for him, but also in calling him his “brother”.  What a remarkable story of forgiveness and faithfulness!

 

In my own experience, forgiving often seems more difficult than going and doing something difficult.  Interior change is harder to begin than exterior conformity.  But sometimes going and doing something precedes or accompanies a change of heart. Ananias provides a remarkable example of cooperating with God, and in doing so he participated in God’s wondrous work in and through Paul.

 

May God have mercy on each of us to help us to recognize situations where we are seeing with scales on our eyes, and to have the courage to change, even to forgive.  And may we appreciate the power of positive examples that are all around us.

 

 

Supplementary Reading

 

He's on Your Side

 

 

 

'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them' -- 2 Kings 6:16

 

 

 

 

E veryone has times when they feel overwhelmed or "outnumbered" by the things that are coming against them. You may have heard the saying, "When it rains, it pours." For example, just about the time the air conditioner needs repair in your house, the transmission goes out in your car. It seems like one thing after another. It may feel as if all the forces of darkness are coming against you, but the scripture promises that with God on your side, you have all the resources you need to have complete victory. You are never outnumbered because the Greater One lives in you!

 

The next time you're feeling anxious, fearful, or worried about anything, remember He's on your side. If God is for you, who can be against you? He promises to guide and protect you and lead you into victory in every area of your life!

 

"Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me. Thank You for Your peace even in the midst of the storms of life. I know that You are with me, and I can stand strong because You will lead me into victory all the days of my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

 

 

For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com/

http://www.mabuhayradio.com/sections/the-daily-bread.html

http://butuanglobalforum.org/cgi-bin/dboard/YaBB.pl?num=1229339492/220


 
 
Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link:  http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6

 
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
 

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