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Home Sections The Daily B.R.E.A.D. June 24, 2009 - Wednesday Meditation (All Things Are Possible with Him!)
June 24, 2009 - Wednesday Meditation (All Things Are Possible with Him!) PDF Print E-mail
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Sections - The Daily B.R.E.A.D.
Written by Bobot Apit   
Sunday, 21 June 2009 04:49
In many ways, we can’t speak, we can’t pray.  We can’t enter into communion really, until we can acknowledge that “anything is possible with God.”  Trusting, believing, testifying to the reality that “God is gracious” liberates us from our doubts and fears, our un-freedoms and our unloving.


Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Isaiah 49:1-6
Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
Acts 13:22-26

L uke 1:57-66,80  (alternate reading: Matthew 7:15-20)  Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. (58) And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. (59) And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari'ah after his father, (60) but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John." (61) And they said to her, "None of your kindred is called by this name." (62) And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. (63) And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled. (64) And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. (65) And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; (66) and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. (80) And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.


* Meditation by Andy Alexander, S.J.

T he birth of John the Baptist is so delightful on many levels.  First of all, we have a compelling “in the womb” story.  I was baptizing the daughter of dear friends of mine, when I experienced my first “in the womb” story.  There were many people at this baptism and lots of excitement.  The little girl was crying, actually very loudly, right at the time we were ready to baptize her.  Just then, her father walked over to where the choir was and he borrowed a guitar and began to play a song he had written for his daughter and sang for her many times, while she was growing in the womb.  At the sound, this special young girl simply calmed down, obviously recognizing and enjoying the song she knew so well.

When Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited Elizabeth, her cousin and pregnant with John, “in the womb” John “leapt for joy.”  “In the womb” he recognized and rejoiced at the closeness of our Savior.

All along, Zachary, Elizabeth’s husband and John’s father, is having quite a difficult time.  He lost his ability to speak, because he was so unable to comprehend that “nothing is impossible for God.”  He and Elizabeth would have a child, and that child would have a special role to play in God’s plan for salvation.

When old Zachary witnessed the birth of John, he was filled with faith, and could finally speak again.  They were figuring out a name for the child and Zachary was the one who absolutely knew that the name given this promised child by the angel was “John,” a name which means “God is gracious.”  So, when Zachary could say “God is gracious,” Zachary could speak again.

All of us began our lives tethered to another person in the womb.  All of us entered the world from the womb, connected and related, nourished and in tune with.  We live our lives, after the womb, trying to learn how to be an independent person who can be connected and related again, who can learn to be nourished and in tune more and more.

And, in many ways, we can’t speak, we can’t pray.  We can’t enter into communion really, until we can acknowledge that “anything is possible with God.”  Trusting, believing, testifying to the reality that “God is gracious” liberates us from our doubts and fears, our un-freedoms and our unloving.

At the end of his life, John was in Herod’s jail and he sent some of his friends to Jesus, with a question that was burning in his heart, “Are you the One?”  John is about to let go of his life.  His mission is complete.  But, he doesn’t see the fulfillment.  Like his father, he has to trust.  Jesus sends the friends back with the words that must have made John’s heart leap for joy again:  “Tell John what you see and hear.  The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

Dear Lord, thank you for being so generous, so compassionate, so full of possibilities.  Open my eyes and my heart and increase my faith so that I can believe in your personal love for me and that I can share your love with others. Let me be in communion with you and therefore in communion with all those you love.  Let me re-connect with someone today.  Let there be a life-line of nourishment with someone who needs me.  And, through John’s intercession, let me be prophetic in announcing the simple good news of your presence so very near us all.

 
 
 
* Supplementary Reading
God's Selection Process

So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, 'Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.' ~ Judges 7:5



W ould you ever take on an army of 100,000 with only 300 men? Sound preposterous? I agree. However, this is exactly what happened with Gideon. It was bad enough that he began with 10,000 against 100,000, but this was too many men according to God. He would not allow Gideon to fight with this many soldiers, because the temptation would still remain to believe that it was the strength of his army that won the victory. God told Gideon to pare down his army to a mere 300. This would ensure that God would receive total credit for the victory. This is a law in the Kingdom of God. All glory must go to Him. "Announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained" (Judg. 7:3).
 
Now there are 10,000 men left but that was still too many. God gave Gideon an interesting selection method for the 300 as he took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink" (Judg. 7:5b). What was the significance of this? Those soldiers who lapped water like a dog were soldiers who were more aware of the enemy around them compared to those who kneeled to drink. The lappers were men who were on constant guard to the danger around them, keeping their eyes up and looking about them. The others could be easily picked off.
 
If you and I are going to be one of God's elite, we must be battle ready. We must be sensitive to the spiritual dangers around us. We must be trained to go about our business while, at the same time, discern when the enemy of our souls is prowling about seeking to destroy us. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Beware of the spiritual dangers around you.




GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.




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