Increase MY Faith

October 2, 2022 - 24^th  Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 17: 5-10

 

O’ Lord, never shall I forget the day of my rebirth, when I was reeled back into Your embrace. 

It came to me like a bolt of lightning, shattering the silence and in midst of a raging storm.

 

Lord, You remember that moment and that righteous vessel You used to soften my cold heart?

A heart that abandoned You and that was wandering aimlessly in the empty wilderness.

Praise to the Light of Salvation!

 

O’ Lord, You knew perfectly when to topple that bulwark of pride I had built and hid behind.

Lord, You are the epitome of perfect love and patience, watching and waiting to advance.

 

In Your wisdom, You allowed me to roam and drift like the wreckage of a broken ship.

Unaware of my destination and the magnificent beach I would soon wash up on.

Glory to the Captain of my soul!

 

Before this Lord, I did not need You and foolishly placed my trust in only mankind.

I was the captain of my ship and had forgotten You, my destiny was apart from You.

 

Lord, Do you remember when I wore my arrogance like a badge of courage?  

And behind the mask, I could still hear You whispering to me to return and believe.

Blessed be JHVH!

 

O’ Lord, how well You remember when those walls of self-righteousness tumbled down.

In that moment and as I lay exhausted beneath the rubble, You took it all from me.

 

How I clearly recall being cleansed of the entitlement and false pride I had amassed.

The mask had been torn from my face and I saw with new eyes and a new faith.

All honor the Lord of Creation!

 

Today, Adonai my prayer continues from the day of my rebirth, “Increase my faith, Lord.”

And Lord, “Do with me now and You wish and as You desire only!”

           

The Pilgrim.

 

 

 

 

The completeness of the Old and New Testaments

Many times, while reading Scriptures, a line or a phrase seems to stand out from everything else. I see this as a call to contemplate Scripture more deeply. This is not my own invention, it is closely related to the practice of Lectio Divina. While reading this Sunday's Gospel, I find myself dwelling on Abraham's response to the rich man's request to send Lazarus to his brothers in order to warn them.

'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'

Jesus was addressing this parable to the pharisees, but clearly He was talking about His own resurrection, and perhaps warning them about their response to it. I believe, however that there is a deeper message in this for us today; that is about the profound relationship between the Old Testament and Christ's mission as revealed in the New Testament. Too often we seem discount the Old Testament as having been "replaced" by the New. Or perhaps the Old Testament is regarded as irrelevant because of the New Testament. Jesus tells us clearly that he did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Perhaps, if we desire to more fully understand Jesus and His gift of Salvation for us, it would be a beneficial exercise to examine that which He is fulfilling more closely.

+ Theophilus