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Spirit of Contentment
When the Israelites were led out of Egypt, they complained about everything. When they asked about food, God gave them manna and quail. This manna was bread from heaven, which is a prefigurement to Jesus who is the True Bread from heaven, bread that sustains and gives life. However, there were specific directions for gathering the manna — get enough only for that day. Why do you think that is? What does this mean for us?
“Then the LORD said to Moses,
‘I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not.’”
Exodus 16:4
The Lord instructed the people to “go out and gather their daily portion,” and not hoard enough for a few days. A test of faith and their trust in God and His Providence. God gave them food at appointed times with specific instructions. If we read on in the chapter we come to see that some of the people did not listen and had gathered more than was needed and left them overnight. What did you think happened? It spoiled, becoming “wormy and stank” (Gen. 16:20). Why did this happen? Why would God do that? The fact is that God didn’t do anything. The rules were spelled out. God did not tell them to not take more than was needed because He was mean, but because any more than they could consume would spoil (except on the 6th day for the Sabbath). If God sent down manna everyday, why would any of the Israelites feel the need to gather more than their daily portion? Maybe because they wanted to “just in case” or because they didn’t really believe in or trust God. Perhaps, their relationship with God was not strong. I mean, God parted the Red Sea and they crossed through dry shod, and they still didn’t believe? But that’s how we are, I guess. Human nature. Fallen human nature.
In Chinese there is a saying that goes something like “If you know how to be content, you will always be happy.” If we learn how to be content with what we have been given, joy and peace will naturally reign in our hearts. This is not some psychological trick, but a truth. If we are content with what we have and where we are at the present moment because we know God is present in that moment, in the here and now, the peace and joy that He promises will dispel any anxiety or fear that may come. Do you believe that God provides? What were some moments in your life when maybe anxiety and worry took over? May we adopt a spirit of contentment so that we may allow the Lord to work through us and for us. Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to truly believe that He provides and will provide, and that despite whatever difficult situation we may be in, He will bring good through it. Look at the Cross. Think about the tremendous good that came from that — our salvation.
Conversion by Encounter
Mary Magdalene was not always a follower of Jesus. In fact she was someone who would be the opposite of a follower of Christ. But, isn’t that for whom Jesus said He had come? How did Mary Magdalene come to be a follower of Christ and now even honored on her very own feast day?
“Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and then reported what he told her.’”
John 20:18
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
Originally published at “Telling Others” on July 22, 2020.
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. From being possessed by seven demons to running to tell the Apostles of Jesus’s Resurrection, St. Mary Magdalene allowed God to work through her. Before following Jesus, Mary Magdalene was possessed by several demons and after being set free and having encountered Christ, she journeyed with Christ and the Apostles. In having encountered Christ, Mary Magdalene’s live was forever changed. The demons that once possessed her no longer had any control over her life. She lived in the freedom that comes from knowing Christ. She was there when Jesus died on the Cross. And she was there when the tomb was found empty.
After encountering the Risen Lord Mary Magdalene ran to tell the Apostles who were in the Upper Room, locked away in fear, of the great news. Mary became for the Apostles the bearer of great news that cast all their fears. Today may we seek to encounter the Lord and ask Him to cast out the demons that hold us back from living so that like Mary Magdalene we may run and tell others about the great love with which they are loved, serving as an instrument of God’s grace.
It’s Not Really You
As Christians we are called to evangelize and bring Christ to others, and we ought to take this to heart. However, sometimes when we see that our efforts, teaching, or faith-sharing do not seem to be taking root in those around us, we may begin to question ourselves and our work. But, I challenge you with this: “It’s not really you who are doing this and it’s not really about your efforts and works.” What do I mean?
“The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.”—Verse before the Gospel Acclamation
I do not know about you, but sometimes when I see someone who I care about seem to fall away from the faith or are no longer practicing, I feel as if I did not do enough. Maybe if I shared more about my experience, they would have stayed with the faith. Oftentimes I tell people (and myself!) that we are only sowing seeds and sometimes we do not get to see the growth and fruit from those seeds. By evangelizing and telling others about how God has impacted our lives we are sowing seeds — on all types of soil (see the “Parable of the Sower”). So naturally we think of ourselves as the sower of these seeds. However, if we really think about it, Jesus is really the True Sower of those seeds. We are only instruments of the Sower. So, when we sow these seeds, it is really Christ sowing them through us. All that we do and say ought to reflect Christ and His love. Do they?
St. Paul tells us that it is no longer he that lives but rather it is Christ who lives in him. This is also true for us by virtue of our baptism. It is Christ who lives in us. It is Christ who comforts when we comfort those who are mourning. It is Christ who shows kindness when we show kindness to the homeless and the stranger. Will we allow Jesus to work through us? He will not barge into our lives and hijack our wills and intellects. He respects us and our wills. He will only come into our hearts if we invite Him to. We do not have to, but I can promise you that life will be much better, more rewarding and fulfilling, more filled with joy and peace is we do.
It it Christ who sow seeds through us. What kinds of seeds will we sow? How will we sow them? Will those whom we come to encounter see us or will they see Christ? Only One can give them eternal life, and it is certainly not us.