Two Scriptures, the Living Word, Today's Mass: Epiphany!

Two Scriptures leapt into the mind and heart today.  Upon waking, read the daily Mass Scriptures.  St. Paul in Ephesians and St. John in the Gospel.

St. Paul gives the lovely exhortation that Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity took as her motto, as her battle cry through the end of her young life.  Excerpt from Ephesians 1:  "...set our hope in Christ that we might live for the praise of His glory."

What St. John wrote in the Gospel of John 1 is pertinent to the on-going acceptance of this nothing's path and calling.  "...and His own did not accept Him."

We must keep a sense of humor mixed in with the anguish of the world and all of us trying to exist in varying degrees of awareness of ourselves, and of our purpose for existence.  And yet for those of us who desire something other, and are aware of His Real Presence, we must keep our sights on Christ, on His life and also on His death, hanging on the cross, and then His resurrection.  

Oddly enough, the verse of the rock singer Ricky Nelson floated into the mind yesterday.  "Garden Party":  You can't please everybody so you've got to please yourself.  The truth of matters is that we won't be able to please other people, nor they us, not deep down in, nor all the time, for we are inadequate of ourselves and increasingly pathetic when given over to the world.  The reality and truth is, in order to endure with our fellow man, and more intimately, with our family and friends:  We've got to please God.

Yes, we've got to please God. 

And that takes prayer and praising and striving and loving and depending upon, upon His graces that we might be lights, be epiphanies of the praise of His glory.  Like the wise men and women who sought and seek and found and find His Real Presence (Father God of all, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Paraclete), we, too, must be wise in who and what we seek and find, that we might live for the praise of His glory.

Yes, we try to meet people where they are and show interest in their interests.  But as His Real Presence makes His Abode in us, and us in Him, we do become refractors of His Light.  No amount of masking can or should blot that Light.

Darkness is not going to ever like Light.  We must remain in His Love and let Him deal with the darkness.  We must set our hope on Jesus Christ-Light, that we might live for the praise of His glory. Our own may not accept us, not even our own in Catholic parishes or Protestant congregations, not among family members at any particular given time.  But some day, yes, we will be accepted into His glory, and our light which is His Light from the Abode He has made in us, will shine like the stars of the universe, and will help others to find the Christ born in the darkness, destined to be a great Light.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has made His Abode in us, and we are in Him.  Remain in His Love!  Praise Him!  Please Him!

Elizabeth of the Trinity's Pivotal Scripture Verse

Today's first Scripture Reading at Mass is the verse by St. Paul in which Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity found her soul-changing momentum:  the praise of His glory.  Live for the praise of His glory.  The pledge of our inheritance of redemption as God's people, to the praise of His glory.

There is a climbing rose that was planted in previous hermitage, named by the cultivar company as Blaze of Glory, but renamed by this hermit as "Praise of Glory."  Would love to plant one here at this hermitage but did not locate the climbing rose on sale nor of the scented variety.  Maybe next year, but what difference as long as the mind, heart, and soul grasp the essence and truth that we should live for the praise of God's glory and that we maintain our pledge as God's redeemed children--pledged to the praise of His glory.

Just ponder and imagine what it would be to have a life-altering verse in the Living Word of God:  His Real Presence!  In what ways would this change our souls and all perspective, touching our temporal beings and moving us into the spiritual espousal, the union with God? 

[Of any Sacrament of the Living Word for this nothing Catholic hermit, "Remain in My Love" has been pivotal.  Yet still, the will within must grow in the grace given, the truth of Truth of His Real Presence having His abode deep in the soul.  So easy to remain in His Love; He gives all the assistance necessary; but how the will slips, mostly from the distractions of the outer world and human weakness.]

 Ephesians 1:11-14 

 

In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory. 

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Now, must rise from the warmth of bed with many blankets cocooning, and locate some steel wool, and try to stop any visible holes and crevices by which rats are entering this hermitage--to the praise of His glory! 

Despite 7 rat bait stations on the perimeter and two by pole barn, they have been entering and leaving their feces.  Yesterday thought had the obvious opening shut off.  Swept the mess.  This morning they had come in yet again, leaving rat droppings.  This hermit must persevere and not be discouraged:  Be a praise of His glory no matter the effort!

May the attempts to rid them and keep them out be prayers for the riddance of major plagues, such as the current Ebola virus outbreak in West African countries and now in this country.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another!  Let us be a praise of and to His glory:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!