April 9, 2019: Week 7 - Divine Mercy - Gratefulness
April 9, 2019: Week 7 - Divine Mercy - Gratefulness
We’ve all been on a journey where things were not going the way we imagined; we were tired, and hungry, accommodations were subpar, and the service seemed non-existent. For one pilgrim who was on a bus for more than 8 hours in a single day, he was exasperated. Near the end of the ride, he lashed out at the pilgrimage leader, grumbling about the horrible experience he was having on the pilgrimage. The leader who was in the same bus as the grumbling pilgrim thought, “This is a pilgrimage and not a vacation. We’re all patiently enduring this long ride to get to our next destination. There is just no way around this; doesn’t he understand?”
The pilgrim must have felt the same way as the Israelites who were grumbling to Moses and God as their patience was worn out from the long, arduous journey. The incident of the seraph serpents attacking the grumbling Israelites occurred near the end of their journey to the Promised Land. They would have rather turned back to the familiar slavery in Egypt than put up with uncertain path, hardships, and the future.
In many ways, we are like the Israelites. Each of us is called and chosen by God to be on a pilgrimage on this earth. At times we have to forego the familiar comforts and routine so that God may speak to our hearts in a new and surprising way. The goal of our pilgrimage is to encounter Jesus and and to follow his divine plan. Inevitably, temptations along our pilgrimage spoil God’s plan for us. We believe that by embracing the temptations we are enhancing or improving upon God’s plan rather than trying to appreciate the mystery of His plan. Unhappiness enters into our lives because we place obstacles between ourselves and God. We want to control or possess the plan rather than letting the mystery unfold in His time. While trying to control the outcome, anxiety is born and happiness disappears.
Jesus offers us a more excellent way by embracing the way of the cross. He said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own… The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him." Jesus totally aligned his thoughts and actions with that of his Father’s, thus there was peace and harmony between Jesus and the Father. Jesus shows us that true love of God consists in carrying out God’s will. If we want to align our daily lives closely to God’s will, we need to ask ourselves these questions, “What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What ought I do for Christ?” If we want to show God our love in what we do, all our actions, even the smallest, must spring from our love of God.
The pilgrim must have felt the same way as the Israelites who were grumbling to Moses and God as their patience was worn out from the long, arduous journey. The incident of the seraph serpents attacking the grumbling Israelites occurred near the end of their journey to the Promised Land. They would have rather turned back to the familiar slavery in Egypt than put up with uncertain path, hardships, and the future.
In many ways, we are like the Israelites. Each of us is called and chosen by God to be on a pilgrimage on this earth. At times we have to forego the familiar comforts and routine so that God may speak to our hearts in a new and surprising way. The goal of our pilgrimage is to encounter Jesus and and to follow his divine plan. Inevitably, temptations along our pilgrimage spoil God’s plan for us. We believe that by embracing the temptations we are enhancing or improving upon God’s plan rather than trying to appreciate the mystery of His plan. Unhappiness enters into our lives because we place obstacles between ourselves and God. We want to control or possess the plan rather than letting the mystery unfold in His time. While trying to control the outcome, anxiety is born and happiness disappears.
Jesus offers us a more excellent way by embracing the way of the cross. He said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own… The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him." Jesus totally aligned his thoughts and actions with that of his Father’s, thus there was peace and harmony between Jesus and the Father. Jesus shows us that true love of God consists in carrying out God’s will. If we want to align our daily lives closely to God’s will, we need to ask ourselves these questions, “What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What ought I do for Christ?” If we want to show God our love in what we do, all our actions, even the smallest, must spring from our love of God.
