Deacon Tom Writes,
“Light and Zest”
The Sacred Author of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote this graphic an insightful, if not disturbing, passage concerning the enduring truth about the Word of God when he penned these words, “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” Heb 4:12
It seems there is no shortage of problems in our world today. Look around and you see protesters carrying signs and placards supporting one cause or another, advocating one course of action over a different path forward, labeling one ideology good and those who stand in opposition to that way of thinking bad. We seem divided over many issues... the world seems to be in disarray. Where does one turn to find a meaningful message, one that inspires hope, gives us a path that we may follow that helps heal our social, spiritual, emotional, and mental maladies? Perhaps anyone who enters any of our Catholic Churches around the world today, February 5, 2023 will find some direction in these words from the Prophet Isaiah
Thus says the LORD:
Share your bread with the hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Isaiah goes on to say:
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
We don’t surrender our politics, our agendas, our experiences or hopes for the future when we enter Church to worship God. These are essential dimensions of our lives that are to be conformed and shaped by the Word and Sacrament that we receive when we participate in “the sacred mysteries” which bring us together as “the people of God” whenever we gather in his name.
We are faced with many challenges today; we have many factors dividing us into contentious fractions to put it mildly...toxic polarization. Where to begin to find a remedy? In good conscience, we must not overlook the cautionary and prophetic advice we find in Sacred Scripture, which, like a scalpel, cuts away all diseased ways of thinking for those seeking to be healed from their malady.
Jesus calls his disciples “the salt of the earth.” All who heard Jesus say this understood how valuable salt was as a preservative, an antiseptic, to enhance the flavor of food. Salt was a medium of exchange from which the word “salary” is derived. If we are to be the “salt of the earth” as Jesus called us to be, we must bring to the current debates the Christian values we find in Sacred Scripture that sees us all as God’s children and not just with our words but with our actions as well by bringing light and zest to the world around us. And the hardest part of all this, my brothers and sisters, is that first, we my embrace those very values Jesus teaches to rid ourselves of the toxins in our system.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Please Visit www.deaconspod.com for a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer.
OTHER RESOURCES
Recommended Reading: Immortal Diamond by Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM - A spiritual exploration of the True Self that can never be destroyed—only transformed to live in eternal Love.
Recommended YouTube Video: Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations Podcast - Father Richard Rohr: Finding Your True Self
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