Saturday, January 3, 2015

God's Wonderful Plan



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Deacon Tom Writes ©
“God’s Wonderful Plan”


As we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany today we recall God’s immense love for his people and his coming to claims us as his own. The Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer tells us how the Father “revealed the mystery of our salvation in Christ as the light of the nations…” This light dawned on that first Christmas day when Mary gave birth to her Son Jesus, who is both son of God… and Son of Mary.

It was difficult for the Jews of Christ’s time to understand that God willed salvation for everyone; that salvation was not reserved for the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob alone. True, God revealed himself through the Jewish people, but God intended Christ’s redemptive work to be shared by ALL.

This Feast we enjoy today celebrates the reality that God has not restricted or limited the saving work of Jesus Christ. It is through this revealing Christ to the World that, again, in the words of the Preface, “you made us new by the glory of his (i.e. Christ’s) immortal nature.”  What an encouraging thought in light of the challenges we face today…that we can tap into this newness of life and love that Christ offers each of us.

None of us have the power to change things very much on a global scale. But, each of us can do something to show that we have been renewed by Christ’s love. We can do little things that make a difference in the lives of the people we encounter every day. We can pray for one another; we can visit someone mourning the loss of a loved one. We show that we have been renewed by Christ’s love whenever we visit a sick friend, welcome a stranger, give hope to the despairing, write a card to someone immobilized by old age or illness. We, ourselves, are renewed whenever we are animated as a member of the Body of Christ to be stewards of God’s grace or give witness to God’s transformative power over all things. We are renewed each time we realize God’s wonderful plan is to make all things new, even us.  Yes, our destiny is be remade in the image of Christ… “to put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth”(EPH 4:24).

Have a wonder-fill New Year sharing God’s love with everyone you meet!

Deacon Tom 

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