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Deacon Tom Writes,
“Too Little To Ask?”
In today’s First Reading, Isaiah reminds his listeners
that God has great things in store for his people. Yes, Israel has fallen upon
difficult times and is in a state of decline. But, the day will come when God
will work wonders through his servant, Israel. Yes, too little is the work of raising up the tribes of Jacob and
restoring the survivors of Israel. God
has even greater plans for his Servant Israel, who will also ... “be the light of the nations that my
salvation may reach the ends of the earth”.
Now at the beginning of a new year is a good time to
reflect on how we are the beneficiaries of this ancient promise God made to
Isaiah. What has God revealing himself to the world meant to us? How do we
respond to his coming into our lives?
While reflecting on Isaiah’s reading, we might
consider how little God really asks of us in light of all we have received from him. We have so much to be grateful for; we all could probably amass a large
list, and yet God doesn’t overburden us with demands. He tells us simply to “love one another”, to share our food
with the poor, to be peaceful, to be honest, to consider others first. He is
not demanding that any of us end poverty, war, bigotry… No, he doesn’t demand
that any of us individually solve the problems of hunger or disease. But I
wonder if, just like servant Israel, God is just waiting for us to do our part,
no matter how little or insignificant that may be, so he can bless the work of
our hands and therefore bring to our troubled world the peace, justice and
goodness that he desires for us.
As we journey through this new year, one that may
prove challenging and exciting in many ways, let us all be mindful that we are
the torch bearers who bring the light of Christ to all those around us. May our
thoughts, actions and prayers find their source in our Lord Jesus Christ who
came to give us new life.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
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