Hearts That Throb And Overflow

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Hearts That Throb And Overflow”

The Epiphany of the Lord, Year B

Isaiah gives us a vision of the future to inform us what God has in store for us. The only way he can describe it is to describe our reaction to the things God is planning. This is how he sums it up, he says that our “hearts will throb and overflow…at what we see”.

We have just celebrated Christmas, the birth of Christ, our Savior. The most ancient of prophecies has been fulfilled, and we have joined in the festivities. The good news has gone out to all the earth, into every nook and cranny, carried in the hearts and minds of believers throughout the ages. Christ came to restore what was lost – our union with the divine. As our celebrations wind down, we can ask ourselves these few questions. Are our hearts throbbing? Are we overflowing with joy, peace, and a clam inner spirit? Are we rejoicing because “the glory of the Lord” is shining in us? That’s what we celebrate today, God’ faithfulness to His promises of old, by repairing the breach that separated creatures from the creator, the human from the divine. What a cause for celebration!

The spirit of Epiphany is one of an awakening to all that surrounds us. Epiphany happens each and every day we chose to surrender ourselves to God and let Him guide our way, our thoughts, and our actions. This is what gets our hearts into a constant state of throbbing and keeps them that way. Yes, a new house... exciting for a while; a new car… fun, until the first dinger; the beach house…that will get the blood flowing during the summer. But where can we find the one thing that will fill all of our hearts desires and keep it throbbing? In the most unlikely place possible… in the very quiet within each of us; that place where God most high has chosen to dwell within us.

May the spirit of Christ dwelling within us cause our hearts to throb and overflow as we begin this New Year. And may the love within us reach out to others giving them comfort, hope, and joy so that their hearts may throb and overflow with the love of the Christ child.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

God's Wonderful Plan

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Deacon Tom Writes ©…

“God’s Wonderful Plan”

The Epiphany of the Lord

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