Sufficient Grace

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

~~~ Ezekiel 2: 2-5 ~~~ Psalm 123 ~~~ 2Cor. 12: 7-10 ~~~ Mark 6: 1-6a ~~~

"As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into me
and set me on my feet,
and I heard the one who was speaking say to me..."

Ezekiel is confirming that you are compelled to get on your feet when

the spirit falls upon you. You are to be a person of action.

Jesus never did nothing...when he could act he did whether he was near or far.

When God spoke to the prophets it was not for them alone, but he always had a purpose. He always had an intended recipient. The prophet was not always well received but never the less delivered the message.

So many people are delivering messages today; it is a challenge to discern

those which are inspired by the spirit and those which are only self serving.

Sometimes those you least suspect may be filled with the spirit of the Lord.

Ezekiel goes on to admit when the spirit entered him he heard.

I am reminded of young Samuel who was at first confused,

but finally he was able to humbly say,

"Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."

(1Sam. 3:9)

We have no way of knowing in advance when or who the Lord will choose

to send the spirit upon. What does this mean for us?

I think it means to be open to whatever the Lord may send.

It means to pray that you will listen when he does speak to you.

This openness to the spirit of the Lord requires more than we might imagine.

St. Paul reassures us with these words of comfort and strength.

"My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness.
....for when I am weak, then I am strong."

God makes us strong in spite of what we preceive as our weakness.

Maybe our weakness is exactly what God uses to make us strong.

In our weakness he is more able to speak to us.

Maybe God uses our weakness to make us that much more aware that it is coming from him. Who else could use our human brokenness to bring about his good?

 When we realize that God is using our weakness,

 we can respond with wonder and awe every time.

 Pray that through grace your faith remain firm so the God may never

be able to say about you that...

"...He was amazed at their lack of faith."

We have so many reasons to believe.

Are you giving them notice?

Are you just taking them for granted?

His grace is sufficient to put you on your feet.

Go Forth!