No Need for Rationing

~~~ Saint Joseph, the Worker ~~~

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 5:27-33 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ John 3:31-36 ~~~

Just think for a moment; if the elders of the Sanhedrin 

had been able to carry out their plan where would we be today?

The Apostles were so filled with the Spirit

 that there was no chance of getting them to keep quiet.

...the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.

When Jesus left the Apostles for the last time,
he commissioned them to continue delivering
the message he modeled for them.
Now that they were filled with the Holy Spirit
 they simultaneously were charged with confidence.

He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.

We know some of the Apostles better than others,
like Peter, James, John, Judas etc.
but they were all gifted by the Spirit.
Perhaps the elders wanted to impose a sort of rationing
where they were given the greater portion.
These men of God were threatening to take some of their portion.
We can see just how flawed their thinking was then.

This is how the dictionary defines
Ration...allow a person to have a fixed amount of a something.

Typically rations are imposed when there is a shortage of some kind.
The demand is greater than the available provisions.
God never has the need to ration;
he is abundance in all things.

God freely gives the gift of the Spirit to all who come to him.
Man made up the word ration, it does not come from God.
To ration would be totally foreign to him.

He wants to love and forgive without rationing.
We have been given the capacity to keep
on loving no matter what happens.
We also have the capacity to forgive the most heinous
transgressions against us.

Recently I saw a story of great forgiveness.
There was a convicted murderer who was about to be publicly
hung in the town square. 

As you might imagine this was in Iran.
Traditionally a family member comes forward to kick the chair
away thus hanging the convict.

The mother of the victim came forward,
slapped the convict in the face.
She stood there for a moment and to everyone's surprise
she did not kick the chair away.
Instead she reached up and removed the executioners
 noose from his neck.

A ration is a fixed portion...
This woman exhibited way more than a fixed portion of forgiveness
 toward the person who had killed her son.

When you ration something it is doled out in a controlled manner.
God gave everything to the Son who in turn gives us all.

Can you imagine a God who would ration anything?
I cannot.
What if, you were only given
 a certain amount of grace from God?
What if, when you had used
your ration there would be no more?

We might actually be better off today if
our available sugar was rationed.
Perhaps we would have fewer cases of diabetes.

Rations serve a purpose for the military out in the field.
But, when it comes to God, even the word 'ration' has no meaning.

Whatever gifts God gives you,
through the Holy Spirit, will never be depleted.
The more we access these gifts the more abundant they become.

No matter how many people you love
it is impossible to run out of love.

We are Blessed because with God there is no scarcity;
there is no portion control, there is only abundance.
There is no need for rationing.
~~~ Peace ~~~

How Does One See Clearly?

 ~~~ Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier~~~

~~~ Isaiah 11:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 72 ~~~ Luke 10:21-24 ~~ 

 

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see...

Being a disciple of Jesus does have its privileges.
It also comes with responsibilities.
Jesus wants to make sure that the disciples
understand how lucky they are to be among his followers.
He reminds them that they are Blessed.

We too are blessed through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The wonders of the Son will spring forth from the stump of Jesse.

A tree stump appears to be dead...all traces of life gone.
This is where hope springs forth, from what appears to be dead.
When this stump shows signs of life there is rejoicing throughout the land.
Jesus is this new life...the perfect life,
filled with the abundant blessings of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him...

Today we reference this passage for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
These gifts are recognized at the time of our Confirmation.
They grow and continue to develop throughout our life.
 

 

I have the desire to see what is being made visible to me.

Some days I need the assistance of my corrective lens.

Some days it seems as if I have cataracts covering my eyes.

Some days my vision is blurry, cloudy;

things just seem out of focus.

It is those days in particular that I must remember

 to pray for more grace from the Holy Spirit.

  

 Today let us pray for those who have closed their eyes,
refusing to see what is being revealed to them.

Whenever I am able 'to see' something clearly for the first time;
that is when I know I am blessed.
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord.
I want to love like you.