The Faith of a Foreigner

~~~ Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 ~~~ Psalm 67 ~~~ Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 15:21-28 ~~~ 

The Canaanite woman argues with Jesus, makes her point, 

and gets blessed with his mercy and compassion.

Is it possible for us to change God's mind?

This woman took a risk. She felt she had nothing to loose,

 since her daughter was so ill.

I was thinking about the two health care workers

 who recently contracted the Ebola virus.

They agreed to be given an untested experimental cure, 

because they had nothing to loose.

They would most likely have died, so they took the chance.

It seems to be working, but if it had not they would

 have given much needed results to the doctors.

The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,

ministering to him,

loving the name of the LORD,

and becoming his servants—

...them I will bring to my holy mountain

and make joyful in my house of prayer;

The Canaanite woman was a foreigner, but that did not
 stop her from coming to Jesus.

Her faith, in contrast to many others
 who even walked with Jesus, was greater.

She was not going to take 'no' for an answer.
She was not going to turn and walk away quietly.

How many times do we get discouraged
when we think God is not listening...
when it seems he is not going to answer our prayers?

There is much we can learn from these few verses.
Jesus appeared to be turning this mother away.
Her plea seems to have fallen on deaf ears,
in the end her daughter was healed.

This may have been the instant in time when Jesus redefined his mission.
Was he only sent to save the people of Israel
or was there a more inclusive plan?

Anyone who has faith will not be turned away.
Anyone who has faith will not be denied the mercy of the Lord.

Sometimes we find ourselves feeling like a foreigner,
estranged from Jesus.
This is exactly when we need to come to him with these words...

Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! 

Jesus will answer our prayers even
 in those times when we feel as if we are foreigners.

A foreigner with faith is better than a member with little or no faith.

There is always a blessing to increase our faith...
a blessing to exercise our faith...

a blessing to speak to the Lord of our needs.
~~~Peace~~~

The Glory Within

1 Cor. 10: 31- 11:1

"Brothers and sisters:

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,

do everything for the glory of God."

Today's reflection is taken from a prayer service I wrote a few weeks ago for this scripture verse from 1 Corinthians. St. Paul's writings are rich with meaning for us years after they were written. This is proof to me that scripture is the 'Living Word' of God. Living because it is ever changing in it's ability to speak to whom ever is reading...in whatever language...in whatever era.

(Written January 2012)

Paul asks, in his letter to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you?” 1Cor. 3:16

The Glory of God lives inside of you. At the time of your conception God looked upon you and gave you the precious gift of life. From that day forward the world would be changed. There could be no other life like yours. You would be the one God would use to touch another’s life. If it were not for you then things would not be the same.

At your baptism you were given the light of Christ. You were called then to live in that light. You were brought into the company of Jesus. You were given the light of Christ in preparation for the day when you would be the bearer of this light for all to see.

Along with this gift of light came glory, the Glory of God himself. Even as a baby we reflect God’s glory. I am sure you would agree that a baby gives glory to God, whether he or she is laughing, crying, eating or sleeping. A baby’s smile is truly a reflection of God’s glory. The bright sparkle in their eyes reminds us of God’s glory.

The glory of God was never meant to stay contained within your heart. It was always his plan for you to make visible his glory in all that you do. It was always his plan for you to show this glory to others. He may not call us to be a great leader of the nation. He may not ask us to become the next Mother Teresa. He does ask us to reflect his Glory.

As we grow older this internal glory gets shrouded and covered by life until eventually it is just a tiny glimmer. A glimmer that we cannot believe has ever been brighter. Look deep inside for this glory and start to let it shine forth. Allow it to warm you and fill you...extend it out to others.

God asks us to find his glory within and reflect it back to him. Reflect his glory back in all ways great and small. In fact he invites us in 'whatever we do to do it all for his glory even eating and drinking'. Thus, reflecting back to him; in all the ways that he too reflected the glory of the Father while he walked this earth.

We are so fortunate because Jesus came to show us the way. We do not have to wonder how to give God glory.  If we but pick up the Bible; look closely at any of the stories through the eyes of glory, we will see what it means to do all for the glory of God. Every time Jesus reached out to another person he was reflecting the glory of God the Father. Often just his presence or the sound of his voice was sufficient to glorify God.

I invite you to take a moment and recall your favorite story about Jesus...

Now think about how in this situation Jesus reflected the Father’s glory.

He is always there beside us...literally inside of us. His light given to us at Baptism is all the confirmation we need to believe that we can do all for the glory of God.

Consider how all of creation gives glory to God through sheer existence, they cannot make the choice. But we are blessed because we have the power to make the conscious decision to give God glory throughout our life.

So I invite you to spend some time identifying how you reflect God’s Glory to those around you. This is not a boastful exercise instead it is an exercise in honesty, for only you know when you are truly reflecting the Glory of God.

It is already inside of you, this Glory of God, let it out...let it stream forth like a beacon from your being. You will not only be a better person you will be a more joyful person if you strive to live your life for the glory of God.

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela

"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." 1 Cor 11:1

The original picture is of a woman's hands splashing water. No matter what you are doing allow the glory of God to permeate your world.

This captured kaleidoscope image to me shows the glory of God pouring forth

from the center reaching to the edge.

Your smile alone can reflect God's glory to another person you meet today.