January 12, 2017
Thursday,
Week one, Year I
Hebrews 3:7-14; Psalm 95; Mark 1: 40-45.
Hebrews has given us
three reasons to seek knowledge of the mind and heart of Jesus through his
words:
First, who
he is in himself as the Son: “the reflection of God’s glory and the exact
imprint of God’s very being.”
Second, what
he became for us by taking our nature and experiencing our life, death and
sufferings: a credible authority on the way and truth of human living.
Third, how
he relates to us as the “merciful and faithful high priest” who has
compassion for our weakness and intercedes before God on our behalf.
Now the author urges us, on the strength of
this, “If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.”
Jesus is trustworthy,
as Moses was, only more so. Moses was a faithful servant bearing witness to
God’s household about things to come. “Christ, however, was faithful over God’s
house as a son.” All the more reason not to harden our hearts against him as
the people did under the leadership of Moses, causing God to swear in his anger
“They shall never enter into my rest.”[1]
Those who rebelled did not profit from the word
they heard, “for they did not receive it in faith.” They hardened their hearts
against the message that would have brought them into the promised land. The
author urges us to “encourage one another daily... so that no one grows
hardened by the deceit of sin.”
Why? Is this just moralizing? An exhortation not
to sin? No, it is an invitation, an encouragement to “enter into that rest”
which is promised by God. The rest Jesus promised when he said, “Take my yoke
upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls.” And “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done
for you.” John echoed him: “Let what you heard
from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning
abides in you, then you will abide in
the Son and in the Father.” In union with God is our rest, both here and
hereafter, now and forever.[2]
The Responsorial
Psalm urges us, “If today you hear
his voice, harden not your hearts.” The Liturgy
of the Word takes away the “if” and invites us to “hear his voice” at every
Mass. For:
in
the liturgy God speaks to his people
and Christ is still proclaiming his
Gospel. And the people respond to God both by song and by prayer.
In
the sacred books the Father who is in heaven
meets his children with great love and speaks
with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it
remains the support and energy of the Church.
God is really present in his word:
The
Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the
body of the Lord, since from the table of both the word of God and of the body
of Christ she unceasingly receives and offers to the faithful the bread of
life, especially in the sacred liturgy.[3]
Does this appeal to your heart? Does it make you
want to listen at Mass?
Meditation:
1.
Do I want
what God promises — here and hereafter?
2.
Do I believe I will find it by hearing and reading Scripture?
3. What have I found in Scripture that
has helped me?
4. Have I looked as I
should?
5. Now what will I do?
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