Word to the Wise
Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 28th Saturday in Ordinary Time
[Ephesians 1:15-23 and Luke 12:8-12]Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones, I do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call.....
There are many things that might be said of the words that begin the Letter to the Ephesians. Scripture scholars consider it to be a poem of universal or cosmic vision. This is followed by words of encouragement which I have quoted above. They are designed to enable the community to see itself in the light of that vision! What I want to highlight here is encouragement. I find that much of my ministry consists of encouragement. I meet so many people who have had discouraging experiences with church, family and friends and career. Discouragement is an enemy. It is an inevitable part of life on occasion, but it cannot be allowed to become a way of life. We have to see ourselves as part of a greater spiritual reality, as the Letter to the Ephesians proclaims. We also need to see ourselves as part of a network of friends and family and colleagues. Without that kind of support, the challenges of life can overwhelm. Even little things can get bigger than they have a right to be. The "spirit of wisdom and revelation" has a way of helping us get above some of the discouragements, great and small. When we read words like those in Ephesians, we can appreciate the power of encouragement and remember how important it is for us to do the same. AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
66 ms
4
