Foreknowledge

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Foreknowledge

Image     Firstborn

Called    Justified     Glorified

An Active Creative Work

Divine Love

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Romans 8:28 to 30

All things work together for good for those who love God:

Those who are called according to the wisdom of God.

Those God foreknew, God predestined to be one with the image of Jesus.

Jesus is the firstborn among the sisters and brothers.

Those who are predestined have been called.

Those who have been called have been justified.

Those who have been justified have been glorified.

Reflection

St. Paul is exploring the knowledge of God in this passage from Romans. It is a challenge for us to even begin to comprehend what God knows.

God knows all, so God has a complete knowledge of us. God's foreknowledge is based on the Love God has for us. We have been called into being through Love for God is Love.

The Love that God has for us is complete and total. It far transcends any love that we can generate. 

That Love leads us to be one with Jesus. He calls us to follow Him so that we might have a deeper experience of God's Love. 

God's Love surrounded Jesus every moment He was on earth. Jesus brings that Love to us.

As we contemplate the foreknowledge of God, we can rest in that deep Love. We can look into the eyes of God and know how wonderfully we are Loved. 

God wants only Love for us. God's foreknowledge smiles down on us with Love.

It is the feeling we get when we look into the eyes of someone who truly loves us, someone who "gets" us. 

We bask in that feeling, and we are renewed by it. Rejoice in the foreknowledge of God---a God who will never stop Loving you!

1. How do you understand the knowledge of God?

2. How deeply does God Love you?

3. How is Jesus calling you to follow Him?

4. How do you feel when you look into the eyes of someone who loves you?

5. What do you see as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John j. McNamara)

Parable

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Parable

Simple     Story

Aiding     Teaching     Fulfilling

Those Who Seek Him

Truth

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture: Matthew 13: 34 and 35

Jesus spoke to the crowds about many things in parables. He spoke to them mainly in parables to fulfill the words of the prophet,

"I will speak in parables, I will proclaim all those truths that have been hidden from the beginning of the world."

Reflection

We often wonder why Jesus would use so many parables in speaking to the people of His day. It might seem to us that Jesus could have been clearer and more direct if He would just get to the point!

The parables were a great way for Jesus to give the people a message that they could both understand and remember. Jesus would use simple, everyday examples of things and situations that the people could relate to very easily.

Jesus spoke about seed, lamps, salt, weeds, lost coins, sons who wasted their inheritance, robbers and those who were beaten, lost sheep, and new wineskins. These were examples that the people encountered all the time. They could easily grasp the point that Jesus was trying to make.

Many of these examples are universal and can be easily followed today. We all know the importance of seed for our food and have to battle weeds all the time. In giving us these teachings, Jesus is leaving us with truths that can help us in our daily encounters.

The hidden truths that the prophet mentions become a little clearer for us. Jesus knows that we need concrete examples to uncover these truths. He is a Master Teacher.

The parables of Jesus both guide us and inspire us. Jesus is helping us to understand that the Kingdom He calls us to is being created each day in our simple yet profound encounters with each person we meet.

The parables call us to reflect more deeply on the gifts that Jesus wants to share with us. As we ponder these hidden truths, Jesus leads us to embrace all with His Love!

1. Why do you feel that Jesus used so many parables in His teaching?

2. Which parable speaks to your heart the most?

3. How have parables helped you uncover some hidden truths?

4. What does Kathy's photo say to you?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Word

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Word

Heart     Planted

Hear     Understand     Nurture

The Sower Seed Soil

Creation

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:    Matthew 13: 18 to 23

"Understand the parable of the sower. 

The seed that is sown in the path represents a person who hears the word about the kingdom but does not really grasp the meaning of the teaching. The evil one can comes and takes away what had been sown in this person's heart.

The seed sown on rocky ground represents a person who is very happy when it first comes. However, it is only on the surface and does not last long. When a hardship or persecution comes because of the word, this person gives up.

The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word of God but then gets anxious about the things of the world and gets concerned about riches. The word gets choked. The seed produces no fruit.

The seed that is sown in the rich soil is the person who hears the word and truly understands it. This person bears much fruit. The harvest is a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold."

Reflection

It is so hard to listen to the word. We are all surrounded by so many distractions. 

We are an "advanced" civilization. We have all the answers at our fingertips. Our phones lead us to true wisdom.

Why should we bother with God's Word? Isn't that old fashioned and out of date?

It seems the people to whom Jesus spoke about God's Kingdom had the same attitude. The distractions and attractions in their day were much more interesting than what Jesus offered. 

The evil one, worldly anxieties, hardships, persecutions are very powerful distractions. They can easily win out over the word. 

The problem is those distraction and attractions do not bear much fruit. They always leave us looking for more. 

They can feel good for awhile but then we can get tired of them and ask ourselves, "Is that all there is?".

Jesus knows that our hearts need to be nourished deeply and truly. He comes as the Word and with the words of eternal life. He wants to feed our deepest hungers.

Enjoy those meals!

1. What are the main distractions that you face that keep you from hearing the word?

2. Do you ever have the hunger for something more substantial in your life?

3. How has Jesus nourished you?

4. What does Kathy's photo say to you?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)  

Yoke

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Yoke

Of   Christ

Surrender   Trust   Yield

Come To Me     Rest

Dwell

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 11:28 to 30

"Come to Me, all you who work and carry a heavy load, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn my ways. I am meek and gentle of heart, and you will find rest when you dwell with Me. For My yoke is easy, and My burden light."

Reflection

When I think about yoke, I see two large animals working together with a plow to prepare the soil for planting. Because they are bound together, they are able to work more efficiently and accomplish so much more.

Jesus takes this everyday image and transforms it. He knows that we carry many burdens in our lives: our worries for family; our concerns about our community and our country; and our struggle to make ends meet. He invites us to come to Him with all our struggles and to give those to Him so we can find some relief.

He is inviting us to be yoked to Him. I picture closeness and intimacy with Jesus as He places His yoke around us and invites us to dwell with Him.

What an amazing invitation. All those worries and struggles can drag us down. Jesus does not want that for us. He wants us to thrive.

The words of Pope Francis to priests echo in my mind when I ponder this scripture. He always emphasizes that the priests should be careful to avoid placing any unnecessary burdens on penitents when they are hearing confessions. 

He urges the priests to follow the example of Jesus and to lighten the loads of those who come to them. It is a wonderful example for all of us to follow.

Let us stay yoked to Jesus and to share the rest and refreshment He wants to give to us with each person we meet. 

1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word yoke?

2. What burdens would you like to give to Jesus?

3. How do you feel when you think of being yoked to Jesus?

4. What do you feel as you ponder Kathy's photo?

(scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)