Precepts

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

                                                             Precepts

God's Instructions

Virtue   Morality   Spirituality

Give the Heart Joy

Bestowed

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:  Psalm 19:8 and 9

The law of God is perfect.

It breathes new life into our souls.

The precepts of God are trustworthy.

They give wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are true.

They bring joy to our hearts.

Reflection

Have you ever thought how important precepts, commandments, and laws are? They help us to know how we should act towards others, and they help to promote a safe society. Without precepts our world could degenerate into chaos very easily.

We are blessed to have instructions from God. We find these in the scriptures. The most famous of these is the Ten Commandments. 

The purpose of these instructions is to lead us to act with virtue. If we are trying to decide the right path to follow, we can choose the path of virtue. 

For example, a certain situation might call us to act with courage. Others might be choosing a path that is easier, and we might be tempted to go along. They might be talking negatively about someone and ruining their reputation. In following the virtue of courage, we can change the conversation and try to move everyone in a different direction.

This always involves a risk. Some people might get upset with us because they get a certain satisfaction in putting someone down. We are called to follow a different path.

We want to develop a moral sense and to try to do what is right and just. This moral sensitivity leads us to a spirituality that binds us closer to God in our everyday lives and choices. We want to follow God more completely.

Following God and the precepts we have been given, fill our hearts with true joy. We know that what we are doing is lead by the Wisdom of God. Our joy overflows because we feel the presence of God in what we are trying to do. 

God has bestowed these precepts on us to help us to love more deeply. We are called to establish a kingdom of justice by treating our sisters and brothers with respect and fairness.

Our challenge is to take the precepts that we have been given by God and to live them every day so as to lift others up and build a more just society.

1. How important are precepts in your life?

2. How do you try to choose the path of virtue?

3. Has following the precepts of God led you to a deeper sense of joy in your life?

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

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

Embrace

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Embrace

Sacred   Acceptance

Cultivate   Humility   Service

Lord Uphold My Life

Love

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   Mark 9:35 to 37

Jesus sat down and called the Twelve Apostles and said to them: "If you wish to be first, you should take the last place and be of service to everyone else."

Jesus then took a child and placed the child with them. He embraced the child and said: "If you receive even one child in My name, you are receiving Me. When you receive Me, you are receiving the One who sent me."

Psalm 54: 6b

The Lord upholds my life.

Reflection

The embrace of Jesus. How amazing is that! How good will that feel!

Jesus shows the Apostles what that embrace really means when He embraces the child. This is what Jesus has come for. This is what Jesus wants to give to each one of us. Jesus shows the Apostles that to follow Him it will not be about position, status, or power. The key ingredient is to serve others just as Jesus does.

You might look at this episode and say that Jesus should not be wasting His time with children. For Jesus that is just the point. When you embrace someone with love, it is never a waste of time.

Put yourself in the sandals of that young child. Would you ever forget that embrace?

Jesus points out that when you also embrace a child in the way Jesus did, you will be receiving Him. Jesus is telling us that He will come to us and He will lead us to the Father. 

This shows us how deeply He loves us. He wants to come to us. He wants to lead us to the Father. 

When we are not concerned about our position, we are simply free to help others and to embrace them. We know that it is not about us. It's always about what we can give to someone else.

We know that we can be of service because, as the psalmist tells us, the Lord upholds us. We will not be abandoned to be of service and to embrace others by ourselves. The Lord will guide us. 

Enjoy that embrace!

1. Have you ever felt the embrace of Jesus?

2. Why is power and position such a temptation for us?

3. If we focus on reaching out to children in our ministries, are we just wasting our time?

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

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

Ephphatha

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Ephphatha

Be   Opened

Choose    Fear   Not

Lord Sets Captives Free

Justice

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   Mark 7:33 to 35

Jesus took the deaf man who had a speech impediment off by himself and apart from the crowd. Jesus put his finger into the man's ears and, spitting, touched his tongue.

Jesus looked up to heaven and cried out. He then said to the man "Ephphatha!" (that is, "Be opened!").

The man's ears opened immediately, and his speech impediment disappeared. He spoke clearly.

James 2:5

Pay attention my dear friends. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that God prepares for those who love the Holy One?

Isaiah 35:4

The Lord says: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God.

Psalm 146:6 and 7

The God of Jacob always keeps faith and secures justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets captives free.

Reflection

In our reading from Mark, Jesus performs an amazing miracle. He heals a man who is deaf and who has a speech impediment in an unusual way. He is very physical in this healing. He uses his fingers and some spittle and a loud groan to accomplish this wonder. You get the impression that this was not easy for Jesus. 

Jesus then says, "Ephphatha". He prays that this man's ears will be opened. As we see this miracle take place, we reflect on our own need to be open to the message that Jesus wants to share with us. Jesus has come as a healer. We can bring our needs to Him if we also are open to trusting in what He can accomplish in our lives.

James reminds us that openness (Ephphatha) is not connected to our bank account. God chooses us and we are called to respond. It is never based on how much money we have. It is all about our faith and our trust in God. 

God has chosen us to be part of the Kingdom of God. If we love God, we are heirs of the great feast that God is preparing. 

What are the obstacles that we face to truly loving God? Isaiah points out that it is our fear that can cripple us. We can feel that we are not worthy of God's Love. We can feel alone. We need to be strong and to trust that God will always be with us to help us overcome those moments of fear and doubt which come to everyone.

The psalmist reminds us in Psalm 146 that when we are captive to those fears which will come, the Lord will set us free. God knows that we need the healing that the man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking asked from Jesus. 

Jesus wants us to be opened to the grace that He wants to give us. God wants to bring justice to those who are oppressed. The Lord hears the cry of those who are hungry and in need and works through us to help others, to lift them up, to heal them. 

We have to be open (Ephphatha) to the power of God working through all of us. The seemingly little acts of love we do for others each day will bring hope, kindness, and justice to our sisters and brothers.

Are you open?

1. Are you open to the message that Jesus wants to share with you?

2. How important is money in responding to God's choice of us?

3. What are some of the obstacles that you face to accepting God's Love?

4. What fears have held you captive?

5. How can we bring justice to the oppressed today?

6. What do you see as you meditate on Kathy's photo?

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