Sirach,
Chapter 2, Verse 15-17
15
Those who fear the Lord do not
disobey his words; those who love him keep his ways. 16
Those who fear the Lord seek to
please him; those who love him are filled with his law. 17
Those who fear the Lord prepare their
hearts and humble themselves before him.
Ben Sira gives a stern warning to those who
compromise their faith in time of affliction; they fail in courage and trust
and therefore have no security (vv. 12–14). But those who fear
the Lord through obedience, reverence, love, and humility find his “mercy equal
to his majesty” (vv. 15–18).[1]
“Perfect
love casts out all fear.” Many of us
are conscious of our sins and failures. The older we get, the more we become
aware that we have not measured up to what God had in mind for us from all
eternity. We begin to worry about Judgment Day. Fear. Even when we are younger, if we have a good conscience, we
worry over our sins. Remember that God loved us so much that he sent his Son to
save us. Remember that Jesus gave his life for each of us personally. Remember
that God is not like us: He loves us with an everlasting love. We need to
realize this love of God so that it will cast out all fear from our hearts. We must
not be presumptive, but we must be
appreciative. Remember the musical “Fiddler on the Roof?” When they thought a
ghost appeared, they shouted and screamed to drive the ghost away. This is what
happens in the gospel: The disciples thought that Jesus was a ghost. They were
terrified and cried out: This means that the screamed and shouted in order to
drive the ghost away. But Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; it is I!” Jesus is always with us. We may not see him or
feel him, but he is always present to help us through the storms of life. Do
not be afraid. Perfect love casts out
all fear![2]
49 Godly Character Traits[3]
As we near the Advent season let us take up the nature of God by
reflecting on these traits that make us a model for our children and our
sisters and brothers in Christ. Today reflect on:
Attentiveness vs. Unconcern
Showing
the worth of a person by giving undivided attention to his words and emotions
(Hebrews 2:1)
2716 Contemplative
prayer is hearing the Word of God. Far from being
passive, such attentiveness is the obedience of faith, the unconditional
acceptance of a servant, and the loving commitment of a child. It participates
in the "Yes" of the Son become servant and the Fiat of God's lowly
handmaid.
Deep calls to deep… (Ps. 42)
Daily
Devotions
·
Please
pray for me and this ministry
No comments:
Post a Comment