Monday in the Third Week of Lent - 2012
The gospel reading for today has more than a few way anyone can use it to strengthen a personal Jesus-relationship. Let us ask this question: "What is the message Jesus is trying to instill in hearts after a reading of the two biblical accounts?" More to the point what is the Holy Spirit whispering to you in your heart after you have read the two accounts?
So often we call upon God for help to cure whatever kinds of spiritual illnesses as well as physical ones that might be a cross that we are carrying. Yet, from all practical experiences it might seem that there is not response to our petitions. We might ask ourselves if we are acting like Naaman? Is what God gives us as an answer something so mundane that we give it little attention. There might not have been the flash of light that we expected to accompany a divine response.
Once again we need to recognize that God wants to help us so much yet we human beings, with our faults and blindnesses, cannot take the time to absent ourselves from the busyness of the day, from the distractions that prevent our opening our eyes to spend quiet time with the Lord, with the Holy Spirit and/or with the Father. During the season of Lent the Holy Spirit is seeking to be with us more closely than at other times of the year. Why? Because the Spirit desires that we strength our own relationship with Jesus Christ who endured the pains of Holy Week for each of us.
Each day of Lent is a time when the Holy Spirit is challenging us to believe, to trust that God will be at the ready for us IF we but take the time to listen to his words that are most likely whispered in our ears or coming to us from a most unlikely event or person.
