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Do notremember those old things, he says, as if you had eyes for nothingbut what happened long ago; I mean to perform new wonders; even nowthey are coming to the birth; surely you will understand at last?
- Isaias 43.18-19a, Knox Bible.
I have cometo a place of new optimism in my life, but it is relatively recentwith me. I have not always felt this way.
My childrenare grown. I am in middle age. I have a secure job (especially forthese times), but not working in my field of study (which isdisappointing). I have been a Christian all my life, but came closeto apostasizing in my thirties, and have gone through a few differentchanges in my spirituality and beliefs. I have struggled withdepression much of my life.
Butrecently, I have come to this place where I am hopeful. I havelearned to enjoy life, and to not get too discouraged when things arehard. Many challenges are still in my life.
Part ofwhat maintains my spirit is being able to enjoy life. I enjoy musica lot. I am deriving a lot of joy from the aesthetic aspects of myfaith: liturgy, sacraments, symbolism. I have started playing musicagain for the first time in many years. I am writing a novel. I havemy blog which is fairly active. I have learned to love beauty-beautiful women, beautiful music, beautiful poetry. Dostoevsky saidthat the world will be saved by beauty.
More basicto my new found optimism is my faith. I have learned to accept God asa trustworthy Being. I have given God my trust.
The Dailyoffice readings are full of hope today. I was struck especially bythe lovely rendering of Monsignor Knox's translation of Isaiah43:18-19a: Do not remember those old things, he says, as if youhad eyes for nothing but what happened long ago; I mean to performnew wonders; even now they are coming to the birth; surely you willunderstand at last?
Ilove it; do not remember the things of old; do not remember your pastfailures, your lost loves, your past glory, now lost; look to the newwonders God is performing in your life, they ARE coming tobirth!
Oneof the ways I build my faith is reading the Holy Scriptures. Today inthe Book of Joshua we read:
The lawthou hast in writing must govern every utterance of thine; night andday thou must ponder over it, so as to carry out all the terms of itfaithfully; so wilt thou guide thy steps truly and prosper. Courageand a man’s part, that is what I ask of thee; no room for fear andshrinking back, when the Lord thy God is at thy side wherever thougoest.
- Josue 1.8-9, Knox Bible
TheSacred Scriptures are able to give us faith. They promote faith. AsJoshua and the people of Israel prepared to embark on the conquest ofthe land, God enjoined them to read the Scriptures, to ponder them.We read during Christmas time how Mary “pondered” the events ofChrist's coming. We are to ponder the meaning of the Scriptures; wemust insert our selves into the narrative of the Bible. We are tomake the Bible's story our story.
Throughthe practice of lectio divina, Divine Reading,(meditative reading of the Scriptures), we can be filled with theHoly Spirit. The Scriptures give us hope (Romans 15.4). We let thewords of Scripture inform our prayer.
Armed withthe Scriptures and filled with the Holy Ghost, you can face life withconfidence and optimism, knowing that the Lord thy God is at thyside wherever thou goest.
Bathe yourintellect with the Scriptures. They are the Word of Christ.
Jesus saysin today's Gospel: Aslong as you live on in me, and my words live on in you, you will beable to make what request you will, and have it granted.- John 15.7.
Someof my friends downplay verses like this, sometimes out of a vigilanceagainst the “prosperity gospel,” and also because we know thatlife sometimes is hard, and that things often do not work out the waywe want or need.
However,this is Our Lord speaking in this passage. He is telling us that ifwe fill ourselves with His words, we will make our requests and havethem granted. Jesus often chides people in the Gospels for their lackof faith. Jesus WANTS us to make our requests known to God, HisFather (Our Father!) in His Name, and to bear fruit: Thetask I have appointed you is to go out and bear fruit, fruit whichwill endure; so that every request you make of the Father in my namemay be granted you. - John15.6.
Do we daretake Christ at His word? Are we willing to re-write the narrative ofour lives? Are we willing to allow God to perform a new wonder, andgive it birth in our lives? Can we face life with optimism, withhope, for the future? Can we leave behind, all our past sins,failures, mistakes, and look instead to God's guidance, to Christwalking along our side? As the Scriptures say today: “Do notremember those old things, he says, as if you had eyes for nothingbut what happened long ago...”
God doeswant to do something new in our lives- in my life, and in your life.This is not “positive thinking,” or a “prosperity gospel;”this is what God reveals in the Word. God calls us to faith! Yes,life will be hard sometimes, but Christ promises us to walk with us.But dare to dream BIG, and do not be ashamed to ask for your needs inprayer, and for guidance from God about our goals and our future. Indoing this, you bring God glory.
“TheGlory of God is the human person fully alive!” - Ireneaus of Lyons,2nd Century.
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