Today is Ascension in many dioceses - including here in Seattle. And so the 2nd reading today at Mass was from Ephesians ...
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe
A few thoughts. First of all ... can you imagine what the world would be like if we looked through the eyes of our enlightened hearts??
Second ... I was reminded today of the prayer that continually came to me when I first came back to the church 7 plus years ago. I wasn't sure what drew me back. Every Sunday (and soon enough every day at daily mass) I'd find myself sitting in the pews perplexed at this whole Catholic thing. But then this prayer would come to me from deep within ... "Open my heart to your love."
Simple. And powerful. And as always, one must be careful what one wishes/prays for. Look where it's led me!!
The moments when my own vocation journey has made the most sense have been when I have looked at it through the eyes of my heart. When I shut that door, avert my eyes or put on the me-centered sunglasses, that's when I feel lost.
Food for thought.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call
1 comment:
Yes, you have to be careful about your prayers! They can be mighty powerful. The other reading also spoke of the power that is available. Right before the Ascension, Jesus said "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...and you will be my witnesses."
When we got home from mass yesterday, my wife made vegetable lasagna for my Mom. She cooked the lasagna in the microwave for the recommended time, but when it was finished, it turned out as hard as a rock! At our age, we have trouble reading the fine print; she was supposed to use 50% power, not 100%!
God's mighty power, unleashed through prayer, will provide what we need to fulfill our calling. Enlightening the eyes of our heart will reveal the power that raised Jesus from the dead, which is available to us. [Fine print: His power is at 100% - this may result in sufferings, in being conformed to His death!] Phil. 3:10.
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