“There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ” Although Jesus is God the Son, He doesn’t spend much time trying to get us to worship Him. In the Old Testament, God’s obvious preoccupation is getting the people to obey His commandments, to have no other gods, etc. God makes it very clear that He does not need anyone to do anything for Him: He doesn’t need our praise, sacrifice, or worship; He doesn’t need us to build Him a house, a temple, or a place to dwell. If we were to try to imitate God based on what we know of Him from the Old Testament, we wouldn’t make many friends. The world doesn’t revolve around us like it does for God. The Old Testament shows us that whether we like it or not, God must be the center and focus of everything. We could even become jealous of God if we lose sight of Him as the loving and merciful Creator.
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Sometime the Gospel of Saint John can leave us feeling a little left behind. The language this Gospel places on the lips of Christ as he explains His relationship with the Father surpasses our natural ability to understand. In our experience, and according to God’s design, the love of a mother and the love of a father are separated by gender. The full extent and bounty of love can most effectively be expressed by the two poles of human nature. God, the source and substance of love, could not have created beings who are able to love in ways unfamiliar or impossible to Himself. “Can He who made the ear not hear? Can He who formed the eye not see?” Can the one who created motherhood not love like a mother?
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Becoming Christian is like learning how to swim. The first thing you have to do is get wet – you’ll never learn to swim if you are still afraid of the water. Baptism is this first introduction to the Christian life: the body is immersed and the soul is cleansed. The water we are immersed in is Grace, it is the water of God’s mercy. Getting wet, especially if we are not used to it, can make us feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. God’s grace and forgiveness can feel a little like that when we are not used to it as well: humility is the virtue we need to welcome the destabilizing waves of God’s mercy and love.