09/06/2024

As we live out our lives, our time on earth, we have to conform to the will of God which is revealed to us by the Scriptures and by our consciences which we have to choose to keep open to be formed by the Holy Spirit.

St Paul tells us that our outer man, our bodies, decay but the inner man, our souls are renewed by the Holy Spirit. The older we get the more aware we become of bodily decay but our souls can still be the never changing/ever growing centre of our being. 

The Psalm begins in the pain of our humanity when we have separated ourselves from God. It is our sinful selves. In the first reading Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent but their and all subsequent sins are our own. Our EverGreater, PerfectBeing, IAMIAM, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Unbounded Freedom cannot turn a blind eye to the fact of our rejection of his Love by misuse of his Gift of Human Freedom. Today's Psalm  becomes thanks for and recognition of the Loving Mercy that is the Being of Our Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In the Gospel, his human family, which is totally embarrassed by the public beginnings of Jesus revelation of himself, they count it as notoriety, are not rejected by the adult Jesus. At the age of thirty, he is a complete adult male and is free to worship with the other men in the Temple or Synagogue. He is His Father's Eternal Word revealed within the confines of a truly human body. His rebuke is directed at those who think that there is ever a valid reason to interrupt the Word of God.

Our earth has never seen the equal of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the total perfection of God in what is the perfected human body. He is father, mother, brother and sister of the whole  human family and through his life, death and resurrection continues to bring the Holy Spirit into our lives. He is the salvation that only each one of us can let into our individuality and so into history. We cannot find blame for our sins other than in our misuse of freedom. May God protect me from the "unforgiveable sin".

Mary was never excluded by Jesus. How could he who was first borne by Theotokos ever deny the immaculate source of his humanity?

Dear Lord, today's readings are the summation of  the meaning of Your Creation that is and is known by human life. Help me to keep your teaching to the forefront of my mind so that I can avoid the pain that my sins create for me. Let me know that all humans are your family and let me avoid doing harm to anyone in thought, word or deed. Help me join your mission to spread the Good News by directing a first reader to these prayers and meditations that have arisen out of disappointment in the institution that became "of this world" very early  and the corruptor of many throughout its history.