|
|
||||||
|
Jesus reveals very much about Himself in today's teaching. "The seed is the word of God" and Jesus is that Word. The seed is the Divine life which He has come to share with us. How He longs to plant it in our hearts. He loves us so much that He wants to divinize us by sharing His Resurrected life with us. As He explains this parable, He is pleading with us to ascertain what is the level of receptivity to His Word. How easily we could be influenced by the polluted atmosphere of materialism and humanism enveloping us. Thus unwittingly we may be trampling the seed along the pathway of life. Likewise our response to His love might be enthusiastic at times but our ability to sustain and persevere in our efforts might be wanting. Again the thorns and briars of daily occupations might be choking off the influx of His divine life and love. Jesus' word has the power to cleanse, to mould, and to transform. Yes, it has the power to elicit a gracious, generous, loving response from us if we permit it to do so, if only we are receptive! Dear Lord, may we be eager for and receptive to Your Word. Amen. |
|
- END -
P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
| INTENTION : |
That artists may do all they can to help the men and women of today to discover the signs of God's providential love in creation.
|
|
The artist who can sculpt the stones of our heart to bring out the features of Christ is the Holy Spirit. However, he requires our responsiveness and docility. Conversion of heart is a work of an art jointly produced by the Spirit and our freedom. Artists, accustomed to shaping the most diverse materials according to the inspiration of their genius, know well the daily effort required to improve their life that resembles artistic work. Through his artistic creativity the artist accomplishes the task of shaping the "material" of his own humanity and then having dominion over the universe. There is a remarkable similarity between the art of forming oneself and that which takes place in the transformation of matter. God lets himself be glimpsed through the fascination of beauty. Artists can perceive a ray of supreme beauty among the many manifestations of the beautiful. It is then that art becomes a way to God and it spurs the artists to combine their creative talent with their commitment to a life of ever greater conformity to the divine law. Living profoundly their Christian faith, artists are encouraged to give birth to new "epiphanies" of the divine beauty reflected in creation. | |
|
- END - | |