mystery revealed

Sep 6, 2021

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While you will find much food for faith in today’s gospel reading, it was the Colossians first reading that moved me most deeply.

Here’s why.

Too often I catch myself in action wrongly thinking and living as if the life that I seek is hidden from me. My thinking gets even more derailed when I lose sight of Jesus and fall back on a corrupted default image of a distant god who seems to be hiding and (when I get close) re-hiding my goal of abundant life.

This is where today’s first reading gives me hope.

Take a moment to ponder this:

“The message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints. It was God’s purpose to reveal it to them.”

And it’s really helpful to recall that this little (four-chapter) Colossians letter opens (Ch 1:1&2): “From Paul and Timothy, to the saints in Christ who are at Colossae.”

We are those saints simply because (like those to whom the letter was first addressed) we seek Jesus.

Then the reading continues, as if promoting this www.foodforfaith.org.nz mission which has as its central aim, to quote the text:

“so that your understanding may come to full development, until you really know God’s secret in which all the jewels of wisdom and knowledge are hidden”.

An Invitation

  • I am convinced (verified in my own experience) that what Paul and Timothy write is correct. The mystery we seek is revealed and easily accessible if we approach every moment of each day, every encounter and experience, both welcome and unwanted, expecting Jesus to reveal His presence. My problem is that I’m often looking outside of my reality and therefore miss the revelation. Today join me in seeing every person, every experience, every moment as a place of encounter with Jesus.
  • There were many great musicians and singers when I was in the seminary. When I hear today’s psalm 62, I remember us singing John Foley’s Only in God and as I remember I happily recall Trevor singing accompanied by Tod and Peter on guitar. Listen to John Foley sing this beautiful psalm at this link.

 

6 Comments

  1. Thank you Father John. I pray today to keep grounded in expecting Jesus to reveal himself to me. I start my day well with prayer and daily mass on line etc but then often find I get to my evening prayers and realise my day has gone by and I’ve forgotten to keep expecting to meet Jesus in the people I meet during my day.

    Reply
  2. GOD HAS SO MANY HIDDEN TREASURES!MAY I LEARN TO ENCOUNTER THEM IN EVERY SITUATION AND PERSON TODAY. THANK YOU FATHER JOHN MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU AND WRAP YOU IN HIS LOVE

    Reply
  3. I read from the Good News Bible, and was also struck by the reading from Colossians for the final words in chapter 2 vs 3: “He (Christ) is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge.”.
    I love how God’s truth is presented in various ways through the different translations of The Bible. It’s like getting a different flavour each time you taste the same dish!
    Blessings to you today

    Reply
  4. Beautiful song

    Reply
  5. Thank you John for putting in front of me once again the inspiration of John Foley’s music- he remains my favourite composer from those times and all of his works are equally moving and inspiring. God bless.

    Reply
  6. I love sitting in the garage on my own listening and looking. The main source of sound, light and breeze is the side door. I hear the sound of rustling cabbage tree leaves, the last of today’s bird chatter. Inside there are a mix of shadows and light, earthy smells. It does my soul good to sit in the garage. Today was the first of the next season of sitting in a comfy deck chair listening in the backyard bach (crib).

    Reply

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