“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect.” (Rom 12:2)
The word “transformation” in its literal meaning indicates a change of the form or makeup of something. Given that understanding, spiritual transformation calls for the change of the way we view things, the way we make choices, the way we understand things. We have been formed in our thinking and willing by our environment, by the morals of society, by the shifting of opinions. Years ago, prayer was part of our public life, whether in school or at home. Today prayer is relegated to a private matter. Over two centuries ago this country was founded on the principles of religious freedom; God was part of our public life. Today, separation of church and state is interpreted as to mean no mention of God in schools or public places; prayer is to be non-descript at least and non-existent at best. By the effort of a small minority, we are being transformed from a God-fearing nation to a God-absent nation. We are gradually becoming more pagan and immoral than ancient Rome and Greece; more barbarous and violent than the worse times in the Dark Ages; we have aborted more children than all those killed in the Holocaust.
Transformation is the answer. It is the revelation of the Word of God to us. This transformation is at the heart of our spiritual journey to holiness. Permit me to quickly sketch out the steps to the holiness God desires for us. Each of these steps is prepared for and experienced as a result of the gift of grace from God. It is this initiative of God, who loves us first, which enables us to respond to the call of God to be holy. (To be continued)
Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
· The great mercy: she had been barren for many years and was past child-bearing age when she conceived.
· How has God shown his great mercy to you?
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
· Through circumcision the male child became covenanted to Yahweh and was incorporated into the People of God.
· Baptism for us goes beyond circumcision. We share the very life of God as his son or daughter and are freed from all sin and alienation from God.
· “John” was the name given to him by God through the angel, when his conception was prophesied.
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
· Remember Zechariah has been unable to speak once the angel revealed God’s plan and seemingly Zechariah had some doubts.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed.
· It was the role of the father to name the child. He confirmed Elizabeth’s decision, However, the people were amazed because he who was mute before the conception of the child is now able to speak after the birth of the child.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.
· Zechariah’s faith and obedience to God led to his healing.
· How submissive and obedient are we to God’s plan in our life?
Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
· First, the conception was a miracle. Second, the freedom from muteness was a miracle. No wonder the people were amazed and questioned the future of this child in God’s plan.
· Where do we see God working in our lives and in the lives of others?
What does this culture of death look like? It is an attempt to capture the mind and will of people and to shape the moral values not according to the Gospel of life but the gospel of profit, not according to the Gospel of truth but the gospel of deception, not according to the Gospel of the Commandments but the gospel of pleasure and satisfaction, not according to the Gospel of faith but the gospel of feelings, not according to the Gospel of the one true God but the gospel of the gods secularism and materialism.
What are the slogans of the culture of death and the gospel of the world? Might makes right; me first; if it feels good, it must be good; everybody is doing it; there is no objective truth or morality, everything is subjective and relative; the rights of the individual is supreme over all other rights; it is a woman’s right to choose to conceive or not, to abort or not; it is a dog eat dog world.
What are some of the fruits of this culture of death and the gospel of pleasure and satisfaction?
1) Millions of abortions performed each year.
2) Over 1 million children have been abused each year.
3) Each year several million of teens infected with a sexually transmitted disease each year
4) Over 10,000 people between the ages of 16 and 24 die each year in alcohol-related accidents of various kinds.
6) More than one million divorces occur per year in the US; A steady rise in the number of single-parent householders; one third of all school-aged children live with one parent; in more than 50% of all households, both parents must seek employment outside the home; mobility: more than 20% of American families change their residence annually or more often.
7) It is estimated that right now around the globe, there are 170 million drug abusers.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
What is the answer? “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect.”
Today, we will begin a reflection on Romans 12:2.
“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect.”
If we are looking for a way to grow in the life of God, this passage from Rom 12:2 is a good place to start.
Paul was well aware of his own era and the difficulties it presented to the baptized Christians, who had died to sin and lived in Christ through Baptism. It was an era which he described thus: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the irreligious and perverse spirit of men who, in this perversity of theirs, hinder the truth....They certainly had knowledge of God, yet they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks; they stultified themselves through speculating to no purpose, and their senseless hearts were darkened. They claimed to be wise, but turned into fools instead; they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images representing mortal men... In consequence, God delivered them up in their lusts to unclean practices; they engaged in the mutual degradation of their bodies, these men who exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator...They are filled with every kind of wickedness: maliciousness, greed, ill will, envy, murder, bickering, deceit, craftiness. They are gossips and slanders, they hate God, are insolent, haughty, boastful, ingenious in their wrongdoing and rebellious....One sees in them men without conscience, without loyalty, without affection, without pity.”(Rom 18-31)
How different is our culture and environment today? Not much, maybe worse. Paul sought to change the culture he lived in; but was more concerned with changing the response of the true believers and followers of Jesus to the culture. In the thoughts of John Paul II, we are to evangelize the culture rather than to let the culture influence and change us. Like Paul and the early Christians, we are faced with a culture of death; we are to create for ourselves and live in a culture of life. (To be continued)
The purpose of each of these oases of deep spiritual springs in the desert journey is to enable us to confront sin in our lives. It is only when we are ready to let go control of this area of our life, to allow God through his power to crush the hardness of our heart, to yield to the Lord's timing and process, that a break through can take place and we can be transported to new spiritual heights. Only then can the desert journey end for the time being until God calls us once more to grow into greater holiness.
It is God who leads us into the desert. Listen to the words of the prophet Hosea concerning the infidelity of Israel: "So I will allure her, I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart" (Hosea 2:16). And when we are ready to respond to the Lord again with our whole heart, it is God who leads us out of the desert. Again, listen to the joyful words of God through the mouth of the same prophet: "I will espouse you to me forever; I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord....I will say...'You are my people,' and (you) shall say, 'My God.'" (Hosea 2: 21-22, 25) (Concluded)
One of the oasis which seems the strangest in our journey is the one where God reminds us that we must learn to live in the present moment and not in the past or the future. For it is only in the present moment that we are can respond to the call to serve the other. It is in this present moment we are invited by God not to focus on our own struggle and need but on the need of the other, to die to self and to be life-giving to another. Like the other oases, we do not understand God's ways. Helping another, reaching out unconditionally, loving when we feel unloved and incapable of loving anyone, seem to be not what is needed at the moment in our life. And yet Jesus insists that this is indeed important. "I solemnly assure you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. The man who loves his life loses it, while the man who hates his life in this world preserves it to life eternal. If anyone would serve me, let him follow me, where I am, there will my servant be. If anyone serves me, him the Father will honor" (John 12:24-27). (To be continued)
The Word of God serves as another place of rest and refurbishing. Recall the words of Paul to Timothy: "You have known the sacred Scriptures, the source of the wisdom which through faith in Jesus Christ leads to salvation. All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching--for reproof, correction, and training in holiness, so that the man of God may be fully competent and equipped for every good work"(2 Tim 3:15-17).
Even though the words found in the scripture also seem to have no meaning for us at the time we are in the spiritual desert, by faithfully immersing ourselves in the Word, we will fortify ourselves for the journey ahead. The scriptures help us keep our eyes and heart fixed upon the Lord who we still see only in faith. With Paul we can attest: "We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is unseen. What is seen is transitory; what is unseen lasts forever....We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 4:17-18; 5:7).(To be continued)
