A reflection on the daily readings, for Thursday of the Third Week of Advent, by Father Perry.
“You changed my life.”
Oh, these are famous words! These words are made for the movies! We hear them all the time. Somebody has told them about us.
We, no doubt, have said them about others: a teacher, a coach, an uncle or aunt, a friend, the author of a book.
And to be quite frank, it usually has happened to us at a low point in our lives, or in a special need, or just because we found ourselves truly open.
And so, it should be no surprise that Israel heard the voice of God saying it to them. He even called them “his spouse”; and Isaiah puts it so superbly and dramatically: “Your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, called God of all the earth.”
Then, as if to tempt, but really to clearly show Israel just how beloved she was to God — how special in his eyes — God promised the gift that was most precious and desired; many, many, many descendants.
How did God put it? “Your descendants shall dispossess the nations and shall people the deserted cities.”
Or as made famous by “The Jeffersons”: “Well we’re movin’ on up, to the east side.”
O Israel, please, count your blessings!
+ And so Jesus, in a sense, says the same thing to us, but he puts it in a question: “What did you come out to see?”
Or maybe even more poignantly and pointedly he asks: “What do you want? What do you need? What are you willing to look for and go after? What are you willing to accept or receive? Are you willing to be loved totally by me? Are you willing to let me in? Are you willing to become God’s spouse?”
+ Is it possible that these scriptures are saying all of this to us?
Is it possible that this God loves in this way and it is only a question of opening our spirit to let it in, to come to know, to receive in super abundance?
Is it possible?
Indeed, we’re movin’ on up to the skies.
We’re movin’ on up, to the east side, and the north side, and the forever side to love with no limits and no conditions, and forever!
We’re movin’ on up, to the east side – and the north side, and the forever side — to love with no limits and no conditions and forever!”
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
