Bible
Study: Acts 1, 15 to 17, 20-26 and John 15, 9 to 17.
On this
final day of our novena to the Holy Spirit, our readings have once again
highlighted one gift of the Holy Spirit which is the Gift of Understanding.
Understanding, as a Gift of the Holy Spirit helps us to grasp the meaning of
the truths of our Holy Religion. By faith we know them, but by understanding we
learn to appreciate and relish them.
Furthermore,
understanding enables us to penetrate the inner meaning of revealed truths and
through them to be quickened to newness of life. Our faith ceases to be sterile
and inactive, but inspires a mode of life that bears eloquent testimony to the
faith that is in us…
In the
selection of Mathias as a replacement of Judas Iscariot, we see an application
of the gift of understanding by Peter. Peter was able to see a connection
between was David said in the book of Psalms and what happened to Judas. Even
though David was not even born by the time of the New Testament, Peter knew
that the book of Psalms he wrote were divinely inspired by God making them
valid and applicable even centuries later.
This is
what the gift of understanding does for us. It enables us to see practical
application of what we read in the Scriptures daily. For instance, coming to
the Gospel passage, we hear Jesus talk to us about Love. Today, many use the
word “love” without understanding.
For them,
God commanded us to love another and so whatever we do in the name of love
cannot possibly be sinful meaning that if we engage in immoral relations
outside of marriage, we are not committing a sin based on the fact that the act
was inspired by love of one another. This is one way the devil uses the bible
to get Christians to go to hell just as he quoted the bible out of context in
the temptations of Jesus.
When we
read the Bible without understanding, the bible is no longer a guide for
correct living, but it becomes a tool we use in justifying our greed, lust and
immorality. Don’t just read God’s word, pray for the gift of understanding as
you read that the Holy Spirit may enable you know what exactly God demands of
you.
When Jesus
says we should love one another, his definition of love was his act of offering
his own life for us thereby making us his friends. In this context, love does
not admit of sin. More still, Jesus also added that to remain in his love, we
must keep his commandments just as he has kept the Father’s commandments and
remain in his love. We cannot contradict any of the commandments in the name of
love.
According
to tradition, St. Mathias preached Christianity in Judea (modern Israel) and
Ethiopia where he was crucified, but others hold that he was beheaded at
Jerusalem. St. Mathias is patron of tailors, carpenters and reformed
alcoholics, and is invoked against small pox.
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, fill me with the Holy Spirit that I may not understand the truths my
faith reveals to me in your word. May I never be carried away or deceived in
the name of reading or applying the Scriptures. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment