More Than Just Knowing

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/090418.cfm) reminds me that it is not enough to just merely know God. 

In this world, connections are powerful. Knowing a high ranking law enforcement officer or a government official can sometimes get people out of some problems in traffic and maybe even bigger ones. Knowing top executives in companies may guarantee a high position or business deals. This works in the world, but not with God. 

What works in this world do not always work with God. 

In the gospel, we see Jesus proclaiming God’s word. He was teaching in the synagogue. That time, the people still did not know who Jesus was. However, someone knew. We see that the demon inside the man knew who Jesus was. He proclaimed it. He told people about it. But Jesus was not pleased with it, and instead told the demon to be quiet and come out of the person.

Merely knowing Jesus is not enough.

Jesus knew the intention of the demon for telling who he really was – to disrupt his work in proclaiming God’s kingdom. And though he proclaimed with the lips who Jesus was, of course the heart is not one with it. His actions are not consistent with what the lips say. Knowing and saying who is Jesus is not as important as living it through our lives. If we know with our lips that Jesus is the Holy One of God, then we should also live our lives proclaiming that truth.

We all know who Jesus is. We all know who God is. That is a good thing, but not enough. God wants us to go further. God wants us not only to tell the world with our lips, but more importantly, by our lives. We need more than knowing him, but have a personal relationship with him as well. A personal relationship that will move us into action. 

Do I know who God is? How do I tell people about it? Do I tell others with my words and proclamations? Do I also tell people about God through my actions and my life? What is the best way to proclaim God? 

May we be challenged and inspired to go beyond lip service and tell who Jesus is by our lives.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. thank you for another day to love and serve you. thank you for the reminder. Thank you for reminding me that knowing you is not enough. Thank you for reminding me that telling others about you is not enough. Sorry for the times I think it is enough to just know you and tell others about you. Sorry for stopping at that level. I ask that you Help me live my faith and knowledge of you. Help me build a personal relationship with you. May it move me into action. may I share you to others not just with my words, but with my actions and through my life as well. In a special way, I lift up to you my mother as she celebrates her birthday today. I thank you for her. And i ask that you bless her abundantly as she is a blessing to her family. Give her peace, good health, and may she always feel your intense love in her life. May she also always proclaim you and bring you to others through her life. Amen.

Blessed Day!

In Christ,

-g-

Daily Readings

September 4, 2018

Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 432

Reading 1 

1 COR 2:10B-16

Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Among men, who knows what pertains to the man
except his spirit that is within?
Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world
but the Spirit who is from God,
so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom,
but with words taught by the Spirit,
describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.

Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,
for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,
because it is judged spiritually.
The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything
but is not subject to judgment by anyone.

For "who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13AB, 13CD-14

R. (17) The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is just in all his ways.

Alleluia LK 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!"
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
"What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out."
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.