First Sunday after Epiphany, January 7th, 2024
Have you ever noticed when a teacher is checking to make sure the answer is correct, the teacher will not only look at your answer, but will also want to know how you arrived at the answer? In other words, the teacher wants to check what path you took to find the answer to the question. I remember when I was young, going to elementary school, I remember asking the teacher how to spell a particular word and the teacher would respond: "Look it up in the dictionary." How are you going to look up a word in a dictionary if you don't know how to spell the word, I would wonder. Well, the answer if obvious. A good teacher will not only provide you with an answer but will provide you with the knowledge and the know-how to obtain an answer. A good teacher, in other words, teaches you how to find out the answer to a question instead of simply giving you the answer. This is because often times, in life, there are different ways to find the answer that we are looking for.
In the Second chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear the story of when Our Blessed Saviour was left behind in the Temple. And St. Luke tells us that when Our Lady and St. Joseph returned to Jerusalem to find their Son, they found the Divine Child in the Temple, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions." (Chapter 2:46) After Our Lady approaches her Son and tells Him that they were worried and looking for Him, the Divine Child responds: "How is it that ye sought me?" (Chapter 2:49) As pointed out above, a teacher may ask the path you took to find the answer. Our Lord often asks us the same question. He wants to find out what path we took to find Him. So often in life, people look for God in so many different places. Sometimes the path we take to find happiness takes us down a wrong path. Sometimes we end up feeling lost and miserable. Often, when we think we have found happiness, we end up not feeling as satisfied as we thought that we were. As a Christian, we realize that God is our ultimate happiness. Other things that we think will bring us happiness and joy . . . whether it be drink, or drugs, or money, or wealth, or honor in the eyes of the world . . . these things only give us contentment for a time. God, we know, gives us everlasting contentment. St. Augustine teaches that in trying to find joy and fulfillment, we are really searching ultimately for God. Because he states that all things that we think will bring us satisfaction will ultimately fail us. Only God brings everlasting joy and contentment. What path have you followed to find God? Have you searched for Him in your longing to find joy and contentment in earthly possessions? Things of the world never bring everlasting joy. Only a true, dedicated, committed, personal relationship with God will bring us true satisfaction. Give Him your heart. Make Him the King and Ruler of your life.
In the Second chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, we hear the story of when Our Blessed Saviour was left behind in the Temple. And St. Luke tells us that when Our Lady and St. Joseph returned to Jerusalem to find their Son, they found the Divine Child in the Temple, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions." (Chapter 2:46) After Our Lady approaches her Son and tells Him that they were worried and looking for Him, the Divine Child responds: "How is it that ye sought me?" (Chapter 2:49) As pointed out above, a teacher may ask the path you took to find the answer. Our Lord often asks us the same question. He wants to find out what path we took to find Him. So often in life, people look for God in so many different places. Sometimes the path we take to find happiness takes us down a wrong path. Sometimes we end up feeling lost and miserable. Often, when we think we have found happiness, we end up not feeling as satisfied as we thought that we were. As a Christian, we realize that God is our ultimate happiness. Other things that we think will bring us happiness and joy . . . whether it be drink, or drugs, or money, or wealth, or honor in the eyes of the world . . . these things only give us contentment for a time. God, we know, gives us everlasting contentment. St. Augustine teaches that in trying to find joy and fulfillment, we are really searching ultimately for God. Because he states that all things that we think will bring us satisfaction will ultimately fail us. Only God brings everlasting joy and contentment. What path have you followed to find God? Have you searched for Him in your longing to find joy and contentment in earthly possessions? Things of the world never bring everlasting joy. Only a true, dedicated, committed, personal relationship with God will bring us true satisfaction. Give Him your heart. Make Him the King and Ruler of your life.
St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church is a traditional Anglican parish, which uses the Anglican Missal and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. We also use the King James Version of the Bible. We believe strongly in Our Lord's words . . . "this is My Body and this is My Blood" . . . and believe that Our Blessed Saviour is truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar and we receive Him at Communion time. Come join us every Sunday morning at 10:30 AM as we gather together as God's family to worship Our Blessed Lord. We celebrate Mass in the Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.
No comments:
Post a Comment