Friday, March 12
Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome (604)
Who is this invisible God, who is the center of our faith?
What is His nature?
What does He do for us?
What can and must we do for Him?
Do we really understand and know Him?
These questions are raised by today’s readings and perhaps answered in ways which we may find difficult and confusing.
In Genesis we read part of the history of the Jews in Egypt. These were harsh times and we can only marvel at the power which Joseph’s faith gave him. Joseph’s vision of God is very different from mine, but his faith and that of his people was straightforward and strong.
In today’s Psalms we see “a cry for help,” “a prayer to God our protector” and two “songs of praise.” The psalmists had a clear picture of what God wanted and what He could do for them.
Saint Paul spells out the rights and obligations of all Christians in the Corinthians passage and notes that “to win souls he had to become all things to all men.” What a challenge for us with all our prejudices, likes and dislikes!
And in Mark’s gospel we read that following the feeding of the five thousand the disciples had still not understood who Jesus really was.
With the benefit of 2000 years of hindsight it ought to be easier for us to answer all the questions raised by these readings. But is it?
Who is this God?
What is He really like?
What must we do to serve Him?
What do you think?
Ron Merrett