Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Year A

Jeremiah 2:1-3.7-8.12-13

Psalm 36:6-7ab.8-9.10-11 (R. 10a)

Matthew 13:10-17

The Knowledge of the Mystery of God 

Knowledge of Salvation stems from faith. During Jesus' mission on earth he  healed and saved those who had faith in him. Yesterday we heard about the great faith of Mary Magdalene  who wanted to worship Jesus Christ even if he had not ascended or entered into the mystery of God. By her faith she sought to cling to Jesus Christ. 

The knowledge of the mystery of God shows us that God has planned a Love story for us. The clinging to God as a wife clings to her husband is exactly what this is.  This is why I love the quote from Soren Kierkegaard that; 

"The Bible is God's Love letter to us"

 He might have said this because God is Love and the Bible is the Word of God, and the Word of God is God, and he became flesh for our salvation.  Thus the Word of God became the only mediator between man and God possessing both nature fully.  

As the only mediator who binds humanity to divinity in his person, he invites humans to be the bride of God. Thus through the Word of God we become one with God, so that just as a woman and man become one flesh, humanity can dwell in God. It is dwelling in God that is our ultimate goal, this is heaven.

If we forget our first love, the first reading makes it clear that we commit two evils; the first is forsaking God the fountain of living water, and the second is hewing broken cisterns which cannot hold water. Why would you have to seek death instead of life.  God is Love and loving us as a bride, he draws us to himself.

John 14:3

 and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you to myself, so that you may be with me where I am.

So like how a husband prepare his house before bringing his bride, the Word of God, promises  us that at the wedding feast of the Lamb, he also will take us to his place; Uniting us to his body. This is what happens during Mass celebration and the reason why we call the Eucharist communion. We become one body united in Christ and as the bride of the Lamb.

  

[Point of Intrest]This can explain why in the Church women are not Ordained to the clergy, the Church is the bride of Christ and the Eucharist celebration is done by the Priests in the Person of Christ the Head ( in persona Christi Capitis),who is the groom who unites himself in communion with the bride the Church. Thus the whole Church as one, is the body of Christ. But the Body comprises of the Groom who is the head and the bride as the rest of the members of the Church.

This Mystery of God as humans Groom shows why by our Union with God, we experience peace and rest. In Spirituality, there are three Stages of the spiritual life; Purgative way, Illuminative way and Unitive way. The final stage is the complete union with God. This is where one experiences complete Salvation.  The three stages can be found in  Scriptures as this; 

Psalm 34:14 

Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.

Turning away from evil is the first way which goes against the behavior found in yesterday Parable about the heart of the path.  Turning away from evil, the evil one cannot take away the Word of God which is the seed from you.  

Doing good is the second way which goes against that of the heart of the rocky ground. Doing good is going against your our desires and inclinations and doing God's will.

Seeking peace and pursuing it is the last way, which goes against the heart of the thorny ground. This is because the riches in God gives us peace more than that of the world which also is an obstacle to the Word of God growth in our hearts. 

Matthew 16:26

 What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life? Or what can anyone offer in exchange for his life?

It is by faith that we begin this journey, turning away from evil to do good and pursue peace. The faith is base on the unseen reality that the Kingdom of God is among us because the Word of God has been sown in our hearts and hence we are capable of doing the Father's will for our Salvation. 

But if we don't have faith that God's Kingdom is among us and are blinded and deafened by the sufferings and problems of this world we will end up loosing what has been given to us.  God is with you.

By

Sylvester Amakye-Quayson