Today’s Theme for Prayer – Jesus Makes Me His Intimate Disciple
How Do I Gain Deeper Personal Knowledge of God
When the intellect is ravished through love by divine knowledge and stands outside the realm of created beings, it becomes aware of God’s infinity. It is then according to Isaiah, that a sense of amazement makes its own lowliness and in all sincerity it repeats the prophets words. How abject I am pierced to the heart, because I am a man of the unclean lips, and I dwell among people of unclean lips; and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts (Isa 6:5) St. Maximus the Confessor
The Childlike Heart of God
Mk 9:30-37
They left that place and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it, because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will kill him, and three days after he has been killed, he will rise.” But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me.”
Grace Prayed For
Humility and a willingness to serve others.
Reflection
In this passage, Jesus reveals a profound truth about the nature of God and the path to true greatness. He gently guides his disciples away from worldly ambitions and invites them into the heart of the Trinity, where humility and service reign supreme.
Imagine yourself among the disciples, walking alongside Jesus. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, the dust beneath your feet. Hear the murmur of their voices as they debate who among them is the greatest. Can you sense their desire for recognition, their longing to be close to Jesus?
Now, picture Jesus calling you to him, his gaze filled with love and compassion. He places a child in your midst, a symbol of innocence and vulnerability. As he embraces the child, he reveals the secret to true greatness: “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me.”
In this tender scene, we glimpse the very essence of the Trinity. The Father, who sent the Son out of love for the world. The Son, who humbled himself to become a servant of all. And the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live as children of God.
As we embrace the childlike humility that Jesus embodies, we enter into the dynamic flow of love that unites the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We become instruments of God’s grace, channels of his love to the world.
Growing in Intimacy/Union with Jesus
This passage reveals Jesus’s profound humility and his desire to be one with us, even in our weakness and vulnerability. By embracing his example of service, we draw closer to his heart and experience the depths of his love.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post