Genesis 18v1-10; Ps 15; Colossians 1v15-28; Luke 10v38-42
Martha
and Mary – who chose the better part?
God desires us to have intimacy with himself -
this is the basic truth of Christianity.
The wonder of the stars…
The God who made all of them, who holds all of
them in his hand, desires intimacy with me!
The hospitality of Abraham – icon of the
hospitality of the Trinity (Genesis 18)
The majesty of Christ ‘for in him all things in
heaven and earth were created…’ (Colossians 1v15-28)
‘Martha, you are worried and distracted by many
things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which
will not be taken away from her’ (Luke 10v42)
God desires to have union with us, intimate
union, heart to heart.
The Majesty and yet the availability....How is
this intimacy brought to us?
On God’s side by the gift of the Spirit - on our
side, we receive our friendship by humility and expectancy...
On God’s Side...how can God be one with
us? The Maker of the stars hold me close, answer my prayers, guide me, free me
from fear, heal me, forgive me?
God is after all different...
The answer is by the Holy Spirit who is
God and who brings God in all His Fullness to fill my heart eg. The ocean which
is no less for filling a pool... eg. 1 Cor 2v10 ‘the Spirit searches the depths
of God...we have received the Spirit...who...interprets spiritual truth
(intimacy)’
On my side the intimacy is
established as a gift welcomed. How?
By humility and by expectancy...cf.
St. Francis de Sales twin virtues.
Humble cf. Humous - of the earth, a readiness to see
our nothingness before God and our less than nothingness through sin...
Then Expectant on God, Confident in God...
St. Therese ...& the Sacred Heart, her faith that God could make her a
Saint - the Lift...
Intimacy with God is God’s gift by his Spirit It
is welcomed by humility and expectancy.
The eucharist is the great parable and seal of
all of this...here God gives his Spirit, his own Life, par excellence...here we come empty-handed,
in total humility before the Lord and yet with expectancy...
‘Lord I am not worthy...but only say the word’
Ronald Rolheiser in his book ‘Forgotten among the
Lilies’ writes: ‘Perhaps the most useful image of how the Eucharist functions
is the image of a mother holding a frightened, tired and tense child. In the eucharist
God functions as a mother. God picks us up; frightened, tired, helpless,
complaining, discouraged and protesting children, & holds us to her heart
until the tension subsides and peace and strength flow into us’
Such is the intimacy we are privileged to share
this morning and day by day in the Lord’s Presence.
‘There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen
the better part, which will not be taken away from her’ Luke 10.42
‘He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives
in me and I live in him’ John 6.56
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