TASTE AND SEE
Don't just
"read and reflect" or "listen and understand" or
"meditate and contemplate," but taste and see!
Pope
Benedict XVI wrote something which is fitting for today's Scriptures that says,
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" (Jn 3:36). He says,
"Belief is certainty that God had shown Himself and has opened up for us
the view of truth itself." Through our own humanity and that of the
apostles we declare, "We must obey God and His way." A call to
witness that moves us to obey His loving commands.
You
might ask, "How can I be called in this way to witness?" First, it is how we receive God's gifts; as
we read in today's Gospel: "He does not ration His gift of the
Spirit" (Jn 3:34). God's giving to us is boundless. But of course practical questions do come up:
if that is so, why are we lacking at times in some areas like love and
patience, for example? It should be clear for us that our heavenly Father does
not ration the Divine Gift to us, but the Spirit's limited effectiveness is due
to a lack in ourselves. We limit the Gift saying, "Sure I'd like a gift
but..." The difficulty is our fear of allowing God control, of trusting
Him that much, and of letting go.
Sacred
Scripture says obtaining the gifts of the Spirit is achieved by self-surrender.
Through our prayer may we come to be more receptive to all God wants to give
us. In our psalm (Ps 34:2) we pray, "Taste and see how good the Lord
is." By receiving God's gifts we can't help but be open to a deeper
intimacy with the presence of God in our spirit. It is a treasure and exchange
of trust and love that is beyond words.
Don't
just "read and reflect" or "listen and understand" or
"meditate and contemplate," but taste and see!