Reflection for 15th Sunday of the Year (A)…
|
Readings for Isaiah 55:10-11 |
THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD…
In his book, Kicking Heaven’s Door, Mickey Harte, in describing Tyrone’s journey to their first All-Ireland success in 2003, tells us that before leaving the dressing room on All-Ireland Day to face Armagh, the players gathered around him in a circle and repeated a phrase from an unlikely source, Padre Pio, which they used as their inspirational motto for the final:
“No ifs, no buts, no maybes: total faith”
Words are powerful. A hurtful word can still leave a wound after many years, while a word of encouragement by a teacher to a child can give a new sense of self-confidence. In many people there is a negative critic, perched like a parrot on the shoulder, telling them that they are inadequate and not as beautiful and talented as others. Advertisers know well the power of words telling us that without their product there is something lacking in our lives.
If human words are so powerful, how much more powerful is the Word of God if we allow it to take root in us. Today’s readings tell us that God’s word is like a seed planted in the ground which has the potential to produce fruit a hundredfold or like the rain watering the earth making it yield and giving bread for the eating.
Jesus said: “If you make my words your home, you will indeed be my disciple. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”. The way to make the Word of God your home is to take a short phrase like: “You are precious in my eyes and I love you” and let it keep repeating itself in your mind at odd times during the day. If you do this over a period of time, the Word of God will bear fruit a hundredfold in your life.
– Fr Tim Cullinane SMA
Regional Superior, Ibadan, Nigeria
You must be logged in to post a comment.