Scripture:
Acts 28:16-20, 30-31
John 21:20-25
Reflection:
Sometime last year the world population exceeded 7 Billion souls living in approximately 194 countries, with varying estimates of how many governing bodies exist within those countries. In the time of our Lord, by comparison, there were just 230 million souls in the known world, all of which were governed by just one entity: Rome.
In this much smaller Roman world of the first century, the apostles walked with Jesus and strove to understand His teachings. In John 21, Christ teaches Peter that his concern should not be about his or anyone else’s future, but rather that he should focus on the present and how he can serve God in that present. Peter by this time had daily shared Christ’s life almost 3 years, and yet he was still learning how Our Lord wanted him to serve.
The Covid pandemic has forced each of us into isolation, shrinking our worlds into safety pods of very few people. This isolation has undoubtedly allowed us to get to know those people better because we have walked so closely with them. And so it is with Christ. We strive to walk more closely with Him, to better understand Him, knowing as we try that it will take an infinity for us to grasp His divine nature ~ which is infinity. We try to know and love Him and understand how He wants us to serve Him. Or maybe He’s been telling us all along, but we haven’t taken the time to listen for His voice.
“Silence is one of the deepest disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on all self-justification. One of the fruits of silence is the freedom to let God be our justifier. We don’t need to straighten others out.”
― Richard J. Foster, Seeking the Kingdom: Devotions for the Daily Journey of Faith
Just for today, I will seek moments of silence to listen to His voice. I will learn how I can best serve Him in this moment, this present time, and let God direct the rest of the world.
Ray Alonzo is the father of three children, grandfather of two, and husband to Jan for 45 years. He is a USN Vietnam Veteran, and a 1969 graduate of Mother of Good Counsel Passionist Prep Seminary. Ray currently serves on the Passionist Alumni Council.