Leave The Helm To Jesus
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”Ps. 23
If we do not heed Jesus, we are collaborating with the enemy.
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters”Matthew 12:30
If I am not on Jesus’ side, paying attention to His teachings, I am on the opposite side, even if I attend Mass and believe I am doing well. The first of His commandments is precisely this:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves…”Luke 9:23
We must detach of ourselves because we are in a fallen nature, a consequence of sin. Our nature loves sin, desires sin, prefers darkness to light, tends to exalt itself, and ignores God and anyone else but itself. Therefore, we must go against our ego that leads us to sin and submit ourselves to God, letting Him take control of our lives, as our Lord and king. If we do not deny ourselves to obey God, we are against Him, allowing ourselves to be led by our tendency to sin.
Sin is the leprosy of the soul, a mental disorder that makes people lie, kill, steal, rejoice in the harm of others, sow discord through slander, and be an instrument of the enemy in many ways. The problem is that this can happen to many who come to Mass, even daily, if they do not let themselves be guided by the Spirit to love what He loves, reject what He rejects, and do what He wants.
If we open ourselves to the light of God, which comes through His Word and His Spirit, we can regain our sight to see less distortedly. Only then can we desire what God wants and become His collaborators, overcoming the mediocrity of our ego, which seeks to give as little as possible because it is a centripetal force that, like gravity, wants everything for itself: first me, second me, and third me. Our ego sees only for itself and only looks out for its own pleasure, desires, and interests, regardless of what others think or want. It is blind and deaf to them, and cares even less about God.
This is the lamentable situation of a large part of humanity that turned its back on God and thus lost its head because only Christ is the head with wisdom and understanding. This is why good is confused with evil, right with wrong, truths are called falsehoods, and what is a lie is considered the truth. Many people are at this level, like sheep without a shepherd, in darkness and in sin.
Jesus said to those who believed in Him,
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”John 8:31
Keeping His word is key to having a true experiential knowledge of God, without which we do not truly know Him, nor can we be free from sin. It is not just about theoretical knowledge or memorizing the Bible; it is about letting Him enter the control tower, the head, the soul, and the heart to give Him control of our lives, for otherwise, He cannot benefit and enrich us. Jesus said,
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”Matthew 22:37
LET HIM BE YOUR KING AND LORD.
Readings for the Week
Sunday: Ez 34:11-12, 15-17/Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6 (1)/1 Cor 15:20-26, 28/Mt 25:31-46
Monday: Dn 1:1-6, 8-20/Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56/Lk 21:1-4
Tuesday: Dn 2:31-45/Dn 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61/Lk 21:5-11
Wednesday: Dn 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28/Dn 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67/Lk 21:12-19
Thursday: Rom 10:9-18/Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11/Mt 4:18-22
Friday: Dn 7:2-14/Dn 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81/Lk 21:29-33
Saturday: Dn 7:15-27/Dn 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87/Lk 21:34-36
Next Sunday: Is 63:166-17, 196; 64:2-7/Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 (4)/1 Cor 1:3-9/Mk 13:33-37
Observances for the Week
Sunday: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Thursday: St. Andrew, Apostle
Next Sunday: 1st Sunday of Advent