Mass Readings and Meditations “The Word among Us” Tuesday, 28 January
2014
Meditations: Psalm 24: 7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O
ancient doors!
that the King of glory
may come in.
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and
mighty,
the Lord, mighty in
battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O
ancient doors!
that the King of glory
may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of
glory.Selah
Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Rise up, you ancient portals. (Psalm 24:7)
The psalmist’s imagery is simple: gate, an opening in a wall or
a fence, for going in or out. Portal, a door! Lintel, the crosspiece above the
door that carries the weight above the doorway! It is to all of these that the
psalmist cries, “Open! Let the King of Glory come in!” Lift up the lintel. Make
the doorway wider and taller. Reach up, higher, bigger. Make way for the Lord!
Who is this King of Glory? Every book of the Bible, every saint
in history will tell you that he is powerful yet gentle, righteous and
merciful, faithful and compassionate. This is the God who wants to come into
your heart. This is the God who wants to work wonders in your life.
So open the door of your heart to the Lord! Make the doorway as
wide and tall as you can. Be honest with yourself and the Lord about what’s in
your heart. Don’t be afraid to look at it. God is stronger than anything that
might be holding you back, keeping the doors closed. He loves you, and he will
fight for you!
Opening the gate to your heart can be scary, especially if it’s
been closed a long time. So many things can be hidden in there: guilty secrets
and shameful acts, wounds that still hurt, fears and memories that embarrass,
obscure motivations stuffed so far back that you can scarcely name them.
Everyone has them, these obstacles that clutter up the place where the Lord
wants to dwell. But you have it in your power to open them up to him and let
him clear them out!
Sit somewhere quiet today, and welcome the Lord. If you need to,
ask him to excuse the mess. “There’s a lot of stuff lying here between you and
me, Lord.” Think about what in your life might shut him out. “Forgive me, for I
have sinned. Heal me, for I have been wounded.” Then, ask him to help you to
lift the lintel that bears the weight of your past so that you can make more
room for him. You have only to sit with him and let him do the work. He is “the
Lord, mighty in battle,” and he will fight for you (Psalm 24:8).
“Lord, you are welcome. Come in today with all your power and
strength and victory.” Amen!
2 Samuel 6: 12 It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed
the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of
God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom
to the city of David with rejoicing; 13 and when those who bore the ark of the
Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. 14 David danced
before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. 15 So
David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting,
and with the sound of the trumpet. 17 They brought in the ark of the
Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it;
and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord.
18 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of
well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, 19 and
distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men
and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat,[a] and a cake of
raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Samuel 6:19 Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
Mark 3: The True Kindred of Jesus
31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside,
they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they
said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters[a] are outside, asking
for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And
looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my
brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Footnotes:
a. Mark 3:32 Other ancient authorities lack and sisters
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