Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Catholic Meditation “The Word among Us” for Tuesday, 15 July 2014

Frederick, Maryland, United States - Daily Mass Reading & Catholic Meditation “The Word among Us” for Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Meditations: Isaiah 7: A Virgin Will Bear a Son
1-2 During the time that Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel attacked Jerusalem, but the attack sputtered out. When the Davidic government learned that Aram had joined forces with Ephraim (that is, Israel), Ahaz and his people were badly shaken. They shook like trees in the wind.
3-6 Then God told Isaiah, “Go and meet Ahaz. Take your son Shear-jashub (A-Remnant-Will-Return) with you. Meet him south of the city at the end of the aqueduct where it empties into the upper pool on the road to the public laundry. Tell him, Listen, calm down. Don’t be afraid. And don’t panic over these two burnt-out cases, Rezin of Aram and the son of Remaliah. They talk big but there’s nothing to them. Aram, along with Ephraim’s son of Remaliah, have plotted to do you harm. They’ve conspired against you, saying, ‘Let’s go to war against Judah, dismember it, take it for ourselves, and set the son of Tabeel up as a puppet king over it.’
7-9 But God, the Master, says,
“It won’t happen.
    Nothing will come of it
Because the capital of Aram is Damascus
    and the king of Damascus is a mere man, Rezin.
As for Ephraim, in sixty-five years
    it will be rubble, nothing left of it.
The capital of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the king of Samaria is the mere son of Remaliah.
If you don’t take your stand in faith,
    you won’t have a leg to stand on.”
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail. (Isaiah 7:4)
In the face of a likely invasion from the north, Judah’s King Ahaz and the people of Jerusalem need some reassurance for their trembling hearts. How does Ahaz try to do that? By seeking a military alliance against his enemies. But the prophet Isaiah comes to tell him that political maneuvers won’t give him the kind of tranquility that God offers. That calm comes from a deep trust in the One who is more powerful than any adversary, including the hostile armies surrounding Jerusalem.
“Unless your faith is firm,” Isaiah warns, “you shall not be firm!” (Isaiah 7:9). Yes, Ahaz had to make careful political decisions. Yes, he had to consider his role as the leader of an embattled nation. But Ahaz had to decide whether he was going to make these decisions in faith or with human logic alone.
We’ve all encountered believers who radiate a deep peace—even joy—in the midst of overwhelming difficulties. We reach out to comfort them but end up having our own faith strengthened. Of course, these folks may also have strategies that help them cope, but the bedrock reality is that they are choosing to anchor their lives in the Lord and his faithfulness. When troubles arise, they don’t waste time analyzing whether their fear is reasonable or irrational. Instead, they turn to God and seek his courage, his wisdom, and his guidance. 
We can’t always choose how to feel when hard times come, but we can choose whether we will base our lives on God or on our own strength and cleverness. Just as Peter in the boat still faced a stormy sea, we too will face storms. The question is whether we will anchor ourselves in the truth of Christ.
The best time to practice dropping this kind of anchor is before any storm overwhelms you. Today at least one circumstance will arise that you didn’t foresee. In that moment, stop and look to Jesus. Praise him because you know he is with you. Praise him for this opportunity, knowing that nothing can enter your life without his knowledge. Look to him, and try your best to follow his lead.
“Lord Jesus, help me set aside reliance on my own resources and ground my hope in your love alone.” Amen.
Psalms 48: A Psalm of the Sons of Korah
1-3 God majestic,
    praise abounds in our God-city!
His sacred mountain,
    breathtaking in its heights—earth’s joy.
Zion Mountain looms in the North,
    city of the world-King.
God in his citadel peaks
    impregnable.
4-6 The kings got together,
    they united and came.
They took one look and shook their heads,
    they scattered and ran away.
They doubled up in pain
    like a woman having a baby.
7-8 You smashed the ships of Tarshish
    with a storm out of the East.
We heard about it, then we saw it
    with our eyes—
In God’s city of Angel Armies,
    in the city our God
Set on firm foundations,
    firm forever.
Matthew 11: The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
20 Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.

21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
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