How I wish it were blazing already!
There is an excitement in today’s readings that is contagious, an eagerness in the words of Paul and those of Jesus that is transmissible. We sense that the two are speaking of a sublime reality of which we have no experience, but which they have experienced and ardently wish that we should experience and are convinced that we can experience it as well.
Paul writes to the Ephesians about his prayer for them to God the Father from whom every family, whether natural or spiritual takes its name. Paul tells them that he does this on his needs, which is to say that he does it passionately. He prays God may strengthen their hidden selves through the Holy Spirit, so that Christ may live in their hearts. Paul reveals by this that what we consider our “self”, is only something superficial. There is in us a hidden self, which is capable of union with God, and which only waits to be awakened. He prays further that once Christ lives in their hearts, they may be planted and built on love. And then they will be unstoppable; that they may learn the breadth and length, the height and depth of God so that they may utterly be filled with God.
This was the dream of Christ about which he told his disciples. It was the fire that he had brought on earth and was eager to have kindled. Those whose hearts had been kindled with this fire would treasure it above every earthly value, above the love of a mother or a father, of a son or a daughter, of a mother-in-law or a daughter in law. A person would readily forego the love of any of these, if they stood in the way of this newly acquired relationship with Christ.
Jesus had to undergo a baptism before this dream could be realized. He had to suffer and shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins. We too must undergo a baptism before this becomes a reality in our lives. We have to die to our sins. If this sounds impossible in the light of our frequent attempts to grow out of our sinful behaviors and equally constant failure, then we remember Paul’s words. Paul gives glory to God who can do much more than we can dare to ask, or even think of.
