NAMING GRACE IN THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
  • Home
  • About Naming Grace
  • Message
  • Favorites
  • Events & Videos
  • Contact

WE KNOW IT IN OUR HEARTS

7/14/2019

Comments

 
Picture
“Don’t pull all the toys out. Johnny, please keep the toys in the basket.” Three-year-old Johnny looked me straight in the eye with his baby blues. With a mischievous smile, he dropped one toy after another out of the basket. He knew exactly what he was doing. Little Lila smiled from ear to ear, tilting her head in a most affectionate way, all the while pinching her baby sister. Lila knew in her heart she was not being kind.
In this Sunday’s readings, we hear Moses telling the people that God’s commandments are not “mysterious,” “remote,” “up in the sky” or “across the sea” but “in your hearts.” In today’s world, many believe individuals and institutions impose laws on people. They find commandments too difficult, unrealistic, or unachievable. They believe bending the will to God’s law snatches away choice, limits freedom, and spoils fun.

Today’s readings reveal just the opposite: God designed the commandments for freedom and implanted the law into our minds and hearts. Each person’s conscience guides one toward truth, helps one to live from our better nature, moves one toward love, and leads one to eternal salvation. God gifts us with laws to free us from the ego, if we but listen to the Spirit.

These laws of love are “perfect,” and “refreshing to the soul.” “They are spirit and life.” We know them in our hearts. We know, yet we suppress the still small voice, with self as the sole arbitrator of the law. But we know—in our hearts. We abort and call it choice. But we know it’s a child. We build walls and call them aliens. But we know they are our brothers and sisters. We discriminate and call it policy. But we know all men and women are created in God’s image. We know it in our hearts.

When we move toward love, we know in our heart it’s the right thing. Love means to will the good of the other. The good of whom? Jesus says our neighbor. Who is our neighbor? Our spouse, brother, sister, parent, Christian, Muslim, Jew, African, Caucasian, Asian, rich or poor, etc. We love our neighbor when we show patience, stand for an unpopular cause, befriend a lonely friend or a foreigner, or lift another up in word and action. We know it in our hearts.

As parents/grandparents, we name grace—God’s guiding presence—when we help our children in forming and following their conscience. We encourage our children to listen to Jesus, who lives in their heart. We teach our children God’s commandments and their ability to bring us true happiness. We lead them through a short examination of conscience each night.

Johnny is a wonderful child and his parents continue to help form his conscience by teaching him right from wrong. And Lila has already grown in her ability to work for the good of her sister and others. The commands are not far off but are closer than we are to ourselves. The Spirit works in our conscience through a whisper, a nudge, or an urging to love the person before us, willing his or her good. The law is written into the crevices of our hearts, we have “only to carry it out.” Now, that’s good news.

How have you formed your child’s conscience?
When have you not listened to your conscience and knew in your heart it was wrong?


Photo by Fadi Xd on Unsplash
 
Naming Grace in the Domestic Church reflects on Scripture through the lens of a parent/grandparent. To connect with Mary Pedersen: www.marypedersen.com
 

Comments

    Reflections

    The blog on this page presents reflections on the Sunday readings through the lens of a parent/grandparent, aiding leaders of the domestic church in their vital task as “first heralds” or “first preachers” of the Good News in the home.

    VIEW FAVORITES

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Naming Grace
  • Message
  • Favorites
  • Events & Videos
  • Contact