Opening Prayer
Lord, I acknowledge that all abundance that is not my God is only poverty. I am nothing without Thee, and woe is me if I am not deep within Thy love. Thou hadst no need of my service to keep Thee from tiring, yet Thou madest me capable of receiving all that is good.
I petition Thee for a life hidden in the “secret place” of Thy presence. Grant that my life may run into Thy embrace and never be turned away. Though I am of no “use” to Thee, I petition for the grace to remain forever in Thy fellowship, for which I was created.
Amen.
Luke 1:5-17
5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. 6And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame. 7And they had no son, for that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years. 8And it came to pass, when he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God, 9According to the custom of the priestly office, it was his lot to offer incense, going into the temple of the Lord. 10And all the multitude of the people was praying without, at the hour of incense. 11And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the alter of incense. 12And Zachary seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John: 14And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity. 15For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine notes that God has “no need of me”, yet He made me so that I can worship and serve Him. This Church Father insight focuses our Liturgical life on fellowship with Himself. In the Mystical Body, we are “capable of receiving what is good” only because God “made provision”. This is perfectly expressed in the Eucharist, the “medicine” for our poverty and the “Science of the Saints”. We are nothing without the “secret place of His presence.”
Augustine confesses that all the abundance I have that is not my God is only poverty. He acknowledges that his service adds nothing to God’s power but everything to his own soul. He prays to be “hidden in the secret place of Your presence” because woe is me if I’m not in You.
“Woe is me if I’m not in you—not only in my outward life, but also deep within myself. And all the abundance I have that is not my God is only poverty.”
— St. Augustine
Mary and the Magisterium
Mary is the “Treasure of the Lord” who realized her own “nothingness” so that God’s “omnipotence” could shine through her. The Magisterium, through the Bishop, ensures the “servant leader” model is upheld. The Bishop preserves the unity of the Church by reminding us that “it is not lawful” to celebrate the mysteries apart from this dependency on the Apostolic Succession. Mary, as the “Mirror of Virtue,” teaches us to rejoice in our poverty so we may be filled with the Giver.
- Do I realize that God's ultimate purpose for me is "fellowship with Himself," not just "usefulness"?
- How can I "restore myself" to God today?
Closing Prayer
My Creator and Father, I’m nothing without you. Thank you for loving me into existence out of nothing.
Amen.
