Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,
(John 11:25)
Recently our Church has being working its way through the ‘I am” sayings of Jesus. It fell to Norma, an Ordinand on placement to preach on the above text taken from the story of the raising of Lazarus. Much of what she had to say was pretty standard stuff, but one part of her sermon made me think.
Norma remarked on what she called ‘mini deaths’ – those times in our life when we mourn the passing of something important to us. It maybe a job, the children leaving home, loss of status, indeed a whole host of things that can happen to us in life that cause us to grieve. She asked: How does Jesus come to us in those situations? How does he display the power of his resurrection in these ‘mini deaths’?
I confess I find these very interesting questions and I’m not sure I have an instant answer.
Well done Norma
This IS very interesting. I recall reading St. Theresa of Lieusiux (sorry about the spelling!) where she talked about this thing – but dieing with more persistent intensity, moment by moment. Seems like this is the way in the spiritual life – the life our late Pope lived. It is something I am experiencing – both the big ones Norma talked about but also countless little ones – dieing to self, choosing the straight and narrow (how narrow it can be!) God help us all to die to self so that, if God wills, when it comes to truly sacrificing ourselves (body as well as soul!) we will be up for it. If we fail in the ‘little’ ones we can’t have much confidence that we’ll do well in the big ones. Peace to you brother!
Thank you Bro Joseph for your contribution. As I read your words a passage from St Paul came to mind:-
I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters, as my boasting of you–a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
(1Co 15:31-33)
How willing am I to put my old self to death daily by denying it those things that sustain it?
Thanks for the scripture – great! Killing the ‘old self’, I find, is as exhausting as a hand to hand fight in which you try and strangle ‘it’ while it tries to strangle you! It is easier to just go with the flow but then Christ said the way to life is not only ‘straight and narrow’ but few even find it. The hope of a new man, a new life, of freedom and life – abundant and eternal – make it all worthwhile. This is especially true since we find it in the person of Jesus. Until next time. Peace and all good to you! brother Joseph, SFO