The Heart, the Secret Place of God

                                                                                                Wednesday 18 June 2014.

(1kg 2:1.6-14, Ps 31 Mat 6:1-6, 16-18)

‘...Let me inherit a double of your spirit’

The first reading of today narrates Elijah’s ascension to heaven by a whirlwind. Before he was taken up, Elijah told Elisha his servant to; ‘ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.’ The young Prophet replied, ‘I beg you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’

 Seeing the great works of his master, Elisha desired a double of his power. And his heart desire was granted. Returning with a relaxed mood of accomplishment, he got to the river Jordan and struck it with the cloak saying, ‘where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ The water parted and Elisha crossed over.

In the Gospel Jesus warns against the outward show of piety. This makes religious exercise an end in itself and of course, its own reward. He talks about the secret place where we encounter the God who sees in secret and who rewards us. ‘But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.’
 ‘...Your Father who sees in Secret will reward you.’
Such a piety, which is in touch with God who is in secret and sees in secret, must flow from the secret place where God dwells—the heart. Thus, the heart, the secret place of piety must be made available for God through desire. Like Elisha, we should desire a double of the spirit of Elijah. By desire, the heart is inclined to God, ready to welcome Him and also allow Him to see through it.

Nevertheless, our desires can be multifaceted. Hence, it becomes necessary that we shut doors of our hearts, blocking off ungodly desires and distracting inclinations, which tend to pull us out the secret place of God and make our piety a public show. But is it really possible that we desire only God and nothing more?


Following the footsteps of Elisha, we shall come to understand that desiring a double of Elijah’s spirit implies that that desire is greater than any other. Though we may be tossed by other desires, we cannot place them side by side with the desire for God as if they are equals. A double share implies it is the desire that consumes our whole heart. And God grants it immediately.

Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, who pondered over the word of God in her heart, reflecting and interacting with the word of God in our hearts draws us deeper into the secret dwelling place—our inner heart—where God sees and hears us.

 

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Mother of Perpetual Help Shrine,
Ugwogo-Nike, Enugu,
Nigeria.

 

THE HIDDEN PLACE OF NOURISHMENT!

                                                                                                                            Monday June 9th, 2014.

(1Kg 17:1-6, Ps 34, Mt 5:1-12)

The Story

Prophet Elijah had just pronounced to King Ahab the impending drought. At once, God warned Elijah to flee to the brook Cherith in the East of the Jordan for safety. There God had already arranged for him food and water--ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and evening. This reminds us of the words of the Psalmist: "our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

In the Gospel of today, Jesus proclaims the beatitudes. His presence on the hill, the gathering of the disciples and crowd around Him portrays for us the image of a new Moses who pronounces the new law, the new way of life; the pathway to blessedness.

The Place of Nourishment

In silent meditation I began to place the experience of Elijah side by side with the beatitudes. A new illumination began to emerge. I came to perceive the Beatitudes as the New Brook Cherith, where God is assuring us of blessedness and a sure supply of nourishment. Thus the beatitudes have assumed a visual form, uniquely located but visible only to those in search of it.

As a place of refuge, the Brook Cherith is not located in the open nor can it be accessed by passers-by. In the same way, the beatitudes, as the hiding place, is visible to the poor in spirit, the mourners, the humble, those who hunger for God, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peace lovers and those persecuted for righteousness.

Therefore, as Elijah ran to the brook Cherith and received a sure supply  of nourishment, so shall we be constantly renewed only if we embrace and hide our lives in the beatitudes; our New Brook Cherith.

If we find ourselves running dry of spiritual nourishment and lacking the assurance of blessedness, then it could imply that we are not in the place where God has already ordered that we should be fed.

Coming back...!

Having been away for more than a year, I'm making a journey back. Back to where? To my blog, of course. My 'silent cogitations' have remained in the womb of their conception. Now, I'm making a determined effort to bring them to live so that you can interact and share in them. I apologize to my friends who have met this page dry and lonely! Still, the journey is not promising to me smooth. Our destination appears to be far away, just in case I pause along the way...! 


I hope to make available here some of my daily reflections and homilies, both past and present. This is my 'spare time assignment.' My present pastoral work is time consuming. Thus, I'll try to squeeze out time, and horridly update this page...The journey back is now looking promising though 'home' appears far away!