“My mother and my brothers are
those who hear the word of God and act on it.
Jeremiah, chapter 31:33 says “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts.” Jeremiah reminds us quite clearly that God writes his “law,” his Word, upon our hearts. It happened when we were created, like it or not, and becomes a consciousness as we mature and interact with our Creator. It means that the way we conduct our lives, the way we make decisions, and the information we use to influence those decisions is something that comes from within. This is where the truth and basis of all decision making comes from. Not the whims of today’s culture, nor the “feel good” attitude of the many, but rather from deep within the heart of a human being striving to maintain a relationship with the only Being that can truly impress upon the human heart what is true. All else is baseless. But then, we have to consciously decide to live by that truth, to live by the Word of God. And that means both when we interact with others, or when we do what we do in the anonymous “alone” time that no one else sees. That is the real test of who we are.
The truth of how we live our lives will only ring true to others if the basis for our responses comes from what we choose to do when no one is looking. It comes when the face we have to answer to is the one we see in the mirror each day and the heart we have to answer to each day is the heart we meet in prayer.
At the beginning of any Gospel reading, we perform a gesture that is based only on tradition, nothing purely liturgical. We sign ourselves on the forehead, lips and over the heart with the prayer: “May the Word (Law) be ever in my mind; forever on my lips and take root in my heart.” The words may be slightly different for some, but the purpose is the same, to impress on us that God is speaking to us and we must take to heart, to live out, what we hear. The real difference from one person to another will be whether we live true to God’s Law not only when being witnessed, but also when we are alone.
Ask yourself today if what you do when alone is true to what you do when with others: in prayer, when surfing the net, when choosing reading materials or TV shows, and so much more. Do your choices reflect the truth of God’s Law?
A useful exercise is to make a chart: column 1) What do I need to change? Column 2) How will I make that change? List the areas that you know need to change when chosen in the hidden time no one else sees. Determine where to start to become who you were meant to be. And don’t forget that some of these attempts at change may need the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through this exercise, you will become the mother, brother, sister, and friend of Jesus. He waits to start a relationship with you or to deepen the friendship you already have. It is a glorious thing!
God Bless.
Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager here at Diocesan, is currently a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. While at St. Thomas the Apostle, Grand Rapids, Jeanne was a Lector, Cantor, Coordinator of Special Liturgies, Coordinator of lectors and, at one time, chair of the Liturgy Commission. In a past life, secretary/bookkeeper at the Basilica of St. Adalbert where she ran the RCIA program for the Steepletown parishes. And she loves to write! When relaxing, she likes reading and word puzzles. You can contact her at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.
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