Wednesday, October 19, 2011
> >St. John de Brebeuf,
St. Isaac Jogues, and the
North American Martyrs
no limits
"More will be asked of a man to whom more has been entrusted." —Luke 12:48
Jesus has come that we might have abundant life, life to the full (Jn 10:10). He plans to fill our cup to overflowing (Ps 23:5) and lavish the Holy Spirit upon us without measure (Jn 3:34; Ti 3:6), just as He changed water into a huge amount of wine (Jn 2:6ff). God will open the floodgates of heaven to bless us with a superabundance if we obey Him in generous trust (see Mal 3:10).
In view of God's abundance, why do so many people demand just a little from God when He wants to bless them with so much? The secular culture gives lip-service to unlimited freedom, but it truly is a culture of limits: limited love, life, relationships, and responsibility. The culture wants married couples to have their two children, but no more. It wants God's protection and financial blessings, but not His intimacy and definitely not His lordship.
The only things that seem unlimited in the secular culture are sin and arrogant speech. Most of all, the secular culture wants to limit the unlimited Almighty God. It doesn't want Him to be God. It tries to eliminate Him from the bedroom, schools, courts, halls of government, financial institutions, the entertainment industry, etc. The secular culture finds Jesus "too much" (Mk 6:3).
Are you a child of the secular culture or a child of the Living God? Are you limiting God in any way and thereby stifling the Holy Spirit? (1 Thes 5:19) Repent of a lack of trust in God and His plan for abundant life. Love God and love His abundance.
Prayer: Father, remove anything in me that limits You in any way. Pour out Your Holy Spirit in my heart (Rm 5:5).
Promise: "Sin will no longer have power over you; you are now under grace, not under the law." —Rm 6:14
Praise: St. Isaac Jogues and companions did not limit God's love, but offered themselves time and again to sacrificial service.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Bishop-Elect, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 26, 2011 (for 10-1-2011 through 11-29-2011) and May 26, 2011 (for 11-30-2011)
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