"A New Season"
"Identity" (Relational Truth: part
12)
Children of God are "children of the
day" (1 Thes. 5:5): Children of "the third day"
(Mt. 20:19) coheirs with, and in union with, the resurrected Lamb—"the one true
Lamb whose Blood anoints the "doorposts" of believing hearts" (see "The Exsultet". Roman Missal, p. 208). "The life of the
believer assumes a meaning in relation to Easter day" (Dictionary of
Biblical Theology, p. 391), the day of the Resurrection: "This is the
day the LORD has made; let us
rejoice in it and be glad" (Psalm 118:24). We are "believing children" (Titus
1:6) who, with lit "torches of faith" go to meet the Bridegroom who dwells
within the depths of our hearts--for he is the "luminous mystery" dwelling
within each of us, "the one Morning Star who never sets" (Exsultet,
R.M., p.209).
A child of the day has a heart that
has been awakened by a sincere conversion; hence, he has put on the "armor of
light" (Rom. 13:12):
"Since we are of the day, let
us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet that
is hope for salvation" (1 Thes. 5:8).
A child of
the day is one who is rooted truly in one's baptismal identity. The child of
the day has begun a sacred pilgrimage--an inward journey--led by the "column of
cloud by day" and the "column of fire by night" which is the flaming Heart of
God. He walks an "incandescent path" everyday. He is
forever associated with the Lamb who was slain, the Lamb who is the lamp of the
city of God; forever associated with a Heart that has been pierced out of love
for the Father and for humanity.
Children of the day are children in
love with God. Love is meant to shine: To give "light to all in the house" (Mt.
5:15). Everyday we are to renew our contact with God
in prayer in order to remember who He is and who we are; "Prayer is a contact
of love between God and man" (Poustinia.
Catherine Doherty, p. 10). Only then can "this day" shine forth in the depth of
our hearts. Children of the day have been enlightened in Baptism, have tasted
the heavenly gift, have shared in the holy Spirit, and have tasted the good
word of God (see Heb. 6:4-5). Now, because our faces are turned toward the
"luminous God", "His face can be seen in our faces" (Poustinia,
p. 9).
Questions:
1) What
aspects of 'darkness and night' (sin) do I still need to confront in my life?
2) What
recent good 'fruit' am I aware of from my daily contact with God?
Scriptures:
Any scripture from the text; Is. 25:9; Zec.
14: 6-9; Rev. 21:23;
