“Let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”
These last words from the reading from the Letter to the Hebrews really hit me hard. I am terrible at asking for help. A strong strain of perfectionism and maybe a bit of always being ‘the smart one’ in school with a need to hold on to that still drives me. I’m the one who helps solve and fix things, not the one who needs things fixed. I try to be the one who can be relied on.
These are not inherently bad things by any means. But as I read today’s reading, I realize if I hold too tightly to being self-reliant, capable, and “ok” by all appearances, I keep myself closed off to the gift of grace.
I’ve mentioned previously here I work with the Congregation of St Joseph. One of the early documents from their founding are 100 Maxims written to help guide the early sisters in the first days of their new journey. I’ve had one card of Maxim 99 on my desk staring at me for weeks and it jumps out as particularly relevant: “God gives us as much grace as we are willing to accept.”
Yeah. That is an incredible thought. Imagine how much grace comes your way if you are wide open? Then again, if I keep myself wrapped up in that need to be self-sufficient, denying the need for God’s mercy, love, and grace... well it is a terrifying thing to think about how little grace I am open to receiving.
I suspect most of us will hear homilies on the Gospels this week, it is a good one after all with quite a bit to chew on. But I invite you to think about how open are you to God’s grace? How willing are you to open yourself to God’s loving mercy? As you go about your week, look for moments where you can take a deep breath, take a chance, and embrace a moment of vulnerability knowing that the God of Love waits with an unimaginable abundance of grace for you.
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