Devotional Thought for our days:

⁴⁶  As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. ⁴⁷  Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you.” ⁴⁸  Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹  Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. ⁵⁰  Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” Matthew 12:46-50 (NLT)

¹⁵  So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶  For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷  And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:15-17 (NLT)

495      Have you seen the affection and the confidence with which Christ’s friends treat him? In a completely natural way the sisters of Lazarus reproach Jesus for being away: “We told you! If only you’d been here!…” Speak to him with calm confidence: “Teach me to treat you with the loving friendliness of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus and as the first Twelve treated you, even though at first they followed you perhaps for not very supernatural reasons.”

One of the critiques of contemporary music back in the 70’s and 80’s ( and still repeated now quoting 40-year-old lyrics as if they are contemporary) is that it treats God without proper reverence, it treats Him as if He is a common friend or a brother. 

But that is exactly what the church had rediscovered in scripture.  The idea that we are indeed co-heirs with Jesus, that we are His brothers and sisters.  That God isn’t distant, just sitting in heaven waiting to judge us, but that He is here, caring for us, protecting us, sanctifying us.

He’s seen us at our worst, and still loves us, and still wants to be in communion with us. 

That is why St. Josemaria, that very reverent and devout priest talks about treating God the way Mary and Martha did.   He understands that reverent doesn’t mean distant, that being in awe draws us closer to God, it doesn’t stop from standing on holy ground, it just teaches us to do so, trusting and depending on Him. 

Think about the blessings that are shared with you in the sacraments.  Do these draw you closer to God, do they fill you with confidence to approach Him, depending on His work to make you holy and righteous?  Doesn’t the author of Hebrews tell us that because of Christ we can approach the throne of God with confidence?  Does the promise that we will dwell in the very glory of God urge you to approach Him?

In your baptism, you were united with Jesus in His death and in His resurrection.  Dying with Him, rising with Him, there is nothing more intimate than that!  Go back, read this paragraph again, you have shared a more intimate moment with God than you have in any other relationship you have. 

Some will say we cannot and point where those who approach God in the wrong way were dealt with severely.  That familiarity breeds contempt, and that these narratives prove it! No, they don’t. Indeed they were treated severely, but that is because they did what they did contrary to what God had taught them, what God had established. They are like those people who spell God a G_d, or who are afraid to use YHWH and replace it with Lord.  They are so afraid to use God’s name in vain that they don’t use it!  Which is also in vain, disobeying God’s command to call upon His beautiful, precious, powerful Name!

We need to know God, not just know about Him.  We need to treat Him much like Mary and Marta, like Lazarus, even like Peter.  Don’t worry, God will correct us when we need to be corrected.  But let yourself be drawn to Him, and reach out to Him.

Lord Jesus, help us to be drawn to you, and give us the confidence in your promise, in your love, in the work you did at the cross, drawing and uniting us to you. Help us to be one with You, even as you and the Father are one.  Remind us that you sent the Holy Spirit to guide us as we approach you.  AMEN!

Escriva, Josemaria. The Forge (Kindle Locations 1891-1896). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.