“When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29)
“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword….” (Hebrews 4:12)
It is before mass,
Quiet and still,
And I wholeheartedly pray
As I prepare to proclaim
The magnificent Word of God,
For I am a lector today,
And so I sit in the third pew,
Close to the beautiful ambo,
Which stands in stately majesty,
High in the sanctuary.
The sonorous bell
Awakens me from prayer,
And I stand as the mass begins,
Then, after the relatively brief
Opening prayers of holy mass,
I walk towards the sanctuary
And slowly ascend the steps
Near the ambo,
The Dark One intensifies
His attacks upon me,
Vociferously and maliciously
Accusing me and taunting me.
I feel like Peter, stepping out of the boat,
Approaching Jesus on the water,
Because I know for a certainty
That if I take my eyes off the Lord,
I will swiftly sink and drown
In this insidious Sea of Lies.
But Our Lady takes me by the hand,
And leads me up the marble steps,
Urging me to strive for divine union
With the most holy Word of God,
And although I don’t see anything,
I can feel the warmth of His Love,
And the closer I get to His Word,
The more my heart leaps with joy.
Finally, I stand before His throne,
The throne of His Word,
And as I begin to proclaim
The Sacred Scriptures --
The Good, the True, the Beautiful --
I feel transformed by the fruit of the Spirit.
Then the Light of the World
Brilliantly and dazzlingly shines forth
From His Holy Word,
Filling the entire nave of the church
With the unfathomable Light of Divine Mercy,
And the unimaginably beautiful Light of Love.
And, thus, He generously opens
Our blind eyes and deaf ears,
And we recognize the presence
Of Our Savior and King,
The King of the Universe,
Who generously pours His wisdom
Into our weak, troubled minds,
And, lo, we too are now filled
With the Lord’s light.
But, to speak honestly,
I, a poor miserable sinner,
Recognize my own unworthiness;
For just as a donkey
Cannot take credit for the riches
Of gold and silver
That his good master
Piles high upon him,
I too can take no credit
For the shining forth
Of this great heavenly light.
After this holy encounter,
I don’t feel like the same person,
Indeed, my poor miserable life
Has been transformed by the Transfigured,
And, behold, my life --
Indeed all of our lives --
Are now a new creation!