Daily Reflections

August 6, 2011
LIVING THE FULLNESS OF LIFE

The Transfiguration is an important event in the life of Jesus. In many ways, it links the Old and New Testaments through the three figures present: Jesus (New and fulfilment of Old), Elijah (Old and Spirit) and Moses (Old and Law). In the person of Jesus, the Old is fulfilled and reborn in the New Covenant of His (Jesus) blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Without the advent of Jesus, the Old Testament would remain forever open and the promises of God remain unfulfilled, which, by the way, is what the Jews still think today.
It is important to reflect upon this dynamic if we want to understand what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and all His promises. It is in and through the Gospel that we receive the fulfilment of the promises that God made to Abraham at the beginning of His work with the Chosen People. It is in the context of our relationship with Jesus that we understand what God did with the Jewish people. Yes, His actions have meaning for the Jews apart from faith in Jesus that is quite legitimate, but the deepest meaning of the Old Testament comes with faith in Christ.
Our Christian lives are meant to be lived from the beginning of the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises. We do not have to wait until the Second Coming of Jesus to begin enjoying the fruits of His death and resurrection. One of the deficiencies of our catechetical education is that we do not properly learn about the promises that God made to us starting in the Old Testament. This means that we do not experience the fullness of life that we could have if we knew the promises. We need to be proactive in studying the Scripture if we really want to be properly informed of our faith. Let us not miss out on the promises of God through our laziness to seek them in His Word. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

Reflection Question:
How much of God’s promises in the Old and New Testaments do I know?

Jesus, You stood firm on the Word of God as revealed to the Jews and used it to fight temptation and to guide Your mission. Help me to do the same by first getting to know Your
Word better than I do now.

Martyrs of Cardena, pray for us.