"Be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him"

2 Peter 3:14

I love the story of Jesus on the stormy Sea of Galilee. The disciples see him walking on the water coming towards their boat and, in fear, think he is a ghost. Jesus assures them of his presence and bids Peter to come out onto the water. Peter becomes a water-walker, for a few steps. Then he takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to drown. He cries out, “Lord, save me!” This, my friends, can be translated into good Catholic theology. Peter’s plea should be our constant plea. Each moment of our existence we cry out to the Lord to save us from any spot or blemish that separates us from the life he lives.

How many people do you know that are really eager to be found without spot or blemish? Are you? Do you want to do things on earth as they are done in heaven?

Humility. Pray for humility. Humility is not saying, “I am bad person” nor is it claiming that you are the source of any gift you have. Humility is all about honestly saying who you are, who God is, and who we are in God. Jesus, without spot or blemish, comes to us, with spots and blemishes, to incorporate us into his very life.

So many times, for all intents and purposes, we can say we are all right when people ask how we are doing. How true is that?

Everything is not all right. Humility would admit this. Why would we need a Savior called Jesus if everything was all right?

How about this one? “I am not all right and you are not all right but Jesus is all right and that is all right.” We take on the one who has it all right and we become all right.

Journal time. If you are eager about getting rid of the spots and blemishes, regularly/daily write down how the Holy Spirit and other people are revealing them to you. Jesus, who is all right, wants you to confess them and have them replaced (so they can’t come right back in) with his life and way of relating.

Be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him.

+Fr. John

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