Short & Sweet Reflection Service.

First Reading: From Isaiah 35

Say to those who are of a fearful heart: “ Be strong, do not fear!” Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, wit terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

The words from the old Prophet of Isaiah are spoken right into our human heart and human fear. “ Be strong and do not fear. God is here, and he will save you.” When we are troubled, when we are sad, when we are weak and full of fear, this should be our words to say and to remind us where to look for answers. We are weak and we are fearful, but we also have faith and now where to turn in prayer, in faith and in hope.  Sometimes we forget. Sometimes we forget, where we should and could turn. Sometimes we are so occupied, consumed and burdened by our fear, weakness, troubles and sadness, that we hardly can look up and look to God. Isaiah reminds us: we who all have fearful hearts and weak faith, to look up and look to God and listen to the words of faith:

BE-STRONG-DO-NOT-FEAR.

I will do a little morning meditation with you. Please repeat after me as we focus on these words and take word by word away to focus on simply being:

BE SSTRONG, DO NOT FEAR

BE STRONG, DO NOT

BE STRONG DO

BE STRONG

BE.

Amen.

Second Reading: from Mark 32 -34

The Old Prophet of Isaiah urged us to BE… and we journey from the Old Testament to the New Testament, where Jesus said: “ Be opened”. The Gospel tells us about the deaf man, who was brought to Jesus. And Jesus looked up, sighed and said: “Ephphatha/ Be opened.” And immediately the ears and the tongue was released and sounds and words can tumbling out through the opened senses.

BE…. Isaiah said. Be strong and do not fear.

Be…. Jesus said. Be opened and listen and speak.

In order to be strong and to not be afraid, we need to be opened: to hope, to faith, to love, to change, to goodness, to one another. In order to be opened we need to be open and use our sense freely and joyfully and relentlessly: we need to listen to the words of God, to the voices of our loved ones, to the birds of heaven and the sound of silence; and we need to speak openly about our faith, to speak truth and love, and to dare listen to the words of God and the words of forgiveness.

Be strong and be opened. It goes hand in hand.

So go and be strong and dare to be opened. Amen.