A common expression in the Latin Scriptures is the word, “Fiat.” It is usually translated, “Let it be,” or some variation. On the surface, it appears a form of acquiescence, a reluctant acceptance. However, in reality, it is a channel of great power.

 

The first instance in Scripture is in the first chapter of Genesis. God spoke space, time, and the universe into existence with the command, “Let there be light.” Fiat lux.

 

Another fiat we are all familiar with is the affirmation of the Blessed Virgin given to the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation. “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. And at that moment, God became Man.

 

A third fiat I offer for reflection is spoken by the priest during the Mass. “Let these gifts of bread and wine become for us the body and blood of you dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The wording varies between Eucharistic prayers, but the understanding remains the same as the traditional Latin mass, Fiat ut nobis Corpus et Sanguis dilectíssimi Fílii tui Dómini nostri Jesu Christi. And common elements of bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord.

 

Fiat, of course, is not a magic word. It will not reveal secrets or win a lottery for us. However, when spoken sincerely in accordance with the perfect will of God, it releases the power that created the universe and brings the natural world into submission to its Creator. That is the power of surrender.

 

How often in life do we find ourselves confounded and in need of a miracle? That miracle awaits us in the act of our will and the power of our speech. Fiat mihi secundum voluntatem tuam Domine. “Let it be done to me according to your will, O Lord.” We too often miss the miracle because we want it on our terms. We want God to submit to our will and purpose like a magician for hire. But when we, by act of will and word, offer ourselves in submission to God, we receive His miracle. Perhaps we desire deliverance but receive martyrdom instead. Perhaps we want physical healing but receive redemptive suffering instead.

 

We do not know the road God has for us, but submission means we trust him without reservation. We do know that the God who loves us so much that he suffered and died on a cross for us has chosen a road that leads us to salvation, fulfillment, and joy. Let us trust God enough to offer him our fiat, and watch the miracle happen.

Matthew 22:10-14

So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

 

It was the custom in Jesus’ time for the king to give wedding garments to the guests at his wedding. Similar customs continued to fairly recent times. Think of a nineteenth century royal dinner party where the host gives dinner jackets to his guests.

In this parable, the invited guests refuse to come, so guests are brought in from the “highways and byways.” According to custom, each would be given a wedding garment upon his arrival. However, one refused to wear his wedding garment. Why not? Was he too proud? Too ashamed? Did he feel unworthy of the honor? We are not told.

Throughout Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers, the wedding garment is seen as the white purity of baptism in which our sins are forgiven, our guilt is purged, and our souls are made “white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18) For an unstated reason, one guest refused to accept God’s forgiveness.

I have seen this often, where someone refuses God’s offer of mercy, either because of pride, shame, or feelings of unworthiness. Not that any of us are worthy in our own right, but we must allow Christ’s mercy to heal us of our unworthiness. “Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Both the bad and the good were invited, because we are all the same in God’s eyes. “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6 Those who consider themselves ‘good’ may be too proud to accept Christ’s mercy. Those who consider themselves ‘bad’ may be too ashamed to accept Christ’s mercy. But to enjoy the feast, we must all humbly accept God’s gift and let him heal our souls.

In my vision of the throne room of God, I saw the essence of God Enthroned flowing out from his presence to all who surrounded his throne, filling them with life then returning back to God in eternal praise. This essence of God is:

• The energy that manifests the universe.
• The Glory of God’s ever abiding presence.
• The Divine Will and Purpose for all things visible and invisible.

It is manifested in:

• The Word of God through whom all things are created and sustained.
• The consolation of the Holy Spirit that gives us awareness of God’s presence.
• The Love of God that is his Divine Will and Purpose for us all.

To experience this power in our lives, we must be in the flow of this Divine Energy.

This flow is most commonly referred to in Scripture as “the river of God.”

This river is alluded to as early as the Eden story as the origin of all rivers. The four rivers named in the Genesis epic tell the story of the flow of God.

• The first river is the Pishon which means “the overflowing of living water.” It relates to the Hebrew word pashur that means “prosperity everywhere.”
• The second river is the Gihon from the Hebrew word giyah that means “to break.” From Eden, man’s relationship with God as friend and companion was broken.
• The third river is often named the Tigris. However, in Hebrew the river is named the Hiddekel from the verb hadak, which means “to prick with thorns.” Our Savior was crowned with thorns as he purchased our redemption.
• The fourth river, often named the Euphrates is actually the Parat in Hebrew which means “the bitter water has been made sweet.” Our relationship with God as friend and companion has been restored in Christ.

The river of God is viewed by Ezekiel who saw in a vision a trickle of water flowing from the eastern side of the temple, where Christ was crucified. As the trickle flowed it grew bigger until it was a great and powerful river. Then, when the river reached the ocean, it transformed the ocean from salt water that no one can drink into fresh water that quenches the thirst of all in the earth. Ezekiel was viewing the ministry of Christ in the earth, what we now refer to as his Body, the Church. Through his Church, Christ quenches the thirst of all.

Finally, the river of God is viewed by St. John the Divine recorded in the book of Revelation.

And he showed me the river of water of life. It was clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It divided the central street of the city, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life. The tree of life bears twelve fruits, continually bearing a crop every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall no longer be any curse whatsoever. Because the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in the city, and his servants shall serve him. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. Night shall be no more. They shall not need the light of the lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall be their light. And they shall reign with him forever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5

I remember when I was younger swimming in the San Marcus River in Texas. It is not a huge powerful river like the Mississippi, but you cannot swim against the current for long without becoming discouraged and exhausted. If you are going to enjoy being in the river, you need to go with the flow. When you go with the flow you are strengthened and carried along by its awesome power.

Everything that is, exists in the flow of God.

Pursue God with joy and find him in peace. He is not far from any of us, for in him we live, and move, and exist. Acts 17:27-28

The flow of God entered our universe the moment he separated light from darkness in that beginning spark of creation we commonly refer to as the big bang. The flow of God continues unabated till this day and will continue into eternity. Even though this universe may one day grind to a halt in icy stillness, the flow of God will continue in that realm of pure light we commonly refer to as heaven.

To experience the love, peace, and joy of God’s presence, we must live in the flow of God.

The immature believer wants to bend the flow of God to his own perceived needs and desires. He prays, “God, do this for me. God, perform a miracle for me. God, make everyone I like happy and healthy. God, change the people who frustrate me. God, make my life easy.” The mature believer only desires to be in the flow of God and so surrenders to God’s perfect authority and will. He prays as Jesus taught him, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” The mature believer surrenders everything he has or desires to the flow of God. The Blessed Mother gives us an example to follow when she prayed, “Let it be done to me according to thy word.”

It is a great blessing to shift our prayer life from constantly seeking something from God, and simply to seek God himself for his own sake. When we do that, we find ourselves in his magnificent flow. He carries us and fulfills in us his purpose for us. And, as Jesus promised, we find rest for our souls.

We also find the miraculous power of God in our lives. There is a story of a young boy who was troubled by an evil spirit that the disciples were unable to drive out. Jesus comes and comes and commands the evil spirit to leave. The disciples asked Jesus, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” Jesus replies, “This kind only comes out by prayer.” (Mark 9:13-29) I’m sure the disciples thought to themselves, “What do you think we were doing?” It seems that Jesus was using the term “prayer” in a different context than we generally consider. I’m sure the disciples were asking God to cure the boy, but something must have been amiss in their motive. St. James teaches us:

Where do the wars and arguments among you come from? Are they not from your selfish desires, which wage war inside yourselves?  You covet and you do not possess. You kill and envy but cannot obtain. You argue and fight but come up empty. You don’t have because you do not ask God.  You ask but don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, seeking only personal gain or pleasure. James 4:1-3

Could the disciples have been motivated by a desire for personal recognition rather than glorifying God? We see their desire for recognition elsewhere in the gospels. Perhaps here as well. Perhaps they were competing to be the one who drove out the evil spirit. But regardless of the underlying issue, it is clear that the disciples were not ministering in the flow of God. So, their prayer was ineffective.

True prayer is not asking or demanding that God does what we want him to do but submitting to the flow of God. Even Jesus said that he could do nothing by himself, but only what he “sees his Father doing.” (John 5:19) We should follow Christ’s example and not demand from God but, with spiritual sight, see what the Father is doing. Then, in that knowledge, step into the flow of the Father’s work. Allow God to be God through our prayer. And all thanks and glory go to God, none to us his humble servants. For all we do is submit to the mighty flow of God.

 

 

First, let us define what love is. What does it mean to love? St. Thomas Aquinas defines love as “willing the other’s good.” When we think of God’s love, we see it as God intending all the energy and presence of the universe for our benefit. God wills all things for our good. And all things include suffering, even death.

A personal trainer pushes his or her trainee to the point of struggle, and perhaps even pain to prepare muscles to strengthen and grow.

Boot camp is an experience of many in which a weak and selfish individual can be broken down by his drill instructor and rebuilt into a strong, well-trained soldier who will sacrifice himself for the good of his country.

When accepted with thanksgiving, suffering in this life can be redemptive.

Therefore, since we have been brought into a good and positive relationship with God by faith, let us enjoy peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access through faith into this grace, in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of the children of God. And not only that; but we glory also in our troubles, knowing that suffering builds patience; And patience builds endurance. And endurance builds hope. And our hope, our conviction that God is working for our good, never puts us to shame. Because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us. Romans 5:1-5

Even death when seen from God’s perspective is not a sad or bad experience. Jesus said, ““I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me shall live, even if he should die. And everyone who lives and believes in me, will not die forever.” John 11:25-26 Death is merely a doorway from life to the fulness of life. The sadness we experience when losing a loved one comes from our perspective of loss and loneliness.

Of course, not all suffering is redemptive. Parents sometimes have the experience of watching a rebellious child take everything that was intended for their good and employing it for the purpose of self-destruction. It is called free will. A child may squander their education, money, and life itself on drugs, alcohol, relationships that lack commitment or true intimacy, and screen distractions that numb their ability to reason. Self-destruction is not in the flow of God’s loving presence but exists in the devil’s playground. Still, God’s love is so powerful that one only needs to turn to God, repent, and submit to the flow of God’s love to be plucked from the path of destruction and placed on the path of life. And God is able to take even the worst experiences of our lives and miraculously use them for our ultimate good.

And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God. All things work together for good, for those who, living according to his will and purpose, are called to be saints. For those whom he foreknew, he also determined to be conformed to the image of his Son; so that Christ might be the firstborn among many siblings. And those whom he determined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified into a good and positive relationship with God. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30

Sometimes the Holy Spirit needs to perform holy surgery in our souls to cut away self-destructive desires and replace them with pure desires that bring us hope and joy. That can be painful for a moment but ultimately result in our healing.

So, God is not ashamed to be called our loving Father. For he has purposed everything in this universe for our good. And even when through our own rebellion and violence we introduce destruction into our lives, God is always present to transform our lives into joy, when we submit ourselves into the flow of his love.

The joy of the Lord will be your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Cheryl and I were praying together this morning, and one of the Scriptures we read reminded me of a song sung by the Medical Mission Sisters. It was in the 1960’s and their music was always filled with such joy. In fact, simple, childlike joy was a hallmark of the renewal movement in the 1960’s. I actually began to weep as I wondered why we see so little joy these days.

Amid this pandemic, joy seems scarce. We might even feel insensitive or crass if we openly expressed joy. There is so much trouble, so much sadness. But life was not all peaches and cream when Nehemiah made the promise given above. “The joy of the Lord will be your strength.”

Israel had been exiled from their homeland for 70 years. A few were allowed to return under Nehemiah’s leadership to rebuild Jerusalem from the rubble. He was maligned by those who did not want Jerusalem rebuilt and so he was arrested and tried for treason. When he began rebuilding the walls, he was daily attacked by those opposed, so the builders had to keep swords with them as they worked, always ready to defend the project. But he encouraged the people, “The joy of the Lord will be your strength.”

Could simple, childlike joy be the key to strength in our time as well?

Here are a few suggestions about how to get back to joy.

1. Watch less news. In the 1960’s the news was only on for 30 minutes a day. Somehow we didn’t seem to miss it.
2. Listen to uplifting music that praises God. Yes, the Medical Mission Sister still publish CD’s.
3. Get together with others to pray, praise, and support each other.
4. Attend the daily live stream Mass or at least read the daily readings as part of your prayer time.
5. Sing. It is good for your body and your soul. Just keep a safe social distance when singing.

Remember, it is God who is in control of this universe. Not Covid. Not government health agencies. In this Easter season we celebrate Christ who conquered death. So, let’s celebrate with joy.