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We
continue with St. Ambrose’s homily from yesterday: Meditate,
then, at all times on the things of God, and speak the things of God, when
you sit in your house. By house we can understand the Church, or the
secret place within us, so that we are to speak within ourselves. Speak
with prudence, so as to avoid falling into sin, as by excess of talking.
When you sit in your house, speak to yourself as if you were a judge.
When you walk along the way, speak, so as never to be idle. You speak
along the way if you speak in Christ, for Christ is the way. When you
walk along the way, speak to yourself, speak to Christ. Hear him say to
you: I desire that in every place men should pray, lifting holy hands
without anger or quarrelling. When you lie down, speak so that the
sleep of death may not steal upon you. Listen and learn how you are to
speak as you lie down; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to
my eyelids until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the
God of Jacob. When you get up or rise again, speak of Christ, so as
to fulfill what you are commanded. Listen and learn how Christ is to awaken
you from sleep. Your soul says: I hear my brother knocking at the
door. Then Christ says to you: Open the door to me, my sister, my
spouse. Listen and learn how you are to awaken Christ. Your soul
says: I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, awaken or reawaken the
love of my heart. Christ is that love. (From the Explanations of the Psalms by St. Ambrose, bishop)
Prayer: Psalm
40:9-11
I have proclaimed glad tidings
of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You know.
I
have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and
Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness
and Your truth from the great congregation.
You, O Lord, will not withhold Your
compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will
continually preserve me.
My
thoughts: St. Ambrose reminds us today that we are
to approach God by “lifting holy hands without anger or quarrelling.” Our constant conversation with God
must be accompanied by love of neighbor; that was the second great
commandment Jesus added to the
first. Our constant prayer must be to know God and allow God to live in
us. God is love, and if we are inviting God to live in us, then we are
inviting love to be our everlasting gift to the world. If we are not
bringing the love which is Christ into the world by our every thought,
word and deed, then we are doing a lot of talking to God, and very little
listening. St. Ambrose tells us, “Listen and learn how you are to
awaken Christ.” Let God lead you, and you will become the very instrument
of His love and peace so necessary to those people He places in your life
today. Take the time today to be quiet, and listen, and learn.
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