“Living as a ‘powerful dynamite’ of God’s Compassionate Love and Mercy!”

(Based on 1 Thess 4:13-18 and Lk 4:16-30 – Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time)

The Dynamite was one of the most powerful invention known to humans at that time.

It was invented by Alfred Nobel.

When Nobel had invented it, he asked his friend – a Greek scholar – for a word in Greek, for ‘explosive power’.

The Greek word that was given was ‘dunamis’ – an explosive power!

By itself, a dynamite is fairly stable.

But once combined with an ‘igniter’ it becomes extremely powerful.
(An igniter is something like a firecracker placed inside a stick of TNT to set it off)

It is interesting that the “Power” of the Holy Spirit also has the same Greek word, “dunamis!”

As Christians, at our Baptism and in the further Sacraments, we have received this “dunamis” – Power!

We all have the potential within us to be a “Dynamite” – of God’s Love, Mercy and Power!

But the question is…

Do I give witness to this mighty power of the Holy Spirit- ‘dunamis’ – in my life…?
… Or have I been rendered powerless and ineffective, lacking the force of an ‘igniter’?

The Gospel of the Day is a powerful display of the Power of the Holy Spirit, by Jesus, as He inaugurates His public ministry at Nazareth.

The public ministry of our Blessed Lord begins with the reading and proclamation of the prophetic words:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…” (Lk 4:18)

The Jewish world had been eagerly waiting and longing for the coming of the Messiah.

But Divine Irony had it that when the Messiah did arrive, it was not with a mighty bang, but with a sweet gentleness and calm!

He came from a place, that was perhaps, least expected – Nazareth

He announced His coming to the public not with any grand show or spectacle – but by just declaring the Word of God with authority

But this humble beginning, that Divine Wisdom planned it so beautifully, would slowly unleash its mighty power – its “dunamis!”

The mighty words and proclamation by Jesus caused an immediate stir and buzz among the people who listened to Him.

The Gospel would testify to this fact, in the words: “And all spoke highly of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His mouth” (Lk 4:22)

However, as the Spirit of God continued to display its mighty power, in the Person of Jesus, there also arose the spirit of division and opposition.

The “all-hailing” and “all -praising” crowd, on realizing the demands placed by the Word of God…
… got converted to “being enraged” and “being infuriated”!

So much was the antagonism that had brewed up that “all in the synagogue were filled with wrath, and they rose to put Him out of the city…” (Lk 4: 28-29)

This then is the “mighty dynamite of God’s Mighty Spirit”:

A Power that arrests the attention of all and causes amazement and wonder…
… yet, a Power that also mightily challenges and confronts!

Each of us, as Christians, possessing the Mighty Power of the Holy Spirit are called to a “Spiritual Dynamite”…
… One which arrests the attention of the people by our witnessing and faithful life
… One which causes people to make an introspection into their lives to turn towards God, even if it results in persecutions

Our Blessed Lord, with the mighty power of the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, became a life-transforming and a society-challenging Dynamite!

The unflinching focus and the faithful commitment was His Igniter
The deep desire to fulfil His Father’s Will was His Igniter
The intense love for His people was His Igniter.

Am I, as a Christian, failing to be a powerful witness and give a mighty testimony to the Gospel?

Can I reinforce the ‘igniters’ of…

being focused and faithfully committed
having a deep desire to seek and do God’s Will
cultivating an intense love and compassion for His people
… so that my life can be a “powerful dynamite” of God’s Compassionate Love and Mercy?

We today seek the intercession of St Euphrasia, the saint from India, who was canonized a few years back (Nov 23, 2014), and be inspired by her words:
“May your heart be an altar, from which the bright flame of unending thanksgiving ascends to heaven”

May this Saint’s deep love for Christ and the Church inspire us to make our Christian lives, a “dynamite” of Christ’s love and mercy!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE CHURCH’S ULTIMATE TRIAL

The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that Messianic hope…
… which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgement.
The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism.
The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection.
The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven.

God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgement after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world. (Cf. CCC # 676-677)