SEEING

Return to God’s word for the purpose of “hearing and seeing” Christ in the text (Philippians 2:5-11). Fix your gaze on the illumination. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart and enable you to see what God wants you to see.

COMMENTS

As I look upon the illumination, I notice the brilliant, free-flowing colors throughout the entire portion of the text.  Upon these colors is written a brilliant gold.  While initially this gold appears to simply be a part of the design, a closer inspection reveals that the gold illuminates various portions of the phrase “Jesus Christ is Lord” in many different languages.  A striking reminder of the universality of Christ’s message.

Initially I had not paid much attention to this phrase, however the illumination now brings it new life.  I felt that “Jesus Christ is Lord” was simply a slogan consigned to fundamentalist bumper stickers and t-shirts.  However, this illumination now challenges me to really examine this phrase.  It’s something that can be tossed around easily, but what does it really mean?  More specifically, what should my life look like knowing that “Jesus Christ is Lord?”  Of course the word “Lord” has royal connotations.  This can be a struggle to reflect upon.  What does it mean for Jesus to “rule” in our lives?  As we move closer to the mysteries of Holy Week, let’s spend some time reflecting on this simple statement and what it means in our lives.

Chase M. Becker 

© And Every Tongue Should Confess, Suzanne Moore, 2004. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.