On Mosquito Bites

Father Ronald Rolheiser is missing out on the power of God's Grace.

He comments that contrary to the whistful hope of English poey W. H. Auden, people do not dance at the presence of grace. They become vengeful, unhappy, easily perturbbed by life's little difficulties.

Grace is not something which we must "fervently pray for", as he suggests. Grace is a person, Jesus Christ:

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

and

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
(John 1: 14, 17)

Grace is not something which a believer has to seek; instead, the person of Jesus Christ already lives within the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul indicated the proper prayer of a believer:

"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

"Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." (Ephesians 1: 15-18)

We have received everything already through Christ buy the Power of His indwelling Holy Spirit. Rather than trying to search for what God the Father has already given us, rather than assuming that trials and circumstances can ruin what God has already gifted to us, let us pray that the Lord would open our understanding to the immense riches of his grace (cf Ephesians 3:8). No mosquito bite can undo or overcome what Christ has done and who He is within us!

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