WHEN HE SEES HIS IMAGE
**Let me share with you a beautiful reflection by a priest on today's Gospel reading...**
BY: Fr. Sandy V. E.
A story is told of a group of women that met for Bible study.
While studying the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study. The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest, so as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined.
The man answered yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it." (Tina Harrison)
Some of the first words of God that were ever written were, "...he created man in his own image..." This serves as a stamp on each man—God's image has its imprint on all his human creation. Nonetheless, we have to know that while it is already a given fact, it is still a project or a mission that everyone must work to sustain. That imprint must be continually realized in one's person and life. We can only know that "it is done" when the image of God can truly be reflected on our life, such that like St. John, man may be able to say, 'it is no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me.
Father, thank You that You don’' leave me in the flames for longer than necessary.
BY: Fr. Sandy V. E.
A story is told of a group of women that met for Bible study.
While studying the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study. The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest, so as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined.
The man answered yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it." (Tina Harrison)
Some of the first words of God that were ever written were, "...he created man in his own image..." This serves as a stamp on each man—God's image has its imprint on all his human creation. Nonetheless, we have to know that while it is already a given fact, it is still a project or a mission that everyone must work to sustain. That imprint must be continually realized in one's person and life. We can only know that "it is done" when the image of God can truly be reflected on our life, such that like St. John, man may be able to say, 'it is no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me.
Father, thank You that You don’' leave me in the flames for longer than necessary.
