Monday of the 5th Week of Eastertide
Acts 14:5-18 | Psalm 113B(115):1-4,15-16 | John 14:21-26
“Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that these hold.” (Acts 14:15)
No one is willing to admit to idolatry, but most of us practise it to one degree or another.
TripAdvisor: “St. Peter’s statue – touching his feet brings good luck.”
Poor St. Peter, getting an unwanted pedicure.
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When we touch a statue of Mother Mary, or even the foot of Jesus on His cross, what goes through our minds?
Wah, touch statue liao, tomorrow sure get job one!
Sounds a lot like He-Man drawing from the power of Grayskull:
But when we don’t get that job, do we stop touching Mother Mary, or Jesus? Now that we’ve proven to ourselves that this statue can’t work miracles, do we move on to St. Joseph, or St. Francis of Assisi, or something else?
Hey, look! That statue over there must be lucky, otherwise shoulder won’t be rubbed smooth, right?
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Or do we think to ourselves, as we gently press our fingers against the feet of Mother Mary, or Christ Himself:
My God, You know what I truly need in my life,
so let it be done unto me according to Thy word.
There aren’t enough idols on this planet if we’re only concerned about our good fortune, but when we turn to God and abandon ourselves to Him, we’d be carrying our own “statue” within us, to touch and be touched at every hour of every day.
[…] the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you. (John 14:26)
Come, Lord Jesus, send us Your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Amen.