springs of salvation

Ephesians 3:2-12; you will draw joyfully from the springs of salvation; Luke 12:39-48

The responsorial psalm: you shall draw joyfully from the springs of salvation

The other day I was back at home on my day away, as I like to call it. There i was in Shiner just taking it easy.

all of sudden my brother shows up and informs me that it was time to round up the cattle to take the calves to the auction.

In the Berger family, rounding up the cattle was never a fun thing to do. It usuall involved a lot of hollering and kicking and spitting and that was usually our Father toward us. It wasn't fun.

As soon as I heard round up. I started to have flash backs of childhood years running up and down the pastuer trying to get the stinking cows and calves in the pen.

Needless to say, I wasn't excited about using my day away to run up and down a pasteur chasing calves and cows all the while not getting stampeded.

But, to my surprise, it went okay. I suppose somethings do change. With relative ease and a minimum amount of exertion, the cows and calves were in the pen and it was time to load up and move out.

Afterwards, Dad decided to drive down the pastuer and let the remainder of the cows into another part of the pasteur that had been fenced off. As we were driving, we came across a dry creek bed that was once had been a lively spring.

Dad was giving me the history of the creek bed, how once upon a time it was filled with cold deep pools that were great for fishing.
As I looked upon them, all I could see was dry cracked ground.

So I asked Dad the question, "what happened to the springs?"

His response was simple and precise: "I guess nature just takes its course."

Nature just takes it course was the answer. Often this is a common response to the many questions, "nature just takes its course!"

St. Paul in the first reading reminds us that though nature make take it course, God's plan is more decisive, a "plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God...so that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the Church."

The Church brings that plan to every generation, revealing Christ, making him known. The Church becomes a spring that never runs dry for it is of heavenly origin, whose source is eternity it self.

In the Church we draw joyfully from the springs of salavtion that never run dry, where nature is surpassed by grace and the natural enocunters the supernatural and Christ is all in all.

What a gift! We will never have to worry about the spring running dry for the life giving waters of grace shall flow continuously through the outpouring of Christ's redemptive and eternal gift of self that is made known in and through the Church he found, "You are peter and upon this rock I build my church...the gate sof hell shall never prevail."

This spring shall flow unto eternity and thus we have access through faith in Him who is the source of such lively spring.

So please draw joyfully, drink fully, indulge yourself in the grace that flows freely!

Words from Pope Benedict

"Faithful to Christ's command to "do this in memory of me", the Church in every time and place celebrates the Eucharist until the Lord retunrs in glory, rejoicing in his sacramental presence and drawing upon the power of his saving sacrifice for the redemption of the world."