How strange, that today's scripture in the LISS prayer programme ask us to look at our God of Salvation. Today, I received a phonecall from someone who found our event 'Generation of Love' (details on the widgets to the right) on Premier Media, and she asked me to give her more information about it. She asked if it was some sort of dating event, and she asked what I do. After giving her as much information as I could about the event and also about me, I asked her about herself. She is Pentecostal/Evangelical, and she said that the event looked interesting but that 'it's Catholic'. She didn't know what chastity talk was, so I explained a little to her about the practical side of what chastity is. She is also has Nigerian roots, which was where I tried to engage, since I have many Nigerian friends, and so was genuinely interested to know where from. She said she was Yuroba, brought up Catholic but became Pentecostal. I told her we'd have a Youth Mass, but she might not be able to take Communion (this is where things get tricky for me, because I don't ever want to stop people from receiving Jesus, so I never know what the right thing to say in this instance would be!), and that we'd have Holy Hour - so we'd be adoring Jesus Christ in His real presence.
Anyway, before we put the phone down to each other, she asked if I believe in redemption. And I told her of course I do. Jesus Christ is our redeemer! If only I had read today's scripture in the morning… it would have been fresh in my mind to answer her question; "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." [Isiah 43: 1] !!! Alas, I did not have the Bible in my mind to answer her question with it, but I wish I had. I told her that I believe our Salvation came with Jesus' Resurrection, and that's the skeleton of the Catholic faith (where the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the consecrated Eucharist is the heart of our the Catholic faith). I felt filled with the Holy Spirit as I was proclaiming to her what I believe! And it gave me such joy to do so.
I love Isiah 43:1-3 very much. There have been such beautiful songs written about it too. I love John 3:16 too, because it speaks volumes about God's Love for us. But Isiah passage gives us the strength and courage to accept and live the Truth… that our Saviour is the Lord, who is one in the Trinity!
O redeemer of my body, soul and spirit, grant me the grace to know Your Holy Word more intimately, so that I can bring others to know Your Truth through it. With the Holy Spirit, send me the courage I need to become the instrument of Your will here on earth, and bless me with a greater capacity to Love You through prayer, which is so lacking in my life. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, help us all, who seek to say 'Yes O Lord God almighty, in You I want to be saved'!
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