psalm 24: being presentable to God. 34th week monday

Today we read psalm 24.  Today our psalm asks the questions:  Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?  or who may stand in his holy place?  What does it take to become presentable to God, what makes us holy and thus worthy to stand in God's holy presence?  The psalm offers several answers but let us just take one for the day.

The first stanza says, "The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it."  TO become holy before God it is important first and foremost to acknowledge that everything I have is not really mine but the Lord's.  Everything belongs to God.  All that I have are gifts from God to be managed by me in order to do God's purpose.  Many times sin enters our lives when we begin saying this is mine; when we begin insisting, this is mine.  Ours however is not ownership but stewardship – I will use these gifts not for my selfish ends, not jsut for my personal and selfish use but for the good of all.  And so we can be helped to become holy when we start with a mindset every single day of our lives as we wake up in the morning – everything that I have is God's gift, I should be filled with gratitude and I should use them for his purpose.

The widow in gospel was praised because of her attitude of trust in God's loving care for each one of us.  The reality that God created me should also reminds me not just of God's ownership or being creator of all.  It should also remind us that God is a father and a mother to all of us.