offer him rest
“Advance, O Lord, to Your resting place.” —Psalm 132:8
In today’s first reading and Psalm, the Lord journeys to His place of rest in the newly finished Temple in Jerusalem. God confirms His acceptance of the Temple as a suitable dwelling by the presence of the cloud which fills the Temple. The cloud had been the sign of God’s presence for forty years in the Exodus and the wandering of the Israelites through the desert. Now His presence dwells within the ark of the covenant inside the Temple.
Then God sent His only Son into the world (Jn 3:16). In the New Covenant, God’s presence dwelt on the earth through Jesus (see Jn 1:14; Heb 1:3). How ironic then that Jesus had no place to rest during His public ministry, no place to lay His head (see Lk 9:58). Jesus was frequently on the move, in boats, villages, desert places, and other such wanderings.
At the end of His life, Jesus took His earthly dwelling place to a new level: He has chosen to dwell in us! After ascending into heaven, Jesus remains with His people through His real presence in the Holy Eucharist. When we receive His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, Jesus now dwells in us and “remains in” us (see Jn 6:56). We become walking tabernacles of His presence. Jesus lives in us to such an extent that He assures us: “Anyone who loves Me will be true to My word, and My Father will love him; We will come to him and make Our dwelling place with him” (Jn 14:23).
When Jesus was born, there was no place for Him, Joseph, or Mary to find rest (see Lk 2:7). Let us change our lives in order to prepare our hearts to be a resting place for Jesus. “Advance, O Lord, to Your resting place” (Ps 132:8), my heart.
Prayer: Lord, here I am. Rearrange my life as You see fit and make Your home in me.
Promise: “All who touched [Jesus] got well.” —Mk 6:56
Praise: Reaching age 30, Lynn despaired of ever finding a godly husband, but she devoted herself to serving God in her parish. The Lord then put directly in her path a loving man to marry her.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
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