Collect 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

This week we Lectio the Liturgy with the Collect for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. In this prayer we learn what it means to have an all-powerful God.

Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace on our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Do you want to know how powerful God is? At all times, he governs both, heaven and earth. He holds all the power. In the Latin form of the prayer, the word for govern is <em>moderaris.</em> God governs or has power over all things.

When we think of someone having power over us, we may tend to stiffen up. Oftentimes when someone gets a little power, they also get greedy. They sometimes think they get to be in control. Fortunately, when God has power, he is not like that.

I’ve been meditating on the ways that God has shown his power. He created the world out of nothing. The Son of God took on human flesh. Jesus not only healed and brought others back to life, he raised himself from the dead. God is the only one who can make an unclean soul clean again.

God also shows his power in His ability to accomplish His will in every situation through any means He chooses in order to glorify Himself.

Isaiah tells us in 40:4 that valleys will be raised up and mountains made low. I have been to valleys and mountains and I have never seen that physically happen. I have, however, experienced it. He has raised valleys and has given hope in times of despair. He has lower mountains when they have been too hard to climb.

I have seen Him heal. I have seen a woman with a hole in her throat where her tracheotomy tube had been after she received healing. Her doctors were astounded because she no longer needed an oxygen tank and tubes to live.

As I thought about the big things, I realized that I am so small. He then showed me another side of His power.

When parents have a new baby, they have complete power over their child. The parents must do everything to supply the needs of the newborn. They must feed, change diapers, hold, and cherish their baby. They must make decisions about schedules, doctor visits, and nap times.

Then it hit me. Do I allow God to have this kind of power over me? Do I rely on God for everything. He is certainly capable of caring for my needs, and not only that, He wants to.

In the “do” of the prayer, we ask God to hear our pleading and bestow His peace.

The meaning of peace, or “pacem” which is found in the Latin form of the prayer, originally referred to an agreement or a binding treaty which brought calmness or tranquility or the ceasing of hostilities.

For us peace comes the same way. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we live in a binding treaty, or a covenant, with God, however, to live in peace we must be reconciled with God. In that place, we become the infant in His arms, resting in the peace of the power of God.

Thanks for praying with me, Julie