Who do you follow?

We live in a world of ideas and opinions. This constant stream of information seems to besiege us and force our hand. It can cause us to make instant choices and instant decisions about how our life will continue to develop. In such a pressure cooker of a situation we are often called to react rather than reflect. Our lives can be shaped and coloured by the thoughts of others. It can catch us in a stream of consciousness rather than a way of being present to who we are called to be.
The importance of entering into the mystery of God and coming back to ourselves is important. There may be times when we need to sit back and switch off the television, log off the computer and go for a walk. This can be valuable time in which we can look at what actually brings us life, what do we truly value and who it is that we follow. We are called to ensure that Jesus is not just a cardboard cutout figure who is made in our own image and likeness. He is a person who challenges us to be authentic to God and to each other. He calls us to listen to his voice and at times be disturbed into action. Prayer is not just talking to ourselves but is an encounter with the God who dwells and walks with us. We discover that we walk in way in which helps us to learn, respect and celebrate that we all stand on sacred ground.

Am I sick of being sick?

The relationship we have with doctors and other medical professionals is crucial to our ongoing health. However, there is an important unseen element in this relationship which is built on how we believe the treatments that they provide will have a positive impact on our lives. This is not just a matter of positive thinking, although that certainly helps, but an engagement with the process of our own healing. There is not only a degree to which we are called to trust our doctors but do we trust ourselves? It is important that we talk and ask questions about how a treatment will assist us. We also need to listen and understand how the treatment will be effective. The more we are engaged in the process of our own health care the better the likely outcomes.

There is also the recognition that we are not just our bodies. There is a spiritual impact of illness upon us which can separate us from loved ones and also turn us in on ourselves. The need for the healing of the psychological and spiritual elements of an illness are also important. There can also be an impact upon on our own worth and dignity as a person. This isolation from others can also cause us to feel separated from God. The sacrament of anointing of the sick allows us the opportunity to ask God to be present to us in our bodies and spirit to discover a person who walks with us even at our lowest ebb. Jesus always wants to walk with us and provide what is needed for us in our illness.

How do we know Christ?

How do we know Christ? This is the central question of the readings for this coming Sunday. There are signs that this is not only knowing him by stories told about him but by experiencing him in the flesh. Each person is called to be open to his life changing presence which draws people to him. This is not just wishful thinking where it is our willing God to be present to our situation but a desire planted in the human heart to seek the person of Jesus.

When the situation appeared hopeless people turned to Jesus in the storm tossed boat. Their heartfelt pleas went out to him to save them from impending destruction. It was not that he was asleep on the case, as the disciples assumed but that in even the most violent storm he was present. In fact the calming of the storm raised more questions than it answered. There was a sense in which the dead calm was more disturbing than the storm itself.

In our daily prayers we can turn to Jesus in many ways but it is by reflecting on what does bring life to situations which seem lifeless, to bring hope to situations which are hopeless and to bring faith to situations that are faithless. God touches us where we are not where we think we should be. Each day have the confidence to step out and say Jesus walk with me!

Let the dice fall where they will!

Let the dice fall where they will! There seems to be an element of chance in what is read to us today. It seems as though God scatters the seed and then sits back to see what happens. However, it is not as willful as it sounds. God is prepared for the seed to grow at its own rate and to produce the fruit that is intended. There is also an anticipation that great things can happen.

In our lives we can witness that often it is in the simplest act of kindness and generosity that God can be present. There is also a divine initiative which wishes to generate life changing results not just for the person who receives the gift but in the way they can share that gift with others. God calls us to be open to how we are present to his life and love and how we allow ourselves to be open to share that with others.

Fruit of the earth and work of human hands

The call to participation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is at the heart of Eucharist. The call is not just a remembering of a past event but actually being present to his saving action in the world. This is why the celebration of Mass is at the heart of our Catholic life. It is the summit and source of our Christian life. It draws us into a reality which is greater than ourselves and then sends us out on mission to be present to others with the Good News.

This transforming presence of Jesus in the Eucharist enables us to see just beyond the ordinary events of everyday life and looks at the sacred underpinning of all creation. Each day we are called to see how our lives are embraced by God and enriched by God. We carry with us a treasure unseen but powerfully at work in the world. This is recognized in the very words that we pray at the preparation of the gifts where we acknowledge the fruit of the earth and work of human hands. We are called to see God present in even the simplest act of our daily lives and how we are called to cooperate with God’s creative plan.