Christmas Hangover!

It seems that immediately following Christmas we are plunged back into real life. One moment we are contemplating the birth of a child and then we start to see how this changes the world around us. I think that there are three feasts which bring this reality sharply into view. The first is the martyrdom of St. Stephen. This does not seem to sit easily so closely to the time when we feel most peaceful we are struck by the his words, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit" as he makes his dying breath. It seems to be that the moment which called us to hold our breath took his breath away. The moment was that in encountering the person of Jesus everything changes and he sees himself in a new light. This is not just about sentimental thoughts or pious actions it is a dedication to understand that his whole life only makes sense in the person of Jesus.

The second image is that of St. John in which a person understands the contrast between conditional and unconditional love. It seems to show how our lives are caught between two worlds. We want love on our terms compared to an openness and acceptance of surrender to a love which moves us beyond ourselves. This is a place where we are called to allow ourselves to be touched by that liminal space where God meets us and draws us closer. This is a place which often captures us between what we know and what seems unknown. There is an attachment to have Christmas on our terms rather than the detachment which draws us deeper to see Christmas through God's eyes which draws us more deeply into a relationship which allows us to be our true self. It provokes us to discover someone who enables us to live in the way which brings life for ourselves and for others.

Then comes for me the hardest feast in this season which is the Holy Innocents. While as adults we can make decisions where we are willing to sacrifice our own good for the good of another this seems to express the total injustice in which we can encounter the seeming victory of the powerful over the powerless. The place where it seems that might is right and where success is seen by keeping yourself in control. The shock and horror of the suffering of innocents strikes us to the core of our being. It has been seen in the results of young children who have been abused and had their innocence stolen from them. It happens in times of war when children are robbed of home and security, It happens in decisions of life and death where the needs of the adult are considered greater than those of the child. We are shaken not just by the indignity, the indecision and the indifference to their lives but also by our ability to rationalize the distance that we can place between one life and our own. We are moved to cocoon ourselves for fear that the harm that is caused will pass us by and we can return to our normal lives.

Yet this is at the heart of Christmas. The birth of a child seeks to bring salvation to our world and disturbs us to see the world through God's eyes. St Stephen reminds us that we are called to be open to a way of life which can speak out and lives life in a way which glorifies God. St. John reminds us that we seek to live a unconditional way of loving which surrenders ourselves to God so that we can become our true self. The Holy Innocents remind us that this love sees all life as valuable and that we need to speak for the powerless rather than for the powerful. That we become voices for the hidden truth of the Gospel that all creation is called to sing of God's glory and not our own. This should always be at he heart of our way of life, that in encountering the mystery of the incarnation we allow Jesus to be at the centre of our lives and our prayer. To live in a way which radically transforms us and challenges the view that can so often place ourselves at the centre. May we prayer that God's heart may draw us into the mystery in which we contemplate his love with our lives.

May the peace of Christ disturb us!

Last Friday the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse was handed down after 5 years of painful and painstaking work. The focus has called many people to reflect on how they have been affected by this abuse. This has not just focused on what are appropriate ways of responding to people who live with the pain of the abuse but also the trauma of reporting that abuse and not being believed by the very people who they believed would act in their best interests. The pain has been deep and in some cases soul destroying where people have struggled to recover and trust again. To trust themselves, to trust others and in many cases to trust God would be present to the deep wounds that this abuse has left. We can no longer ignore the pain or tiptoe lightly around our responses both as institutions and as individuals. We are called to be people who reflect on what the Commission has recommended and consider how we will live in a way which responds in a way which brings life and hope not just in words but in deeds.
Over the last week the story which receives most publicity shines the spotlight on confession and celibacy. How do we seek forgiveness and how do we seek to live? The call of confession is not to produce a list of our sins but rather to carefully examine how our lives reflect God's life in our own. This is to notice those times when we have tried to live our lives on our own terms without reference to the core of our identity. We are made in God's image and likeness but that does not make us God. Confession is not about cheap grace but looking at ways in which we do seek to make restitution for the harm we have caused. Seeking forgiveness is not just rediscovering a warm inner glow but a profound surrender to a way of life that brings healing and reconciliation to others. There is a penitential element which recognizes that we are not the center of the universe but that we are part of that universe and need to respond appropriately.
This may all seem to be overwhelming especially as we prepare for Christmas. Yet we gather in Churches and in communities around a crib which shows the vulnerability of God in coming among us as a little child. This is not just about sentiment or feeling good about ourselves but being profoundly moved that God changes our focus. We are called to gaze upon the child and be transformed. This is especially true when we notice the first visitors at the crib: Shepherds who were considered to be at the margins of society and the wise men who came from the East to offer homage. I think that as we gather this Christmas we are called to see how God calls us to recognize that same vulnerability within ourselves. I believe it is from this place of poverty, humility and powerlessness that we recognize that God changes the axis of our world. It calls us to be communities which listen to the voice of the voiceless and centre our hearts on the needs of the most vulnerable. The strength of a society is found in how we treat the most marginalized and weakest by placing them at the centre of our reflections and action not just in words but in deeds.

Surprised by joy!

At times the weight of the world can seem to rest upon our shoulders. The world seems so close and yet so far removed from us. We want to make a difference but instead the world makes us different. We want to change but are changed. The imminent news cycle bears down upon us telling us what to think, how to be relevant to our times and gives little room for reflection. Yet in the midst of this pressure to be engaged we discover a way of being present which brings us freedom, hope and joy. The message of Isaiah promises glad tidings to the poor, healing to the broken-hearted, liberty for captives and freedom for those in prison.

St Paul in writing to the Thessalonians says that we are called to pray without ceasing and not to crush the spirit which rises inside us. There is a call to test every spirit to find what helps us to discover wholeness and holiness. This testing of the spirits calls us to discover what truly brings life rather than death to our hearts. What sustains us and our communities in which we live with joy and peace. It calls us to discover how we can be good news and be transformed by this hidden joy which will sustain us. By finding times for reflection, prayer and study we find ourselves not only more engaged with the world around us and discover how our lives can make a difference. No longer do we become claustrophobic with the demands placed upon us but we learn to see with the eyes of the heart.

John the Baptist calls us to make the paths straight. This is not just by our own hard work but by noticing what draws us closer to God and to others. What allows us to become a people of thanksgiving which allows people to be aware of the love which sustains us and beckons us to come closer. This closeness is not one which oppresses or restricts us  but rather emboldens us to reach out and touch the life within. It calls us to a place we encounter the light of Christ which burns deep inside us and surprises us with joy.

A new super highway!

As our cities become more crowded and the daily commute only seems to take longer. There is a sense of everybody wanting to reach the same destination at the same time there seems to be a competition to arrive first and on time. We can jostle for our place and quietly argue with the lane which seems to be moving next to us when we have ground to a standstill. We wish if only there was a better way which would allow us to detect some movement and end our frustration.

Into this situation we here the voice of John the Baptist echoing the words down the centuries, make the paths straight. How we wish this were true. If there was a simple path to encounter the person of Jesus in our time and space. Yet this is the challenge of this Advent season. We need to play our part in finding time to do some roadwork and put out the cones so that people can know to slow down around us.This important work of pausing is not just a time in which we do nothing but it is a time when we are called to listen to the silence deep within. To become accustomed to the fact that our lives are not just about how fast we can arrive at our destination but who we will be when we arrive. This time of prayer and reflection can allow us an opportunity to listen to God's Word spoken to us. To engage with that Word in reflecting on what truly brings us life, hope and joy. To become people who are prayerful in allowing our hearts to be directed solely towards God's desire for us.

There are many ways to do this but one application which can help us in the car, on the bus or travelling by train is Pray as you Go at (https://pray-as-you-go.org/about/) which can allow you a simple downloadable 5 minute podcast. This allows you to be a contemplative where ever you are and however you are travelling.

Sleep walking into Christmas!

Can you believe it, Advent starts this weekend and then the steady countdown to Christmas Day. The activity levels seem to increase at the very time when we would hope that they settle down. People probably have already started to make preparations about who they will visit, what they need to buy and who they need to send cards to. There are also the parties we attend, the nativity plays, end of year functions and the carol services which herald the arrival of the day. Yet in the midst of this celebratory feel do we miss something essential?

We are called to witness to the person of Christ not only in what we buy and how we celebrate but more importantly by how we seek to live. The presence of Christ is a disruption to the normal events of the year not just because it allows for a rest from our daily work. Christ seeks to enter into our lives and see them as God sees them. This season is not just centered on what we want but on what God desires for us. This means that in this time of preparation we take times to pause and see what God wishes to speak to our hearts. To find a moment on each day to quieten our quickening, to still our activity and to find what truly brings meaning and hope to our lives.

This listening allows our hearts to be softened from the daily cycle of news that seeks to deaden us and desensitize us to the reality of God. To see beyond the trimmings and discover a life which is joyful for more than one day. To discover how we are called to be good news to our world and not just for ourselves. It calls for our lives not to become privatized and shrunk to our own vision but expanded to encompass the vision which sees each person as created in the image and likeness of God. This is not just about changing our thinking but living in a way which reflects the profound gift of Christ for our world.

This stewardship of the gifts entrusted to us helps us to reflect on how our lives are called to be ones of faith, hope and charity. This comes from a relationship with Christ who seeks to open our hearts, our minds and our hands to those in greatest need. Not just to share what we have left over but to recognize in them the person of Christ who beckons us to welcome them with a generosity that ennobles their spirit. To serve the poor not just because they are poor but because they are children of God who deserve dignity and respect.

Will we open the door and let him in?

When we think of a royal visit there is a great excitement of welcoming a person who rarely visits our land arriving on our shores. All the preparations detailing where they will be and who they meet are known well in advance. Even when they are far away we read reports about what is happening in their family and every movement seems to be tracked by the media. They are never far from the spotlight and what they do seems to have a direct connection to our own lives. There is a fascination which does not diminish even when our politics about who should be our head of state differ.

Contrast this with the person of Christ and we see a different type of Kingship but no less influential. He calls us to follow him and understand what it is that he considers important. We are called to encounter him as a person but unlike other royal visitors, he seeks to enter the place we call home. Not as a person who occasionally turns up when we are fully ready for his arrival but every day. This can tend to forget or become too familiar with that presence and take it for granted. Yet  Jesus Christ wishes to reign not only in our land but also to be enthroned in our hearts. This is not one which wishes to subject us to a tyrannical regime but rather one which seeks to bring to life all that is good and holy within us. The image of Christ at the door knocking which was created by Holman Hunt reminds that even when the door seems overgrown and the path has not been well worn Christ still comes and knocks at the door. The image reminds me that he does not come as a stormtrooper breaking down the door but he still persists in knocking at the door. Yet the handle is on the inside and the question remains will we open the door and let him in?

Gifts are meant to be shared not hoarded

I remember in the movie "Chariots of Fire" there is a portrayal of two gifted young people Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. One of the lines which stays with me is when Eric Liddell misses the morning prayers and is upbraided by his sister from not showing his conviction for God replies "I believe that God made me for a purpose. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure." Both used their talents to the best of their ability. Yet I think this reflection best shows how we are to find out in life what gives our life meaning and where we encounter God’s pleasure. In seeking God each of us is called to give glory in the way which we are most gifted. When we use our gifts in this way it feels like prayer as we become totally absorbed body, mind and spirit in being present as we are.

Too often we can become abstracted from our lives when we seek to analyze what we are doing. Yet our lives are not called to be so complex. We are called to encounter God in this life and discover where there we can live that presence for the good of ourselves and the good of others. Our gifts are not just presents for ourselves. They call us to witness the goodness of God who enables us to be part of the creative unfolding of the universe. We do not hoard this gifts as though they are given only to the lucky and the strong but to celebrate their unfolding. Each day gives us fresh opportunities for us to give thanks that God is with us and walks close by our side. Let us run the race given to us so that we can feel God’s pleasure!

Do we seek wisdom or does wisdom seek us?

Wisdom is not just a matter of old age or grey hairs! It is a willingness to be open to God's spirit guiding us and us being receptive to that guidance. This is not just something that happens by chance to catch us unawares and unprepared. It does call us to be people who live in prayerful anticipation that God seeks us out and touches our hearts. 

This week's readings speak about three things. The first is that our thoughts need to ponder on what will bring life to us this day. They call us to be attentive to how we meet the things that bring us life and bring us hope of a life which lies at the heart of all creation. It calls us to be people who always seek life and who become creative in our response. God is present in becoming co-creators of his loving presence in the world. We can discover to see our life through the eyes of the heart, in how God looks upon the world.

The second is that Jesus walks with us and comes to meet us each day. We are called to encounter him and become familiar with his voice. There is a longing that we find in scripture, in receiving him in communion and in meeting him in our prayers which transforms our encounters with each other. It calls us to see the face of Christ in each person we meet. This allows us to not be afraid of his voice even when he calls us on our final journey home. We can start to appreciate its resonance, tone and tenure which allows us to know that he calls us to live each day.

The last point is that we cannot expect somebody else to do this for us. While it is good to offer intercession for each other and none of us journey alone each of us is called to respond to the loving invitation to know him and follow him. This calls each day to be an opportunity where we wake up to the possibility that this is the day. This is a call to the mission which does not wait for the perfect day or the perfect moment but calls us to see how we can be renewed this day. Out soul is thirsting for the Lord. Let us be present to the times that Jesus meets us on the way and walks close by our side.

God's life not our plans

In an age which has been beset by the revelations of child sexual abuse by clergy and other Church workers and the response of institutions, we can struggle to recognise how Christ may be present to us who occupy positions of leadership. We can come to a place where we are called to weigh up what we say with how we act. This is never easy because we are confronted with the two standards reflected on by St Ignatius in the spiritual exercises. One standard seeks riches, honour and pride while the other seeks poverty, misunderstanding and humility. Essentially we are called to recognise that people are called into positions of leadership to deepen our experience of how God is present in our lives. This is not an easy place on which to stand because it calls upon people to discern how God is truly present and to listen to the voice that brings life. We are called to be a people who recognise that we do not seek position, projects or plans at the expense of the how God is seeking us to be present. There is never an easy time to be a Christian but we are called to people who through our words and actions point to the person who calls us together as God's people. We are a pilgrim people called to walk together to deepen our understanding of how God walks by our side. This is not just at times when we seem to have all the answers but also at times when doubts arise in our hearts. It calls us to be a people who seek the truth together and also to live by questions which seek to probe the mystery of our lives. This is not just by asking questions in the hope of easy answers but rather a reflective stance in life which does not place us at the centre of our own salvation. This stance helps us to listen to the voice which echoes deep within us and which draws us to a place where our lives are formed in relationship with God and with each other.

Putting faith into action

We are all familiar with the golden rule, "Love your neighbour as yourself" This seems to be universal to not only the Judeo-Christian tradition but finds echoes in many other traditions as well. It fundamentally calls us to a radical standpoint where we consider the needs of another as equal to our own. The readings for this weekend tackle this in many different ways. When God speaks to Moses he asks him to consider those who are in greatest need and not to take advantage of their disadvantage. It calls us to consider what is most needed by the person on this day. Our listening to the person is not just a matter of hearing what they have to say but responding to their fundamental human need of food, shelter and clothing. 

St Paul then goes on to show how our lives are called to become a living witness to the Good News even at times when we might be misunderstood, marginalised or oppressed ourselves. The call is not just one of seeking to do good for another but rather that by our stance of life that we seek to be good. To be people who through our relationship with Jesus Christ seek to bring our lives into harmony with the mercy of God. Our lives bear witness to the fact that we are people called into a deep and abiding relationship with the living God.

This is why Jesus talks about two commandments, that we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind and our neighbour as ourselves. This calls us to be in a relationship with God which engages our affections, our bodies and our minds. This calls for a holistic appreciation that God uses the language of the heart, the language of the body and the language of the mind to give expression to our faith. We are called to be incarnate people who engage fully as the person we are not as the person we think we should be. There is also then a recognition that our faith is deeply communal and that it calls us to be people who are united together by God. The good we seek for ourselves is not one of splendid isolation but one which unites us with the transcendent and immanent reality of God who is revealed to us each day through the life of another.

Pay unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God

The commentary about the separation of the Church and State is one in which people often say that religion has no place in the public marketplace but should solely be reserved to the private sphere in which a person can enter into a relationship with God in the quiet of their own home. This separation between public and private life can often cause us to inherit a sense of dualism whereby we sense a disconnect between what we believe and how we live. Yet the two are intimately connected we cannot live two lives but we are called to become an integrated person who seeks to give an authentic witness to how God is present at the heart of our lives. We are called to grow in holiness and wholeness.
In our prayer, we are called to a place where we can be present to God in silence. This is not removing ourselves from the world but so that we can listen more attentively to the spirit of God who is present at the heart of all life. We know how easy it is to become distracted by activity and those relationships which dissipate us from own core identity. We can be tempted to invest our lives in only what is external and seek our salvation in a particular project, possession or position. The ordering of this allows us to become focussed on things which may be transitory rather than the spirit of God which speaks to our hearts. We are called to be attentive to our own interior self where God speaks to the heart of the matter. It is from this place that we can discover how we can be truly ourselves and act in a way which reaches towards a way of being which is authentically true. This does not mean we won't struggle in this area but does mean that we can discover how God can be present with our own desires to come into communion with God. Jesus desires for us to discover how our faith in action allows us to persevere in hope.

Too busy to pray

There is a modern curse which harms our relationships with God and with each other. It is the phrase I am so busy. We know this can be many things but often it comes to our belief that there are not enough hours to attend to all the things I want to do. Also there can be a nagging belief that if I am not doing something then I am nothing! Our busyness can reflect that at least I am worthwhile because I am involved in this or that activity. We can seem to chase our tails and the faster we go the more it alludes us.
The images we have in this weeks readings is our willingness to sit down at a banquet and be fed. To take time not only to be physically nourished but also to be filled with a life we cannot receive solely by our own efforts. It calls us to become people who are willing to step aside and to be present to the one who calls us to the table. He uses this image of rising to a high mountain, to receive an invitation from a king and to come before God as we are. The prompting is that we hear the invitation and respond appropriately. This means that we need to be interested in what will be provided for us. This is not just setting a brief time for prayer so that we can move on with the rest of the day but rather that our life becomes prayerful. This anticipation for the life that God gives us is at the heart of all our activities. In fact it sees our life as having value so that we be present to God and to others in all we do.
This is why it is not possible just to squeeze prayer into those spare moments of our days but seeing it is the bedrock of who we are. It calls us to take time to become present to ourselves and to God so that we can be present to others. By being open to God at certain times of the day and making these appointments ahead of time we can find a way of discovering that everything we are engaged in takes a new freshness and purpose.This allows us to be amazed and surprised by what God helps us to see. It allows us to be transformed to discover where we are able to be present at this moment and this day. It doesn't mean that suddenly all our work will disappear but it will allows us to discover the work that we are called to take to heart. That which brings value to us and to our world. To know that our lives have eternal worth.

Easier said than done

There are a lot of armchair critics who are able to inform us how things should be done and by when. We live in a culture where we are heavily invested in reality television where we are hooked into matters which distract us from what is truly important. There numb our sensibilities to discovering a life which has substance and meaning. We seem to given a great deal but not asked to account for it. What seems to be the central message is that we are called to be numbed of what truly adds value to life by engaging in a story which is not our own.
At the heart of this weekend's gospel is the story of the vineyard in which the people who manage it think they own it! They start to be believe that they have a better understanding of its purpose than the person who established it. After all they are familiar with its daily operations and the products it produces and they start to claim ownership for themselves. They start to fall short of seeing how their story is an echo of a greater story and that the fruits they produce are a way of encountering the goodness of that story.
So to in our own lives we start to notice that it can be easier to take the initiative rather than wait for directions of what we are working for. We can start to plan our own day on what we consider important rather than what truly brings life. We need to become reflective people who seek to become good stewards of who and what is trusted to our care. This is not so that we can become possessive of it but so that we can see its true worth. We need to guard against those moments when we think we own something or someone for our good and not for the good of God. It is a delicate balance because we can start to see the work we do as our work rather than as cooperation with God who brings out true value. This is why we need to ask God to allow us to be present each day to what brings value to our lives and for what we are called to give thanks. We need to notice how we have been a good steward for that day and then move on to the next. This allows our story to become a dynamic unfolding of what brings life rather than a grasping at things that we try to possess and which can diminish us. We can give glory to God in all things by being present to the unfolding story of our life.

Always consider the other person as better than yourself.

In a world where it is easy to see what is wrong with another, we can find ourselves in a race to the bottom. We tend to find faults easily and the first thing we notice is what is not right in the life of another. This can cause us to become cynical and coarsened to a reality which is self-destructive not only to our own lives but also the lives of those around us. It can also lead to an attitude which justifies our own faults by saying that at least I am not as bad as them. Yet this is not the life that God intended for us.

Each of us needs to recognise that there are things in our lives which can diminish us and alienate us from the life that God intended. We can be absorbed in the life I want to live at the expense of others. My opinion and way of life become more important than the common good. We can seek to see other people simply as means to an end rather than as an opportunity to join together for a common purpose with a common mind. God calls us to be people who seek to discover what it is to live in God's mercy.

This is why the Gospel says that we have to wrestle with what God is asking of us. This is not an easy yes or a dismissive no. This is about the person we seek to become by discovering what it means to live a life of mercy not sacrifice. This is not just about saying the right thing or even about doing the right thing but rather by becoming a person who is totally open to God's life. This is not by exercising power, seeking prestige or even by seeming to be relevant to our current age rather it is discovering what it is to discover our own poverty that we find how to be merciful and to engage in loving service of another. In Paul's words, "Always consider the other person as better than yourself so that nobody thinks of their own interests first but thinks of other people's interests instead. In your minds, you must be the same as Christ Jesus/

At what hour did I heed his voice?

We live in a world of choice where many options are placed before us. This plethora of alternatives can cause us to try and be all things at all times to all people. We know deep inside that this impossible but the lure of being all present, all loving and all knowing draws us beyond ourselves. We can start to imagine that in such a world we do not need God because we have shaped our world in our own image and likeness.

We know this a distortion of the truth of the incarnation where we are made in God's image and likeness. This truth helps us to understand the dignity of our work and the dignity of being human. Our faith does not extract us from the world or the reality in which we live. It calls us to be people who listen to God's voice which calls us to not stand around idly waiting for the Kingdom to arrive. It calls us to be actively engaged in listening to the voice which calls us to be open to a God who is just and loving in all his ways.

This us brings us to the truth of what the Gospel teaches us about our lives as Christians. We are called to be prayerfully present. This is allowing ourselves to become aware of those around us and who share our daily lives in small and greater ways. We are not called to live in splendid isolation. By listening to the heartbeat of God we become aware of a creative love which sustains and renews us and the whole world.

We are called to be thoughtful people who engage our minds in discovering what it is that will assist this work of living the Gospel. We can study scripture, the writings of other Christians, we can observe what brings life to those we consider to be saints and we can examine our own environment to discover what is for the common good. 

We are called to be people deeply in love with God, with others and with ourselves. As Pope Francis said at one stage we are not called to be sourpusses.Our life is called to be deeply engaged with the love that God pours into our hearts. This is not our private possession but something which overflows into the world for good.

By being prayerfully present, thoughtfully engaged and lovingly enriched we start to discover a treasure which is not our own. We discover a place which is open and welcoming of others at whatever stage they are in their journey. We do not seek to impose burdens on others by proclaiming a work which is hard but rather to discover a God who gives meaning to who we are called to be and what we are called to do. Each day we find new ways to which we are called to listen to God's voice. The Gospel is not our possession but rather an invitation to the life which brings life for the good of all.

Stirring the pot

It is to always possible to remember those times when someone or something has cut us to the bone. The wound seems to be so deep that we never think that we will recover and that it will remain open to the ravages of the wind. There can be attempts to close the wound on our own but we know how is it is to become infected by the very violence of the person who has wounded us. We can fester in thoughts of revenge and cold fury which can harness our every waking moment and contaminate our dreams. They can ravage havoc not only on our mental well-being but also on how we look after ourselves. It can seem like a black hole where the more we notice it the more it consumes us and drags us in.
Yet the remedy is to foster a life of forgiveness where we can discover a healing which is not our own. This is not just a platitude of saying that time heals all wounds but rather to seek a way of being present to what most deeply harms us. It calls away from an inclination to mutually assured destruction towards a way of life which seeks to continually seek forgiveness as the bedrock of our lives. This is not a cheap grace where we simply confess our sins and move on but rather a deep engagement where we listen to God in the place where we have been most wounded. By living out of that place with light and hope we discover that we do not seek to heal ourselves but rather discover the balm that reaches deep into the place where it is most needed. It calls us to be people who want to allow God's life and grace into our most guarded fortress.
It seems so easy to forget in the midst of debates and discussions that our lives are called to live for Christ with our whole being. This is not a way of living which is an added extra but engages us in our daily struggles to be a person who comes to life in him. It is not just a way of introspection on how we clean up our own actions but rather how our lives reach out to others. We are in all cases wounded healers who join our wounds to his. For by his wounds we are healed.

The Living of the Gospel

We can somehow be immunised by the advice from another even when it is well intentioned. We live in a world where we are given advice on a daily basis on what to eat, how to spend our money, what to read and what to think. This bombardment of information can cause us to become somewhat desensitised to the many voices and opinions which can seem to flood into our lives. Yet in the midst of all this commentary, we are called to have good friends who we can turn to who can be trusted to have our best interests at heart and who will be honest with us. We are not called to be solo operators or people called to carve out our own niche to the exclusion of all others. We are called to rub up against others and in the process have the rough edges softened. This is not always easy because it takes time to listen and make space for the other to be present to us. There is also a need to be receptive to hear what they say and ponder it in our own hearts. This calls for a prayerful way of living where each day we seek to listen to how God writes his message on human hearts as Good News. We are called to discover how we can be faithful to this life-giving message, and to see how it can liberate us in a way which brings hope and not disaster. The Gospel this weekend talks about building communities which can help to sustain us and which can speak the truth to us in a way which does not demean or alienate us. It calls for a place where God's loving presence can be truly experienced and be the guiding light for us. In the world which often proclaims that might is right this genuine concern for another is the hallmark of a Christian community. Ultimately, it is a place where we can discover a God who reaches out to us and accompanies us for the good of ourselves, for the good of others and the good of our world.

What does God want?

There can often be a sense that God wants what we want. This was certainly Peter's challenge. In last weeks Gospel he received plaudits from Jesus for being on the money, this week he receives a rebuke for being way off the mark. This is where we need to quiten the warring voices within us which equate what we desire with what God desires. The challenge for us in every age is to be people who allow our minds and hearts to be in union with God. It calls us to be people who are prayerful, reflective and able to see how we can be present to our world with faith, hope and love. This is not by imposing our own will but through allowing God's will to draw us to following him.

What do we hold onto and what do we let go

The question Jesus poses at Caesarea Philippi relates to who we think he is. This seems to be such a basic question but it shapes how we relate to him as a person. This is not about an academic test but rather an understanding of how his life shapes our own. It is from this relational understanding that he is the anointed one who enables us to grow closer to our God in his person. The fact that Peter gains a deep appreciation of this insight helps us to see what can lead us closer to God and the ways that we can drift away. By seeking to become intentional disciples we look at the ways that help to nurture that relationship and what needs to be let go. What binds us closer to God and what helps us to exercise a freedom which liberates others. In all things we seek to draw closer to Christ by the way we pray, reflect and act in a way which brings hope and life to others.

Persistence

There are times when we tend to pull back from making a prayer of the heart. We wonder whether we are talking to ourselves or whether God is truly listening. The story of the Canaanite women assures us that we are called to come before God with wit and humour. The very desire to be in God's presence allows us to be present to what is needed for this day. Our prayer also tends to purify our intention and what we truly seek. This allows us to be persistent in seeking to bring good on behalf of another. This is at the heart of our intercession. It allows us to seek a threefold good. To bring another person before God, to acknowledge that what possesses or obsesses us will not have the final word and that our prayer of mercy touches the heart of God. We are called to recognise that as we gather as a community that it is God who draws us together. For the good of ourselves, for the good of others and the good of the world. We touch the creative heart of God who is ever present and ever new. 

The quiet still voice

For fear of repeating myself, we live in a world besieged by noise and opinion. We live in a climate in which we are swamped by a tsunami of media which seeks to grab our attention and focus our interest. Whether it is the daily diet of news, social media or email everybody seems to want to grab our gaze. There is also a great climate of news which seeks to engender fear and distraction away from ourselves to matters over which we have little control. It calls us to attend to something for fear that we may become bored with ourselves and the routine of our daily lives. We can see this in the way storms seem to break upon us and we are called to focus on the destructive forces of nature. There seems to be a climate which creates a sense of powerlessness which seems to be overwhelmed by these events. We seem to be diminished by our own world which seems to be fighting against us. Then again if this was not all we are confronted by those who wish to set fire and destroy what is known whether by terrorism, war or personal conflict. This desire to give vent to their own inner conflicts by force upon others. This seeking to face our own destructive instincts is at the heart of our own ability to be wounded and to wound others. 

Yet in the midst of this outward and inward ability to be overcome by forces which seem beyond our control we have two images that come to us through the scriptures. The first is Elijah in the cave. He does not hear God's voice in the destructive nature of the gale, the earthquake or the fire but in the quiet zephyr of a breeze which passes in front of him. In the midst of this gentleness he covers his face and stands present. This is a call for us to listen to a God who alone can quieten the violence which can seem to overwhelm and destroy us. 

The second image is that of the boat battling a heavy sea and Peter being invited out of the boat to walk towards Jesus. Once again this is not an ignoring of the storms that can rage around us but rather a trust in a God who calls us to reach out and touch him. There is a total reliance in how God is present even in the most difficult situation and to entrust our lives totally to him.

This is a reminder to us that our faith is built on a relationship with the one who can save us and call us to a life in union with him. It is from this relationship that we do not become passive observers of life but rather participants who do not succumb to a fatalistic way of being present. We are called to notice what frightens us but not be overcome by it. By being open to how God quietens our fears we can start to focus on what creates life, what builds hope and what sustains others in loving charity. Each day we listen to that still quiet voice which allows us to be prayerfully present to ourselves and to others.

Listen to him

How we listen to another indicates the way we will live our lives. The transfuguration puts the same words before us that we hear at the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. This is my beloved son, listen to him. This is not just about hearing what he said or reading what has been written. It is allowing his life to touch our own. We encounter Jesus  by allowing his living word to engage us more deeply. To ponder how it becomes one with us and shapes how we think and act. This heartfelt response challenges us to not be afraid that God reaches out to us to enter into a living and life giving relationship. We are called to listen to his voice in the way we live.

Who do we seek to become?

There is often a subtle distinction between choosing what is right and wrong and what is good and evil. The first deals with observable acts which can be seen to be right or wrong according to a moral code or enacted law. The second deals with the unseen motivation of the person which seeks to discover what is good or evil. A person can do the right thing with evil intent, just as a person can do the wrong thing with good intent. This is what Solomon prays for as he seeks to take leadership of the people of Israel. It is not just about been knowledgeable but also about being wise. How do you apply the particular law for the particular purpose it was intended to govern. There is probably a whole book that could be written and have been written about the principle of discernment. Essentially though it is about the head and the heart acting in union for the good of the person and the good of the community. Jesus often taught this as well, it is not sufficient to know only the law but also to know the heart of the law giver. We need to seek for that pearl of great price which draws us deeper into relationship with God and with the community we are called to be part of. This visible and invisible reality is what binds us together. Discernment is not just about making good decisions but about make wise choices about who we will become. They bring a different quality and tenure to our lives. They help us to discover that the things we do flow out of who we seek to become and who we become shapes the things we do. 

What draws us into life?

"Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God's will." Romans 8.26-27
(http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072317.cfm accessed 18th July 2017)

This passage of scripture particularly struck me when I was reading through the Gospel about the darnel and the wheat. In many cases we put in a great deal of effort into making sure that we accomplish something in our spiritual life. There is a sense that we need to get it right and line up everything in a row. In this scenario we put a lot of responsibility on ourselves and seeking God on our own terms. However, there are times when at the end of the day we struggle to make sense of what is happening in the world. Those times when we seemed to solve all the problems of the world over a cup of coffee seemed to have disappeared into the mist of the day. We look at what has happened and what is happening and we seek to make sense of it all. We want God to discover us rather than it all being about ourselves.
This is why the examen at the end of the day we need to be present to God if only for a few moments. I would propose that it can be done quite simply by seeking to discover what God wants us to be present to:
For what are we thankful?
Where did we discover ourselves becoming most alive?
What deadened us or drained us of energy?
What would we seek to be present to tomorrow?
This is not about a labouring over the day but rather seeing what floats to the surface and which God wishes us to be most aware of. The sense of being present to God in this way incarnates our faith not just based on our own abilities and insights but on how God is drawing us deeper into a relationship of life and love.

Planting the seed

How many homilies can you remember years after they are spoken? In a world deluged by words what takes hold of our hearts and engages us with life? The Gospel of the good seed scattered in the  ground reminds us of how liberal and generous God is with the reminder of how the saving word can be planted within us. Often we know how easy it is for a word to be spoken and then too quickly it is taken from us. There can also be those ads which guarantee instant success without effort whether it is weight loss, financial gain or living the complete life. Here again we try it for a while but it is someone else's word which seems to work for them and not for us. Then there can be the times which while we treasure the word the pressures of life crowd in on us. There do not seem enough hours in the day to do all that we want. We seem to be swamped with too much information that the word gets choked. Yet finally there are those words which abide with us and hold us. They are like breathing in fresh mountain air and drinking from clear crystal streams. They renew us, sustain us and rest deep within us. They help us live each day with a renewed spirit and a grateful heart. They play over and over in our minds and in our hearts and help us to see things differently. They come from a place in our prayer which engages our lives more deeply. They bring scripture to life in the people we meet and in the person I seek to come. They help us to discover the opportunities to give glory to God with our whole life.

Not just theory

One of the most difficult tasks is to move from theory to practice. Part of this difficulty lies not just in an understanding of theory but a willingness to seek out whether it actually matches our practical experience. We know that the Christian faith is not just theoretical but deeply relational. It calls us to enter into a relationship with a person who helps us to engage more deeply with what is important and vital to living a Christian life. This cannot simply be learnt from a book but seeks us to engage with others who help us to become more deeply grounded in our Christian faith. Left to our own devices we will start to shape our faith based on our own personal preferences rather than an encounter with the person of Christ within a community. This is at the heart of the Gospel for this coming weekend, we are called to encounter the person of Christ in our prayer, in our community and in our world. By seeking the person who seeks us we discover how to seek him. This changes our hearts and our way of thinking. No longer is it just a journey towards a hidden goal but a discovery of the person who has planted the treasure in our hearts that we may journey with him and each other. May the Lord help us to be found that we may find, to be discovered so that we may discover, to be loved so that we can love.

For the Good of the World

When we seek to be baptised into Christ we discover that this is more than just words. We are called to incarnate the Gospel as a person and not as an idea. This discovery calls us to be open to discovering how our discipleship is founded on our relationship with the person who brings us life. This is not about us believing that it all starts with us and somehow God joins us on the way. It is actually a way of living which recognises that God always walks with us. This is not about working harder but learning from the person who walks with us. It calls us to be profoundly what God wishes us to be in relationship to the person of Jesus Christ. It calls us into a different way of seeing which opens up the simple ways that everyday allow us to be missionary disciples. By observing others, by providing what is needed and allowing the other to experience life and not death. It is a journey into the person of Christ which changes us so that we can be present to God and each other for the good of the world.

Proclaiming the one who saves us

Whom do we seek? This is the central question of our spiritual journey. We become what we most desire. This is where we need a prayerful unity both with God and the body of Christ. In our search it is necessary to quieten the strident voices both within and without which try to shape us in ways which are not for our good. We can at times be shocked by some of our thoughts which have translated into ways we did not intend. It is easy to become defensive in our life which can say that we do not sin or that at least we do not sin as gravely as somebody else. Yet in allowing God to meet us at our worst and discovering that we can be healed of our weaknesses. This is why we are called to remember the areas of life we most struggle with when we go to confession. It is not so much that we feel shamed into going but a recognition that on our own we just descend into our own swamp. The Good News is that Jesus Christ meets us in that place and allows us to be healed and accompanied in grace. By knowing our areas of greatest weakness God can assist us to allow his light to shine and we discover that we do not walk this path alone. The sacrament of penance allows us to tell what is most troubling us and in that telling to discover that we can be healed and receive absolution. This is not a get out of jail free card but a way of allowing God to meet us in the place of our greatest weakness which reaches out to bring healing, forgiveness and reconciliation to others we meet.

My life for the life of the world

Jesus said:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."

The way the meet Jesus in the Eucharist overflows into our daily life. It is the most intimate of encounters where somebody shares their whole life with us so that we may discover what brings us life. This is not just a giving or receiving of something it is a giving and receiving of someone. This opens us the realisation that our lives have eternal worth and that this encounter changes everything. It is all too easy to see this as something we do rather than something we become. We receive Eucharist so that we can become one with Christ. We do not just do this as individuals but as a communion which draws us close to each other. Just as we reverence Jesus in the tabernacle so we should also reverence each other where Jesus becomes the tabernacle of our heart. As Augustine says, "It was in the flesh that Christ walked among us and it is His flesh that He has given us to eat for our salvation." When we genuflect to the tabernacle we honour how God calls us to be present to his saving grace which is for our good and the good of the whole world. We are called to be disciples of that grace which draws us closer to him and closer to each other.

Not at a distance!

How do we perceive God acting in our lives? This is at the heart of our understanding of the Trinity, One God, Three Persons. This truth can be clearly stated as fundamental to our faith but we can struggle to understand what it all means. We state this reality every weekend in the Mass when we proclaim the Creed. Yet it is important that we understand how it touches deeply how we relate to God and each other. There is a sense where at times we can see God at a distance from our lives but the Gospel tells us a different story. Jesus talks about the relationship as one being present to a loving Father in our time. This is a God who sees each life as having eternal worth and that we are all called to enter into that relationship. By given expression to that relationship in our lives, we seek to discover what saves and redeems others rather than condemning them. He gifts us with the Holy Spirit so that we can continue the Mission of building the kingdom of God. We are saved in and through the person of Christ.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful!

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the heart of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations, Through Christ our Lord, Amen

The call to live a Christian life is reliant on receiving the Holy Spirit. The gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, courage, knowledge, reverence and wonder draws us into a closer union with God. They help us to experience that we do not live a life of splendid isolation but rather one which draws us deeper into the mystery of God. The gifts are entrusted to us to help us engage with life as it is and live in a way which gives expression to God’s love for the whole of creation.

As a Christian community this calls upon us to see how we manifest the gifts in our daily lives. The signs of the spirit are that it brings life not death to those who hear the Good News. It allows people to gain a deeper appreciation of how God is at work in their lives and the lives of those around them. It helps to sharpen our gaze to see what brings holiness and wholeness. What helps us to experience that the glory of God is a person fully alive!

A Domestic Jesus?

Has Jesus truly risen? This question hangs on how we respond to this question. Is it a matter of a historical event or a living reality? The Ascension brings these questions into sharper focus. We are called not just to believe because of what we have been told but who it is that we have experienced. Our faith is not a matter of just dusting off ancient tomes but it calls us into a living relationship with God. A God who cares so passionately about us that he does not want to see us destroy ourselves. At the heart of the matter is that we are called to see rightly so that our lives display what it means to be a disciple. To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and your all your mind and to love your neighbour as yourself. This is not a faith which is only theoretically possible it is one of practically applying ourselves to the proclamation of the Gospel by how we live our lives. We are called to be people who gather to celebrate the Good News in Word and Sacrament so that we can live the mission of being his disciples in the world. We are called to be disciples in every place, in every nation and in every age,

To whom do we belong?

The question of ownership can often cause us to ask what belongs to us and what rights do we have to make claims over a particular item. We are called to recognise that in owing something we invest part of ourselves in what we own. This is not just a matter of sentimentality but rather a way of becoming aware that our lives have an impact on others. However, while we need to know our legal rights and obligations we also need to ensure that the very thing we own does not own us.We can easily see how the more we invest in something the more it can preoccupy our thoughts and actions. What we need to discern is how do I discover what and who truly brings me life? What the Gospel articulates is that our lives are not solely our own we are called into relationships with God and each other which share a mutual obligation. We are called to experience how our lives formed in the image and likeness of God make us coheirs to the Kingdom. This is not ours by right but by adoption. God calls us into a relationship which is radically liberating so that we can live as sons and daughters by discovering what truly brings us life.

Do you have a plan?

Do you have a plan? This question rings down to us over the ages. Many of us, like Thomas, want a clearly established guideline or policy document about what it means to Christian. This blueprint or how to document would point us in the right direction. We know that we have many documents which can help us to draw on the wisdom of those who have walked the pathways before us. There is a careful and prayerful study of scriptures, a seeking after the truths handed on to us in the catechism and there are also the teachings provided to us by theologians and Church leaders. Each of these sources can help to clarify both our thinking and things which we should consider in living lives which are faithful to the person of Christ. They help us to recognise that our faith is relational both with God and with each other. We do not enter into the pilgrimage as solitary individuals but as disciples who accompany each other along the way. Yet like Thomas, each of us is called to encounter the person of Christ and be prepared to live with our questions. Our faith is relational and draws its foundation with how we become Christian through our thinking, our praying and by our actions. This is not just an abstract commitment which wishes us into the presence of God but one which engages us more deeply with our own lived reality. We are called to be Christian not just in theory but in practice. This calls us to be people who reflect on our faith each day and discover how we meet the person of Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full!

I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full! Being guided to good pasture where we can be sustained is essential in living the Christian life. Jesus calls us to listen to his voice and his lead. He seeks us out so that we may discover what truly nourishes us. This comes about not just by our willingness to hear his voice but to find where it may lead us. It calls us to be people who are prayerful, attentive and aware of how God prompts us into action. This reflective stance of being open to God's guidance and to find out what truly fills us is at the heart of the Easter journey. It calls us to notice where God is present to us and invites us to discover how the Spirit is at work in our lives. Each day provides us with an opportunity to give thanks for the people we meet, in the place where we live, in the work that we do and in the times when we relax. In all things, we are called to be present to what brings life to us and to others. 

Who is that comes to meet us like the rising sun?

Who is this who comes to meet us like the rising sun? As we walk each day we encounter others with their hopes and dreams, their sorrows and their disappointments. As we share time with them these seem to be bought into a new way of seeing which is more than just our discussions. We start to see a greater vision of what brings meaning to life. It is this encounter with the unseen person, whose our eyes do not fully grasp or our hearts completely contain which moves us to discover the words that bring life. It is this encounter with the Word of Life that allows scripture to be etched into our living flesh. The touchstone of who we are called to be, a vision greater than our own. As we break bread with each other his life becomes part of our own or rather we become at one with him who brings us into a communion of life which transforms our whole world.

For us forgiveness is a person

When Jesus met the disciples in the flesh after his resurrection something has significantly changed not only in his life but in ours. There can be a belief that forgiveness is a task that we can pick up or put down. This belief can focus on the words, "Those whose sins you forgive are forgiven, those whose sins that are retained they are retained." At one level this can acknowledge the importance of the disciples being commissioned as ministers of forgiveness. However, this is only one important element of the sacrament of reconciliation but it can tend to put the emphasis on our actions rather than an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. This is acknowledged when we reflect on the meeting of Jesus with Thomas. Thomas has to touch the wounds of Jesus' body in order to be healed of his doubt. The same is true for us, we need to live out the sacrament as a life-giving encounter which assists us to know of God's forgiveness. Without this touch, we can tend to think that the sacrament of penance is all about us choosing forgiveness rather than an invitation to go deeper into a life-giving relationship. If the focus is all on us rather than breaking the bonds which hold us as people who doubt whether God will ever meet us we simply need to turn to Jesus and touch his wounds. For us, forgiveness is a person, not a commodity.

Are we ready for Easter?

Are we ready for Easter? After our Lenten preparation, there is a different feel to this celebration. We have been called to reflect on who Jesus is for us and how he meets us in our daily life. We have been encouraged to make room in our hearts, in our minds and in our actions to discover where he calls us to be present. We have been called to be prayerful, thoughtful and charitable. This is an important way to help draw us into the story of Holy Week and Easter. Yet the story calls us to a place where we ponder Jesus’ Passion not as disinterested spectators but as people who are affected by what unfolds. This is a profound engagement with a person who wishes us to discover the depth of God’s love for us and the way in which he cannot walk away from us. There is no greater love and it calls us to ponder on the way it moves us. What is missed in all this action is the silence of Holy Saturday. This liminal space calls us to a place in which all life is transformed not by what we say or by what we do but an encounter with silence. It is from this silence that all life changes and is renewed. That God breaks the shackles which speak only of death and destruction, horror and emptiness. They speak of a love which transcends times and space to meet us where we are. May the Easter joy surprise you and encounter a peace that disturbs you. A joy that fills us with hope and enlivens us to proclaim that Christ has risen! Alleluia!

He could not walk away from himself.

As we enter into Holy Week we become aware of the Passion of Jesus and the way it touches the lives of both believers and unbelievers. This was not just a selective act to save the lucky few, it was a divine act which sought to reconcile the whole of creation. It sought to restore our relationship with God and with each other which can be so easily broken and damaged. Often we wonder could there have been a better way? Yet we know that this causes us to stop, ponder and review what is important in our lives and the impact that this Paschal Mystery has on our whole lives. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus casting our whole life in a new light and seeks to show the depth of God's creative life engaging with our own. Jesus sought to bring life and love to the heart of all our lives by allowing us to enter into his own relationship with the Father. Fundamentally, Jesus could not walk away from himself any more than God can walk away from the heart of creation. It is with a heart broken open for the love of the world that we discover a new way of seeing and a new way of living.

Seeing the person

We live in a world where we are called on to make decisions on the fly and where guidance is informed by opinion and commentary rather than by facts and considered responses. Our lives then seem to be dissipated by the competing forces which can seem to tear us in one direction and then another. This is never more evident than when we face major trauma in our life. Whether it be the loss of a person we loved, separation and divorce, moving from one place to another, the uncertainty of unemployment or facing the challenges of retirement from paid work. What is evident is that we need to own what is happening to us. We need to acknowledge grief but we also need to be supported by a community who is willing to accompany us and by people who are able to hold our story with love and respect. This helps us to discern what is truly important from that which just appears urgent. It helps us to discover our own self and what moves us into action. This is not something we rush into because these life changing events pose important questions. The most fundamental choice, however, is that we see the person in front of us and their immediate need. By taking the first obvious step a person starts to discover how healing and restoration can take place.

That we may see

Seeing is believing. Doubts can always creep into our lives when we pray for change but the same circumstances seem to recur over and over again. We want things to be different but things often seem to stay the same. We become blinded to how God may at work because our expectations are limited to what we expect. God seeks to expand our vision by expanding our hearts. There is a desire that God wants us to see and experience more. It is not that God has gone to sleep on the job but rather that we believe that God’s power to save us is limited to just what we can see.

Our belief is not just a matter of memorising sayings or writings but rather in allowing God to engage our deep need for salvation. To discover the place where our sight has become downcast or our vision blurred. Ultimately, God does not want us to die in our sins or our lack of belief that our lives have meaning. We discover our identity as a person in becoming what God asks us to become and discovering what leads us to beauty and wonder. Lord, that we may see.

Who will sate my thirst?

The ability of someone to listen to our story and believe in us allows us to see to the heart of another. When Jesus sits down with the woman at the well we see an interchange which changes a life. In the first instance, the woman comes to fulfil a basic need to receive water so that she can live. She needs to have her thirst quenched. This goes deeper when she notices the obvious cultural context from which each speaker comes from. However, the conversation does not stop here but Jesus draws her towards a deeper thirst of what brings meaning and hope to her. Through this dialogue, Jesus encounters the person and draws them into a deeper relationship with him. This conversion experience not only touches the heart of the woman but also the community to which she belongs. Each of us has a story and a context in which we live. Each of us searches for a meaning which adds substance to that story. We thirst for someone who will bring that meaning to our life and sate our thirst. As we continue this journey may we discover the one who listens to our story and brings meaning to our lives!

Tuning out the background hum

Lent is a time when we start to clear out the static air and tune into God. We become so used to hearing voices that they can appear to be a wall of noise which hums along in the background. We become used to this noise and when it is lessened we can become surprised by the other things we hear. We become aware of the natural sounds which surround us and which are not mediated to us by others. This quietening allows us to become present to ourselves and the environment in which we live. In coming to this place we also start to listen to the noise which is within us and the many things that can distract us and can at times seem to overwhelm us. Yet in this place, we are called to notice the person who wants us to hear his voice. This takes time and practice. We need to find that place where we can most easily be present. We need to come to this place in our own bodies with a piece of scripture or a reading that speaks to us of God. We need to still ourselves and be open to the one clear voice which speaks to us and calls us into a relationship of prayer which will transfigure our life.

Who are we seeking?

Ash Wednesday is a time for fasting, almsgiving and prayer. These are traditional practices which allow God to be at the centre of our lives. However, they can at times seem to be hard work rather than a way of allowing God to draw us closer. We hear this in the Gospel in the temptations which are put before Jesus. He is tempted to sustain himself with something which is not bread. We can often hunger for something or someone to make sense of our lives. We can consume things without thinking or consideration because they ease the hunger pains either in our minds, our hearts or our stomachs. Yet afterwards feel empty again. Fasting allows us to discover what truly nourishes us. Then Jesus is tempted to change situations at the click of his fingers. We want the quick solution or the instant result. Yet once again it is what we give our lives to which changes the situation. What are we truly moved to dedicate our lives too? Lastly, there can be the belief that we have to be across all the news in the world to be relevant and up to date. We want to be in control and responding to every situation with candour, wit and perspective. We try to put ourselves at the centre rather than allowing God to be at the centre. Lent is essentially about allowing God to be at the centre of our lives and listening so that we can discover what truly leads us to life.

Can I afford that?

There is a constant worry that we will never be able to afford something. We do all the sums, make all the calculations and consider the future. Often there is a great anxiety about paying all the bills and making all the ends meet. Yet the major consideration is who do we become? There can often be a tendency to overemphasise the cost of everything and the value of nothing. We often grab the bull by the horns and then worry whether we can stay on for the ride.
Yet in the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to see what we value first so that can be the motivator for our whole life. If we seek something which will sustain us in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in joyful times and in sad times. Essentially, Jesus points to how our relationship with God and each other sustain us. It calls us to look at what has eternal value, not just transitory worth. It calls for our prayer to translate into action. By seeing our lives as God sees them we find that we have eternal worth and value. 

Being Foolish

When we consider our relationships with others we can always subconsciously want something in return. We can make our love conditional on what another can do for us or what we can do for them. There is a sense in which even if we don't say it that you owe me and there can be a sense of obligation which can become present. The way we are present to another can reflect our relationship with God. If our prayer becomes more about what God can do for us rather than allowing God to be at the centre of what we do, we can easily miss the mark.

Yet God calls us to love our neighbour as ourselves. This is a profoundly simple statement but it points to the unconditional nature of God's love for us. If we seek a good for ourselves then we should also seek it for another. God seeks the best for us so that we can bring savour to others. At the end of each day, we can review our day to see the time when we lived this commandment and when we did not. To give thanks for the time when we kept God at the centre and the times when we noticed placing ourselves at the centre. In all things, God desires the best for us so that we can bring life to our world.

Anticipation and accomplishment

One of the hardest things to acknowledge is when we find ourselves consumed by anger. It can take over our life and cause to act in a way which seeks to destroy what we believe to be the source of that anger. We can strike out with words that are aimed to hurt and which damage our relationships with others. The Benedictine rule notices that when we find anger rising within us we should deal with the other person with moderation. This essentially comes down to the reality that our anger is telling us more about ourselves than about the other person. We need to acknowledge what is happening inside ourselves and take ownership of it. When we are able to bring that to pray we can ask God to show us what we need to pay attention to and how to respond in an appropriate way. This is the source of the teaching for this weekend we are called to recognise that the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets draw us to pay attention to how God calls us to relate to each other. This is not out of fear of punishment but so that we can enter more fully into the life that God opens up for us. It allows God to be at the centre of our life rather than ourselves.

Straight and Crooked thinking

Back in the 1930s, Robert Thouless published a book called ‘Straight and Crooked Thinking’. What I have always found useful is the appendix which contains a section called “Thirty-seven dishonest tricks commonly used in an argument with the methods of overcoming them” This very practical book examines how we use language, the meaning of words and thinking clearly about issues. It sought to shed light on the issues of the day. I believe it is just as current today as it was when it was first published.

In our current climate where people rush to put out opinions, we seem to have produced a reactive culture which undermines the reflective process. The urge of the instant response and the urgent concern which draws us away from ourselves. We surrender ourselves only to the immediate moment rather than considering how we come to that moment as ourselves. Our news is pre-digested and served to us in easy mouthfuls. This draws us away from considering what is important and being able to communicate in a way which sheds light on important issues.

The reason to think clearly is not to draw attention to ourselves but so that others may come to an understanding of where our light is called to shine. As a prayerful people, we are called to be people who love our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and to love our neighbour as ourselves. This is the heart of the Gospel. 

Be a blessing to others

There is often a common approach to the use of the Beatitudes as a checklist of our Christian growth. To a certain extent Jesus wants us to pay attention to these signs within us and within others. They help us recognize where God’s life is at work within us and helps us to be present to others. However, we need to guard against the belief that we can hold on to them as credentials which will guarantee our entrance into heaven. These are primarily signs to us which point to a reality which does not focus solely on our own achievements but which open us up to God and each other.

They are primarily ways of helping us to discern how God’s life is at work within our community. It would be good to remember that they call us to live a blessed life and to be a blessing to others. They put God at the centre so that with freedom we can show his life at the heart of our own. They are not so much a how to manual but a demonstration of the diving life which is at the heart of creation. The main prayer that we can always make is may my life be a blessing to others.

Healing the darkness not exploiting it!

How do we feel when we want to step out of the limelight and into the shadows? Often events either in our world or in our own lives can seem to overwhelm us and there seems to be no way out. If only we could hide and keep our own counsel. The only problem is that when we cut ourselves off from the rest of humanity or enclose ourselves in our own private kingdom we are more likely to become stuck in a darkness of our own creation.

Wisdom and knowledge are hard fought and easily lost. It calls for us to take a long loving look at the real and to reach out with grace and compassion to who we encounter. We know how easy it is to be caught up in the visceral, where likes and dislikes become the truth of our existence. Yet into this situation where we can easily wallow in darkness we encounter good news which seeks to heal and reconcile. A person who seeks to heal the darkness we encounter within ourselves rather than exploit it. This is not a quick fix but an awareness of what in ourselves, in our communities, and in our world needs healing. This is not done with blunt instruments and harsh words but with a lightness of touch and a surgeon’s care. Most of all by the desire to restore people to a kingdom of hope, faith and love.  

I did not know him myself

I did not know him myself. This extraordinary statement by John the Baptist is at the heart of this weekend's Gospel. But it is not the end of the story. There was an understanding of what he had encountered in prayer and the meeting with the person himself. He saw not only with his mind but also with his heart. Also, he did not witness just for himself but to point others to the person of Jesus. the witnessing was able to point a way for people to meet Jesus.
The same is true of our own lives. We are called to be people who live out our prayer in a way which allows people to encounter Jesus. This is not to draw attention to ourselves but through us that they may grow in a living relationship with Jesus. It presumes that we are able to know the person of Jesus ourselves. This can happen in many ways, through our study of scripture, through our encounters with other people, through our consideration of the way we live our lives and the way we allow our lives to be shaped by our thinking. We never do this on our own but as a Christian community which gathers together to listen to God's word, to receive him in Eucharist, and to live in a way which binds us closer to God and each other. It builds on a rich tradition of Christian theology and practice which has shaped our lives. In this way, we encounter the person of Jesus in our daily lives and can point to him by the way we respond to his life-giving Word.

At whose feet do we lay our gifts?

At whose feet do we lay our gifts? This question can determine the direction in which our lives can develop. This is all about what consumes our time, our talent and our treasure. We called to review what we spend our lives engaged with. The three most useful tools for discernment our diaries, our journals and our bank statements. They tell us where we are spending our time, what we are reflecting on and where we store our treasure. This is all fruit for prayerful reflection. Fundamentally does our life revolve around us and building our own kingdom or do we seek to centre on what God desires for us? Often there is a fear in letting God into our decision making because we do not know which direction this will lead us. Especially in an age of personal autonomy, we can believe that our choices are more important than God’s desires for us. The central principle of the Christian life, however, that God desires for us a life which will bring our choices into union with the divine life. We do are incarnate, body and spirit. What we do reflects how we are called to be in communion with God.