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.