Everybody is looking for you

Thomas of Celeno on reflecting on life of St Francis of Assisi states an advice he gave to his co-workers, "The preacher must first draw from secret prayers what he will later pour out in holy sermons; he must first grow hot within before he speaks words that are in themselves cold." (Stanton, 2012). This draws together what is in the heart of the Gospel for this weekend. Jesus went into the hills to be drawn more deeply into a relationship with God so that he could proclaim the Good News to others. He needs to rekindle the fire each day so that his words would be spoken in word and in action. To bring healing and forgiveness. This was not just so that he could become a great orator but so that through his words people might encounter the living love of God. He was calling people to be freed from the demons that enslaved them.

In our own lives, we need to be united in word and action with our God. I often reflect upon this when I read some of the prayers in our daily Mass or in the office. It is possible to pass over them too quickly and just allow them to roll through one ear and out the other. We can tend to pray too superficially where we do not allow the word to penetrate the heart. This is not easy because sometimes the words we pray cause us to wrestle with what is important to us with what is important to God. It is all too easy to pay lip service to these words and move on. It is like hearing the words of a song and then promptly forgetting what was said until we hear it again. Yet the gospel is called to become an earworm which repeats over and over in a way which is hard to forget or take away from our minds. Yet by learning not only to know the words but to inculturate the Word we start to live from a place where a fire burns deep within. We are called to become present to the word and take it more deeply. This is not about quantity of the text that we read but an engagement which is heartfelt. In this, we start to move from a desire to find Jesus outside ourselves to find the room he which he already has lit the fire, which glows within.

Bibliography

Stanton, G., 2012. The Gospel Coalition. [Online]
Available at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/factchecker-misquoting-francis-of-assisi/
[Accessed 29th January 2018].

If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts

There is a difference between listening and hearing. Often we hear many things during the course of our day that we can struggle to remember who told us what. It is almost as though news stories and our lives blend into one and our memories become befuddled by trying to call to mind the exact details of what we have heard.
However, there is an intentional way of listening which calls us to be present to the person who is speaking to us. We need to turn off the television and the radio, switch off the computer, put down our book or magazine, and put our mobile phone away. These things as we know can distract from being truly present we are talking to someone else. By focussing on the other person we not only notice what they are saying but how they are saying it.  What is present in their tone of voice, how they are communicating non-verbal signals and how they choose their words. It allows us to become attentive and aware of the other.
This is equally as present when we sit with another or whether we sit with God in prayer.  Both can be acts of devotion and thanksgiving for the life of another. Looking at prayer for a moment we can use the image of making a time each day to catch up for a coffee. There is an initial phase where we choose where to sit and make ourselves comfortable. There is a greeting where we ask how the other person is going and how good it is that we can be together. We might order the coffee and then while we are waiting we start to discuss general issues of the day and what we have encountered. These preliminary steps act as a prelude to what comes next. We start to reflect on something that is happening in our lives whether it is a special event that makes us particularly joyful or some area we seem to be struggling with. As we speak the other person listens and encourages to say more. After a while, we run out of words and come to a place by we listen to their insight. In speaking we start to see the situation in a new light. We become present to how we are present. There can then come a moment of deep silence where we just look at each other and give thanks. Then at the end of our time together we say thank you and make another time to meet up.
This everyday devotion brings us to a place where we can allow God and others speak to us and we can respond, speak Lord, your servant is listening.

Time is growing short

There are never enough hours the day to attend to all the things that we have to do. I am just so busy I can't find time to scratch myself! It will be Christmas before you know it. It seems that we are often caught in a cycle of time where we become swept along by the tides of the moment and the pressures which seem beyond our control. We are caught up in circumstances and events which are of passing interest and which seem to make life into a reality game show where we are merely observers rather than participants.

This Sunday's readings bring us into the present moment. The people of Nineveh are alerted to patterns of behavior which could lead to their destruction. It is a wake-up call where they start to realize that life has an essential value and that they need to attend to what is happening which is causing hardship for them and for others. It also recognizes that God's desire for people is to discover a relationship which sustains them to live in a life giving way. 

Similarly, Paul preaches to the Corinthians that they should not just trust their life to the future but live the Gospel for this day. This is not one of fear which believes the world is going to end but what deserves our primary attention. Essentially, it looks at how we become present to God so that we can see our lives as one of communion. A life which draws its origin from the one who seeks to draw us into a relationship on a daily basis.

Jesus preaches this when he says, "The time has come, the Kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent and believe the Good News." This is not just talking about length of days but the appropriate time.We are called to be people who seek each day to deepen our relationship with God so that we can be of service to each other. This is not something we can lead to chance or to a more appropriate time. We seek God to be at the heart of all our relationships so that we do what is necessary for this day and this time. Then we discover that we are able to be present to what needs to happen and live with joy and thanksgiving what we are called to do. Not to become tireless workers for God but people formed in a divine friendship which echoes inside us and draws us into life where God is all in all.

Moment by moment

"Moment by moment
God's glory is unfolding into nothing
Not contained or sustained
Moment by moment"

In listening for God's voice we hear something beyond ourselves which resonates with our own hearts. Sometimes like Samuel this can arise unexpectedly and we do not know how to respond. Yet the call rests upon us persistently inviting us to go deeper. This is not a journey we take alone but often with a trusted companion who can help us distinguish between fantasy of our own design and the place in which we can become our true self.
Similarly, Jesus invites us to come and see where he lives. To become familiar with what is homely and what brings deep inner peace. Once again this is not by withdrawal into our own private fortress but through discovering what truly brings us life. Where we need not seek to set limits on the desire which leads us to holiness. Moment by moment.

At whose feet do we lay our gifts

As we start a new year there can be good intentions to make this year different. These intentions often focus in taking control of an aspect of our life or undertaking a project which will make a real difference. There is an urge in us that wants to be relevent to our current age. We want to be noticed and taken seriously.
However, we often discover our intentions finding resistance either within ourselves or from others. There appears to be this conflict which says do this but be that. This contradiction often leaves us into backing down from what we truly want. Yet if we place ourselves at the mercy of others opinions or thoughts we can often end up doing nothing. I think the question is who are we trying to please or impress?
This question can lead us to a deeper reflection of who brings meaning to our lives? When we ponder this question we start to see life differently. It is not just what I do but what I seek to become. By becoming who I am called to be I discover what I am called to do.