What nourishes us?

What we bring to the table is what we are called to eat. There is an understanding that in our age the gift of being a table with another has often been lost in what we are called to consume. The emphasis is placed on what we put into our mouths at what gives us the necessary nutrients to feed our bodies. In shows like Master Chef, we are called to also recognises what feeds and engages our senses. Yet rarely are we asked what feeds our souls. The conversation which takes place at table marks out what we consider important to life. It might be good to reflect on what we talked about last time we shared the table? What did we consider most important, what moved us most deeply, what did we hope for and what did we imagine? The discourse is not just about attending to grand ideas and great movements but rather how God called us to be present to the other.

When we sit down at the table it is looking for what will help us to notice where God is work in our lives. What allows us to become more the person we are called to become. This is not about being preachy or giving instruction but it is about being open to what will bring life and hope to another/ It calls us to listen to God's voice which is at the heart of all conversation. Will I rise from the table more deeply encouraged to be the person God calls me to become or will I speed eat to engage with a more pressing task? How will I linger over this time in a way which recognises that we are called to be present to who is there and how we are in their presence.

The other important element of any meal is that we trust the person who feeds us. This is not only in making sure there is enough to go around but that it will sustain us for the journey. In an age where we can access food from around the world more easily there is also a call to become aware of what we eat is not solely about ourselves. It brings us into connection with this who produce it and those who carry it to our door. We honour these connections when we realise each meal is a sacred time where we ask for blessing and thanksgiving not only on our gathering but on how each work of human hand and divine intervention in our lives. These are the Eucharistic moments which gather us at Mass to celebrate the person who unites us as body and spirit called to live in this world with truth and grace.

Listening to God

I have been reflecting over the last week how I seek to work hard and then take my rest. There seem to be so many things to be done that I believe that all the good things that we enjoy in life are the fruit of my own labour. I find at times that in the midst of all my work that I may have missed out on something important and sometimes collapse under the weight of my own expectations. I often sympathise for Martha in the midst of the gospel because there seems to be a criticism of her endeavours to make things work out for the person of Jesus. 

Yet in the midst of this disappointment and frustration, I discover that Jesus is helping Martha to understand our primary calling is to listen for His Voice. This is not always easy especially in a culture which seeks to put merit and rewards on the work of our own hands. We can often be praised for the goals we set and achieve. What I hear Jesus saying to me is that I need to take time to rest and come aside to be with Him. Otherwise, the work I undertake may be solely looking for the fruits of my labours and the secret desire to be praised for all I have done. I can seek to draw attention to my own works at the expense of God's grace. I can start to believe that God's initiative builds on my work rather than being the source of my life. The subtle message can be is that I can earn God's love or even more forcefully that God is in my debt. Neither is true but they can trap us in a way of being which puts reliance on a relationship with God which focuses on ourselves at the centre.

In this situation, Jesus points to Mary not because she does no work but because she places the relationship with God at the centre of her life. This helps to shape who she is and what she seeks to become. She starts to notice that is in this relationship she discovers her true self. By discovering how she is called to be then she can direct her efforts to be present to him. I feel that this may be the greatest challenge in my life. I am called to work harder but rather to work in a way which reflects this relationship. The merit and rewards are not found in what I produce or the recognition I receive for my labours but rather who I become in the work I undertake. This shifts the balance of how I live out of a life of prayer. By listening to His Voice my life is no longer grounded solely on what I achieve but rather on how it gives substance to the person I seek to become. In this way, our work is an expression of this relationship rather than being the heart of our relationship. We give thanks not to idolise what we have done but rather the spirit of thanksgiving which draws closer to the origin of our life. Our work unfolds in the discovery of how we are called to become and sees that in all things we can cooperate with God for His greater glory and our greater good.

Who is our neighbour?

Whenever we are trying to learn a new skill or activity there is a desire to know the rules we will play by.  This is important so that we may not only appropriate what is necessary for the task at hand but also so that others can know with a sense of certainty that we can be relied upon. This is born out not just by our observations of others performing the task but also by discovering the gift inside ourselves. Yet of equal importance needs to be placed on why we choose to exercise that skill or be involved in a particular activity. We need to know ourselves and the other. It is by discovering that the task has a deeper meaning which engages us in making a positive contribution to the community of which we are part.

As Jesus echoes the Golden rule about loving God and our neighbour we need to discover that we need to be open to the circumstances of our lives. The "rule book" that Jesus gives us is the people we encounter each day. The way we approach each of these people seeks to discover what is for their good and not just our own. There is a need to become aware of the environment in which we live which calls us to be people who have compassion for people in need. Some of these situations will call us to be more available than others but the desire is the same, we seek the good of the other.

One of the modern day curses is the need to look busy or preoccupied so that we can be seen to be making our mark on the world. Yet this very desire to be constantly active can say more about our desire to be useful rather than to be present. We attach our sense of worthiness to our productive ability and to make things happen. When it looks as though somebody will intrude on our activities we hold them at arm's length or maybe just walk on by. We do not stop to take stock of whether we can attend to what others need. We tell ourselves stories about our own busyness or how a person should be self-sufficient. I don't need to list examples we know them too well.

Yet as prayerful people we seek to discover how our lives are called to embody that loving presence of God. This is not just about performing good works but developing a good heart. One which is not closed to the world around us and is moved into action. This looks not at what we cannot do but how we can be present with the gifts entrusted to us. Each day provides the opportunity to be present to others in great need.

How will they know we are Christians?

There can always be a need to recognise that there is a connection what we say we believe and how we actually act. The essence of which is a shibboleth which can identify a person as a Christian. In Paul's letter to the Galatians, we hear him talk about the stigmata that he carries in his person. Similarly, in the Gospel, we recognise that Jesus identifies how a disciple will follow his way of life by seeking to be a person of peace who proclaims the realm of God. There can be an emphasis on recognising these external signs which indicate an internal disposition which draws us closer to Jesus. Yet we can start to believe as the disciples did that the external works that they perform prove their holiness to others. Yet as Jesus reminds them true holiness comes from God and it is this which enables us to perform good acts for others. 

So what evidence do we look for in our lives which mark us out as Christians? I believe firstly, it is a willingness to surrender our whole life over to God and trust that he will provide what we need. This is not easy because we can often try to win God over by performing good acts or by seeking to reach a sense of the ideal self on our own terms. In fact, we see this in much of our daily planning where we set goals which we can achieve. There is a desire of seeking to reach beyond us which needs us to engage with life. This is all good as it means that we are taking life seriously enough to use our gifts and talents in a way which can produce a tangible result. We need to achieve these goals in order to live in a way which is ordered and predictable. 

We can adopt the same approach to the spiritual life where we seek to become like God. Yet how we become like God is through a daily examen of what moves us to become closer to the person God wishes us to become. This is more than just producing a list of achievements it is actually a recognition that we are called to grow in hope and trust of a relationship which sustains us. We are loved by God not because we are useful and have utility. We are loved by God simply because we are created in God's image and likeness. By discovering that we have been called by name allows us to see that it is this relationship that we find our true meaning. We notice that our personal vocation is to be true to our name. In finding that identity we are drawn closer to God and it is this which becomes the touchstone of our faith. In this way, we do not point to what we have done as a proof of what it is to be Christian but rather we point to ourselves and the person who assists us to know who we are. We are Christian not because of what we have done but in who we are and it is in who we are that directs what we are called to be present to in our daily life.