One of the common observations in my life as a priest is that people see it through the prism of the work I do rather than the person I seek to become. We notice this in our daily conversations where we seek to know what a person's job is. There is a sense in which the value of a person can be discovered in what consumes their waking hours. However, our work is more than just putting bread on the table but rather what seeks to bring meaning to our lives. This is more a question of vocation which helps us to provide leaven to our daily activities.
This is at the heart of the Gospel this weekend where people pursue Jesus for what he can provide rather than who he is. We know how easy it is to know a person through what they produce rather than who they are. We can even notice this as we watch the Olympics where a person's value can be measured in whether they win Gold, Silver, or Bronze. But after the dust is settled will we become more deeply connected to the person and their story? I think this is the deeper hunger for us to make connections that are life-giving and life-sustaining. Otherwise, our attention is transitory and ephemeral awaiting the next morsel which will fill our emptiness.
I believe that as we enter into the extended effects of the pandemic we can start to notice how our attention becomes focused on the spread of the virus rather than on what can bring hope to our own situation. It not only physically isolates us from each other but it can narrow our life to be lived vicariously through others. Many have pangs of hunger for the Eucharist especially in Sydney where for the third time many of our Churches are closed. Yet in these times it is looking at how we can satisfy that hunger by being Eucharist for each other. We find our daily activities inviting us to offer, bless, break and give our lives for the good of another. We can discover opportunities to build a community that sustains us and becomes people of thanksgiving in our daily life.
No comments:
Post a Comment