Witnesses not spectators

 The importance of the Ascension cannot be understated. This is not just a long goodbye that occurs 40 days after the resurrection but rather the commissioning of the disciples to live in a life-giving relationship with God. This witness to the truth that our faith, through a living encounter with the person of Jesus Christ, is not a private possession solely for our own good. The living of a life which reconciles us to God and each other.

In a world that seems to be beset by divisions, we need to live in a way that seeks communion. This is not just looking to see what is solely for our own benefit but how we can see the needs of the whole of creation. This is to live in a way that sustains our common home but also seeks to reconcile the divisions which threaten to destroy it. This is not just in reference to armed conflict but rather the hidden violence which seeks to promote self-interest over the common good. It calls for people to seek ways in which life can be sustained at all its stages and how creation can be cared for through careful stewardship.

This calls for a witness which sees our prayer transforming how we live. It seeks a way in which we can be thoughtful and consider what we focus on and how we act. We seek to proclaim the kingdom of God not just in how we gather for prayer but in how we live. If we are to be Christians for the 21st Century we need to be people who proclaim the truth of how God guides our actions. We witness by who we are and whose we are. This guides our mission to bear witness to the person of Jesus Christ who seeks to heal, reconcile and nourish our lives.

That we may all be one

In the midst of an election campaign we are encouraged to vote for a person or a party which best reflects our vision of life. Yet we realise that even in the best democracy there can be a plethora of opinions and policies. This can often present any campaign as a competition rather than a sounding board for what people consider important.

Regardless of the way we vote we are called to consider what we hold in common. Thus elections unite us in a desire for a life which can sustain every person not just a chosen few. Thus as we vote we consider how we come together as one.

In our own Christian view God makes an election for us. Not because of the views we hold but fundamentally because he loved us first.  This is especially important when we meet people who may have voted differently to ourselves. The emphasis should stress is what brings us together not what drives us apart. We seek the common good together.

Love one another as I Have loved you!

 Allowing our actions to be generated from the heart is at the core of the Gospel. This is why we are called to spend time in prayer so that we may discover God's desire for us. So often the word love covers multiple levels of meaning which are not just about how we feel but what moves us into action for the good of others not just ourselves. CS Lewis probably noted this in his book, "The Four Loves" which are expressed in the Greek as Storge (Empathy), Philia (Friendship), Eros (Romance), and Agape (Unconditional love of God) which he explores in his book, "Until we have Faces" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Loves). What is the heart of this exploration is that we are called to fall in love with God not just with our human needs. This allows us to discover a love that is generative and self-giving which matures at different stages of life.

This is how we are called to be in prayer where we are called to recognize in silence the depth of God's love for us. So often we believe that God loves us only when we receive what we pray for. However, God's prayerful desire for us is much more substantial than this. There is a desire that in all things our life will unfold with that often hidden desire which echoes within for the good of God, the good of others, and the good of ourselves. This is often the struggle we encounter in our Christian life because we try to limit God's involvement in our life to the immediate necessity rather than the unfolding story of the whole of creation.

Thus the love of God calls us to be open to what transforms us from the inside out. It allows us to encounter a God who reaches into every area of our life not as a puppeteer or managing director but rather as a close friend who empathizes with us and captures our hearts. This enables us so we can befriend others with unconditional love. This calls us to be our true selves and express our actual faces not the masks we put on to pretend to be something we are not. God desires for us to be who we are called to be. Thus creation finds its ultimate purpose and its reason for being.  The whole of creation is made new!

Good Shepherd

 The conjunction of Good Shepherd Sunday and Mother's Day helps us to notice how we are formed in our life. The two celebrations are interconnected as they seek to nurture our life by being present to who we are. The image of the Good Shepherd that stays with me comes from the Camino in Spain. Here the shepherd has the right to lead their sheep to Good Pasture. One image that remains powerfully with me is a woman sitting in her field with five sheep. In many cases, the shepherd remains in the midst of the sheep when they are out to pasture with their guardian dog who protects the sheep. So at the heart of the Gospel is this image is the pastor who remains with his people.

In a similar way, our mothers seek to guide, nurture and protect the interests of their children. Not only to see that they are provided all that they need for growth to adulthood but that they develop a healthy outlook on life. This closeness helps us to know that their life has an important part in helping us to become who we are called to be. It is appropriate that we spend time remembering the importance of those who have helped us to grow into the person we become.

The image of Mary as a mother is linked also to her as the first disciple. In this, we see that it is her close connection to Jesus which draws her into a deeper appreciation of who she is called to become. Thus she discovers that her life is more than just what she does but what she is called to ponder. In this, we start to see her as Jesus sees her. This is a person who does not just occupy an important role in salvation history but a person who is called to enter into a deeper relationship with a God who sustains her. 

At Pentecost, we see Mary as being present at the heart of the gathering of the disciples. This image is often portrayed in a mandorla which centres on how she brings the early Church to birth. This nurtures this image of being both mother and disciple who guides, nurtures, and protects the need of the early Church. She seeks to help us ponder how God is at the heart of all our relationships. In this way, we discover a God who both pastures and nurtures us with life. We discover both the maternal and paternal aspects of God who sustains us with life and calls us to wholeness.