Being a Fool for Christ

 In the Franciscan tradition, there is an image of being a fool for Christ. The encounter is called to bring joy to our hearts by discovering what is precious within us. This is especially true when we reflect on the beatitudes where we are called to discover an inner appreciation of the compassion of God. It renders the words learn mercy not sacrifice that the Gospel of Matthew seeks to proclaim as the way of discovering God in daily life. This looks at nurturing a rich internal life that meets the vagaries of what can seem to confront us.

So we come before God with open hands knowing that each day is a gift that cannot be possessed but can be received. This calls for a certain gentleness that does not grasp after things but seeks what is right and whole. This merciful presence allows us to grieve with others from a heart that is not divided but seeks peace deep within. Ultimately it calls us to become our true self which is not swayed by the opinion of others.

This often can cause us to feel that we seem to be foolish in the eyes of others who seek power, success, and relevance. Yet we know when we stake our lives on what others consider important we mute ourselves. We become voiceless or invisible to what God sees as valuable and precious. So each day we are called to listen to that inner voice and how we reflect it to our world. When we allow ourselves this encounter it shapes who we are and what we are to become.

Be united as one

 Over the recent weeks following the deaths of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and George Cardinal Pell, it is easy to see how divisions can come to the fore and how easily they can become the focus of our attention. It is easy to see how these can be fueled to produce more heat than light. People can passionately put forward their points of view that can see the serious differences that exist. There is always a sense in which we can lobby for one camp or another.

Yet divisions within the Church are not new as we see in Saint Paul's letter to the Corinthians. It is easy to see how strong personalities can become the catchphrase that seeks to resolve any debate. Hence people live by slogans like, 'I am for Paul', 'I am for Apollos', 'I am for Cephas', or 'I am for Christ'! The reality is that it can be easy to adopt patterns of behavior that seem to work in other forums and that mirror secular patterns of debate. Yet Paul points to the reality of the Cross as the way in which disputes are resolved. This emphasizes that on our own we can notice more what separates us rather than what it is that unites us. We do not ignore differences but we do need to see that our communion with each other is at the heart of preaching the Gospel. We need to be united in belief and practice.

This is where I believe that the process of listening to the voice of God is at the centre of our lives. This is where we seek to notice where our prayer seeks to bring the conflicting voices within ourselves to silence. This is not to negate our own personalities, learnings, or gifts but rather to provide a space in which we can welcome others. It is in this sacred space that people of all backgrounds, cultures, and standpoints can be transparent about how we believe God is speaking to our age building on the traditions of our faith. We seek to promote the person of Jesus Christ who seeks to shed light on our own age. This witness allows us to seek ways in which we can travel with each other and talk along the way. 

We are called to be pilgrim people who seek to proclaim the Gospel. In the words of the psalmist, we seek the Lord who is our light and our salvation. We seek the Lord's goodness in the land of the living by placing our hope in God. In this, we discover what sweetens and savors our life. This incarnate way of life proclaims that God is at the heart of all creation and is ever-ancient and forever new.

Witnessing what we are searching for?

 We are called to be witnesses in the world to God who binds us together. This calls us to become detectives of grace who search out what leads to life. We seek not to glorify ourselves but discover who it is who leads us in this journey. It calls us to notice that just as we search for God, God searches for us. This calls for an openness that transforms us and reorientates us. We are not called to live lives of splendid isolation. Each person's life has an effect on the life of another.

This calls us to be available each day to seek out how we may do this for the good of God, for the good of others, and the good of ourselves. It calls us to delight in the depths of our hearts and how we become people who live a truth that is not just about ourselves. We seek to become people who witness how Jesus Christ joins us in that daily search.

Each day we are called to discover how our eyes are opened, our hearts moved and our actions bear witness. This seeks to point not just at ourselves no matter how important we may become in the eyes of others. Our lives are called to bear witness to a relationship that is foundational to our whole life. Each day we seek to come closer to the person of Jesus Christ not just in theory but also in practice. We seek to be people who pray, reflect, and act in a communion of faith. We are formed in this relationship to a deeper trust that transforms the world we live in.

At whose feet do we lay our gifts?

 As we celebrate the Epiphany we see the unfolding of a story of how Jesus' presence changes the way we act. The wise men initially see their gifts as focusing on those who have power, make the headlines and urge their opinions upon us. We can notice this in the many opinion polls which are produced. Their essence is to direct our lives toward the questions that other people ask. Often there can be an underlying uncertainty about whether we fit in with the world we are called to live in.

Yet as the story unfolds we start to see that life is not acquiring more power, headlines, or stuff. It calls us to reflect on how our daily life manifests the goodness of God. This is not by acquiring more of anything but rather by looking at who we are with what we already have. This is about being equitable in who are in relationships rather than striving for that which will may us equal with others. The aim in life is not to be the same as others but rather to treat each other as worthy of essential dignity. This is by seeing our life as precious in the eyes of God.

This drama is played out in our own lives when we seek to encounter God as the person we are called to be. As we reflect on each day we are called to seek that which brings life, hope, and generosity of self. We seek to discover who we are called to become rather than just fitting in. Through our prayer, reflection and action we shape the world around us. It allows us to see that each day is a gift. At whose feet will we lay this gift?