Casting out devils and protecting the innocent

 I used to be an avid follower of current affairs but now I am hesitant to listen to the radio, open the newspapers, or turn on the television. It is not just that it seems to report daily the conflicts that beset us but can often cause us to feel powerless against forces beyond our control. There is a poverty or emptiness that seeks to resist being filled with violence and hatred. We discover in this place a humility that allows us to abandon everything to God and not just trust ourselves. The need to discover our original innocence is not a wishing away the problems of the world but rather an acknowledgment of how we can be present to the world differently.

In the Gospel, there is the acknowledgment of the person who gives a cup of water to another because they belong to Christ. This act of charity is not just a reward for being Christian but rather an understanding that all belong to Christ. The law of charity can not be contained to one particular religious group but follows the promptings of the Holy Spirit to reach out to those in need. It also acknowledges how we need to acknowledge daily the obstacles that remain within us that prevent us from seeking to be good to others and not just ourselves. 

There is a temptation at times like these to retreat into our own castles and lift the drawbridge. That seeks to defend ourselves against the ravages of the world and hunker down for a quieter age. Where we become consumers of life rather than participants in something greater. The truth that we often need to appropriate to ourselves is that we are part of the solution not just part of the problem. In an age where trust has been stretched almost to breaking point and credulity has been tested by who we believe we can wonder who will lead us to a life of meaning. I think this is where we need to become a people of prayer not just people who say prayers. 

Our prayer is an honest seeking of who God is in the midst of our current age. This is not just an intellectual pursuit to find the right words or an industrious effort to look busy about many things. I believe it is a discovery of how we can listen to God in a way that slows us down to a walking pace. This allows us to not only become aware of how many of our thoughts and feelings that disturb us do not find their origins in God. It allows a place to sift through the competing demands both physical, emotional, and spiritual that besiege us daily. By providing these oases of grace we can start to appreciate where we can make a difference. Rather than looking for what is falling apart, we discover simple acts that hold things together. These daily selfless acts run contrary to the me-too culture that wants to focus on my problems and wishes to narrow our focus only to what affects me. God seeks to expand our hearts by allowing us to discover in our own emptiness, poverty, and humility that it is the precepts of the Lord that gladden the heart. Sometimes it is important to remember that we need to plant seeds not drop bombs.

Prepared to die or prepared to kill

 The readings for this week notice the two voices that often present themselves in life. Are we prepared to die for another or kill another to get what we want? This sharp contrast between the spirit of life and the spirit of death brings us to become people of prayer who seek to live for God and not just ourselves. This can present itself in many ways in our daily life. How often have we been in a queue waiting for something important to happen? Whether this as the airport waiting to be called on to a flight or simply queueing at the supermarket checkout. There can often be an impatience that starts to creep up within us and before we know it we start to notice the idiosyncrasies of those in the line ahead of us. They start to get under our skin and we wonder why they have not checked in that bag or seem to be taking so long. Before we know it all sorts of stories start to manifest within us and before we know it we can be thinking about what is wrong with the person. We notice how quickly our mood can change towards uncharitable thoughts and actions.

Yet what we notice is that those who are gentle and considerate to others seem to have an easier time of it. Their focus is not just on considering their own needs but the needs of those around them. They seek to assist those who are struggling, whether it is by a kind word, a warm smile or a helping hand. Each encounter is considered to be a meeting with the person of Christ is who seeks to bring peace and shows leadership by a profound giving of self. This is not to draw attention to himself but to draw attention to the love of God that transforms death into life.

As we travel through this week we can notice how each moment is an opportunity to be people who die for others rather than seek to compete with others for what we want. Will we seek to be people who die to ourselves so that others may discover how they are loved by God?

Doing good or being good

 On reflecting on the writings of St James we are presented with the conversation of faith and works. This acts as a counter-point to the discussions between Jesus and Martha about who has chosen the better path. There is also the reflection on the contemplative and the active life. However, I believe what might be lost is that God takes the initiative both in our prayers and our works. When we think that prayer or good works are initiated by ourselves we leave God out of the equation or just come along for the ride. Yet God's goodness is for us to be grounded in a relationship that can sustain us and enable us.

I believe this is at the heart of what St James is seeking us to reflect on. Our prayers or our actions should not be solely self-centered. We are formed to be in a living relationship with God and with each other. Thus our prayer is not just about making us right in the eyes of God but rather a dynamic conversion of heart that offers everything to God as God offers everything to us. Our prayer is not just about self-improvement but rather an openness to God's creative action in our lives. As I read in Psalm 66 verse 18 where there is a purification of heart that takes place, "If there had been evil in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened he has heeded the voice of my prayer." God seeks to draw the good out of us by giving voice to our deepest desire that accords with the divine plan.

This is where we are called to listen to the voice of God in the context of our own environment. The voice of God is not alien to the world we live in. The incarnation shows us that God is well aware of our daily lives and how we are called to bear witness to the goodness of God in our lives. It is this bearing witness that allows us to discover how we can respond creatively to the needs of others. This is not just out of an urge to assuage our guilt but rather a willingness to share how we can share the goodness of God daily with those we meet. This opens our eyes and our hearts to those we meet along the way. The obligation is not one imposed upon us but it is a genuine desire to share the blessings we have received for the good of others. This is for each person to pray each day that they may meet Christ and share what is within our providence to share with another.

You cannot tell a book by it's cover

 As we continue to reflect on St James' writings we can become aware of how we judge people, places, and events by our opinions of their appearance. There is almost an unconscious evaluation of how we should react to their presence and whether they are worth spending time with. They also say this process is in play when people seek to interview another for a position that they are summed up in the first thirty seconds. They say much of the remaining time of the interview is spent trying to affirm our presuppositions. This can be challenging because we want to be considered tolerant, open-minded,  and considerate of those we meet. When we become aware of this inner contradiction we need to pray from that place so that we may act justly.

This just approach to life also helps us recognize when we feel deaf and mute. When we start to either close our ears or feel unable to speak out. There can be a sense that we withdraw into ourselves and close to the world around us. On this Sunday when we consider how we provide an environment that is safe for children and vulnerable people and that nurtures and sustains them. As Christians, we are called to walk humbly with others.

This calls us to notice how our hearts well up with joy within us. This is a courageous approach to life that overcomes our greatest fear. We discover a God who loves us tenderly and desires for our eyes to be open, our ears unsealed and our lips able to sing for joy. In an age when we are shaped by the information that we are called to consume on a daily basis we need to trust that God can open our minds and hearts for the good of ourselves, the good of others, and the good of God. May we pray that we may be shaped into God's image and likeness able to be people who are rich in faith as we touch eternity hear on our earthly journey.