Transformed by Light Plunged into Darkness

Lent brings with it two amazing contrasts in the spiritual life revealed to us in the Transfiguration. The first is that we meet the full reality of Jesus contained in the law and prophets. We see clearly the black fire of the written word on the white fire of our hearts. We are called to see God present in all things. The glory of God is made transparently clear which overwhelms us with awe. We are astonished by God’s immense love for us in revealing Jesus' divine presence and its impact on our lives.

Yet almost as we seem to comprehend this we seem to be plunged into darkness where God seems to be no-where and no-thing. It is almost as though all the certainties about God are stolen from us and we enter into a cloud of unknowing. We start to have doubts about ourselves and our fears confound our isolation. Yet it in this darkness that we are able to listen attentively to the voice of God which says, "This is my beloved Son, listen to him."

Thus Lent is a deeper awareness of how we can encounter God in every aspect of our lives while also realising that God is no-thing. These dual experiences are essential if we are to surrender our whole life to God. Recognising that is through these these experiences we encounter God as our true self.

What do we thirst for?

 Lent is a time when we are driven out into the desert to face our own demons. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often are drawn to events outside of us which seem to crowd out our inner lives. There are bills to pay, people to meet, appointments to be kept and items to be purchased. Our lives can become simply a to-do list which we mark off with an inevitability there will be more things to be done. There can seem to be a relentless pressure to perform and meet the expectations of others. That there never seem enough hours in a day to attend to what we consider important.

Yet Lent is really a time when we could consider a to-be list. How have we been present to our daily activities with a spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude? What has helped us to notice the graced moments where God draws our attention to beauty, creativity and wonder? They may only be simple things like a person who unexpectedly smiles and wishes us a good day. The person who recognises that we may need encouragement with a particularly difficult task or even a person who agrees to accompany us to a doctors appointment. These are all things that we can take for granted but they transform lives.

In a similar way, we can see what most easily allows us to review what is bring us life and lead us to a more wholesome way of living. This can be as simple as seeking to notice what we truly hunger for and what satisfies us. It can also notice what seems to be a dead weight on us and which we endure rather than carry. There are situations in life where we will all encounter difficulties but how do we find ways in which we can bring a sense of joy and peace to a what to many would seem a crushing weight. 

There can also be those times when we are distracted from the very good that we seek to do by things that have the appearance of being urgent rather than important. When we notice that we are spending time on things which do not help us or others we can start to make changes which open us to the more creative use of our day. We can also become aware of the direction in which our life is taking and make small course changes which direct us to a more prayerful way of living.

In the end, Lent is about preparing ourselves for the renewal which comes about through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Recognising those things which are obstacles to the way of life we seek to live, to discover the truth which will sustain us on the journey to becoming fully alive.

Preparing for Lent

 Thinking back over the last year it seems as though we have had our longest Lent. When we first started to hear about COVID we thought that it would last for a relatively short time. But in many ways, it has been like a longer penitential season. We have called upon to pay particular attention to personal hygiene, physical distancing and unnecessary travel. In many cases, the restrictions became mandatory and at short notice. People were called to adjust their plans at short notice and many of the things we took for granted were thrown awry. There was a sense in which the enforcement of this distancing brought with it much confusion, isolation and anger. It called us to reflect on what was important in our lives. I believe this is at what of Lent is truly about it calls us to notice what we need to fast from which at times may be more than food. It is what can isolate us from God and from each other. Thus our fasting helps us to notice the places where we put up barriers to God and to others in our lives. This is where our prayer is not just time which we set aside but rather listening to how God prompts us to discover who we are called to be in our daily lives. It is listening to the quiet voice which sustains us. As I have said to our seminarians we think at light speed, God speaks to us at walking pace. When we notice that we have time to slow down we can start to see that we are not the centre of the universe. We are called to notice those around us especially those in greatest need of God's loving presence. This is not just about observing what needs to be done but actually participating in a way which puts that loving gaze into action. So as you prepare for Lent this is a time where prayer, fasting and almsgiving call us not to be centred on ourselves but on God's loving intent and what brings down the hard borders we discover around our hearts.

The next obvious step

 Mary Mackillop was always looking for opportunities in which she could apply the teaching of the Gospel to the life of the community in which she lived. She saw an urgency which did not put the work of today in the hope of what might happen the future. She was not one for rainy days in which action could be postponed when it was clear that she could make a difference at this moment.

As we read through the first reading from Job for this weekend we can have an impression is that it is just one thing after another. Yet I feel this misses the point he is making which is to be present to the situation we are in rather than seeing life as an endless progression of time in which we always anticipate something in the future but never experience it now. Paul takes this theme up when he talks about preaching the gospel not as a task to be fulfilled but a life to be lived. He saw himself as sharing his life with the people he met so that he could identify the graced action which was needed. In the same way, Jesus sees the immediate need and responds to it. When he discovers Simon Peter's mother in law sick he attends to her need for healing. She responds by showing her thanks by attending to his needs. It is this ability to see the need in the life of another which draws us to be people of healing and reconciliation.

The main thing in exercising these good works is not to draw attention to ourselves but to enable us to hear the Good News at work in our lives and the lives of ordinary people. It is by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well that we discover how God opens up our minds and hearts to the people in our square metre. To encounter them prayerfully and holistically. To see the person who is in need and to take the next obvious step.

Listening to silence

 In a world which seeks to make us busy, many opinions can be thrown us on a daily basis. I am often taken from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep we listen to many different voices. These voices can often seem to be contradictory and pull us in different directions at the same time. In fact, it is this dis-ease which can not only affect our mental health but our physical health as well. If we try to please all the different voices we find ourselves torn apart.

This is the importance of finding a place where we can listen to the silence within. This is not easy because we have often been taught that unless we are actively doing something we are not worthwhile. Thus we plunge ourselves into activity so that we can prove that we have purpose and meaning. It seeks to crowd out the empty spaces within us by having no spare time to be with ourselves. We don't want to be seen to be wasting time doing nothing.

Yet it is this encounter with no-thing that is at the very heart of our prayer. It calls us to encounter our true self which is more than the things we do or the successes we achieve. The place where we have been loved into being. This silent place may seem to be a "waste of time" but it may be the most productive place that we can encounter in each day. By allowing our prayer to draw us into a silence of being present to this moment we seek to integrate our day and become whole. Rather than being fragmented, we listen to the inner voice which brings healing and strength.

The need to be restored in prayer is essential as it brings to notice what heals us and brings wholeness. It allows us to be truly ourselves before God and each other. This restoration allows a balance which sees that in present to no-thing we become aware of how God is present in all things. 

The Kingdom is close at hand

 Our mission field is provided by the one square metre in which we live. This becomes more self-evident when we become aware of physical distancing in this age of the pandemic. Often this can feel like holding people at arm's length for fear that we may be infected by the virus. There can be a suspicion which eyes off what the other person is doing and whether it conforms to our understanding of the safeguards that have been put in place. Yet whether it is border closures, travel restrictions or simply the daily movement around people we are called to attend to what happens to the spirit within us. We want to ensure that we do not become distant from the spirit that dwells within.

Thus while we can be aware of the constant flow of bad news which can fixate us on events beyond our control, we can miss how our lives can make a difference in the place where we live. There is a need to discover as the disciples did how we are called to become people who transform our local environment. This means that we not only recognise and develop our own skills and talents. It also means that we need to discover how these can build up the realm of God in our own space. 

We are called to become people who seek to accord our actions with the promptings from within. That is not just to seek our own good but the common good. This calls for our lives to witness how our prayer and reflection guides us to grow closer to God in our own community. By paying attention to what brings life rather than a disaster. By converting our own hearts we become present to the living heart of God in our community. Our lives proclaim that God is at the heart of all and in all.

What do we set our hearts on?

 The desire for something or someone greater than ourselves lies at the heart of our quest to be truly human. It is almost as if there is something in our DNA which naturally seeks union with the whole of creation and the heart of the creator. We sense a restlessness which desires more and we can tend to spend a lot of time and money trying to discover that one thing which makes sense of this itch within us. The prompting which calls us to go beyond ourselves and discover new land in which we can be at peace. In the gospel reading, Jesus asks his disciples what are you looking for? This seems to be a straight forward question, but within it lies a fundamental willingness to yearn to be ourselves in seeking out the answer.

When the disciples ponder this question they come forward with their own question, where do you live? This searching and seeking seem to be innate within our human experience. We desire to know where it is that God is and what God is about. In someway we seek to be provided with a clear and simple answer. Like the disciples, we yearn to be at one with God in the midst of our searching. It is almost as if we seek to discover something or someone beyond ourselves who can provide that answer and in doing so become fulfilled.

This is especially true when we see the disturbances all too prevalent in our world. When we are often besieged by events beyond our control and which disturb our imagination. Whether it be the events on Capitol Hill, whether it is trade conflicts, whether it is the haunting spectre of a virus which cannot be contained or simple the everyday worries about where our next meal will come from we can find ourselves seeking a person who can provide the answers to our worries and concerns. Yet when our life is driven by fears of what menaces us we can become willful and reluctant to seek the person who is at the heart of all things.

Yet what we discover is the simple response of Jesus to come and see. It is in the very willingness to spend time with him that we discover who we are and who he is. This is not just about stepping aside from our daily tasks to spend time in prayer but discovering how we see the world differently. This seeking causes us to be at peace with ourselves as we discover it is in the ordinary graces of each day that God is revealed. It is about encountering the holy every day rather than in the extraordinary. This is the true miracle of life that God's presence can be experienced through the graced encounter and the divine touch of human life. The willingness to become at one with God at the heart of all things.

Become like water

 At the centre of our Christian life is the sacrament of baptism in which we die to ourselves to become one with Christ. In this sacrament, we hear the words of God spoken saying "You are my Son, the Beloved: my favour rests on you" This this becoming one is not actually a denial of self but rather a revelation of who we are called into relationship with. It calls us to move beyond ourselves to discover how we can discover who we truly are. Like a homecoming, we find our selves also beloved and favoured.

In a time of the pandemic, this can often allude us. I am very conscious of this living in Greater Sydney where we are identified with being the source of COVID and borders are closed to us. In discovering that the normal freedoms that we are familiar with like travel to particular places we can start to feel anything but one and free. When our humanity and compassion focuses more on what excludes us rather than what brings us together we can start to perceive both an internal and external fracturing. There is ambiguity in which we see adverts inviting us to holiday in places to which we cannot go and see our identity shaped by events beyond our control. In many ways, COVID is modern leprosy in which people can quickly be seen as unclean because of where they live and the risk of the exposure of something which is deadly.

As Christians, I believe that the closure of borders can also lead to a hardening of hearts and a stubbornness which alienates people from one another. There, of course, needs to be safeguards for people's health and wellbeing but where these become draconian they can start to breed isolation of spirit which is greater than the physical isolation. As Christians, we need to notice how our prayer and our actions find ways to give glory to God in our everyday life. This is evidenced by the hard work of people in the frontline of contact tracing, the willingness of people to get tested and the following of basic hygiene and the wearing of masks. Yet in the midst of all this, we are also called to discover how these are safeguards not barriers to relationships. There are questions which naturally emerge about how long border controls can isolate us from each other rather than giving opportunities for better track and trace. The call for a spirit of cooperation between states and nations is of pressing concern. One can wonder where the spirit so present in the bushfires has dissipated in the face of a virulent strain of the virus. 

I believe that our responsiveness in the face of this ever-present threat to our health and wellbeing is found in the reading from Isaiah which asks us where is the spring of our salvation? What will bring us joy which will bear witness to God's providence? In our own time and in union with the Baptism of Jesus we are called to notice how we become one through the spirit, the water and the blood. We witness to a life which is not our own. It calls us to become creative not only to how we respond to the challenges of our time but how we allow the waters of baptism to well up inside us.

What gift do I lay before the Lord?

 Circumstances can often dictate our response to how we live. Whether it is the continuing effects of the pandemic or simply putting on a few extra kilos over Christmas there can be a tendency to feel that our life is out of control. This is often when we start to make resolutions that sound good but resolve little because our heart isn't in it. The move towards action always needs to emerge from who we are as a person and what we consider as central to our lives. This may well be some of our best intentions don't come to pass because they suggest that we should become a different person rather than a better person. They suggest that somehow we don't have the motivation or the willingness to commit ourselves to a particular course of action. This is where we need to discover that we are already blessed by God with the ability to respond as our true self. It is this self-knowledge which calls us to be less critical and freer to respond as we can and not as we can't.

I believe this is where our prayer and honesty before God helps us to not talk at God or talk at ourselves. There can always be a belief that there must be some special formula which will allow us to come closer to God or for God to become closer to us. Yet the reality is that God is already present to us and it takes time to quiet our spirits to listen to what is actually going on within. This is not just about thinking the right thing but rather living that presence of God within our own skin. There is a need to engage our mind, heart and body in prayer. This is where we discover to be whole and holy. God does not come to an ideal version of ourselves but rather is receptive to us as we are at the moment. When we can start to see God at work in the ordinary events of each day we start to relax and allow our direction to be motivated by how we are present to this moment and this day. It is not about trying to experience extraordinary events and expecting miracles at the turn of every corner. Rather it opens us to the possibility that God already aids us to find the right direction and the obvious next step. This is important even when we make mistakes or fail to live up to our own expectations. 

There is a need, however, to recognise that we live in the real world in which the mystery of God's love unfolds. We live in the midst of the environment in which we are planted. This means that our relationship with others and with creation matters. We are not people who are called to manipulate to our best advantage but rather discover the gentle interplay which guides us to hear God's voice. This receptiveness allows us to notice what brings healing, encouragement and generosity to the places in which we live. We start to notice what brings life and what does not. By noticing the areas in which we are truly life-giving we find the confidence to feel God's hand at work. There are lightness and surrender that God works with us and labours for us in seeking the good. 

It is from this place of reflection and appreciation of our environment we start to see what particular gifts we put into action. This allows us to see a natural extension of our prayer and study to the events of daily life. We become orientated towards the goodness which brings life to our community. By noticing that each person has a gift to offer we start to realise that life is not hard work but rather an offering which enables others to flourish and grow. Our interactions become blessed rather than burdened. We freely give what we have received. God enables us to be gifted with the generosity to be ourselves. This is where we discover that we are formed and transformed more and more into the person God desires us to become. Our goals and achievements are the fruits of who we are not the determiners of our own worth. We shape the world by cooperating with God's grace rather than been shaped into a person we do not recognise. In all things, we seek to become our true self created in the image and likeness of God.

No room at the inn!

 How a few days can change the centre of our attention. For many, the idea of celebrating Christmas with family and friends has been dashed by the recent outbreak of COVID in the Northern Beaches. The limitation of travel from Greater Sydney to any state or territory was quickly closed. While it is possible to understand the need for good care of people's health there are deeper questions that emerge. Is a hard border a true safeguard against the virus if people behind that border continue to live as though COVID does not exist? There is a need for governments not only to provide safeguards but also to inspire confidence that will bring hope to a nation. People, in general, have been quick to respond in downloading the COVID19 app in the promise that it would deliver greater freedom of movement. The broad response is that this has not been adequate. The QR codes, in the same way, have relied more on people's goodwill to come forward to get tested. While we know it is important not to be complacent people have adopted social distancing and restrictions on gatherings. What may be needed is something that no government can provide which is a sense of hope and joy when all seems hopeless and sad.

It is important to remember that the birth of Jesus came during similar government instructions. Mary and Joseph need to travel to Bethlehem to be registered as part of the Census. They would have experienced difficulties and uncertainties in their travel from Nazareth as they passed others seeking to respond to these instructions. In many ways, they would not have had time to book ahead and on their arrival in Bethlehem found all the best spots taken. We can know their experience of exhaustion mixed with the expectation of the birth impending. Yet in the midst of it all, there is an acceptance which seeks something greater at work. The birth of this child in a confused and uncertain world allowed people to see their lives differently. Often it took those on the margins (the shepherds) and the foreigners (the wise men) to see what was really happening. Maybe this is the case for ourselves that we can become so caught up in our own worlds that we do not see the broader scope of life.

Will we appear out of this crisis in the same way we went in. In many ways, people have tended to see this as a temporary matter which interferes with daily life so that we can return to normal. This may be the opportunity for prayer and reflection on what brings hope to our lives. Rather than a frantic rush to make new year resolutions maybe it is time to find out whether we have room in our heart to receive the Child Jesus or whether we will maintain a hard border around them. Will it breed deeper compassion or will it breed deeper isolation from God and from others? Will we emerge from this crisis as people of deeper holiness or of deeper suspicion and scepticism? In the time that may have been forced upon us by circumstances beyond our control, this is a time to reflect, study and act for a world which proclaims the Good News in everyday life.

Waiting

 Patience is a virtue but at times when we are time-pressured, it can be put to the test. The last-minute activities prior to Christmas can even seem to test the best of us to maintain a steady pace and a peaceful demeanour. As the days count down we can sense the anticipation of what Christmas will mean for this year. The chance of reunions but also the reliving of old memories can resurface. In this expectation, we need to remember that we need to remain present to the spirit of God which sustains us. We are called to be people who are prayerfully aware that the world is centred on God's creative initiative.

It is in these days of waiting that we can encounter Mary who seeks to respond to God with a yes which has practical consequences for her life and the life of each one of us. As she seeks to ponder what her fiat means she seeks to understand how God is at work within and through her. In many ways, the way she encounters God helps us to listen more carefully to how we are greeted and how we respond to others. Do we open our hearts to listen to the moments when we are deeply in union with the whole of creation. It is these moments that can stop us in our tracks and help us to see our lives differently.

As we journey in these last few days before Christmas take time within the hustle and bustle of daily life to listen to what brings life, what brings hope and what brings joy to your life. In all things give thanks.

Be Happy at all times

 "When faced with trials put on a happy face!" There can be a sense that when Paul writes to the Thessalonians there is a sense of being overly optimistic or covering up the difficulties we face with a false smile. I believe what Paul is actually asking of us is that we pray at all times and in all situations. This takes on an attitude which seeks to become a person of thanksgiving in whatever situation we find ourselves.

Yet this is not always easy as Paul notices we need to listen to the Holy Spirit to help us discern what is good from what is bad. This calls for a considered response which not only prays but also seeks to reflect on the environment in which we live and the actions that we are capable of performing. This calls us to be people who do not retreat into our own private world but seek to be holy in the place that we live. This is not manufactured piety but rather a lived expression of God's love for the world.

Each day we are called to notice what aids us in growing closer to God and to others. God helps us to notice the hidden graces which transform us and our world. In this way, we bear witness to the spirit of the Lord which brings good news to the poor, binds up hearts that are broken, which seeks freedom to those who are held imprisoned by their way of life. The call is to become people who imbibe the Spirit and live our life with hope for the good of the world.

Writing Straight with Crooked lines

 Walking through the shopping centre the other day it was hard to believe the hardships we have been through and that much of the rest of the world is facing. There was a distinct feeling of deja vu. That people were shopping, preparing for Christmas, making plans and organise trips to visit families and friends. Yet in the midst of all this activity, there is still a feeling that this Christmas will not be like the ones before. There is a call to discover something which will sustain beyond the immediate commercial reality and to discover a deeper meaning for our lives.

I believe we see this in the figure of John the Baptist. He sought to prepare people's hearts and minds to see more clearly how to live their lives. This was not just repentance from sinful behaviour and attitudes but a true desire to encounter God in our everyday lives. There was searching for those graced moments which transform us and transform our world. They are moments which allow us to encounter the mystery of our own creation in the person of Christ.

As we journey towards Christmas it is this deeper entry into the mystery of each day that we encounter God's living presence. There is a sense in which we are disturbed in the way things from how we perceive them to be to actually how they are. It calls us to notice those graced moments which we encounter each day. It is the scripture of God's Word written on the face of our world and reflected in how we receive that message. As we go about our daily tasks let us pray that we see the face of God in all things and in all people.

Guiding Star

 Over the last few weeks, much attention has been focused on the results of the US Election. This has not just caused us to reflect on the electoral process that has taken place but also the varied standpoints which have emerged about whether the result was free and fair. In many cases, this has depended more on which side of the fence one sits rather than on the facts. It appears more than an opinion about those facts has greater credence than the facts themselves. It appears that truth becomes a disposable commodity which counts for little in an era which has thrown doubt on what actually constitutes news. In the midst of the turmoil which has resulted in questions being raised in what and whom we should believe. There is a danger in a post-modern world that truth becomes whatever we want it to be rather than having an inherent value in itself. In a world in which power is vested not so much in belief but rather in external force, we see people become easily disorientated and disengaged with the very process which seeks to give them a voice in their governance. When we do not trust ourselves we can notice how quickly chaos and disorder can follow.

Yet into this maelstrom, we begin the season of Advent which focuses on the coming of Christ into a disordered and chaotic world. A world which tended to focus on the external expression of belief rather than on an interior conversion of heart. The question of what we believe becomes transformed by the person who meets us in our disbelief. We find ourselves transformed by a person who speaks to the heart of our life and to the heart of our creation. In the midst of the confusion which we have encountered during the year, he seeks to bring a peace which disturbs us with love and joy. This calls us to see the whole of creation with an abiding loving presence. The call to see the whole of creation giving birth to God's plan for our salvation.

This message is never more prevalent than in a world which is focussed more on the use of power rather the stewardship of what has been entrusted to us. Old wounds have been quickly opened and can fester if left untreated. There can be spirits that rage within us which seek to promote division and anger. The geopolitical map has shifted and fractured in a way which has happened so quickly that many fear the return to old conflicts left unresolved. Yet this is where we need to listen to the Good News which seeks reconciliation between people. This reconciliation is hard-won and easily lost. It seeks a forgiving spirit which finds its origin in God and not solely through our own will power.

What we seek is not cheap grace which covers over the cracks of humanity with a false balm. It calls for individuals, communities and nations to discover not just what divides us but rather the deeper values that abide within us. What makes for peace is listening to a narrative which is more than just our perception of the other but rather listening to the heartbeat which works for the greater good of all. God enters into our human story to bring about this deeper listening which meets our deepest longing not just our wishful thinking. In these days of Advent, we are called to listen for whom will become our guiding star.

Who will I be when I die?

 As we near the end of the Church's liturgical year we are called to remember the four last things: death, judgement, heaven and hell. This is something which is seldom preached on and when it is memories of those who recall the Redemptorist mission can remember people having the fear of God-driven home. There can be a sense in which this reality needs to be reflected upon as it shapes who we seek to become in life. Rather than a fear of future reward or punishment, a greater emphasis is placed on how we are present to God in this present moment. This not an exercise in just receiving enough credits in life to outweigh our debts rather it is the orientation that we seek our life to take.

In the readings for the day we see six of the seven corporal works of mercy: clothe the naked, feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, welcome the stranger, visit the sick and befriend those in prison. The seventh relates to praying for the dead. What they sum up are not a to-do list but rather a disposition of heart which sees the needs of those around us who are made in the image and likeness of God. It recognises that our spirituality is incarnate. How we seek to be present to others especially those in greatest need reflect on how we see God present in the world. We are called to be people of faith, hope and love not just in our prayers but also in our actions.

The focus is always on the person which proceeds the action. In this way, we do not marginalise the person by their need but rather we restore their dignity to be in right relationship with the whole community. We acknowledge that we are called to see in the other especially those who are on the margins the face of Christ. This comes not through an obligation placed upon on us but rather who we seek to become. In this becoming our actions flow naturally out of a lived expression of our prayer. Our hearts, minds and our bodies unite to attend the needs of the poorest within our community.

The heart of a community is shaped by how we treat the poorest within our society rather than how we reward the most successful. In caring for each person we seek their fundamental worth not just their utility. In this way, we build up a culture of life which builds the realm of God in our own time. This is by asking the fundamental question who will I be when I die?

Many Gifts, One God

 Each day is a new day when we can give thanks to God for the gift of life. Especially as we move towards Advent and the end of our liturgical year this can become a time of review. Where do we notice we spending our time and what brings faith, hope and charity to the life of others. A gift or a charism is entrusted us for the good of the whole community so that they may be drawn into a living relationship with God. We thus become stewards of these gifts rather than becoming people who own them. They are given to us for a good purpose so that others may encounter God.

There are many different charisms but they all have the same end. They help us to notice and become aware of how God is present to us in the everyday circumstances of life. The three signs of a charism are that it has a feel of being in prayer to which we can give ourselves freely, it is of benefit to the spiritual and material good of another, and it has a felt sense of drawing us deeper into a living relationship with God. This is the reality that we can do ordinary things with amazing grace and presence.

So the three things I would suggest for us to examine is not just how we use our time but whether we allow it to be a way of being prayerful present to others. Does it bring us the freedom to be ourselves rather than just becoming a task to be fulfilled. Each moment allows the opportunity to become aware of how God is present in all things and for them to become moments of thanksgiving. As we journey through this next week may we discover the God who walks with us on our journey?

Running on the smell of an oily rag!

 There can be times in life when we just keep on going through an interior motivation to achieve a particular end. Yet we can also be conscious of feelings of tiredness, discouragement and at times being overwhelmed by the world around us. Yet there is a sense that in being present to these feelings with honesty and compassion we can show the same to others. We start to notice that the world does not revolve around me but in a relationship which sustains us to become our true self.

In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins waiting for the bridegroom return, we start to notice our own way of being present to life. We can become aware that the end that we are striving for seems to be a long way off and we can start to sleep walk through activities. Yet the wake-up call is how we respond when we are most need to be present. Do we become attentive to our own situation and our ability to respond with faith, hope and love or do we notice what that moment may demand of us and shy away from responding? There is a saying that history is made by those who turn up. We are called to be aware that our presence and response makes a difference to the good of God, the good of others and the good of ourselves.

When so many things can seem to point towards bad news we can choose to be known as a person who responds with life and love to the situation we find ourselves in. We are called to be creatively present with our lives in nurturing that which brings life. In this way, we stand ready to respond in ways which notice the promptings of God to be people who pray, reflect and act for the good of our world.

Called to be saints

We are used to the process of elections where we seek to choose the person we believe is best able to govern on our behalf. The process of choosing the right person causes us to notice both their words and their actions. We seek not only to understand who they are but we also weigh their ability to work for our benefit.

Yet God calls us all to be saints. Rather than just choosing one person he sees that all of us are called into a life giving relationship with God. God seeks us out that we may discover our capacity to be holy. This holiness is lived out in ordinary ways for the good of God. 

The saints remind us that while each of us our gifted we can choose how we use these gifts. They are not solely for our own good. In helping us to centre our lives on God’s loving presence we notice that we see our lives differently.  We see ourselves as cocreators with God. Each day provides the opportunity for God to pray in union  with us. God seeks us out with a love do intense that we can become saints.

The Golden Rule

 If there is one thing which unites all of humanity it is what is considered the Golden Rule: To do good to the other that you would do for yourself. It is at the heart of our welfare system and seeks to ensure that each person is respected as a person made in the image and likeness of God. Yet the reality of how we actually live that rule can cause tensions to arise not only in its application but also in how we see the other person as equally deserving of God's grace. Much of this is contained in the declaration of human rights which seeks to preserve what is vital to human life. We seek to share the world's goods and preserve the environment not just as a gift for ourselves only but for generations yet to come. This is where the difficulty of living this rule arises because it calls us to notice that its application depends on where we are standing.

I believe this is where the rule to love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind allows noticing what is important for us in life. The order of discovering what is placed on our heart orientates us towards what we consider vital for our lives and what we think about and apply our minds too. It is from this point of view that we start to notice what it is that we love and how we love ourselves into being. At the heart of the matter is the need to ensure that our hearts and our actions are in accord with each other. When this happens we naturally to seek the good of ourselves as influencing the good of others. We no longer live for ourselves alone. We see the value not only in what we do but in the contribution it can make to the common good.

So at the heart of prayer, reflection and action we need to consider what is the next obvious step that we can make for the good of ourselves and the good of others. In living this out we make small but profound changes to the way we live in the world. No longer do our lives centre solely on what we need but on what God desires for the good of all. Our lives make a difference in helping others to live well.

The Piper plays the tune

 Each of us from time to time would be concerned about our financial wellbeing. We are called to people who do not live beyond our means but also become accountable for how we spend our money. This is one of the difficulties in many settings at the domestic level, in our local parish community, in the policy of the government and in the way we act as good stewards of the things entrusted to our care. It some cases it can seem that money dictates what we can and cannot do in life. Yet in reality, it is only a tool which can help us to recognise our priorities and what we truly need. 

In modern life, we are often "sold" an image of ourselves or of the perfect life. We can rely very heavily not just on what is in favour but also what seems to add value to the person we are. This can at times seem elusive and ethereal. Just as we buy something because of its looks or its utility we find that it never works like we see on tv. We seem to fall for the dream of the perfect body, the perfect home, the perfect family and ultimately the perfect life. The danger that we encounter is that these dreams seem fleeting and can be disrupted or interrupted by events beyond our control. These times reshape our thinking and call us to consider what is truly important.

At the heart of the Gospel is not that we abandon our daily activities or our responsibilities to our communities but that we seem them in the right perspective. We are created in the image and likeness of God to cooperate with that creative vision of building the kingdom. This is not just an external structure or a home run into heaven but rather a disposition of the heart which informs, forms and transforms our way of being present to our world. It sees the centre of our life shaped in God's creative vision for humanity which promises faith, hope and charity as the KPI's of our lives. These are difficult to measure but essential for lives. They shape who we wish to become and where we spend our time and money. In this, we daily seek to encounter God in our prayer so that we can encounter each person as a graced moment. There is a capability to see that God is present in each encounter enabling us to grow in faith, hope and love.

Not just any invitation

 There is usually great excitement when we receive an invitation to a wedding especially if it is someone we know well. The anticipation building up to the day is not only about buying the right gift or wearing the right clothes but rather the sense that we will witness the commitment of a couple who love each other. There is a recognition that the commitment they make is not only for their good but for the good of the whole community and future generations. They promise fidelity to each other and a responsibility to care for others. The sense of the commitment between a man and a woman is the mutuality between all of humanity which becomes evident not just for the good of the couple but so that God's love may be manifest in the world.

The wedding scene in the Gospel for this weekend takes an interesting twist on this familiar story. In fact, it is those who are invited who not only refuse to attend but actually take it out on the messenger. In this, the King is being portrayed as so angry that he not only dispatches those who treated his messengers so badly but insists on bringing in anybody to celebrate the feast that has been prepared. There is the insistence that what is offered is not only for the chosen few who believe they have no need to attend. Yet we can still wonder about the person without a wedding garment. I think that while good and bad people are press-ganged into the celebration there needs to be a response on the part of the person to a change of life. There is a need to be receptive to what is on offer.

In these COVID times when we become used to limited numbers able to attend Mass on Sunday and the need to be a social distance from each other, this Gospel stands as a stark reminder of a God who seeks us out before we seek God. There is a recognition that while we may see a distance between us and God. Where the everyday events can seem to take priority over our lives God seeks to bring a deeper meaning to who we are called to be. The central message is that our life is not just something to be done but a reality to be celebrated. At the heart of this message is a belief that God will always seek us out whether we are ready or not. The question is that when we are invited to enter into that life-giving relationship how will we respond?

Becoming pastors not managers

 Pope Francis in speaking to priests reminded them that they were called to be pastors not managers of the parishes in which they lived. The difference that he was pointing to was that in one case we focus on managing people and resources entrusted to us in the other we look at how God is present in the place where we live in caring for people and what most allows them to build the kingdom. The emphasis seems to be at the heart of these weekends readings on whether we own the product of our labour or whether we see it is as a gift given to us to be used wisely. I fell that this is the tension that we called to exercise in our daily life: how do we notice the practical needs of those around us but also our attitude to responding to those needs.

I believe there is something within all of us which wants to be recognised and rewarded for a job well done. This is the natural place of thanksgiving and gratitude which lies at the heart of human living. Good things are entrusted to us for the common good. Yet there is also that subtle voice which says this is mine and not another's work. We can become careful about what we share that someone may steal our good name or our good work as their own. We build fences to keep our ideas and our efforts secure. This does not diminish the reality that a person deserves a just reward for just days work. Yet it is the suspicion which can cause us to possess the gift entrusted to us and see it as our own.

We are called to be people who find meaning in our work. Yet our work is not the sole judge of our character important as it is for our own welfare and the welfare of others. What is more important is that we are called to be people who are in communion with each other. This communion reflects a deeper reflection that we are called to be in communion with God. It is present in many of our fair work acts, in our care for work, health and safety, in the safety net for those without productive work. Yet at the heart of the matter is how we notice the good of the other. In seeking their good as well as our own we are able to produce good fruit. This allows people to discover that the fruit is both material and spiritual in sustaining life and giving glory to God. Our work is not an end in itself but an expression of God's bountiful love that in labouring for others we cooperate with God's creative plan.

When we say yes what do we mean?

 What we say yes and no shapes our life. Our choices influence the person we seek to become. They indicate what is our preference and help us to notice what most draws our attention. Yet in our society, we live in a culture which seeks to have us say yes to everything for fear that we will miss out on something. This fear of missing out seeks us to be present to all things with the same level of attention which can often leave us fearful and afraid. If we choose one thing that means that we miss out on something else. We fear been left behind or not having enough interesting stuff to talk to other people about. We feel that there is a drive to self-sufficient, altruistic and magnificent all at the same time.

Yet if we give our yes's too easily we can notice that there is only so much time in the day to dedicate to what we do. We start to cram activities and to-do lists into every corner. We measure our success by external indicators which consume our lives and our attention. Yet in the end, we can be tired, exhausted and directionless until we find another task to be undertaken. The call I believe is to ponder on what is essential and what builds life-giving options for ourselves and for others. 

Who are we called to become? This seems to be the central question. By weighing up not just what we say but in how we become present to our choices. This helps us to see who and what is central to our lives. Which voices we listen to, what creates our best self and what enables us to be present to the needs of others. When we say yes too quickly we notice that we create masks from people knowing our true selves. Yet when we notice our reluctance or resistances we can ponder more deeply what is the right thing to do not just for ourselves but for others. 

Answering the call

 There can be times when we seem to work hard in the heat of the day and wonder what our reward will be. This can be especially true when others seem to benefit from the work we perform. I believe our attitude to our work changes how we work. I am reminded of the story of three street cleaners who were asked why they performed their work. The first said it was so that he could receive a paycheck at the end of the week and enjoy his weekend. The second said it was so that she could support her family and offer them some security. The third said he saw himself as improving the environment of the place in which he lived and create a spirit of welcome to those who lived in his neighbourhood. All of these three had legitimate expressions of what motivated them into the work, however, the last one saw that his work was focussed almost solely on the needs of others.

In the same way, I believe we need to discover what we fall in love with in life. This will determine how we spend our day and what "reward"we seek for our labour. It also changes how we respond to the labour of others and relate to people who serve us. The essence is on building healthy relationships which allow us to work well. In the end the person finds dignity in their work and in acknowledging the contribution of another we find a spirit of thankfulness emerging in our life.

As Pedro Arrupe wrote:

"Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love 

In a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,

what seizes your imagination,

will affect everything.

It will decide

what will get you out of bed in the morning,

what you do with your evenings,

how you spend your weekends,

what you read,

whom you know,

what breaks your heart,

and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love,

and it will decide everything"

Making peace with ourselves

 There can be times when a person or an event can cause deep resentment to stir within us. This may be disproportionate to the situation but it can well up in us like acid or a volcanic eruption waiting to burst forth. It is important at these times to allow us the room to notice the anger and bring it before God in prayer. Some psychologists would notice that our angry reaction can last but a moment but our response can last a lifetime. This is why it is vitally important that when we notice this strong passion rising within us that we allow God to befriend us in prayer.

Anger often has a history which is a safety measure which allows us to protect ourselves from danger either to ourselves or to another. We do not become angry about things that don't affect us or harm something or someone that we treasure. The importance then is to notice that our working through our angry feelings means that we need to give ourselves the space to resolve our own internal reactions. This should be done apart from the person or the situation which has caused us anger. Untamed anger can become our enemy which can unleash inner violence which does harm to us or to another. Anger which is befriended allows us to make constructive use of that passion for the good of another as well as ourselves.

What is strongly associated with anger is noticing both the facts that lie behind it but also the attitude that we have towards the world. At the heart of the readings are the words of the psalmist, "The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion". What is essential is how having acknowledged and befriended these feelings we notice that we are not called to plan vengeance but seek forgiveness for ourselves and for the other. This is not so that do not acknowledge serious injustices but that we allow us to notice how each person is called into a living relationship with God and with another. The two go hand in hand. We become people who build relationships of trust and healing. This is not just a simple panacea but rather forgiveness which is heartfelt and life-giving. When we do not allow God's forgiveness to be at the heart of our lives our anger can be like drinking poison hoping the other person will die! 

If you are in the midst of a dispute as you read this take time to dwell with God about how you are present to yourself and the other. Be honest, be creative but ultimately be open to compassion for yourself and the other. In so doing we replace the feeling that we are called to be a doormat by becoming a welcome mat. A person is hospitable to others as we seek to befriend ourselves.