Easy to become distracted

 Often when I go to the supermarket I can have an intention to buy one particular thing and end up buying many things that have attracted my attention. There is probably a science that has been created to gather things we think we may need but then wonder why we bought them. It seemed important at the time but when we return home we find that we have not found the very thing that we needed.

I believe we encounter the same thing in spiritual life. We enter into prayer so that we can grow in a deeper relationship with God. This is allowing us time to quiet the mind and the heart from the many thoughts and emotions that can flood in when we sit down for a time of reflection. We can become caught in a cycle of mental or emotional acrobatics as we swing from one thing to the next. Yet the time of contemplation is to notice that moment when we release ourselves from what is familiar towards the trapeze which swings before us. In mid-flight, we can panic realizing that we are mid-air with nothing to support us. This can feel unfamiliar and this can cause us to notice our own vulnerability of leaping out into the dark. Yet if we allow ourselves to relax we are caught in a moment where we can trust that we will be caught by the person we have launched ourselves towards.

This is the trust where we allow our day to unfold out of this prayerful space. It allows us to notice that there is a dynamic tension in which God calls us to let go and trust. In this very moment, we discover a way of living that notices the present moment where God is at work and gives us direction and purpose. This allows us to use all our gifts to be available to God and others as the person we are called to become. We focus on what is needed for this moment and this time.

Called to sit down and eat

 In the midst of a flow of activity, we have the precious opportunity to sit down with another to share a meal. Over the pandemic, these meals have become more infrequent as we have been called to eat in our own homes away from the people we would have liked to invite. As movement and travel become more possible we can tend to rush from activity to activity in a rush to make up for the lost time. Yet it may be a time to treasure what we have discovered during this time. I believe three things are important sharing time, sharing ourselves, and sharing the stillness.

What I have noticed is that our approach to time is often chronological. We look to measure and allocate time to certain tasks. This is almost making a shopping list of our days where we place more importance on some things rather than others. There can be a sense of collecting experiences and being present to none. However, the pausing to be present to the other is the greatest gift we have to offer. This is more about discovering the way we can be present rather than distracted by many activities. As we gather for Eucharist this is when we cross the threshold in which time seems to stand still and we can encounter God in liminal space. Where we discover what truly speaks to our soul.

In this sharing of ourselves, we discover that we have the ability to give and receive. We are able to notice how we are nourished and what fills us with hope. This is not a magical formula but rather a learned understanding that when we are available to others we discover a deeper communion for ourselves. The disciples discovered this when they called the 5000 to sit down in groups of 50. It was that in their midst they were not just going to be fed but that they truly saw each other. This is why we gather for Eucharist. It is the need to encounter each other as God gathers us together. We are not called to live in splendid isolation but in a deeper communion that sustains us and helps us grow.

Then in the midst of time and space, we are called to grow still. This stillness is where we can become one with God and one with each other. The place where we truly listen from the depth of our hearts. This is a communal act where we recognize that God reaches out to us and sustains us with charity. It helps us to notice those in our community who need to be fed and housed. In an age where people are homeless and hungry, we can seek to be people who sustain others with the basic necessities of life. It calls for a heart for the poor as people like us who also need to be fed and provided a home.

Our Eucharistic life is not just a private act reserved for Sundays but a way of life that seeks to proclaim the Good News to our world. By gathering together we become one with Christ and one with each other. This incarnate way of living is not about what we consume but how our lives are consummated by the sacrament we receive. We receive Christ so that we become one with him to live his life for others not just for ourselves.

The Divine Dance

 In Bette Midler’s song “From a distance” there is an image portrayed that God watches us from a place far far away. This can be tempting to see God as an entity that exists somehow out of the plane of our existence. Almost a God who sets everything in motion and then sits back to see what happens. This is an image of a God who is a spectator to what has been created rather than an active involvement with creation.

I believe this is the importance of the celebration of the Solemnity of the Trinity. It shows us that God is at the heart of creation and is passionately involved with who we seek to become. As a Father, he seeks to reveal to us not only the goodness of creation but also the goodness of our creation. The Son as the creative Word helps us to articulate that in a way that can be understood and lived. The Spirit engages us as a living water welling from the source of creation to quench our thirst.

So we hear in Wisdom how God is ever creative and ever new. The image of God as the master craftsman ever at play brings forth delight in what is created. The sense of this creation is something that does not see God as remote or distant from what is created. There is a natural wonder raised up in people as they contemplate the diverse nature of the world of which they are a part. This can be noticed when we break out of the confines of the city but is also present when we notice the cycle of the seasons which envelop us and enwrap us with their beauty. We are not called to be mere spectators but participants who are renewed and enlightened with the life around us and within us.

It is recognizing that we see this incarnate truth through the person of Christ, which embodies this wonder within his person. The creative word becomes one with creation so that we can understand our true nature that grows in relationship with God. We are drawn into a mystery that is recreated within us and through us. We are one with God, in communion with each other and recreated with the vision of God. This once again is at the heart of our concern for each other who are created in the image and likeness of God. We are called to experience the same divine life, which gazes upon the world. It enlivens us to not stand by when people are in great need but seeks to nourish, reconcile and heal those who are burdened by suffering both physically and spiritually. To become people whose patience and perseverance bring forth hope.

This can allow us to discover how the Spirit is at play in befriending us with a spirit that seeks out God in all things. It helps us to build on the sacred underpinnings that are at the heart of life. They help us to become stewards of creation and counselors for humanity. We do not stand apart from creation but are drawn into the heart of the voice that breathes life into the world. We become part of the divine dance that notices the dance, the dancer, and the dancing. A God who is ever-creative, ever new.

Thus, the Trinity invites us into a relationship with the heart of life that breaks through the barriers that can appear between us. The places where we can distance ourselves from God and that distance us from each other. This divine relationship reshapes our vision to look at the heart of creation with the eyes of God. It no longer limits us to an image of sin and repentance but rather embraces us in the spirit of the Goodness of creation and our salvation. No longer are we strangers to God but he seeks at the heart of the mystery of the Trinity to behold and befriend us and to labor with us for the good of the whole of creation. In this, we see echoes of what St Cyril of Jerusalem notices when he says “In each person, Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.” 

A new Pentecost

Travelling during a pandemic presents its own challenges. Often we can expect things to be as they were before. We become familiar with old ways of acting and living. This can cause us confusion and frustration when presented with a new way of experiencing life. This is not just about long queues, rising costs or cancellations. Rather it is how we meet God along the way amongst different languages and different cultures.

What Pentecost teaches us is that God wants to be communicated to every nation in a language which unites. This is how we are moved by God’s Spirit to listen. We often run around with many thoughts in our heads, plans to be made and things to be achieved. When we speak it seems to come out in a jumble and we wonder whether we have been clearly understood. We worry that our words are not adequate to express what we feel deep inside.

Yet it is this quiet still voice which opens up the possibility to be known. This is what happens in prayer. It is not about finding the right formula but rather discovering who we are called to be in the presence of God. We become stilled and speak in a language which does not need words. It is from this still place that we can be present to others. To become grace filled and grace led.

May the Spirit of God fall afresh on us that we may live from that relationship which sets us on fire for the love of God who always loves us first.

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. 

God labours for us!

 The amazing story of who turned up to breakfast with the disciples is at the heart of our Easter experience. It is now three weeks since Easter Sunday and there can be a tendency to return to life as normal. Much as the disciples experienced the early resurrection experiences it appears that they returned to what was everyday and familiar. We know this can be the experience of many people especially after they have experienced trauma in their life. They seek to discover patterns that make sense of what has happened by sharing time with friends in a common activity that makes sense of the disorder they have encountered.

Yet I believe there are three things we need to be aware of in the story. In the midst of the fishing expedition, the disciples are working hard but catching nothing. They seem to have become frustrated that their attempts to engage in this familiar activity leave them feeling exhausted and bereft. They had hoped for a pleasant day out but discovered that their nets were empty and their hearts were longing for more.

In the midst of this story, a seeming stranger stands on the shore and shouts out instructions to pay out their nets on the other side. We can sense the fatalism which must beset the disciples when they seek to defend their actions which have proved fruitless and yet somehow trust that it is worth one last go. They catch more than they ever imagined and then the beloved disciples recognize the connection that it is Jesus who stands on the shore. Peter jumps into the water towing the net to land.

As they arrive breakfast is already being prepared. Almost like a cooking show, they are welcomed to something which has already been made. They sit down to eat and recognize that they are in the midst of Jesus who eats with them. 

This has ready application to our own lives is that Jesus meets us in what is familiar and transforms it not only to feed us but to also feed others. Jesus already knows our hearts but requires our active involvement to allow the work to become manifest with fundamental goodness. Lastly, it does slow us down to give thanks that in the midst of all creation is a person who knows us better than we know ourselves. A person who feeds us with what will sustain us with hope as we engage with the heart of life.

Allowing others to touch our wounds

 The Easter season allows us to be open to surprises of being touched by Jesus. There is awareness during Lent that we become attached to certain behaviors, thoughts, or ways of living which do not fill our deepest need to encounter meaning at the heart of our lives. This is evident in how we seem to notice our own shortcuts and diversions which promise much but deliver little. The encounter with our own vulnerability and addiction to certain patterns of behavior can frustrate our hopes. We want to overcome our sin but our own efforts only seem to entrench those patterns within our life. click

In the Upper Room, we see this drama played out in the encounter between Jesus and Thomas. He emphasizes two things the first is the need to be at peace the second is to encounter a God of mercy who forgives. The need for peace is not just discovering a place of silence alone but rather allowing ourselves to listen more deeply to the desires which mill around our heads and hearts. This is probably our most private place but it is the place where we find out what is most important to us. For Thomas, it is the desire to believe to encounter the Risen Jesus. Yet something holds him back from the actual physical encounter. It seems to be okay in his own mind but is limited by how he puts this into practical action. His greatest fear is that if he encounters the wounds of Jesus his own wounds will be exposed. The doubt, the uncertainty, the longing for Jesus to be alive. There is a difference between what he thinks should happen and what actually does happen. 

This is the journey of Easter where Jesus meets us in our own uncertainty and tentativeness. He takes even the initial questions of faith and makes them real. This encounter surprises us with its vulnerability and honesty. This is ultimately how Jesus meets us. Not when we have it all together but more probably when we seem to be falling apart. When we are raw and candid about what we need. Jesus meets us in our own Upper Room. In the place where we have locked ourselves up for fear of the outside world with all its unanswered questions. He meets us to live the question which is most important to us today. In this he allows us to touch his wounds that he may touch our own.

What do we hope for this Easter?

 As we finish celebrating the Easter Vigil we are often left with the question that Peter encounters in the empty tomb. The testimony of the women is not enough to convince him and yet he is left wondering what the future will hold out for him. In the midst of the beauty and the solemnity of the Easter ceremonies, we can often wonder ourselves what the future will hold. As we start to live with COVID, an unfortunate term as I have been forced into isolation as a result of a positive result, we can wonder what salvation looks like for us. Many hold out false hopes that they will have the answer to all our problems. This tendency is not just present in politicians but also in those who advertise a life that is powerful, spectacular, and relevant.

Against this backdrop, we see the unfolding of the latest tragedy for humanity unfolding in Ukraine. One pleading father on television spoke volumes when he said what have we done to them that they wish to bring this suffering on us. This is the cry which looks for a reason but also for justice. The paschal triduum is played out all too vividly as people are crucified for the sins of another. This does not seem to make sense in fact it is non-sense. Yet in the midst of this conflict and in fact, in the midst of every conflict Jesus draws us into a deeper vulnerability and woundedness that allows us to encounter his healing. This paradox is not because he wants us to suffer but so that we may find hope even when we suffer.

I feel that this is the important lesson of Easter that we discover life in unexpected places and people. This is the Easter message that Christ sends us out to be people of both reconciliation and thanksgiving. In a world that so often preaches that might makes right, we discover that we need to breathe in peace and exhale love. We are called to be witnesses to life that emerges out of what appears to be a disaster. To bring light when the world seems to be plunged into darkness. To proclaim eternal life when others preach annihilation. During this Easter let Jesus surprise you with joy.

Whom do we welcome

 On the eve of another election, we are conscious of the many slogans which can be used to encourage us in casting our ballots. The fact that this will occur during Holy Week and the initial days of Easter asks a basic question about who we are and whose we are? Most election campaigns seek to win hearts and minds about a better vision for the future. The question of course is not just about how we cast our ballot but rather who we believe we can become as a nation. Often the slogans express an internal hope which seeks to be expressed in external action. This is certainly the reality that Jesus confronts when entering Jerusalem the crowds gather in great numbers believing that he is the Messiah who will liberate them from oppression. However, this quickly turns to disappointment and outrage when he does not provide what they want. The mob turns on him stirred up by those who see him as a threat to themselves and suddenly hosanna turns to crucify him.

So how should we prepare during this time? I believe the first lesson of Lent is that we are drawn into a deeper communion of prayer with God and each other. This calls us to notice our own inner contradictions and the dualism which can exist within our own hearts. Where we seek salvation but on our own terms. Prayer allows us to notice our own inner demons and the things that prevent us from seeking solidarity with God and the Christian community. We come to prayer out of our great need and our own vulnerability to be moved by bad spirits which besiege us. We need this deeper communion so that we can build up the defenses which seduce, isolate and assault us at our weakest point. We are called to be a people who are formed into a union with God through our common struggles.

The next is to notice how we can become attached to certain ways of behaving which can divide us one against the other. This is particularly noticeable during an election when one side will seek to demonize the other while seeking to become paragons of virtue. This is where a Lectio on the words that are used in a campaign can be helpful to see whether they bring unity between what touches our hearts and what informs our minds to act for the good of all and not just ourselves. Elections are about forming a polity in which all voices can be heard and in which unity is formed for the good of all.

Lastly, we need to build a culture that reflects and inculturates Christian values within the society. This seeks to build a culture of life that respects the dignity of human life and the whole of creation. An election campaign touches on a sense of fairness and justice that allows people to flourish. This of its nature seeks to ensure a distribution of resources that is equitable and does not condemn people to a life of poverty. That people have the ability to seek the basic goods of life in housing, healthcare, education, and productive work. In a society where the nature of utility is often determined by wealth, success, and relevance we are challenged to recognize that our fundamental worth is built on what makes us fully human. In an election, it is not the promises made that make the difference but rather the qualities of the person who we seek to build a nation that is not selfish and grasping but is rather generous and benevolent. This seeks the common good not just for ourselves but for the good of all especially our poorer neighbors. In all things, we seek God to guide our hearts to make wise and prudent choices for the good of all.

What did Jesus write in the sand?

 I often wonder what Jesus was writing in the sand when he challenged the Pharisees who were about to stone the woman caught in adultery. Many commentators assume this may have been the sins of the people who wanted to condemn a person to death. By bringing their lives into sharp contrast between their own lives and their ability to judge another they were conscious of how their sins weighed down upon them. It may even be that some may have been complicit in the very action for which they wished to condemn another. We will probably never know.

However, I believe just focussing on our sins or the sins of another does not draw us closer to a relationship with God or the rest of humanity. We can become limited in noticing what is falling apart in our lives rather than on the mercy offered by God. This builds on the story of the forgiving father from last week in noticing that God meets us in our own reality and seeks for us to experience an encounter that changes our lives. The purpose of Lent is not just to confess our sins but rather to experience God's healing touch which removes us from our own isolation and alienation from humanity.

The readings help us to see and experience that it is in this relationship that God transforms our life. In this Jesus was not writing a list of our sins but rather the areas in which we need to experience transformation but are deaf to his voice. In this way, Jesus sits down with us not to focus on our sins but rather on how our wounds are healed. This is a profound surrender because it allows Jesus to become close and personal in areas of our life that we often say is off-limits. This loving persistence seeks a way through our wounds to be present to God in a new way. One which does not condemn others because of the disorder we experience within ourselves but rather a liberation that lives mercy.

Who we are and how we act

 There is often a cynical reflection of many priests and parishioners that confirmation is the sacrament at which a person exits the Church. This reflects an understanding which shows there is a difference between what we believe and how we act. In many ways, it shows a culture of religion that is superficial and seeks to receive blessings rather than entering into a deeper relationship with God. There is a tendency to hold God at arm's length and a belief that religion belongs solely to the private realm.

The challenge of our time is the discovery that we have an interior life that guides our external actions. Often we are taught that if we make behavioral changes then we will live a more fulfilled life. Yet anybody who has tried to enter into a diet or given up a long-term addiction knows that external actions can only have a limited effect on the person. This is why whole services have emerged to guide us on how to lose weight or overcome a particular addiction. However, if we put all our reliance on a person or a program which is external to ourselves we may find ourselves wasting a lot of time and money on what cannot satisfy the deeper longing within our hearts.

What appears to be missing is that we seek a deeper meaning to life which can sustain us against our own inner contradictions and the ability of people to take control of our vulnerabilities. I believe this is where our disciplines of prayer, fasting, and alms giving become important practices. They help us to make connections between our interior selves, the places where we are bound up in attitudes or behaviors, and how we can become people who are authentic in our concern for others. Lent is not designed to make us more introspective or isolated from God but rather to see how we are drawn into deeper communion with what brings faith, hope, and charity.

In this Mary provides us an insight into her spiritual life which acknowledges her fears, her practical situation, and a decision made out of freedom to be herself in response to God's invitation. She does not hide or play games with God by running away like the prodigal son or harboring grudges like the older son. Rather she reveals herself to the hidden mystery of herself which allows God to enter into her in a way that transforms her life and the life of the world. Lent allows us the opportunity to encounter God as we are and discover how we are called to respond. 

My plans for your are for peace and not disaster

 In Harold Kushner's book, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People", he explores what happens when disaster seems to strike and how easy it is to blame the victim for something that has befallen them. It is so easy to make the connection between a natural disaster and the moral state of the person. We are a people who seek an explanation for everything and the causal links can be made too easily. We see elements of this in the way some people blamed households affected for the floods that inundated their homes. This does not mean that we do not learn from these difficulties but that our first thoughts should be for those who suffer a disaster.

In the gospel we see Jesus noting how Lent recognizes that while disasters can befall us we are called to notice how easy it is to fall prey to the destroyer within. That critical spirit can spark wars between us and within us. During this season we are called to be people who are on guard against the evil spirit which sink deep into our psyche and cause harm to our world.  This is like a parasite that can draw all the nutrients out of our body and harbor ill will within us. This can too easily be seen in the conflicts between people, especially in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. There needs to be a desire for peace which is not just an absence of hostility but also a deeper sense of God's merciful action in the world.

This I believe is behind Pope Francis's consecration of Russia and Ukraine to our Lady Queen of Peace through her Immaculate Heart which renews the consecration made by Pope John Paul II in 1984. At the heart of this consecration is a spirit of conversion of heart that stands against the madness of war that threatens to destroy us. As Our Lady at Fatima warned it is possible that the seeds of destruction can be born within us and that God does not seek our destruction but a spirit of repentance that turns back to Him. In this, we see God who seeks us to encounter his plans for peace and not disaster. To broaden our vision in seeking the goodness of God in all things. We pray that peace may reign in our hearts and in our world for the good of all.

The dangers of a privatised and exclusive faith

 We are now in the first week of Lent and we approach the readings of the Transfiguration. This is the encounter with Jesus that demonstrates that he is the fulfillment of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). This revelation to Peter, James, and John notice the two movements in the spiritual life. The first is the overwhelming sense of the immanence of God which confounds the disciples expressed in their perception of who Jesus is. The second is the overshadowing of God which removes all reference points and plunges them into a cloud of unknowing where they are called to listen to the voice of God. These two movements recognize that we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The difficulty in commencing Lent is that we realize the perceived distance that can seem to exist between God and our neighbor. Two images that I have been pondering during the week have been the response of those who have been affected by the floods in NSW and Queensland and the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. As I have listened to the reports we can experience being overwhelmed by the enormity of the tragedies which are unfolding and plunged into spiritual darkness where we seem unable to respond adequately. Like Peter, we can pray that God is present in guiding us to an appropriate response to what breaks our hearts and clouds our thinking. We can seek to provide a response that makes the best use of our time, our talent, and our treasure.

Yet the danger is that as I read through the paper or listen to the news the current tragedies can fade into the background and we can focus on more immediate needs. This spotlighting of tragedy rather than empowering us can lead us to privatize our faith into the immediate moment. We can seem to bounce from one thing to another rather than being focused on how our faith is called to engage us in a creative response to the needs of our times. This does not mean that we become deaf to those in need but we develop a deeper sense that our faith is not our own private possession. The searching for the common good seeks to move into an engagement that sees God at the heart of all creation. 

This seeking of a corporate response acknowledges that our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is not private pious action but rather a commitment to allow God to guide us in our daily life. Our solidarity and common purpose allow us to know God in the way we witness to the person of Jesus. We seek to reflect and act which develops a prayerfulness that allows God to build good foundations for the whole of society by incarnating the Gospel. This transformation conforms our hearts and minds to God.

The temptation to be powerful, spectacular and rich.

 As we enter into the desert of Lent we are called to examine what feeds and nourishes us. There is always a temptation to be satisfied by illusions that can seem to fill us but do not satisfy us. When faced with circumstances that seem to be out of control we can pray for miracles or for someone who can provide the external help we need to fix an immediate problem. In the midst of the tragedies unfolding in Ukraine and the floods affecting the East Coast of Australia, we can feel overwhelmed and powerless wondering how to respond. Many have sought to provide practical help, financial resources, and emergency aid. There is a natural outpouring of compassion that can be present for those distressing images that confront us. We also wonder what we would do if we were placed in similar circumstances.

I believe this is where how we enter into Lent is important. We need to be people who are prayerfully aware of how we are present to God and to each other. This recognizes how we surrender our whole lives over to God so that we can be fully present to how we can be open to the opportunities each day. This surrender is not about giving up and throwing up our hands in despair. Rather it allows us to become aware of what is within our providence to influence and change. Here the abilities given to us demonstrate how we come closer to God through the gifts entrusted to us for the good of the whole. This allows us to discover who we are called to be and to discover that we can change things for the good of all.

This also looks at how we are emersed in the environment where we are called to live. This is not just isolated into our own parochial setting but rather a recognition of what we do locally has a global effect. We are called to discover that our capacity for action in our daily life has an influence that can transform our community and our world. We discover that our actions for peace, compassion, and hope can counter those who seek to focus the world solely on themselves. We grow together rather than pursue solely our own interests. We are called to reflect on the principles which govern our lives and what direction we wish to follow.

Lastly, our prayerful awareness and consciousness of the environment can direct our efforts to take action. This needs to be considered and thought through as we help others to rebuild and relearn how to become people who imagine a better world. When we are confronted by the immediate man-made and natural disasters which confront us we need to discover wise hearts and discerning minds who can guide us in these efforts. This is most evident when we realize that many of the bushfires, floods, pandemics, and wars can cause people to become isolated and forgotten when they disappear from the news cycle. Our actions need to be built on being people who show the courage to build on solid foundations that show our faith in action. This helps us to experience that our lives are shaped by the person of Jesus who faced the temptation to be powerful, spectacular, and rich but to recognize it is God who can work with us and provide us with more than we can ask for or imagine. Our faith is built on this relationship, not on positions, experiences, or stuff that we may own. Our Lent helps us to rebuild our trust in God, trust in ourselves, and trust in our neighbour who walks alongside us as a pilgrim on the journey.

Seeking what is good from our own storerooms

 The sudden changes that can happen over a week shift our focus dramatically from our own domestic concerns to the international stage. There is an urgency that can shift our attention from what is important in life. This does not neglect the impact of international events on our daily life but they can shift our attention from what is central to who we are called to become.

There is a need to notice how the fruit we produce is based on building up a store of goodness in the choices we make. The daily news cycle can focus on the evil intent of people's hearts and their consequent behavior. We notice too easily the sinful behavior of others rather than on the work that God entrusts to us each day.

What I believe is necessary is a renewed appreciation of how God works with us in our shortcomings and ways that we can build the resilience of the heart. This is not by burying our heads in the sand and ignoring the events around us but rather by seeking a reconciling spirit. The essence of which is to labor for the good of the whole community rather than stoking tensions that can threaten to tear us apart. It calls us to display the virtues of patience, honesty, and courage rather than hostility, anger, and vengeance.

The central question is that we need to decide what will help us to grow in virtue rather than stoking the inner critic which seeks to destroy us and the rest of humanity. We need to focus on the truth with a spirit of compassion and hope. Our prayer seeks to become a way of opening our hearts to others in a way that establishes a world that is not at war with itself. As Pope John Paul II said in Novo Millenio Ineunte 52 at the dawn of the Millenium to build a spirituality of communion rather than a spirit of individual success at the expense of the welfare of all. We seek to discover what unites and restores the dignity of the whole earth not just what claims the pieces that we claim as our own.

Be compassionate!

 At the heart of the Gospel, this weekend is the call to move deeper into the heart of God. This is to allow our vision to be adjusted to be in harmony with God's. Yet too often our living of the Christian life can be formed by comparison. There can be a temptation to divide the "good" from the "bad". Our religion and our spiritual life can become centered on what I need and what I have to give. The centre of the universe is based on myself and the temptation to draw others into an orbit around me. We do good to those who are good to others and there is an expectation that I should be loved on my own terms.

Yet the Gospel reorientates us and reminds us that the centre of gravity lies outside of us. We discover that God has already discovered us as lovable from the first moment of our creation. God notices fundamental goodness about us which needs to be valued and respected. Yet so often we can see this distorted by attitudes that judge, condemn, and do not forgive others for the wrongs or injustices we have experienced. This can be a daily reality when we focus solely on ourselves rather than on the context in which we are called to live. I find it too easy myself to narrow my vision onto what I see rather than adjust my heart to broaden my horizon.

This is not just about blindly rushing into activity but allowing God to direct our hearts for our good and the good of the other. A person's dignity is that they are created in the image and likeness of God. When this becomes foundational in our life we start to hear the Word become part of who we are; "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge and you not be judged yourselves; do not condemn and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give and there will be gifts for you; a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back." Luke 6.36-38

Sinking our roots deep into the earth

 We seek to discover how God is at the heart of our lives. This means that God is not to be considered an abstract concept or a person far removed from our daily lives. This is the reality of the incarnation that God is creatively intertwined with how our lives unfold. We can see this in the reading from Jeremiah where we are encouraged to be people who sink our roots deep into the earth to find life-giving water. In such dry land as Australia, we have known both droughts and flooding rains. Yet we can be called to not be people who are blown around by every gust of wind but discover what truly brings us life.

Being present to each other in the person of Christ who seeks life, not death. In a world that is swayed by rumours of war, which has been ravaged by the effects of pandemics, shortages, and fear we can naturally become insulated and isolated from the needs of others. There can be a sense of self-preservation and even suspicion of others. We see this when people seek to distrust the very society of which they are part. Wild conspiracy ideas flood the internet and find too easy fertile ground in those who have been disadvantaged over the last few years. There can be a feeling that they have been abandoned and they wonder who they can trust.

Yet it is from this poverty, hunger, and sorrow that we turn to God with heart-filled hope. It is too easy to notice how we have placed our success in life on possessions, experiences, and on satisfaction. We are also aware of how much our opinions are swayed by opinion polls of what is acceptable rather than what is just. Each day we are called to sink our roots deep into the ground which provides life-giving water. Neither to be ravaged by our fears or by our anger. We are called to rest into God who helps us to bear good fruit in our current day. 

Who will be my messenger

 Each morning, noon, and evening we have become familiar with the daily news being broadcast at set times. I often awake to the music of the news on the radio which alerts me to pay attention to what is to follow. Yet we too often become familiar with bad news and its implications for our daily lives. I must admit I am a bit of a news junky! It is almost as though I thirst for this daily input and strive to be filled with something that does not quite seem to satisfy. There seems to be an almost continuous pursuit to seek something substantial and life-giving.

We become that as the news washing over us it tells a story of people who seem to be powerless to turn back the sands of time. We are all too aware of the issues of the world which can overwhelm us and can drag us down into the mire. It can create a climate within us in and within our community where we are too fearful to step outside our front door lest we confront the evils that overtake us. In our daily tasks, it seems as though we shrink the world into bite-size pieces which we can handle and can consume. Even when they seem stale and unappetizing. 

In the midst of these daily events we are not called to retreat behind the barricades but discover how we are called to witness to the life that God has prepared us for. The central belief is that even in those times when we feel that we might not be up to the task God can make us messengers of Good News. The constant challenge is to be people who are prayerfully aware that we can reflect on and change the environment in which we live. Our lives do make a difference because they encounter life as a graced meeting with God who transforms the ways we can be present. We seek what proclaims the truth of God's loving attention with a belief that we are not in this journey on our own. We encounter Christ as pilgrims along the way. 

Love guides us all!

 We have become very familiar with the passage from St Paul to the Corinthians in which he talks about the power of love. At the heart of his reflection is the knowledge to be fully known. He goes through the attributes of love being always patient and kind, never jealous, never boastful or conceited, never rude or selfish, which does not take offense or become resentful, doesn't take pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth. There is a reliance on building relationships of trust, hope, and endurance. The essence is to seek the good of the other not just our own good.

We can often become imperfect in this call to love for many reasons but sometimes it is the profound reflection that I am not God! There can be a belief that the world is centered on me and what I need rather than who I am called to become and what I have to give. We can seek to consume not only goods but also experiences that will make us feel good. Yet at the heart of the matter, we have been loved into being by an ever-creative God. It is this discovery that can shift our focus on what is good for ourselves and others.

Our prayer, for now, could reflect the words of Pedro Arrupe's prayer:

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.

(https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/prayers-by-st-ignatius-and-others/fall-in-love/)

Listen, Learn, Lead

 At the heart of our lives, the hope is that God will help us to discover our calling in life. That we are not people who have been randomly selected to be born in our current times. There is a desire inbuilt within each of us to discover what is sacred in life which is the foundation of who we are. To discover a joy that overflows from within us that allows us to grow in wisdom. To be people who discern where our hearts direct our attention and how we are enlightened to live that Good News in our current time.

Especially as we hear of many parts of our community under pressure as a result of the effects of the virus on people's lives we are called to be people who don't just react to our circumstances but seek to discover how to reflect on what can happen differently. Rather than seeking to notice the tensions which can drive us apart into further isolation, there is a need to develop a healthy interdependence that recognizes the dignity of every human life. We are called to be people who are at the service of each other which emphasizes our need to cooperate for the common good. 

The Gospel this weekend proclaims how we are called to restore right relationships with each other which are proclaimed in the practice of the jubilee year. This is not just to center solely on who we are but on God's desire for the whole of creation: to be Good News for the poor, to see clearly, to unbind people who are bound by the concerns of the world, and to free those who are captive to their fears. If the pandemic has taught us anything it is that our lives are interconnected and that we have sought a deeper sense of communion which is not founded on external things but on an inner resilience of purpose. This reshaping of priorities is not based on what we consume but who we are called to become. 

Who is essential?

 Over many months of the pandemic, there has been much emphasis placed on who is an essential worker and the contribution they make to the life of our community. This has once again emerged as we start to experience fresh demands on our health care workers, the difficulty in ensuring that goods are distributed and that people are able to maintain the daily necessities in order to live. It is important that we acknowledge the important work that these people provide for the good of the community. Yet at the heart of life, all people should be considered essential not because of what they do but because of who they are. I believe it is important to recognize the contribution of each person in building a community. 

The importance of these considerations is that people are gifted by God for the good of the whole community. This has been brought into sharp focus during the last week when people start to notice how a person's value is determined by the perceived contribution they make to society rather than their fundamental worth. Thus we see debates focussing on whether a tennis player should enter the country rather than the more serious questions of the length of detention of those refugees who briefly shared the limelight. The question of how rapid antigen tests are distributed and whether they should be freely available to all people. Also, the response is necessary to ensure that society functions well for the good of all especially the most marginalized. 

It is possible that we can become focused on what we lack to live full and productive lives. Much as in the story of the wedding at Cana we can believe that we are running out of time and resources to sustain life. We start to celebrate small victories rather than the person who can transform water into wine! Sometimes it is even possible to believe that our best years are behind us. Yet in the midst of our daily need and the ordinary events of life that we are called to celebrate we become people who are prayerfully aware of a deeper need. It is important that we can recognize that in being attentive to the needs of daily life that we become aware of how God is creatively present. This is not by being distant from our need but by allowing us to be instruments of God's grace by entering into the mystery of those transforming moments. By allowing God to meet us in the ordinary events of life with thanksgiving. 

This is especially important when we can become aware of the tensions which strain our friendship with God and with each other. When we notice what is not working well rather than discovering how we all have a part to play for the good of the whole. Rather than focussing on scarcity, we are called to notice God's abundant grace which meets us in real-time. This may be the moment in our own history when God calls us to see our prayer drawing us closer together in the time of our greatest need. In this, we discover who is essential and how we are called to live for the good of all not just for ourselves.

Is baptism just a passport for heaven?

 It is good to dust off our passports from time if only to remember the times when we could travel. Often when we request a passport it allows us to recognize our identity of being a citizen of a particular country. In the front of the Australian passport, it has the following words, "The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, being the representative in Australia of Her Majesty Queen of Elizabeth the Second, requests all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer, an Australian Citizen, to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford him or her every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need." This allows us to notice the person who governs our life, our need to travel freely and to be provided with the assistance that we need. 

Yet sometimes we can rely more on the rights that the passport provides rather than responsibilities it engages us with. The passport while an important document does not fully express who we are called to be when we travel. Similarly, baptism is not something that happens to us in the distant past but rather an entry into a living relationship with the person of Jesus Christ in the midst of His community the Church. This is not just an insurance policy that guarantees our entrance into heaven but rather an invitation to live in communion with God. It is a visible reminder of an inner life that can transform us and our world.

So how do we live out our baptism in daily life? I believe each person is called into a living relationship with Jesus Christ for their own good and the good of the whole community. This means that we are not only gifted with Holy Spirit to deepen that relationship but each of us is gifted to build up a community of faith that witnesses that relationship in our world. We are not just called to be Christian in name only but rather people who proclaim His life through our own. As a Church community, what do we need from each other to make us effective witnesses? Where do I find myself coming most alive with the joy of being prayerfully aware of His life in my own? How will I find unity between who I am called to be and how I live my life?

I believe this is the challenge of our time. Sacraments are not things that just get done but rather a doorway into a deeper and more personal expression of how we are called to be present to God with our lives. As we enter into this New Year may we discover where God is prompting us to abide prayerfully with others and with ourselves? Allowing the Good News to form us in being present to a world in great need of discovering the truth of what it means to be a citizen of heaven.