AMEND YOUR BEHAVIOUR AND I WILL STAY WITH YOU

PRAYER MOMENT           An invitation to take a few minutes to ponder the excerpt below from the readings of today and listen to what the Spirit of Jesus is saying to me.                

Saturday 26 July 2014,  

AMEND YOUR BEHAVIOUR AND I WILL STAY WITH YOU

Pause. Be still in the presence of God.

Reading: “Amend you behaviour and your actions and I will stay with you in this place. Put no trust in delusive words like these: This is the sanctuary of the Lord.” (Jeremiah 7:1-11)

Reflection. Juda was a small corner of the earth in those far off days, two and a half millennia ago. But it serves to this day as an example of what can go wrong. Jeremiah had the dangerous task of telling them they were double dealers. They were trusting in their status as Jews with the temple, the covenant and the promises but this had no effect on their behaviour. They exploited the vulnerable, murdered and committed adultery and then went to the temple and said, “this is the sanctuary of the Lord. We are OK here.” We see the hollowness in their lives. The challenge is to see how much relevance this has for ours. Being comfortable in my prayer and going to church or whatever I do is no guarantee that I am living the covenant relationship with Jesus who gave his life in unspeakable circumstances. To live that relationship was dangerous for Jeremiah, dangerous for Jesus and in one way or another the sign of our authenticity is that it is dangerous for us.   

Prayer. Lord, teach us to live the relationship you draw us to. Help us to see the ways in which you call us to live with honesty and courage. Amen..

David Harold-Barry SJ