FIRE ON THE EARTH

PRAYER MOMENT

Thursday 24 October 2013

FIRE ON THE EARTH

Pause.  Enter the quietness within you.

Reading. “I have come to bring fire to the earth and how I wish it were blazing already… Do you suppose I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12: 49-53)

Reflection. When Aloysius Gonzaga said he wanted to become a Jesuit his father was furious and threatened to assault him. And it has often been like that when someone responds to their conscience but it is not well received by those closest to them. Jesus promised peace to those who welcomed the gospel but it was the peace that came after struggle with the call of that same gospel. It is not the facile peace of avoiding issues and thinking only of my own concerns and comfort. Jesus calls us to be engaged in the issues of our time and to do it like a raging fire that burns up all the petty compromises we live each day. He caused a stir where ever he went and Pope Francis told the youth on the beaches of Rio to do the same.    

Prayer. Lord, there is something within me that resists getting involved. I am afraid of getting hurt. Teach me to kindle fires where I can so that they may spread and consume the earth with you message of peace and love. Amen.

HAPPY THAT SERVANT

PRAYER MOMENT

Wednesday 23 October 2013

HAPPY THAT SERVANT

Pause.  Be still in the presence of God.

Reading. “Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment.” (Luke 12: 39-48)

Reflection. The last pages of the gospels often mention “staying awake.” It is a call to attentiveness which touches on the great gift of being human, being alive. Take, for instance, the exchanges on the internet on the “Zimbabwe Situation.” You often read vitriolic sentiments hurled back and forth and you wonder what are these people hoping to achieve by insulting one another. It is often said that we should hate the sin but love the sinner. Well then, are we not called to be attentive to the ideas and actions of others and be angry about them while at the same time realising that the person thinking these thoughts or doing these actions may be doing the best he or she can in their circumstances. They are not bad people. They are just wrong! Remember the words of Jesus, “Simon, I have something to say to you” (Luke 7). Jesus loved Simon the Pharisee but he did not like his attitude.  

Prayer. Lord, I want to be attentive each moment of the day; to people, to events, to what goes on in my heart. I need your help to put a good interpretation on what I experience rather than jumping to negative conclusions. Amen.

ONE MAN

PRAYER MOMENT

Tuesday 22 October 2013

ONE MAN

Pause.  Collect your thoughts and be still in the presence of God.

Reading. “As one man’s fall brought condemnation to everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified.” (Rom 5:12-21

Reflection. There is a line in Jesus Christ Superstar where the singer says, “he’s just a man!” And, true, the one playing the part of Jesus is just like everyone else in the cast. Yet the whole drama of Superstar is charged with the question, “who are you, Jesus?” Paul, in Romans, develops the theme of one man, Adam, bringing sin and death to humanity and one man, Jesus, who brings life and salvation. Paul is convinced, conquered, by the certainty that this “second man” has the power to overcome sin and death and his weapon is “obedience.” He begins and ends his letter to the Romans calling them also to obedience, the “obedience of faith”, which unites them to this one man so that his victory becomes their victory. Obedience is nothing more than a commitment to truth, so that in every moment I am utterly true no matter what the consequences, even if it be death – as it was for Jesus.  

Prayer. Lord, we rejoice in the way you overcame the great enemies of sin and death which were destroying us. Now they have no more sting, no more power. Help us so to live that we are always true to others and ourselves in all the big things as well as the small. Amen.

ABRAHAM DREW STRENGTH FROM FAITH

PRAYER MOMENT

Monday 21 October 2013

ABRAHAM DREW STRENGTH FROM FAITH

Pause.  Be still in thepresence of God.

Reading. “Abraham refused either to deny it or even to doubt it, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God.” (Rom 4:20-25)

Reflection. John Henry Newman, a leading shepherd and thinker of the Church in the nineteenth century, called for people to understand their faith. It is not enough to build your faith on “the bible says.” It has to be more “faith says the bible says.” Any Tom or Jane can say what the bible says. But it takes someone who ponders the words of scripture in faith to understand what it means. Paul was our great teacher in this and he drew on the example of Abraham who put his faith in God when he “set out without knowing where he was going” and later offered up his only son to God on the mountain. We cannot find “answers” in the bible or build for ourselves a secure and comfortable home for ourselves there. (My battery is running out so let me stop here ….)

Prayer. Lord, teach us the faith of Abraham ….. Amen

YOU HAVE PREVENTED OTHERS

PRAYER MOMENT (to be resumed on Tuesday 22 Oct)

Thursday 17 October 2013

YOU HAVE PREVENTED OTHERS

Pause.  Be still and enter into your inner self.

Reading. “Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves and prevented others from going in who wanted to.” (Luke 11: 47-54)

Reflection. We are responsible for our families and communities but we are also responsible for many other people whom we meet on the way. Ultimately we are responsible for everyone on the planet since we all depend on each other and are linked to each other and sink or swim together. As the poet said, “we live at others’ expense.” This is a bit frightening if we reflect that we may be “preventing” others from living their lives to the full because of our own inattentiveness or inaction. We know that many suffer because those who could do something about it don’t.   

Prayer. Lord, teach us to be attentive and open doors for others so that they may come to the banquet you have prepared for all of us. Amen

YOU OVERLOOK JUSTICE

PRAYER MOMENT

Wednesday 16 October 2013

YOU OVERLOOK JUSTICE

Pause.  Enter into your inner self in stillness.

Reading. “Oh, you Pharisees! You pay your tithe of mint … and overlook justice and the love of God.” (Luke 11: 42-46)

Reflection. Anger is a visceral movement like tearing up the ground when you plough a field. It penetrates our security, our “comfort zone,” and leaves us disoriented. Think of a time when someone was angry with you! Not a pleasant memory. It is really an attack and can leave you wounded for a moment. What do you do? Fight back? Defend yourself? Search for arguments to prove your attacker wrong? Or do you listen and look at the source of this outburst of anger – and learn something new? Something that changes you for the better? Jesus got angry with the lawyers and Pharisees but it does not seem to have made any difference for most of them. Perhaps Simon the Pharisee, Nicodemus and Gamaliel were among the few who did learn.   

Prayer. Lord, I hate it when people show anger towards me or raise their voice and confront me. But help me to handle this anger well, to discern where the anger comes from and whether it bodes well or ill. Amen

YOU CLEAN THE OUTSIDE

PRAYER MOMENT

Tuesday 15 October 2013

YOU CLEAN THE OUTSIDE

Pause.  Take time to be still in the presence of God

Reading. “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are full of extortion and wickedness” (Luke 11: 37-41)

Reflection. Jesus storms at the Pharisees because they want to appear virtuous in public and so win respect among the people. But their way of living, and how they deal with people, is another story. So they bring religion into disrepute. They make a mockery of the real intention of the ancient laws of Israel. Jesus is angry because their attitude blocks the way for the ordinary people who love God’s law and want to really learn the compassion of his Father. We may not deserve such a strong rebuke, we tell ourselves. Yet the challenge remains; how to nourish our inner self so that it flows into our outer self – the one people meet – and shows a clear witness that the reign of God has come.

Prayer. Lord, teach me to live so that there is a harmony between what I believe and what I say and do.  Amen