Fr John’s Reflection – Who do you say I am?

/in /by

Who do you say I am? This is probably the most important question that Jesus asks his disciples. The responses they give look to compare him to someone else that they have heard about or are familiar with. They have heard the stories about the prophets from the past; some may have witnessed the teaching of John the Baptist. It is only Peter who does not make this type of comparison but seeks to encounter Jesus in his divine nature. He is not just any person, but he is the fulfilment of what the prophets taught.

So, on our own day how do we respond to the question Jesus asks of us. This is more than just familiarity but seeks us to encounter the person of Jesus as he is. This encounter calls us to listen to his teaching about what it is to discover the realm of God. We are called to discover how the Spirit of God unbinds us from what prevents us from seeing Jesus more clearly that we may be bound more intimately in the divine embrace of the Trinity.

When we look at how we encounter Jesus we can be left with different points of who it is that we meet. The word office is often used by a person who leads, and how this is applied to Peter not just as an apostle but as one who has been given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. When we reflect on this passage we are called to reflect on how he exercises his ministry. This is where we can see how Pope Leo as a successor of Peter, a symbolic role in the life of the Church has more than just a titular role, but he is called to sanctify, teach and govern people. This threefold ministry is important in how we encounter Jesus in the life of the Church. We are called to be people who develop an intimate prayerful relationship with God. We learn to reflect on how that relationship guides our thinking and how we are known by God. Also, good governance should make the mission of Jesus more easily proclaimed in our own time.

St Paul notes this in his letter to the Romans, he seeks to plumb the depths of God and discover a wisdom that draws us deeper into that relationship. This is more than receiving desired outcomes where we can figure out what God wants. What St Paul stresses is that God will provide what is needed rather than us telling God what needs to happen. While we look at part of the puzzle God is all in all. We can start to see God’s hand at work in all things without making any one thing into God.

I remember reading a book by Paul Davis called “The Mind of God” where he sought to understand how we might encounter God. He made the bold statement that mathematics was the language with which God wrote the universe. This is not just about theoretical theories but an application of these theories to real life. As such we know that in any science it can open doors for us but there is also a certain artistry to life that can be captured moment by moment.

This is where we are called to notice the language that guides us to know Jesus as he is not just as we would have him be. Our way of encountering him unfolds his presence at the heart of our lives. This is not just learning to follow him out of what others say but a willingness to open ourselves to who he is for us and our community. The question that will shape our lives returns to the beginning when Jesus asks us who do you say I am. This will shape our whole life and the life of our community.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Do our prayers fall on deaf ears?

/in /by

How often do we believe our prayers go unanswered or overlooked? We make heartfelt requests, but they seem to fall on silent ears. This is the situation presented by the Canaanite woman who makes an earnest prayer that her daughter may be released from the oppression of the devil. Yet Jesus seems not to hear her. The disciples even wanting to avoid a scene ask Jesus to provide what she is asking because she is making so much of a fuss.

When Jesus does give a response, he seems to focus solely on the people of Israel who are lost. Her plea only becomes more urgent when she falls at his feet and says help me. The response about throwing scraps at the house dog seems to be dismissive of her concerns. Yet still she pleads that even this small amount will help her.

What Jesus acknowledges is the faithful persistence of the Canaanite woman to seek out the good for her daughter. This can give hope to us too in bringing our lives before God. The emphasis here is that our prayer does not fall on deaf ears but seeks to provide healing and strength to those in greatest need. This is where our prayer changes us to be open to God’s mercy and love. Faithfulness in prayer can bring forth miracles of grace and healing for others.

So how do we become people of prayer? This is central to the concern of Isaiah when he says that we need to become a people of integrity who care for justice. Much of this concern is shared in the latest social justice statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops that centres on social cohesion and the things that can drive us apart from each other. It notes that we need to be aware of the profound impact on individuals, families and communities. It reminds that behind the statistics are parents skipping meals, delaying medical care, housing insecurity and increasing anxiety for the future. The burden is often taken up by those who are most vulnerable, those on fixed incomes, people living with disabilities, first nations people, refugees, and workers on low paid or insecure employment. Central to the covenant that Isaiah speaks about is the need to recognise how we are formed in the image and likeness of God. We observe the sabbath and keep the covenant so that we can form a house of prayer for all people. This is not to isolate us from each other but a living concern for those who meet us in daily life.

The principles of the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, the universal destination of goods and the preferential option for the poor offer a moral framework for responding to the crisis. These principles call governments, businesses, communities and individuals to ensure that no one is left behind and that economic decisions serve people, not profit alone. Our Catholic agencies provide practical everyday assistance by providing emergency relief, housing assistance, financial advice and advocacy.

Practical actions are encouraged, including noticing those who may be struggling, offering practical help, volunteering, donating, engaging in advocacy for fair wages and affordable housing, and working collaboratively at local and national levels. Above all, the bishops invite us to become “prophets of hope” — people who respond to hardship with compassion, courage and faith.

As St Paul speaks to the Romans we seek to discover the reconciliation of the world from the dead. We are called to be people who are awake and aware of what the resurrection means. The resurrection of Jesus calls people from death into life. It is possible to become people who focus on the mercy of God. This is where our prayer changes us to be open to God’s mercy and love. We become engaged with the living heart of our faith. Faithfulness in prayer can bring forth miracles of grace and healing for others. Just as the Canaanite woman brought her concerns before God for the good of another, so can we through our own intercession provide for the needs of another. To be people who engage our minds, hands and hearts in seeking what is good for another, not just ourselves.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

 

Fr John’s Reflection – Sailing into headwinds

/in /by

We can often be caught up in the drama of many modern movies that have lots of action and intrigue. The story often unfolds that we become aware of the people we should care about and what they are trying to escape from. These introductions are important as they provide the groundwork for what follows. Without these introductions we would not feel any connection with the people who are pivotal to the story.

The sound of the gentle breeze convinces Elijah to step out of the cave. The handheld out by Jesus convinces Peter to hang on for dear life. The two stories parallel each other. Elijah had retreated into the mountains because he believed that his life may be in danger following the events on Mt Carmel. Peter believes that he may sink under the waves under the ferocity of the storm. Yet both discover that it is not in the storm, earthquake or wind that the power of God is evident but rather in the calm that follows these events. This is a question that engages us to have the courage to allow God to meet us in the storms of life. Often in our darkest night the light of Christ will shine!

So how do we place ourselves in the story. St Ignatius in his spiritual exercises introduces the form of prayer known as Imaginative Contemplation. This form of prayer follows a similar pattern to Lectio Divina that seeks to explore more deeply how we see the scripture touching our daily lives. This allows scripture to be more than just words written on a page but a Living Word that captures our mind, body and soul. The first step is to set the scene into which we are immersed. In the case of Elijah this is in a cold dank cave in the mountains for Peter it is in a fishing boat tossed about on the Lake of Galilee. Then we imagine what the characters look like and listen to the words they say. Our focus is allowing them to leap off the page and draw us into the unfolding drama. We are not just called to be passive observers but to notice what parts of the story most touch us today and how we become involved in the action.

The questions that seem to occur to me are what moves us deeper into prayer? Where do our lives become enmeshed in the story line. Do we pay attention to the spectacular effects of the storm or are we drawn to a quiet place. In our own lives we can be touched by events that seem to be out of control but then to whom do we turn?

We can be like St Paul speaking to the Romans where he says that even though he is in union with the Holy Spirit that is sorrow is so great and his mental anguish so endless that he is drawn to making difficult decisions. He is willing to be cut off from Christ if it would help others discover him. I don’t know if I would be able to say the same thing. Is our desire for the good of another willing to entrust everything to God.

So, there we are often caught up in the boat with Peter battling to make headway. They encounter Jesus in what they first think is an apparition or a ghost. They are terrified. Yet amid their fear Jesus reaffirms that they are to have courage and not be afraid. Then Peter says if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water. Jesus simply says come. When Peter keeps his eyes on Jesus, he can walk on water! Yet when he feels the force of the wind he starts to sink. Even then when Peter says save me Jesus stretches out his hand immediately. The wind drops and all is calm again.

Will we allow Jesus to meet us in our daily struggles and the times when we seem to be up against strong headwinds and violent storms?

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Given more than enough

/in /by

Would we set out to do our shopping without money in our pockets or at least our cards. There are almost daily reports of a cost-of-living crisis where people seek to make ends meet. The demands on the household budget where people seek to meet their immediate needs while also living a fulfilled life. This is where the readings for this weekend look at how meeting these pressures can leave us in a lonely place seeking to find a deeper purpose for our lives.

What do we seek when we come to Mass? The Gospel for this weekend points to coming to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. In our daily lives we can be crowded with people and events. Jesus gathers us so that we can be healed, forgiven and nourished. Spending time to be present to God and to each other can sustain us for the following week. Mass is the source and summit of our lives. We often come with what appears to not enough to feed us, we come with “five loaves and two fish”. This is the title of a book by Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen van Thuan who spent 13 years in prison, 9 of those in solitary confinement. It was in that lonely place that we celebrated Mass on his own and was found to convert the guards who were placed to keep an eye on him. Do we allow Jesus to meet us even in the empty space within us that only God can fill?

This is where the prophet Isaiah can help us to seek God even when we seem to be running on empty. He is asking to look to what can nourish our hunger and satisfy our thirst. He says, “listen, listen to me and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy.” What he says to us today are very simple but profound moments that help us to satisfy our deepest need.

He says pay attention. This is more than just pricking our ears up, but it is a way of being present to what motivates us in life. We need to leave aside some things that are undone so that we can attend to God. This means that we need to reorientate our lives and come to God even amid lives that can be occupied with many things. We need to find space in our lives where we can be alone with God. This may be in Church, in our homes or out on a daily walk praying the rosary. We need this time where we can listen to God meeting us in our daily lives. This is what will enliven our souls and enrich our days.

This encouragement comes from St Paul’s letter to the Romans, where he says, “Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ” Nothing can come between us even though the worries and practical circumstances of our lives seem to close in around us. He adds, by emphasis that there is no power or situation that come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, as we come to the Eucharist today sometimes, we can be focused on what has brought us here or what we need to do next. Yet here in this place Jesus meets us and sustains us. When the gifts of bread and wine are brought to the altar maybe add your own silent prayer. Jesus has brought us together to feed and nourish us. What seems so little feeds many in super abundance. The Eucharistic miracle that we are present to each Sunday is not just to feed ourselves but to feed our world. This may seem incredible, but God calls us together to receive the gift of our lives, to bless us, to break open our hearts and to share what we receive for the good of the world. Where does God entrust us with this simple mission of praising his name forever?

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – In our own age where do we go seeking to find life?

/in /by

We celebrated the Feast of St James on 25th July. This is the person who was the first apostle to be martyred for the faith. He was taken by legend by two of his disciples and buried in a field in Northern Spain. In 823 a peaceful hermit, known as Pelayo, lived in his house in the Forest of Libredón. In the evenings, mysterious lights, coming from the forest, began to capture his attention. Surprised at the strange radiances, Pelayo decided to share his restlessness with Teodomiro, the Bishop of Iria Flavia, at that time. Both men came to the place where the flashes came from and discovered the Marmárea Ark, which was buried. So, the lights were interpreted as divine signs.

Inside it, rested three bodies. They were quickly attributed to Santiago the Apostle and the two disciples, Anastasio and Teodoro who guarded his remains until their death. The bishop immediately informed the King in those years, Alfonso II, of the surprising discovery. It was this discovery that initiated this place of St James Tomb as a pilgrimage place that is now known as Santiago de Compostella, or literally St James in the field of stars.

So why do millions of pilgrims journey to Santiago in our days. This has become popular since Pope Pius XI and later Pope Pius XII saw it as an important place of pilgrimage for our modern age as it sought to reunite Europe after the ravages of war. Many movements that were birthed at that time took up the challenge to provide leadership to the Christian World including Cursillo, Opus Dei and the Neo Catechumenal way. But it recognised how the Christian faith was born at a time where destructive conflict had been ever present in people’s lives. There was a call to find a new way that sought to look deeply within their own hearts for a rule of life that could sustain them in a world that sought to rebuild hope. This includes such movements as Taizé, Focolare and Young Christian Workers among many others.

There was a desire to find life that allowed people to build on solid foundations.

In the gospel today we hear the same movement arising in people’s hearts: the seeker, the finding, the joy and the seeking to invest everything in this treasure. In our own age this goes against the smorgasbord approach to life that seeks to find a little bit of goodness in everything.

We are called to develop a discerning spirit as we have heard over the last week that seeks to find good seed in our lives. It is where we are called to listen to the voice of God in scripture, in our sacramental celebrations and in our daily lives. Father Brendan Byrne SJ notes that in The First Reading, 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12, “comes in here in the sense that what Solomon prayed for – and received – was a discerning heart, a heart that, amid all the wealth and opportunity with which he was surrounded, could tell what was of true and lasting value.”

As Father Brendan Byrne SJ comments: “The two brief parables encapsulate the essence of Christian spirituality. Christian life requires a measure of detachment. It requires freedom from being completely absorbed and immersed in the attractions, pleasures and concerns of this world – not because these are bad in themselves but because we have been ‘captured’ by a sense of God’s love and God’s future for us that relativises all these things and puts them in their place. We do not yet possess the treasure but the prospect of it, unseen but grasped in faith, is already a working transformation.”

So, in our own age where do we go seeking to find life? What will sustain us on journey of faith? Who do we discover that will help us discover the kingdom of God that is ever ancient and ever new?

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

 

Fr John’s Reflection – We stand against violence

/in /by

Over the last week it has been possible to witness the things that can divide us. It has also drawn much commentary which seeks to understand what is happening and the potential fallout for the rest of the world. During the week I have been revisiting my reflection on Jacques Philippe’s book on the Beatitudes, The Eight Doors. In it, he talks about when choosing a response between force and love we should always choose love. This is not because we are doormats but because we seek to recognise the dignity of each person and it is only by loving what we consider unlovable that we can restore and reconcile the other. As we know hate breeds hate and violence breeds violence. As Odette Churchill noted after her incarceration at Ravensbrook it is easy to see how the parasite of evil can transfer between hosts to infect the whole world. While we are called to stand against violence and hatred, we should not become violence and hatred.

The three parables for this weekend start with the words the Kingdom of God is like. This continues to draw on the image of the Sower that we heard from last week but also shows the reality of how an enemy will sow darnel in the field. This is often the contradiction that we see in our world today where people are quick to sow the words of hatred, suspicion, and division. Words that seek peace, hope and charity are often lost in the crowd. This is where we need to have a discerning heart because the voice of Jesus and the voice of the enemy can seem similar but are distinct.

The word of Jesus will show itself in the fruits it produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control whereas the fruits of the evil one lead hatred, despair, conflict, impatience, cruelty, malice, betrayal, lack of self-restraint and harshness. When we become aware of these conflicting voices in our lives there is a tendency to try and root them out. Yet it is through faithful listening that God is present and helps us to recognise the different voices. We are called to follow the voice of Jesus who will bring us to life and live it to the full.

As St Paul says to the Romans the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. Our prayer is not about finding the right words but a heartfelt desire to encounter the mind and heart of God. We see this in the Gospel that even the smallest act of kindness can provide shelter and comfort to others and can provide the leaven that produce a way of being present for the good of others.

How then can we live Christian lives in times of uncertainty and fear? It is easy to see how we can be caught up in a polemic which only increases tensions and divides people one against another. It can be seen too easily in racism, nationalism or sexism. The ability to take sides seems to be somehow too easy. Rather than seek to build bridges it is easier to build walls. These shuts people out not just in manmade structures but also in the barbed wire we wind around our hearts which stop others from coming too close.

So, when we look at the readings for this weekend there is a sense of a search that distinguishes power and authority. Wisdom helps us to witness how God’s Holy Spirit guides us to make good choices not just for ourselves but for the common good. A virtuous person seeks to discover an equanimity that seeks to grow in a healthy and lifegiving relationship with another person. What we see is not an attitude of retribution that seeks to judge or harshness on the other person. Rather it seeks to face the truth with faith, hope and love. In this way we do not allow one evil to breed new evils.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – The Word does not return empty without achieving its purpose

/in /by

God seems to be a carefree gardener; some might even verge on saying he is careless where the seed is thrown or even wasteful. This is not how we are taught to approach projects in our own gardens or in farming some land. The focus is on producing something that is useful or beautiful. We start to plant with the hope that we give the best opportunity for something to benefit others and ourselves.

Jesus uses parables that help us to notice where God speaks to us in our daily lives. The parable of the Sower of the seed is no different. The Word of God is called to take root in our lives. Lectio Divina helps us to notice how the Word needs to take root in our lives. This way of prayer allows for a gentle repetition where we are called to first notice what calls us to raise questions about where that Word touches our lives. When we repeat it for the second time, we can start to notice how the Word touches our hearts and helps us to listen with our hearts. When we repeat for the third time, we start to notice what nourishes us and feels like real food, by taking the Word into our daily lives we can start to have something that can sustain us through the day. By gentle repetition we become aware of what allows to provide good soil in which the Word can take root.

Yet in Isaiah we hear that the word from my mouth does not return to me empty without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do. This can change our perspective from looking solely at ourselves towards what the Word of God seeks to achieve. If it falls on the path birds are fed, if it lands in little soil it can hold tenaciously before final wilting for lack of nutrients, if it falls in the brambles it seeks to compete for the attention it deserves and if it lands in good soil, it can flourish and grow.

This echoes of the words of St Paul to the Romans. “It was not any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still remains the hope of being freed, like us from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.” There is a tension in listening to the Word that it seeks to bring about what it is sent to achieve.

So, in the heart of the teaching that the disciples are contained in the following phrases.

  • You will listen and listen again, but not understand
  • See and see again but not perceive
  • For the heart of this nation has grown course,
  • Their ears are dull of hearing
  • And they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes
  • Hear with their ears
  • Understood with their hearts
  • And be converted and healed by me

This is where we seek to allow the Word of God to be heard and lived in our lives. We need to notice where the Word of God can flow off us like Teflon. The Word can be carried away by another stray thought of something that seems more urgent. There are times when the Word gives us temporary consolation but then drifts away like the mist. Then there can be many things that can keep us busy during the day that rob us of our freedom. Yet the practice of Lectio Divina can stay with us throughout the day. When we notice those moments that rob us of peace we can gently focus back on the Word or phrase that we have received for the day. And at the end of the day give thanks for the fruits it has produced in our lives. The Word of God does not return empty without achieving its purpose.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Sharing our stories

/in /by

A little child is always open to the other person they encounter, especially their parents who have loved them into life. For the Parents, their lives are filled with joy and hope with their little child. We witness this in the dedication that are placed on the child who can for the first few years become the focus of the parents’ life. Children often teach their parents how to be good parents. This can be assisted by the teaching of others, but it is the day-to-day contact with each other that bonds them together. We pray that the yoke is easy and the burden is light!

As we celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday, we can learn how to be a still presence in this land. In his address to First Nations People in Alice Springs in 1986, Saint Pope John Paul II said “The silence of the bush taught you a quietness of soul that put you in touch with another world, the world of God’s spirit. Your careful attention to the details of kinship spoke of your reverence for birth, life and human generation. You knew that children needed to be loved, to be full of joy. They need a time to grow in laughter and to play, secure in the knowledge that they belong to their people”. We become part of the story as we see our lives interwoven with their own.

Pope John Paul went on to say, “The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others. Christian people seek to be people of hope and joy. Remember always the simple joy of the little child, remember Jesus Christ bears the same yoke guiding us to opening our hearts rejoicing in the gift of the ancient cultures and traditions that have shaped our land and country for more than 60,000 years. Our country will become a nation of hope and light in the world that is in desperate need of peace. This is a peace that is not just an absence of conflict but an abiding presence of God that dwells deep within.

Echoing the words of Zechariah in Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo says in section 222, “The people of the world desire peace, and to their leaders I appeal with all my heart: Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate! War is never inevitable, Weapons can and must be silenced, for they do not resolve problems but only increase them. Those who make history are the peacemakers, not those who sow seeds of suffering.” In St Matthew’s Gospel, we notice this call for peace and humility is taken up by Jesus in revealing the truths of resolving conflict are often found in the youngest members of our community. To learn to trust another is to know them by knowing ourselves. This way of knowing is deeply intuitive and helps us to be at one with each other.

This is where we need to learn peace rather than live at a pace that is often driven by the circumstances of life. To discover a humility that reaches out with a gentleness that does not overburden us but gives us rest. By learning to nurture our spiritual self we discover how we can be of service to our sisters and brothers. To be able to sit down and share our stories.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – Be Holy

/in /by

How we recognise holiness in another is developed through recognising holiness in ourselves. This helps us to notice what draws us closer to God in our daily lives. It calls us to become people who can listen to what brings us life and joy. This is explored in the Ignatian Examen where we can notice that God speaks to us in a language we can understand. The first act of the examen is to give thanks to God for this day. This allows us to then review where we have been given our full attention to the matters at hand and the places where we have become distracted from our core activity. By allowing ourselves these pauses through the day we can start to notice what brings us life and what brings life to others. This attentive listening to God in our daily lives then lets us notice the next step that we need to take. What will help others and myself grow closer to God. This is where we discover what it is to be holy by being prayerful and present to the possibilities to meet God.

In scripture we notice how people witness the goodness in others that draws out the goodness in themselves. When Elisha breaks his journey for a meal when a woman of rank pressed him to stay with them. Her first instinct went beyond just sharing the table but providing a place for him to rest. This was not a once off invitation. This in return draws a response from Elisha when he sees her need for a son even though her husband is old. She can draw the goodness within Elisha to respond to her heartfelt need.

The Gospel of Matthew draws on this similar reciprocal nature of holiness. When he says anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me. This again recognises the goodness in us that can notice the goodness in others. Thus, a person who welcomes a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, the person who welcomes a holy man will receive a holy man’s reward, and even the simple task of giving a cup of water to a disciple will not lose their reward.

This stands in contrast to the open lines of the Gospel that talk about where our preferences are directed. This is not to say our families are not important as they nurtured and supported us into life. Yet one of the hardest things I hear parents say is letting their children follow their own way of life even at times when it breaks their hearts. What Jesus says is that we need to prepare them to make hard choices in living their faith and finding God amid a world that wants to silence them.

St Paul notes this in his letter to the Romans where he sees baptism as a dying to self so that we can rise to a new life in Christ. This new life looks to liberate us from the forces that deaden us inside. We start to discover what brings us true life that we are no longer focussed on our sins.

This is where we return to the beginning of discovering that we are called to become holy by discovering how God is at the centre of our lives. By being centred not just in our prayer, but in the environment, we live and the mission entrusted to us we reveal God to others. These simple steps help us to know that holiness is not just entrusted to a few select people, but it is at the heart of Jesus’ mission to say that the kingdom of God is close to you. It is in your hearts, and on your lips that you may proclaim that truth with your life.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)

Fr John’s Reflection – How do we see with 20/20 vision?

/in /by

We are on the alert for dangers that may present themselves in our daily lives. Every day there is something new that we are called to focus our attention upon. Amid the things that can distract us from being authentic to our own calling, how do we live amid a world of contradictions? This can become a pressing issue when we feel exposed to the temptations that confront us each day: to be powerful; to be spectacular and to be relevant. They can be like those that faced Jeremiah when his friends watch out for any mistake he may make. Jeremiah has the desire to meet God who probes the depths of his life. This is not just about having the right answers but the willingness to ask the right questions. Jeremiah wants to know how a God of justice will deliver the souls of the needy from evil men.

The theme of being a light on the hill seeks to uncover not our wrongdoing but the reality of God’s glory. The desire of God is not for us to be lost in darkness but to be drawn into the light of the day. Jesus encourages his disciples not just to focus on the material realities of life that if taken from us can feel like death. He looks at a more fundamental loss of losing our sight of God who walks with us in those losses. So often when evil befalls us, we can start to doubt our own worth and yet Jesus proclaims that we are worth more than thousands of sparrows. He allows us to invite God close and to declare God’s presence even in our darkest night.

So how do we acknowledge our need of God even in this darkest night. Paul grapples with the reality of the sin of Adam and how there was something deeper than just breaking the law but the breaking of a relationship with God. We can recognise the reality of the sin can cause a people to separate themselves from a God who seeks them out. This is why it is important to confess mortal sins not to draw attention to the sinful act but to address the injury caused by the act. This can be like a mortal blow that threatens death to the soul.

This is not easy to confess because in many ways the evil spirit seeks to play a three-card trick: to tempt us into wrongdoing, then to keep it secret and then pretend that he is more powerful than God in keeping us hostage to the effects of the sin. This is acknowledged in the rules of St. Ignatius in the first week of the spiritual exercises where he recognised the goodness of God and the reality of the effects of sin. St Ignatius helps to understand the internal movements of consolation and desolation that seek us to encounter God rather than leaving us isolated from the grace that we need to overcome sin. This is not to remove us from the world but so that in the world we seek to be people who can heal the wounds of sin and division.

Thus, we seek to draw confidence that allows us to adjust our vision to see God more clearly. The focus here is not on our sins but on the person of Jesus who seeks to meet us. It is this encounter that transforms us that brings life into focus so that we can see with 20/20 vision.

Fr. John Armstrong

“The intellectual quest is exquisite, like pearls and coral. But it is not the same as the spiritual quest. The spiritual quest is on another level altogether. Spiritual wine has a subtler taste. The intellect and the senses investigate cause and effect. The spiritual seeker surrenders to wonder.” (Rumi Wisdom; trans. Timothy Freke)