Rest a while

God summons us to a radical way of living.

We are called to be more than just moral: God invites us to be virtuous.

We become virtuous by habitually choosing to do good.

Naturally, we are not perfect, however God calls us to reflect on how we live and to understand what has gone right and wrong for us. Such reflection can lead us to insight that will help us to live better – be virtuous – in the future.

Therefore, by reflecting on our experiences in the light of our faith, we grow in wisdom.

The author of today’s first reading, Sirach, affirms that God knows every human action; St Paul reminds us that God has many riches for those who love him; and Jesus, in Matthew’s Gospel says that he has come not to abolish but to fulfil the Law and the Prophets.

What we see clearly in the readings today is that there are repercussions, and consequences – good or bad – for all our actions.

Our challenge is to avoid the opportunities that do harm and to choose what directs us to God.

Sirach, the Psalmist, Paul and Jesus embraced this way of life; they are examples of how it is possible for us to become virtuous and wise. If we take to heart their messages from the readings this Sunday, we too, like them, will be true beacons of virtue – people of faith, hope and love.

If you have ever been to a circus or a carnival of one sort or another, you may well have walked passed what is known as a “distorting mirror”.

They are a popular attraction.

Instead of a normal plane mirror that reflects a perfect mirror image, distorting mirrors are curved mirrors, often using convex and concave sections to achieve the distorted effect. The result is you look much taller or shorter, much fatter or slimmer!

It is not you, however, there is enough of you to capture your attention, for you to pause, and, if there is none nearby, for you to pull a funny face and make the image of yourself more distorted still.

This image of the “distorting mirror” came to mind as I read this Sunday’s Gospel.

Just two Sunday’s ago we read from St. Matthew’s Gospel what are known as the Beatitudes, (Mtt. 5: 1 – 11). Often referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount”. The Sermon on the Mount is the very blueprint for the Christian lifestyle, and most scholars see it as the best summary of Jesus’ teaching.

If you have a New Testament that is in the form of columns, sitting in the column next to these wonderful blessings is today’s Gospel passage, and it is like you have walked past a “distorting mirror”.

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven…. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted…… The Beatitudes; we have heard them over and over.

Many organisations have what is known as a Mission Statement.

Persons of note (usually the ‘big wigs’) have some “retreat days” and together fashion out, what becomes known as the organisations or company’s ‘mission statement’.

A company uses a mission statement to explain, in simple and concise terms, its purpose(s) for being.

The statement is generally short, either a single sentence or a short paragraph.

The statement explains a company’s culture, values, and ethics. Mission statements are to motivate employees and reassure investors.

The sermon on the mount is the heart of the Gospel, and the Beatitudes are the heart of the sermon on the mount.

Here is to be seen the focused image of the Christian life.

Here is the Mission Statement as proclaimed by Jesus himself.

When I was a child, and at school, I, and those in class with me had to learn by heart the Ten Commandments. I could tell you what was commanded and forbidden by each of the ten commandments and what else was commanded and forbidden by each of them – even though I didn’t understand what many of the words meant.

I have no memory at all of having to learn the  Beatitudes.

I cannot remember being instructed to recite them by heart.

I never learned what was commanded, forbidden or even recommended by any of them.

I now suppose this is because it was so much easier to handle codified laws than deeper matters of the spirit.

It also had powerful ramifications for the theology I lived out of for many years of my life. The fact that this what was taught in the early formative years of my life I realise now had a profound effect on my approach to God!

One man went up a mountain and called out “thou shalt not . . . ., and I/we have been ‘shalt notting’ ever since.

Another man went up a mountain and shouted, “blessed” and we have, for centuries, been deaf to his calling!

[A little test for you: recite the ten commandments and see how many you get right; then do the same for the Beatitudes!]

In a way, the first Beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, contains all the rest.

One of Meister Eckhart’s most famous sermons is on this Beatitude.

He said that poverty of spirit is even more fundamental than love.

Strange saying for a Christian!

But what he meant was that without poverty of spirit, you cannot love as Christ loved.

The ego knows about love, but only self-love and love of one’s own circle (extended self-love).

It knows nothing of the spirit of Christ.

Pivotal moments in our lives affect everything else that follows: educational and career choices, deciding whether to marry and who, or contemplating a move to another city or country.

Some people run head-long into a decision with little thought or consideration. Others take a more thought-out and measured approach.

Whatever the approach, we cannot avoid the consequences of such decisions because even if we do not choose, that is a choice. That too will affect us.

Perhaps the most important decision each of us faces is how we respond to our God’s call. We are all challenged to decide how important God will be in our lives. How we respond affects everything else that we think and do.

God entered directly into the world through Jesus, and Jesus in turn enters directly into our lives.

Also, if we choose to allow Jesus into our lives, that will influence those we live with and minister with and to.

There is a prayer ascribed to St Teresa of Avila, the 16th Century Carmelite. The prayer reads:

“Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassion on this world
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world
Yours are the hands
Yours are the feet
Yours are the eyes
You are His body
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Today, Jesus presents us with the same challenge: “Come, follow me.”

The disciples’ response changed them and the world around them.

That will happen to us too if we respond as they did, without hesitation or reservation. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near.” Our time of decision is at hand.

In my own life, I found something quite intriguing and reassuring, namely, the path I walk down as been walked before me!