OK gang. Here it is, this week's installment in the series of reflections. During a week that has seen some pretty dramatic happenings in Egypt, the scriptures call us to reflect on the justice of having rules by which to abide. When all is said and done, rules are good things, if they are applied justly and if they are obeyed out of knowledge and trust that they are established out of love and concern. Choose the auditory version or just keep reading:
Choose good ... choose virtue
The children of our parish are learning some very valuable lessons this weekend. So are the adults, if we have ears to hear the words that are spoken, and wisdom to apply them to our lives. Sirach, the sage, Paul the apostle and Jesus, the teacher all recognized that their listeners must make choices in this life, and they all encourage us even today to make these choices wisely. The secret to making wise choices is learning how to filter out the temptation to decide based on what will bring us immediate but fleeting pleasure and to replace it with choices based on sound judgment. This is a lesson that we often learn over and over throughout our lives, but it begins with the first choices we make, even in the earliest years of our lives.
Many if not most of us were blessed with wise parents who mentored us, who showed us how to make choices for good, not just once in a while, but habitually, because good choices breed good habits, and good habits allow us to make wise decisions. Thankfully, all of us who have come here today can look to our Father for guidance, and the guidance God shares with us was first written down in the form of the Ten Commandments. These words of wisdom were not just chiseled into stone so that they would look good; they were shared so that we could use them as guideposts for our lives, but sometimes I worry that we human beings are far too cunning for our own good: we know only too well how to rationalize what we do and when we do it, how to apply the rules when they suit us, and to ignore them when they don't. Sometimes, when rules and laws are unjust, it is right that they should be challenged, but when laws that are set out for our own good are ignored, they often lead to consequences. Oh, and we are really good at ignoring consequences sometimes too.
Luckily for us, God loves us so much that he waits for us to catch up with his wisdom, to learn the lessons he has been trying to teach us all along. Even if it takes our entire earthly lives, He still waits for us, always hoping that we will one day discover Him, and welcome the gift of his love, his forgiveness, his guidance, his virtue ... and make it our own. When we do, the goodness to which Jesus calls his disciples becomes routine. Righteous living becomes an 'of course' rather than a dream or an ideal, and the true dimensions of this awesome relationship begin to be known. Like a human relationship of love, words used in our relationship with God can no longer be employed flippantly, but must be chosen to reflect respect for Him, even honor for the One who is loved.
If we truly love God, and recognize his love for us, others in our world will notice the difference because where there is a vibrant relationship between us and God, there is also boundless capacity for relationships with other human beings. Virtuous choices in our faith allow us to develop compassion for the plight of others who encounter struggles in this life, and enable us to 'suffer with' those who are still searching. The news stories that have been filtering out of Egypt in these past weeks have been taking place at some distance from us, but who of us here has not had at least the smallest amount of compassion for the plight of those who have had to suffer in silence for so long. Even as they have spoken out over these past weeks, the search goes on for the eloquence of compassion for all those caught in the struggle, for these are not just unknown individuals who live half a world away. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The ageless wisdom spoken of in the second reading today calls us also to recognize that God's love challenges each one of us to believe that we ourselves have dignity, for a man or woman who does not believe in him- or herself has no self worth, but the wisdom of God shows us that we are infinitely loved. When we become convinced of this, we begin to appreciate true beauty, not as something to be sought after like a possession, but rather as something to be appreciated as a gift from God.
Children of all ages learn lessons from our Divine parent, to make wise choices in life, choices that will bring us life. Having learned these lessons, and applied them to our lives, we discover an ever-deepening relationship of love and respect between us and our God, and we are drawn ever more profoundly into the virtue of true love for God, for neighbour and for ourselves.
Choose good ... choose virtue
The children of our parish are learning some very valuable lessons this weekend. So are the adults, if we have ears to hear the words that are spoken, and wisdom to apply them to our lives. Sirach, the sage, Paul the apostle and Jesus, the teacher all recognized that their listeners must make choices in this life, and they all encourage us even today to make these choices wisely. The secret to making wise choices is learning how to filter out the temptation to decide based on what will bring us immediate but fleeting pleasure and to replace it with choices based on sound judgment. This is a lesson that we often learn over and over throughout our lives, but it begins with the first choices we make, even in the earliest years of our lives.
Many if not most of us were blessed with wise parents who mentored us, who showed us how to make choices for good, not just once in a while, but habitually, because good choices breed good habits, and good habits allow us to make wise decisions. Thankfully, all of us who have come here today can look to our Father for guidance, and the guidance God shares with us was first written down in the form of the Ten Commandments. These words of wisdom were not just chiseled into stone so that they would look good; they were shared so that we could use them as guideposts for our lives, but sometimes I worry that we human beings are far too cunning for our own good: we know only too well how to rationalize what we do and when we do it, how to apply the rules when they suit us, and to ignore them when they don't. Sometimes, when rules and laws are unjust, it is right that they should be challenged, but when laws that are set out for our own good are ignored, they often lead to consequences. Oh, and we are really good at ignoring consequences sometimes too.If we truly love God, and recognize his love for us, others in our world will notice the difference because where there is a vibrant relationship between us and God, there is also boundless capacity for relationships with other human beings. Virtuous choices in our faith allow us to develop compassion for the plight of others who encounter struggles in this life, and enable us to 'suffer with' those who are still searching. The news stories that have been filtering out of Egypt in these past weeks have been taking place at some distance from us, but who of us here has not had at least the smallest amount of compassion for the plight of those who have had to suffer in silence for so long. Even as they have spoken out over these past weeks, the search goes on for the eloquence of compassion for all those caught in the struggle, for these are not just unknown individuals who live half a world away. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The ageless wisdom spoken of in the second reading today calls us also to recognize that God's love challenges each one of us to believe that we ourselves have dignity, for a man or woman who does not believe in him- or herself has no self worth, but the wisdom of God shows us that we are infinitely loved. When we become convinced of this, we begin to appreciate true beauty, not as something to be sought after like a possession, but rather as something to be appreciated as a gift from God.
Children of all ages learn lessons from our Divine parent, to make wise choices in life, choices that will bring us life. Having learned these lessons, and applied them to our lives, we discover an ever-deepening relationship of love and respect between us and our God, and we are drawn ever more profoundly into the virtue of true love for God, for neighbour and for ourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment