It is true and beneficial to keep in mind that none of us “has arrived,” no one is perfect, no one is always doing God’s will. We are all wayfarers, being moved into the Kingdom of God by divine grace and by our free response. That “Kingdom” is God’s Presence here and now. To forget that each of us is incomplete, imperfect, a wayfarer, strongly encourages us to become overly demanding of others, and usually to expect more than they can give or do. The challenge is to keep the high standard of God’s will, of His law, and of right reason, and yet understand our human weaknesses and limitations. “What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.”
The Apostle Paul had high hopes for his disciples and fellow Christians, and yet clearly understood the constant need for divine grace, divine empowerment, to live Christ faithfully. During these two weeks in October, we hear at Mass brief selections from the fourth chapter of Paul’s profound Letter to the Philippians. It is one of the books of the Bible that I would heartily recommend for each and all of us to study and to learn, to think about, to take to heart, to apply to one’s life. Rather than set down abstract norms, the Apostle provides practical spiritual advice for us, as we journey home into God.
Today we hear the Apostle Paul’s answer to human anxiety, to worrying. “Have no anxiety about anything, but by prayer with thanksgiving” surrender to God, and then “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Clear words, solid advise, difficult to do only if we resist, preferring to worry rather than to pray. Note that the kind of prayer that overcomes anxiety—and is not just another form of worry—is offered with thanksgiving, and with the loving surrender of oneself to the all-good God. It is very easy to know if our prayer is genuine: Do we experience God’s peace, our union with Christ, rather than remain trapped in our own troubled mind? Whereas anxiety or worry are forms of self-concern, self-centered life, interior peace comes only to a person open to, responsive to, the divine Presence. As the divine flows in, our troubled minds are stilled, a truth pictured in Christ calming the waves of the lake. The lake of our souls becomes still, tranquil, reflecting sun and moon—God’s glory, rather than ourselves.
St. Paul offers us another spiritual gem on the second Sunday of October: “I can do all things in Him [Christ] who strengthens me.” One simple sentence, but utterly rich if taken to heart. In my early youth I read a book by a Protestant preacher named Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking. The one point I remember is the effective use he made from this simple verse from Philippians. These words are to be learned, and often repeated in one’s mind to still the wayward heart, to bring one greater peace, allowing God’s free and powerful presence to flow in: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Living well is a constant burden. Each human being needs interior strengthening. Our faith-union with Christ Jesus will offer us this strength if and only if we accept it. Such acceptance begins with hearing that God’s grace is available, and letting God’s peaceful presence in, trustingly.
The Apostle Paul had high hopes for his disciples and fellow Christians, and yet clearly understood the constant need for divine grace, divine empowerment, to live Christ faithfully. During these two weeks in October, we hear at Mass brief selections from the fourth chapter of Paul’s profound Letter to the Philippians. It is one of the books of the Bible that I would heartily recommend for each and all of us to study and to learn, to think about, to take to heart, to apply to one’s life. Rather than set down abstract norms, the Apostle provides practical spiritual advice for us, as we journey home into God.
Today we hear the Apostle Paul’s answer to human anxiety, to worrying. “Have no anxiety about anything, but by prayer with thanksgiving” surrender to God, and then “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Clear words, solid advise, difficult to do only if we resist, preferring to worry rather than to pray. Note that the kind of prayer that overcomes anxiety—and is not just another form of worry—is offered with thanksgiving, and with the loving surrender of oneself to the all-good God. It is very easy to know if our prayer is genuine: Do we experience God’s peace, our union with Christ, rather than remain trapped in our own troubled mind? Whereas anxiety or worry are forms of self-concern, self-centered life, interior peace comes only to a person open to, responsive to, the divine Presence. As the divine flows in, our troubled minds are stilled, a truth pictured in Christ calming the waves of the lake. The lake of our souls becomes still, tranquil, reflecting sun and moon—God’s glory, rather than ourselves.
St. Paul offers us another spiritual gem on the second Sunday of October: “I can do all things in Him [Christ] who strengthens me.” One simple sentence, but utterly rich if taken to heart. In my early youth I read a book by a Protestant preacher named Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking. The one point I remember is the effective use he made from this simple verse from Philippians. These words are to be learned, and often repeated in one’s mind to still the wayward heart, to bring one greater peace, allowing God’s free and powerful presence to flow in: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Living well is a constant burden. Each human being needs interior strengthening. Our faith-union with Christ Jesus will offer us this strength if and only if we accept it. Such acceptance begins with hearing that God’s grace is available, and letting God’s peaceful presence in, trustingly.
