Tuesday Offering from Fr Marcus 23rd March 2021
Good Day My Friends,
We conclude our series on seeking Inner Peace as we walk with our Lord through Passiontide and into Holy Week.
I hope that you have had a chance to reflect on where you are on your spiritual journey, and taken some comfort in the scriptures that have led us along our path.
Today we unpack our response to the consequences of other people’s actions, and reflect on our thoughts about reconciliation.
Do you recall the Camino story of the pilgrim carrying the ungrateful woman across the muddy stream. His companion said hours later ‘I can’t believe the attitude of that woman!’ to which the pilgrim said ‘We can’t control the actions of others, only our own. I put that woman down hours ago, why are you still carrying her?
It is a wonderful, simple and powerful story and helps us to realise that we are not responsible for the actions of others who hurt us.
Of course there are degrees of hurt, and our response to them will vary. But I believe the Christian way involves letting go and not holding on to things that get in the way of building relationships.
The most powerful part of the story interestingly is the phrase which says that although we can’t control other folk’s actions, we can control our own. That is where it can get tough.
It is hard because so many things conspire to lead our thinking and responses to others astray.
How easy it is to want revenge, or to become defensive. How quickly we are to judge, or to criticise. How rapidly we get to the feeling that if we do nothing ‘They’ have got away with it!
In fact, isn’t it hard to stick with our Christian principles of not judging, turning the other cheek, forgiving and putting others first.
We hear all of those, and know them, and say, ‘Yeah, but!…..
As always, our faith comes to the rescue in the teaching that we don’t have to do this all by ourselves – we are given the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and guide us and give us whatever we need to do the will of God – and it is accepting the will of God that makes all the difference.
‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’
Romans 12 1-2
This is such good stuff, and it leads us to ask some far reaching questions.
Do I believe it is God’s will that Peace and Reconciliation reign?
Am I at a stage where I can fully embrace that concept by allowing the Holy Spirit to align my will with the will of God?
If I am not ready, what do I need to let go of in order for the Holy Spirit to work within me?
Do I need to do anything to bring about reconciliation in my life?
Is the need for reconciliation hindering my quest for Inner Peace?
Do I have the humility to accept the grace of God?
In the wonderful book be Elizabeth Gilbert Eat, Pray Love, our heroine (if that is the correct word) goes through an early midlife crisis, and takes a year off to ‘Find herself and discover what is truly important. After spending 4 glorious months in Italy making the most of the beautiful cuisine, and gaining 23 happy pounds in weight, she goes to India for 4 months to learn about devotion. Guided by a native guru, and a surprisingly wise cowboy from Texas, she discovers the art of prayer, and how to focus her mind on the spiritual, and let go of distractions.
For me the most helpful part of the story is when she finds it really difficult to set into a pattern of stillness and meditation. Her mind and body are constantly bombarded with annoying thoughts, mental challenges, feelings of discomfort and mosquitoes! She just can’t settle, and is constantly being challenged by her own feelings. I am not at ease…not comfortable…hungry…tired…angry…bitter…annoyed etc etc.
Her teacher, and separately the cowboy (whose name escapes me for the moment) encourage her to commit to just being in the moment, and being still.
It takes her ages, she gives up so often, gets very frustrated, thinks it is all nonsense until one day she changes her approach, and rather than think about how she is responding to everything that is going within her and around her, she just lets go of all of her emotions and allows herself to be still.
She finds her bliss, she discovers devotion because she allows it to fill her rather than tries too hard to make it happen. She didn’t even notice the mosquito bites.
It is such a powerful story. It puts things into perspective when we realise this process takes her weeks rather than hours.
Sometimes we give up on prayer after minutes let alone hours, days or weeks!
(I have to say that the film does not do justice to this part of the story! In my humble opinion)
So, my Friends,
We have work to do to bring about reconciliation, which in turn will lead us to an Inner Peace which passes all understanding. It is to do with the true worship that Paul speaks about in the quote above, and the renewing of our minds which lead to transformation.
It is worth reading that quote from Romans out loud, and accepting that all things are possible with God, and knowing that Bliss and Inner Peace awaits those whose will is to do the Lord’s will.
Transformation by delight.
Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,
Fr Marcus