Potential

My grade 6 teacher had a great impact on my life because he saw potential in me and he did everything he could to encourage me to live up to it.  He did the same for every one of the students in our class, and we have always loved him for that.

Jesus also had a gift for seeing the potential in people, and for encouraging them to live up to that potential.  In the gospel account we have heard today, a man ran up to him, knelt before him and asked him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life (Mk 10:17).  Jesus immediately welcomed his enthusiasm and saw great potential in him.  He encouraged him by recalling the Commandments, the lessons that the young man – and all Jews – had learned from their early childhood (cf Mk 10:19) and the young man was eager to point out: I have kept all these from my youth (Mk 10:20).  Like the good teacher that he was, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and then challenged him further: you lack one thing; go, sell what you have and give the money to the poor (Mk 10:21).  We are told that the man was saddened by this advice, and that he walked away, but we do not know whether he ever came back, or whether that question continued to challenge him long after that encounter.

This is the way it goes whenever we encounter Jesus, whenever we express a desire to follow him: he welcomes our enthusiasm, he encourages us and then he challenges us to grow.

On many occasions, Jesus used this approach with his disciples too.  After the enthusiastic young man had left them, Jesus turned to his disciples and challenged them with his observation: How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! (Mk 10:23).  Up to this point, the disciples had understood that Jesus was preparing them for a new kingdom, but their concept of this kingdom was defined in terms of human understandings.  Then, as if in answer to their questioning glances, he used a very intriguing comparison.  He said: It is easier for a camel to go though the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mk 10:25).  This was Jesus’ way of saying to them and to us that entering into the kingdom of God is a free gift that is offered by God, for whom all things are possible (Mk 10:27).

Even today, Jesus offers us the gift of understanding, which is spoken of in the Book of Wisdom (cf Wis 7:7).  Understanding is one of the gifts that is given at Confirmation: an ability to comprehend the world around us not in terms of earthly logic but by the light of heavenly guidance.  It is this spiritual gift that allows us to recognize the face of Jesus in the poor, the sick, the orphan, the widow, the elderly, the weak, the refugee, in anyone who is in need of help ... and it is this gift of understanding that allows us to look beyond the limits of external power, prestige and beauty to discover the true potential that lies within every person.

This week, let us pray for the gift of divine understanding, and let us ask for the grace of being able to perceive the potential in those we meet, so that when our turn comes to render an account for the way we have lived our lives, we can honestly say that we sought out the face of Jesus in those we encountered.

His Word Today: Blessedness

Good morning everyone,

Have you ever noticed that some attitudes - such as joy and happiness - are often infectious?  We might say that they carry a germ with which we all want to be infected.  The same can be said for blessedness: the knowledge that we have received favour in the sight of God.

While Jesus was speaking - one day - a woman from the crowd called out and said to him: 'Blessed is the womb that carried you ...' (Lk 11:27).  This sounds like a great complement that was meant to be paid to Jesus' mother, intended for her alone to ponder, but Jesus widens the scope of this praise by replying: ... blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it (Lk 11:28).

I used to think that this was some form of denial of his mother in favour of others who were listening to his word, but the truth is that Mary was probably right there in the crowd.  She was the first to hear the word of God and she taught everyone else - by her example - how to observe it.  She can help us today to learn how to listen for God's word, and most especially, how to enrich our lives with the advice that it offers.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Endurance

Good morning everyone,

Have you ever accepted a challenge, plunged into it enthusiastically and then discovered that even after having had some practice, it is increasingly difficult to remain committed to the original challenge?  This could be the case for someone who is trying to lose weight, or someone who has been given a particularly challenging assignment, or even for an aspiring athlete.

Endurance is the key to such a challenge, but Jesus warns us today that when an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it roams through arid regions seeking rest ... but ultimately returns (cf Lk 11:24).  Even if it finds the house swept clean (ie habits that have been changed), it will continue to tempt us.

For those who struggle every day with addictions, for those who face difficult situations in life, for those who live with so many challenges that they find it difficult to find life, joy and light in their lives, we need to pray today.  These are the ones who struggle to stay on the right path, but with our help, they can make it: one step at a time.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Seek

Good morning everyone,

If we are truly fortunate, there is at least one person who we can call on - at any time of day or night - should we be in need of help.  This is the kind of relationship that Jesus says we can have with his Father.

Speaking about the relationship they could (and we all can) cultivate with our heavenly Father, Jesus told the disciples: Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you (Lk 11:9).  This kind of trust may not be easy for us to imagine, especially if we are not accustomed to a life of prayer, but it is possible for every one of us to establish this level of trust.  It all begins when we are able to call out to God.

Perhaps today, we may find a moment or two to whisper a few words - even if they are tentatively uttered: God, if you're there, help me to believe.  Then get ready; the answers may come flooding in and they will be wonderful.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Prayer

Good morning everyone,

Even while a child is in its mother's womb, it begins to hear its mother's voice, and the voices of others who are in frequent contact.  As the child is born, it continues to learn language - with remarkable speed - until that child begins to experiment with words him- or herself.

Learning languages seems to come naturally for most young children, so why should we think that it should be any different for us as we learn to know God?  Jesus gave us words that can be used when we pray - when we try to speak with God - and this language can also be learned and understood by human beings. 

Father, hallowed be your name (Lk 11:2) - translation: Father, may your name be held holy.
Your kingdom come - translation: may the kingdom of heaven become a reality in our lives.
Give us each day our daily bread (Lk 11:3) - translation: Give us everything that we need for this day.
And forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and lead us not into temptation (Lk 11:4) - translation: here's where the rubber hits the road, since we are asking God to forgive us to the extent that we ourselves forgive others who have wronged us ... and we ask Him not to put us in situations where we can be tempted, but by extension, we also agree not to put ourselves in such situations.

These are simple words, but they hold great challenge for us, if they are properly understood.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Distractions

Good morning everyone,

I think that at one time or another, we have all set resolutions for ourselves and then failed to live up to them ... and at one time or another, we have all made excuses for our shortcomings, but worse yet, at one time or another, we have all cried out in accusation of someone else's shortcomings while choosing to turn a blind eye to our own.

Martha was doing what every woman of her time would have done: she was busying herself about the task of serving her guest.  It would have been one thing if she had come to Jesus and asked his forgiveness for being delayed, but rather, she attempted to pronounce judgement upon her sister for not running to her help (cf Lk 10:40).  How often have we cried out in similar words, calling judgement on someone who we thought should be helping us, rather than asking that person directly to lend a hand?

In the end, the point of this story is that when we are in the presence of Jesus, we should choose the better part and sit at his feet rather than busying ourselves with all kinds of other activities.  Let us pray today for the grace not to become distracted from the most important part of our day, but rather to remain focused on Jesus, listening for his wisdom and guidance.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Be thankful

Good morning everyone,

Today, Canadians are celebrating Thanksgiving.  We gather with family and friends to give thanks to God for the abundance of the harvest and for many other blessings we have received.  At times such as these, we are also mindful of many others who are nowhere near as fortunate as we are.

For most of us, it is not difficult to recognize how fortunate we are, but it might be a bit more of a stretch for some to extend our gratitude into service of others.  Perhaps it is fitting that Saint Luke's gospel proposes the encounter between Jesus and a scholar of the law who sought to test him (cf Lk 10:25-37).  He recognized that he was indeed fortunate to have learned the law very well, and even to have applied it to some extent, but when Jesus challenged him, it was evident that he still had some room for growth and maturity of his understanding.

Have we dared to ask Jesus: Who is my neighbour? (Lk 10:29) and if we have, have we ever been surprised by the answer?  Jesus is always ready and willing to stretch us, just a little at a time, in order to open our eyes, our hearts and our spirits so that we can learn to see and to appreciate the many blessings we have received, and to share the bounty of what we have received with others who are in need.

Have a great day.