Faith in Other Cultures

    "A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, 'We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?'” Acts 23:9

Being a missionary has always been difficult. Reading about the travels and missionary journeys of St Paul demonstrates this in spades. Paul had to leave the comfort and security of a culture, family and religious system that he knew intimately and enter a totally different world asking God to show him the path to integration and transformation. Being confronted directed by Jesus on the road helped, but Paul's conversion would have many iterations and be ongoing for his entire life. 

The best missionaries, like Paul, must be deep listeners, people who sense the goodness of the people to whom they have been sent and slowly discover that God is already present in every culture and people. Women and men missionaries live in gratitude and awe because of the God they encounter in the people to whom they have been sent.

Today, pray for those who face a daily martyrdom in their own homes.

Have you experienced faith in another cultural context? What was it like?

The Protection of Jesus

 "I protected them in your name." Jn 17:11b

When Jesus prays for us in St John's gospel, he assures us that he will protect us but it is natural to ask: from what? Will he free us from all harm, anxiety and darkness? Surely, not. Then what does he mean that he will protect us.

In the scripture, the image of Shepherd says it well. Shepherds in the ancient world lay down at night at the opening of the sheepfold to keep out predators. If the sheep, however, kept escaping from the sheep pen, there was little the shepherd could do. After all, he had many sheep to watch over. That is why Jesus' insistence that he will seek us out when we are lost is so powerful. Not only will he watch over us, he will search for us even when we don't know we are lost. That is what it means to protect us. That we can still resist is not the point. That Jesus wants to be near us is.

Clearly, our task, if we want to have Jesus as a model is to protect others, sometimes from themselves, more often from foolishness. How we do this, especially with family and friends, will be the measure of our Gospel commitment. We cannot take care of others, but we can always care for them by letting them know we are near and ready to help when asked.

Today, ask for the gift of discernment that your care for others might be seen as loving, not manipulative.

Who has helped you most to be yourself and live the Gospel?

Knowing God

 "If I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar." Jn 8:55

There is a concept in law called willful blindness which suggests that we can be found guilty for refusing to see wrongdoing or for ignoring matters that are obvious to any reasonable person. In other words, if there is knowledge that you could have or should have but chose not to have, you are still responsible.

Jesus suggests that the Pharisees are being willfully blind in choosing not to recognize who he is or what he is doing for and with people. More, he warns them that they do this at their own peril.

The same is true for us. When we refuse to open our minds or hearts to the overwhelming desire of God to draw close to us, we deny who God is. Jesus is the new and eternal covenant, the one who "cuts" a deal with us, the one who promises never to abandon us, to always forgive us and to search us out when we re lost. His life, suffering, death and resurrection say all this and more. We can only be grateful.

Today, tell the truth. God is near.

Why do we sometimes deny the unconditional love of God?

Listening to the Holy Spirit

   “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Acts 19:2

Most of us were "catechized" early in life. We learned about the Gospel and its interpretation through a Catholic Christian lens.  We were introduced to the Creed, something not available to Paul or the earliest disciples of Jesus, and we grew in understanding, and occasionally in wisdom. Mostly, as children we grew in loyalty to the Catholic tradition and its beauty, but as we age it is important to be re-catechized,  re-evangelized, to learn about and be transformed by the Good News as adults.

Acts of the Apostles reminds us that many of the earliest disciples of St Paul, drawn to the mystery of Jesus, needed to learn more about the faith, especially the role of the Holy Spirit, and so do we. Instruction in our faith, utilizing simple and clear methods and language, is fine for children, but as we grow in faith, we need to take more time for prayer and reflection so that we can hear the Holy Spirit and be transformed more deeply into what Pope Francis calls "missionary disciples".  Practically, this means we need to listen quietly to the promptings of the Spirit, test them in conversation with others, and hand ourselves over the Spirit as guide and strength for the journey.

Today, take extra time for quiet, read a few verses of the Scripture, and listen.

Who taught you about the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit in order to grow in faith?