Minding our Business

 "Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”

Jesus is direct and sharp with Peter when the apostle asks Jesus about John's fate. Simply put, Jesus tells Peter to mind his own business and it shocks us. Too often we want to know details about other's lives not because we are concerned for them, but because we are nosy. Jesus will have none of it and his reminder to Peter continues to ring true today.

The Lord tells Peter not to worry about John's fate, but to follow him. That is all that is important and all that matters. Our task is to follow Jesus without being concerned about the behavior of others. This is not to say we will never wonder about the integrity of others lives, but Jesus is clear when he tells Peter to pay attention to his own life and to care for others as God cares for them. To do otherwise distracts us from our primary work. We must proclaim the Good News in season and out despite the failure of others to respond.

Today, mind your own business and be grateful for your faith.

Which of your faults most distract you from living the Gospel?

Loving Unconditionally

  “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

Who wouldn't be distressed if a friend and colleague questioned you over and over again about your loyalty and love? It is unnerving and upsetting, to say the least, when someone you trust seems to doubt your integrity. That Peter is troubled is not the point, however. Jesus is asking Peter not simply to be his friend, but to love him unconditionally just as Jesus loves Peter, which is another matter altogether.

When you read it plainly and openly, the Gospel is very demanding. Jesus challenges us to love one another, even our enemies, in the same way God loves him and us. It is a daunting task, but one we can complete with God's grace. While the Gospel is impossible when we think we must live it alone, it becomes a joy when we enter it with God and all the saints who have ever proclaimed God's name.

Today, ask for the grace to love God unconditionally.

Have you known the unconditional love of God in difficult circumstances?

Finding 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?

Reconcile Now

 "They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again." Acts 20:38

The days of the Corona Virus Pandemic, which seems reluctant to leave us, keep all of us aware that life is short, sometimes harsh and that most people die alone. This a frightening and confusing picture. In the United States we have tried to create a world in which people, even when they are hospitalized, are surrounded by family and friends as they prepare to die. This is not, however, what happens to most people in the world, and it is not the picture Acts of the Apostles paints for us as Paul leaves Rome and heads back to Jerusalem.

Paul has alerted his disciples that he will most probably never see them again and he wants his followers to be at peace even though he knows they will face terrible trials for the sake of the Gospel. Can we do the same? Can we say to friends and family that we trust God completely to help us through our struggles, and that even if we don't see them again, we know that our love for one another was authentic, real and lasting? If this is not how we have lived, then we need to begin to live this way today and trust God to do the rest.

Go beyond your feelings today and embrace someone with prayer and love who you have avoided.

What can you do today to trust God to lead you toward authentic reconciliation and hope?