Recently a Christian pastor in Singapore was charged with the misuse of church funds to the tune of S$50 million and was sentenced to eight years in jail. Then there is someone I know who is in active ministry, well respected in her Christian community, who emotionally abuses her parents whom she lives with.
These are two examples of godly people, good people who have transformed lives and brought comfort and joy to others. So what is it about these two great people that blinds them to their less than Christian ways?
It makes me wonder, am I as blind as they are, are my values as warped or elastic as theirs seem to be? It scares me when Christian leaders hide dishonesty, meanness and other less attractive traits under the appearance of Christian virtue.
How do I ensure I keep walking on the right path and that my preferential treatment is for the poor, the weak, the sick, the disadvantaged, the young and the old, all the people who require a little more care and consideration? How do I avert the sin of pride or fat cat complacency?
As past Sunday's Gospel from Luke, chapter 21, warns:
Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap
Saint Luke goes on to counsel:
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.
Being vigilant implies a certain sacrifice and some measure of discomfort. It requires our ability to seek and find the light of truth in our lives, especially about our weaknesses, our own personal disposition to concupiscence. We will never be able to see all our own blind spots, but if we walk with God in humility, then He will reveal to us what we need to do to correct ourselves and continue to walk in the way of perfection. Frequent examen* is key.
Coming back to sacrifice, I know that I should never get too comfortable in how I live my life, especially in terms of material comfort. I should not get too attached to things, ideas, even people. As Luke reminds us, even anxiety which demonstrates a preoccupation with our own perceived problems is to be avoided. So the practice of temperance is necessary, abstinence, even, is good for the soul, lest I suffer from a drowsy heart.
If I am serious about serving, being in ministry, then vigilance is even more vital. I must be beyond reproach. This means being faithful in small things, all the time, to the best of my ability.
As Blessed John of Vercelli who was Master General of the Dominicans (1264-1283) wrote to his priests:
Watch the little things. He who grows careless in little things, little by little, falls. He who does not push himself to make progress, goes backwards.
Apart from the examen (and constant prayer, of course), ongoing faith formation helps keeps us on our toes. Not for the sake of acquiring knowledge so that I can parade my intellectual prowess, but to internalize the knowledge gained and to live it out concretely in my life. Because my memory is atrocious and sadly selective, I need to keep learning the lessons I have learned before, and to refine my behaviour, again and again.
Reminders like the season of Advent also assist us in our Christian walk. As we await the birth of our saviour, we need to prepare our hearts in order to allow the Christ child to be birthed in a hospitable corner of our hearts. If not, as Monsignor Vaz preached yesterday, Christmas will just be another holiday we celebrate, year in, year out, with no appreciable difference. Let us manifest our love for baby Jesus by loving others around us, especially those who drive us crazy, by being patient, forgiving and kind. In this way our waiting will be fruitful and we will have many gifts to adore our King with come Christmas Day.
* The consciousness examen should be done at least twice in the day to recognize where and whether we met Jesus successfully or unsuccessfully. To find God in all things is very much Ignatian spirituality and a good habit to cultivate.
These are two examples of godly people, good people who have transformed lives and brought comfort and joy to others. So what is it about these two great people that blinds them to their less than Christian ways?
It makes me wonder, am I as blind as they are, are my values as warped or elastic as theirs seem to be? It scares me when Christian leaders hide dishonesty, meanness and other less attractive traits under the appearance of Christian virtue.
How do I ensure I keep walking on the right path and that my preferential treatment is for the poor, the weak, the sick, the disadvantaged, the young and the old, all the people who require a little more care and consideration? How do I avert the sin of pride or fat cat complacency?
As past Sunday's Gospel from Luke, chapter 21, warns:
Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap
Saint Luke goes on to counsel:
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.
Being vigilant implies a certain sacrifice and some measure of discomfort. It requires our ability to seek and find the light of truth in our lives, especially about our weaknesses, our own personal disposition to concupiscence. We will never be able to see all our own blind spots, but if we walk with God in humility, then He will reveal to us what we need to do to correct ourselves and continue to walk in the way of perfection. Frequent examen* is key.
Coming back to sacrifice, I know that I should never get too comfortable in how I live my life, especially in terms of material comfort. I should not get too attached to things, ideas, even people. As Luke reminds us, even anxiety which demonstrates a preoccupation with our own perceived problems is to be avoided. So the practice of temperance is necessary, abstinence, even, is good for the soul, lest I suffer from a drowsy heart.
If I am serious about serving, being in ministry, then vigilance is even more vital. I must be beyond reproach. This means being faithful in small things, all the time, to the best of my ability.
As Blessed John of Vercelli who was Master General of the Dominicans (1264-1283) wrote to his priests:
Watch the little things. He who grows careless in little things, little by little, falls. He who does not push himself to make progress, goes backwards.
Apart from the examen (and constant prayer, of course), ongoing faith formation helps keeps us on our toes. Not for the sake of acquiring knowledge so that I can parade my intellectual prowess, but to internalize the knowledge gained and to live it out concretely in my life. Because my memory is atrocious and sadly selective, I need to keep learning the lessons I have learned before, and to refine my behaviour, again and again.
Reminders like the season of Advent also assist us in our Christian walk. As we await the birth of our saviour, we need to prepare our hearts in order to allow the Christ child to be birthed in a hospitable corner of our hearts. If not, as Monsignor Vaz preached yesterday, Christmas will just be another holiday we celebrate, year in, year out, with no appreciable difference. Let us manifest our love for baby Jesus by loving others around us, especially those who drive us crazy, by being patient, forgiving and kind. In this way our waiting will be fruitful and we will have many gifts to adore our King with come Christmas Day.
* The consciousness examen should be done at least twice in the day to recognize where and whether we met Jesus successfully or unsuccessfully. To find God in all things is very much Ignatian spirituality and a good habit to cultivate.
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