by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
It was Maya Angelou who said: “When you know better, do better.” We say that we are Christ’s disciples, his followers, but are we allowing Him to move in our lives? We know better, that is, that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, as John the Baptist acknowledges in today’s Gospel (John 1:29-34), but does this knowledge lead us to “do better”?
Consider the first Reading (Isaiah 49:3, 5-6); we are supposed to be “a light to the nations”, that Christ’s “salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”. And reflect on the response in today’s Responsorial Psalm: “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will…your law is within my heart.” This new year, let us resolve to move from words to action, to allow the living Lamb of God to move in our lives.
Find some time today to reflect on the readings, including today’s Gospel. As Pope Francis said at a general audience in April 2016, after 30 years of a hidden life in Nazareth, Jesus could have presented himself to the world in the splendour of the temple, or could have announced himself with the sounding of trumpets, or could have dressed up like a judge.
Instead, “he went to the River Jordan, together with many of his people, and there waited in line with sinners. He wasn’t ashamed: he was there with everyone, with sinners, to be baptised. Therefore, from the very beginning of his ministry, he manifested himself as the Messiah who takes upon himself the human condition, moved by solidarity and compassion…
“Everything that Jesus accomplished after his baptism was the realisation of that initial design: to bring to all people the saving love of God. Jesus did not bring hatred, he did not bring hostility: he brought us love! A love that saves! He made himself neighbour to the lowliest, communicating to them God’s mercy that is forgiveness, joy and new life. Jesus, the Son sent by the Father, is truly the start of the time of mercy for all humanity!”
In our busy lives, there have been times when we have all been guilty of failing to maintain our focus on God and on His bountiful mercy. Let another of our resolutions be to practise lectio divina, prayerfully reading our scripture and “allowing it to enlighten and renew us”.
As you may know, there are five stages involved: lectio, meditatio, oratio, contemplatio and actio (reading, meditation, prayer, contemplation, action). Read Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) (152-153) about what Pope Francis says about this form of prayer/meditation.
Inter alia, he says: “There is one particular way of listening to what the Lord wishes to tell us in His Word and of letting ourselves be transformed by the Spirit. It is what we call lectio divina. In the presence of God, during a recollected reading of the text, it is good to ask, for example: ‘Lord, what does this text say to me? What is it about my life that you want to change by this text…? When we make an effort to listen to the Lord, temptations usually arise. One of them is simply to feel troubled or burdened, and to turn away.
“Another common temptation is to think about what the text means for other people, and so avoid applying it to our own life…no one is more patient than God our Father…no one is more understanding and willing to wait…He simply asks that we sincerely look at our life and present ourselves honestly before Him, and that we be willing to continue to grow, asking from Him what we ourselves cannot as yet achieve.”
At the launch of a book on lectio divina in 2013, Fr Stephen Pisano SJ, deputy chancellor of Pontificio Istituto Biblico (Pontifical Biblical Institute) drew a parallel between lectio divina and the approach to the Scriptures Pope Francis learned as a Jesuit. Both approaches, he said, involve “taking the Bible text for study, reflection and prayer, which leads to discernment.” (www.catholicworldreport.com)
If we are to turn the culture of death in T&T/the world to a culture of life and love, we must commit to develop a closer encounter with God. Spiritual discernment will become embedded in our thoughts and actions if we develop our relationship with the Lord. Only then will we know what His will is and be able to live our lives as true Christians.
May the Lord journey with each of us as we seek to fulfil our mission with integrity and authenticity.
