As it has been the pattern in our reflections, in the first part we are going to revisit the general structure of our Christian life journey based on the text of today. In the 2nd part we will focus on the theme of Invitation.
Part 1: Christian Life Journey
1. The thirst: Zacchaeus was anxious to see Jesus (Lk 19:3)
Why did Zacchaeus want to see Jesus? It was perhaps a mere curiosity. But could this eagerness be an indication of something deeper – a thirst, a desire? And where does that desire come from? I think the source of that thirst to see Jesus is God Himself. The thirst arises from the truth that we are created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). Since we all bear the image of God – being […]
Month: September 2011
St. Barlow’s Mission Week – Day 3 – The Journey
The gospel reading of today invites us to reflect on the story of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, so that we may experience Jesus as the Living Water that quenches our thirst. We can recognise the 7 steps that serve as the template to understand the gospel encounters with Jesus. Our focus today is on the journey: this simply shows that our experience of God is a process. It is ongoing. It has its stages. Let us first enjoy this text by paying attention to some details then we will focus on the aspect of journey.
Empty Jar: The Thirst
To begin with, an important detail to pay attention to in the opening verses of John 4 is the time of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. […]
St. Barlow’s Mission Week – Day 2 – Pointers
In most cultures, one of the games that children play is “hide and seek”, with many variants – tag, sardines, or hidey (inScotland). There is a lot of fun in finding hidden objects and people! God seems to play ‘hide and seek’ with human beings.
Isaiah cries out, “Oh God of Israel, you are a God who lies hidden” (Is 45:15). And the Psalmist prays, “It is your face Oh Lord that I seek, hide not your face from me” (Ps 27:8b,9). This was the situation of the old dispensation. But suddenly there is a surprise in the history of salvation. God is made visible in the form of a little babe.
The story in the text that we have chosen for our reflection today tells us of three wise men from the […]
St Barlow’s Mission Week – Day 1 – The Thirst
INTRODUCTION
What is the core of Christianity? I asked myself this question after being a Christian for almost forty years. Better late than never!
Is the core of Christianity, being good? My mother always told me to be good. “If you behave well, God will love you!” She said. This was a way my mother convinced me – I convinced myself – to follow Christian morality. Is Christian morality, enshrined in the Ten Commandments, the core of Christianity? At a particular stage in life I realized that Christianity is not merely a moral system. Morality is only one aspect of it. And, Christian morality is not based on just obeying rules, but on love. So, is love the core of Christianity? Today I know love is not the core but only the consequence. I cannot love truly if I have not […]
23.Sonntag – Der Christ und seine prophetische Aufgabe
Der Christ und seine prophetische Aufgabe
23. Sonntag im Jahreskreis A (Ez 33, 7-9; Mt 18, 15-20)
Sieht sich ein Tier einem Feind oder einem Angreifer gegenüber, stehen ihm drei Verhaltensweisen zur Verfügung: Flucht, Kampf oder Totstellreflex. Ein Hase läuft bei Gefahr fort, ein Beispiel für Flucht. Eine Schlange wird bei Gefahr auch zunächst zu fliehen versuchen. Wird sie daran gehindert, greift sie an und setzt ihr Gift ein, ein Beispiel für Kampf. Die Schildkröte hat keine Waffen und kein Gift, auch kann sie nicht schnell laufen, so bleibt ihr keine andere Wahl, als sich in ihren Panzer zurückzuziehen und sich tot zu stellen.
Auch wir Menschen haben diese Möglichkeiten, wenn wir in unangenehme Situationen geraten. Wie verhalten Sie sich in Konfliktsituationen, sei es im täglichen Leben oder auch bei einem Konflikt in ihrer Pfarrgemeinde? Stellen Sie sich folgende Situation vor: ein Treffen, mit dessen Verlauf Sie ganz und gar nicht einverstanden sind. […]