Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
While floating in a canoe on the Little Miami River at a recent youth ministry event, I was struck by all of the many trees present around the river. Some grew right up out of the water and other trees near the bank had roots like fingers from a hand reaching down to the river. Today’s psalm uses a similar image that captured my imagination as a metaphor for understanding today’s readings.
Today’s gospel image pits Jesus in an almost adversarial relationship with the Pharisees and the scholars of the law. Jesus’ critic of them may at times be a challenge each of us needs to consider. Are there times when we live out discipleship with a minimalist approach? Do we simply try to accomplish the bare minimum of what is required of us by the law? For instance, our faith asks us to go to Mass weekly and so that is what we try to do. Yet what if we go to Mass and remain unmoved by the Word, the prayer or even communion; have we still fulfilled the spirit of Worship? While the question may seem rhetorical, we all need to answer it within a different context. For myself, it challenges me to do more than to just get to Mass.
Our physical presence at Mass is important. Being in proximity to the Word of God and communing with the sacramental presence of the Lord are not without significance. Receiving the presence of the Lord can nourish us in a similar way as a tree near a river has a better chance to absorb water. Is the tree’s closeness to the water a guarantee that the tree will live? Does our physical being presence at mass guarantee that the Lord will move our heart, even if we didn’t participate openly? As we started into the Lord’s Prayer at Mass this past Sunday, it occurred to me that I did not recall participating along with the Eucharistic prayer the way I usually do. The river had flowed right past and I almost forgot to drink in the spiritual water. While I had met the requirements of the law, my prayer had not been guided by the Spirit.
How does one know they are guided by the Spirit? The first reading from Paul to Galatians may give us some insight. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal. 5:22) If one’s life is manifesting the fruits of the Spirit then there is a good chance you are surrendering your life to the Holy Spirit. Some days we are better at it than others. On days when you might be struggling with envy, jealousy, idolatry or anger, prayerfully place your soul in the hands of the Lord. Yoke yourself to the Lord so as to be a more faithful disciple. Then you will not only think and talk like a disciple, you will also act as Faithful disciple, whose Life is guided by the Spirit!
-Michael Montgomery