pointed out that, “The Fathers of old went forth into the desert and when [they] themselves were made whole, they became physicians, and returning again they made others whole.”46
Clearly, the journey towards wholeness for the desert fathers and mothers was one of withdrawal, prayer, purgation, and suffering. Lost in the love of God they endured difficulty. But it was love that transformed them. And this love moved them to deeds of love that brought blessing and healing to others. Their withdrawal from the world, therefore, was not an end in itself. They withdrew to lay a foundation for a new world.
Their journey was one of union with God, moving ever closer into the heart and purposes of God. But this movement in and towards God drew them ever more deeply into seeking to be God’s healing hands
towards others.
This is what true wholeness is all about. Living more fully in God and more truly at home with ourselves, we become agents of goodness towards others. Blessing, therefore, is never only for ourselves. It is for all. It is for the world.
Thought
Wholeness is the fruit of holiness, which issues in giving gifts of healing and hospitality. This builds the new humanity of which Christ was the New Adam and the pioneer.
2 Corinthians 13:4
February 16
Mere Servants
Whatever our position in the world or in the church, this does not finally define us. What does define us is who we are in Christ and that the way of Christ becomes our way in the world.
The way of Christ was that of a humble servant of the Father. Christ’s joy was to do the Father’s will. His purpose was to make the Father known. His mission was to bring into being the healing and restoring reign of God.
Christ did all of this in the power of the Spirit and with his Father’s blessing and benediction. Thus Christ’s work was Trinitarian work, not a solo effort.
We too are invited to participate in the same mission as Christ. But we do so from a much more fragile position. We are not Christ, only his followers. We are more mixed in our motives, while Christ was singular in his commitment. We are hesitant in our love, while Christ loved fully.
St. Anselm’s prayer is therefore appropriate. He prays: “by your
powerful kindness complete what in my powerless weakness I attempt.”47 In our weakness God produces his strength.
In being the mere servants of Christ, we need the grace and sustaining presence of God. In and of ourselves we cannot be what God calls us to be. Therefore, we are always called to rely on God. We are called to live in faith. We are invited to prayer.
Thought
No matter how far we are into the journey of faith and love that issues in service, we will always need the Spirit to carry us along.
Romans 5:1–2
February 17
The Movement of Grace
Grace is God extending his love, forgiveness, and goodness to us, not because we deserve this but because of God’s generous heart is towards all of his creatures.
Being a Christian and living the Christian life is to be in and to live in the sphere of grace, which is God’s undeserved favor. Grace is the realm in which we live, move, and dance. Being the grateful recipients of God’s grace is what marks us and shapes our identity as much as our genetic inheritance and our socialization.
Meister Eckhart understood well the significance and power of this grace. He writes, “Grace is not a stationary thing; it is always found in a Becoming.”48 Grace moves us from where we are to where we need to be. Grace radically reorients us.
Grace, therefore, is not a gift we put in our backpack. Grace is an intrusion into the basic fabric of our lives. It is a powerful intervention. Grace is what radically reorients and renews us. And this is because grace and forgiveness are welcoming and interpersonal dynamics. Grace links us to Christ the giver of grace.
Grace moves us from enmity or neglect of God to a place of embrace and friendship. Grace frees us from the destructive forces within our own being. Grace makes us gracious towards others. The grace of God in Christ makes us more Christlike.
Eckhart is, therefore, correct. Grace is dynamic. It moves us. It
reorients us. It makes us more truly human. It makes us more Godlike.
Reflection
The power of forgiving grace transforms us and makes us open to extend love and goodness to others.
Psalm 84:1–2
February 18
The Heart of the Matter
While a generous person is known for his or her generosity, such a person should be primarily appreciated for who he or she is, and not only for what one does and gives. So it is with God. The great Life-giver is to be loved even in times of
darkness and difficulty.
There is little doubt that life in the modern world is very pragmatic and utilitarian. It is all about progress and benefits for me. As a consequence, little attention has been given to the true meaning and purpose of life. But life is more than security and material much-having. It is also about love and beauty. It has to do with relationships, with care, with giving and receiving, with forgiveness.
A vibrant spirituality at the heart of life cannot be one of mere
benefits and blessings. This follows too much the contours of our present age. Instead, such a spirituality should focus on the source of all things. Thus the focus is on the Giver, and not only on the gifts.
Thomas à Kempis points us in the right direction. He notes, “A wise lover considers not so much the lover’s gift as the giver’s love. He attends more to the giver’s affection than to the gift’s value.”49
And so it is. The source of all things is the loving heart of God who called all things into being and who recreates us in love to be whole, full of goodness, and in service and care to the neighbor and stranger.
Thought
The heart of the matter is the loving heart of God and not only the
blessings that God gives.
Psalm 69:1–3
February 19
God’s Strange Way
There is a strange contradiction in the way we so often live the Christian life. We so easily take God for granted. And we so often get upset when God does not respond to our cry for help in the way we want.
One of the flaws of the Christianity of the modern world, particularly in the West, is that Christians have the idea God is there just for them. They are the center and God is there just to bless them.
There is little
