On Being Christian

At mass today (Ti 3:1-7 and Lk 17:11-19) the priest emphasised three qualities that we, as followers of the Way, might like to consider and personally strengthen: friendliness, courtesy and thankfulness. We have all been Cretans, says St. Paul, but now we choose to transform that we can light our lives with wisdom, love and gratitude. Called and embraced to Love, we must not run from fear, rather, work together to see it diminished, vanquished. Through our faith in Love we can 'let deepdown fear gradually seep away': Quotation from the Jesuits, see below. I love this image of conquering my fears. Yet first i must recognise them, call them out, see them for what they are. Then with the aid of meditation, prayer, good friends and family, of Church and Christ and all that is Love, i hope to be secure enough to let my fears go, to let them gradually seep away, to become fearless in life, a Christian.

I have come across yet some more dead-on insight from the Jesuit brothers of Ireland, a beautiful summary of Being Christian:

We were washed clean by the waters of baptism and made a new person in the power of God’s Spirit working in and through us, “the Holy Spirit which he so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our Saviour”. We have been made right with God by a purely gratuitous display of his love; we have now become the Father’s heirs, sharing with Jesus our Brother and Lord life without end.
To remain in that state it is up to us to remain totally open to God’s love and allow him to transform us and become daily more like him in all our words, actions and relationships. (http://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/O2324R/)

No Strings Attached

What am i reading for today's mass? Of slaves and obligations, of masters and expectations? The Jesuits give a great explanation of this passage from Luke 17:7-10.

God need never be grateful to us for anything we do for him. No matter how much we do for him, we can never put him in our debt. Everything we give to God (or to God through others) is simply giving back to him a small portion of what he has already given us. It is well said in Preface IV for Masses on Weekdays: “You have no need of our praise, yet our desire to thank you is itself your gift. Our prayer of thanksgiving adds nothing to your greatness, but makes us grow in your grace.”
God can never be in our debt. He can never be under any obligation to us. Perhaps that is what some of the Pharisees thought. They felt that, because they kept the Law perfectly, God owed them salvation. (http://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/O2323G/)

God owes me nothing. Life is a gift. For that i give thanks.
And how can i give thanks?
Ah, the greatest question of life, me thinks.
How can i live in a way to praise my life?!
To be joyous, loving and helpful to my neighbour for starters: when my house is in order, then i can receive guests. When i am compassionate, only then can i honestly and truly help another find joy. First i must walk the path, before i can lead others.
And that's why Jesus i worth following, if only that i may realise true joy in this my life, given without strings, without obligations. This is worthy of praise, no?

Deo gratias.