1. -- Lanie
LeBlanc OP
2. -- Brian
Gleeson CP
3. --
4. --(Your
reflection can be here!)
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1.
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Sun. 6 A
Our Scripture readings today call us to a deeper
spiritual life than perhaps we are currently living or think
we are living. From the Book of Sirach we hear the profound
words "If you choose......" As I reflected on the entire
passage, I still came back to those first few powerful
words.
To me, these three words hold the key to a truly
spiritual life. So much of our busy day can be relegated to
mindless habit, doing things rather automatically without
very deep thought. The truth is that if we didn't have those
routine things though, we would probably be frantic by noon!
So, how do we change?
Habit first becomes a habit by choice. IF you choose
something over and over, good or not, it does become a
habit. Research on brain functioning is shedding new light
on if it is possible to "break" a habit vs. just "changing"
a habit. No matter what you think about that scientific
issue, the person still has to choose to do a different
action or refrain from an action, even if there are
complicating factors, for there to be something new and
better happening.
The Gospel selection according to Matthew invites us to
choose to be a more intentional Christian. We are invited
not just to do the minimum, but to be more prayerful and
thoughtful in all of our actions. Remember the hymn "They
Will Know We Are Christians".... by our Love?
The longer Gospel passage reminds us that our actions are
usually viewed by others, in a way as teachable moments to
them. Sometimes our modeling is how they learn how to act,
even if we are unaware that this is happening or intend it
to happen. That reminder puts quite a responsibility on us!
It seems that even small ways are indeed important to
forming who we are and become... and who others might also
become. What is it that we choose to do each day, in small
ways and in important times? What habits would we like to be
on our spiritual vita/resume before Judgement Day? Perhaps
it is time to slow down whatever it is we do... and pray and
think intentionally before we act in order to re-form some
better habits. Keeping in mind the words "if you choose"
might help.
Blessings,
Dr. Lanie
LeBlanc OP
Southern
Dominican Laity
lanie@leblanc.one
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2.
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DEALING WITH OUR ANGER: SUNDAY 6A
bgleesoncp@gmail.com
I wonder have you ever shared a house with someone whose
moods are unpredictable? Mostly the person is friendly and
peaceful. At other times, at the slightest provocation or
none at all, he/she erupts in outbursts of anger and rage.
Being with them is like living on the edge of a volcano.
Right now US President Donald Trump is both angry and
vindictive over his impeachment and trial. In contrast
President Nelson Mandela had every reason to be a very angry
man, but he was not. For many years, on behalf of his
oppressed people, he led the movement against apartheid
(separate development) in South Africa. For that he was
sentenced to hard labour in prison for 27 years. In his
autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, he writes about the
officers who guarded him and his fellow-prisoners. He
insists that hostility towards them was self-defeating, and
that everyone, including our enemies, can change.
On the day that he was to be released from prison,
February 11th, 1990, the crowd waiting outside, and millions
more watching on television, became anxious when Mandela
failed to walk out at the expected time. Would he, they
wondered, get out after all? But after a long delay he did
walk free. The reason for the delay was that he was saying
an emotional goodbye and thank-you to all his prison guards.
In his freedom speech that night, Mandela reminded the world
that we can all imprison ourselves behind the bars of
prejudice and narrow-mindedness.
All of us tend to carry inside us a certain amount of
anger. From our earliest years we’ve been told that anger is
a sin, in fact, one of the seven deadly sins. So what do we
do about it? Probably we either deny it or suppress it. In
itself, anger is just a feeling, neither good nor bad. If we
love and value ourselves, we will naturally feel angry if
and when we are treated badly. This is normal and even
healthy. If we simply deny or repress our anger this can be
very dangerous. It can result in self-hatred, depression,
and even bodily ailments like asthma, ulcers, and heart
conditions. On the other hand, when anger is released in a
constructive and wholesome way it can bring healing and
relief.
When Jesus says: ‘Do not get angry with a brother or
sister,’ he is not condemning anger in itself. After all he
himself got angry when he drove the traders from the temple.
There are times when we too should be angry, angry about
unjust situations. Nevertheless our anger about injustice
should not give rise to a lessening of love, let alone a
build-up of hate.
Anger becomes dangerous when it turns into hostility.
It’s hostility rather than anger as such that is the really
deadly sin. Hostility causes us to act out our anger. It
leads to deep resentments, negative attitudes, nastiness,
insults, sarcasm, hitting out, and so on, at the object of
our anger.If we find ourselves often getting angry, we
should look at the cause of our anger. The cause may well be
within ourselves. We may be too sensitive, too impatient,
too impetuous, or too full of hurt and resentment.
But the cause of our anger may, in fact, be coming from
the anger of others. Some people are so full of anger that
it makes them hard to live with, work with, or even be with.
Think of ‘Doc Martin’ in the TV series! Instead of owning
and managing their anger, they are powder kegs, ready to
explode on others. If the reason we feel angry lies with
another person, we need to look at our relationship with
that person and how, if possible, it might be improved.
What is making us feel angry, however, may be some unjust
situation, e.g. cruel and inhumane treatment of asylum
seeksers, or abuse of innocent children. If so, we should do
whatever we can to put that situation right. If anger can
spur us to help make right what is wrong, then anger can be
good, positive and productive.
Just the same, anger remains something dangerous. A
Jewish saying has it: ‘Anger in the heart is like a worm in
a plant.’ If our mind and heart are filled with anger and
resentment, there is no peace, no sleep, no rest, no
appetite, no smile, no laughter, and no joy. It may ruin our
health, our friendships, and just about everything we value.
We cannot avoid getting angry, but we can avoid acting
out our anger with rage. So Jesus tells us to seek to be
reconciled - with ourselves, with others, and with God. A
little example! Before going to work one morning a man had a
row with his wife. In the middle of the morning it was still
bothering him. So he rang his wife and apologised for his
part in the row. Later he said to a friend: ‘I didn’t want
her to carry that around all day.’ His apology didn’t do him
any harm either!
"Brian
Gleeson CP" <bgleesoncp@gmail.com>
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