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The first line of today's reading from Paul, speaking of us being seen as servants of Christ and administrators of the mysteries of God, is a real challenge to us Christians and is almost a whole spirituality in itself. The first step in my responding to Paul's injunction is (and must be) turning to the Lord and finding out who He is and what He wants of me personally: there is a world of books and television shows and voices out there, all telling me what other people think about it, but I need to meet Christ personally in prayer to find my way through all of this. I also need to change who I am by fasting, by making hard choices, and by finding my way to silence, to poverty of self, and to humility so that I can let His Spirit mold me as Jesus wishes, let Jesus do His work in me. That will make me a servant of Christ, but there is also the other side, one that goes beyond this mere drive for spiritual growth. If I am truly "conformed" to Christ (Romans 8:29), then I can and indeed must speak of Him to others, must share His wealth of love and be as generous and joyful as He is. I must be about my Father's business, being and acting in a committed yet joyful and loving manner, just like Jesus. I must live the mystery that is my salvation, not just possess it. I must be, to use Paul's word, an "administrator" of God's life within me, a love that seeks to be shared at any and all costs. But the two steps, the prayer and the constant presence to God on the one hand and my active and generous love on the other, are only one single thing, what Jesuits refer to as "contemplation in action." Who we are and what we do in this world often seem to be two very distinct and opposed realities, but God calls us to His own simplicity, where we will see God in all things and all things in God at every moment (and that will define who we are) and our godly action will flow from us as naturally as an apple tree's producing apples.... |