The Choice of a Christian Community

WORD 2day: Christmas Octave - December 30, 2023

1 John 2: 12-17; Luke 2: 36-40

World or things of the world as opposed to the love of the Father: by now, this kind of a contrast could be considered outdated way of thinking. Indeed, the dichotomy that is involved and implied is a bit old fashioned - there is no doubt we need to distance ourselves from such dualistic modes of thinking - spiritual and material, body and spirit, and so on! But, hold on... though the dualistic thinking seems a bit irking, the difference between the types of choices with these contrasting perspectives is real and concrete, don't you think?

Even our prayer, for example, could have within itself an impact of the two contrasting perspectives - it is all about the sense of priority or importance that we give to those around us and to the experiences of here and now, at the cost of the a filial and trust-filled love for God, our Father and Mother. It has become a spirituality, justified by its practicality to just look at the imminent and forget the horizon of eternity! 

I remember once a group of youth with whom we were preparing for a major event, when they heard of a last minute forecast for a likely thunder showers, they immediately got down on their knees to pray and say, 'Lord, please stop the rain'! Praying... it was a wonderful and exemplary gesture on their part, but a subtle point to be noted here is: how prepared are we to accept the will of God in things that we have planned; instead of asking the Lord to adjust everything to our designs?

Whoever does the will of God remains for ever, reminds St. John in his epistle today (v.17). Prophetess Anna, or even Prophet Simeon whom we encountered yesterday in the Gospel for that matter, waited for years together, in relentless patience towards the will of God. They knew what it was to abandon themselves to the will of God: a surrender so beautifully symbolised by the Divine Kid in the manger whom we celebrate these days. An absolute choice for God and for God's will without any compromises, is one of the unfailing marks of a true person of faith or a real community of faith.