A challenge

In today's Office of Readings extracanonical passage from a letter to Diognetus, we gain a clear insight into how Christianity could have blossomed in the early Church, as well as what is chiefly wrong with us today. I find it closely related to my Lenten reflections on what it really means to follow the Way of the Cross. I also find myself wondering whether I will ever live up to my calling.

I've speculated that the calling of all Christians is to bear everything, even (especially!) our hurts, with love and joy. But we remain unwilling to bear a wrong done unto us with the love of Christ. Rather than see our cross as a joy to be embraced, we view it as a burden to avoid at every opportunity. In recent weeks I've had opportunity to reflect on this as various brothers and sisters in the Lord have shared their challenges in this area.

We too often fail to be transformed in Christ in this one area that most defined His love. We insist on valuing our self - our status, possessions, security, comfort, and pleasure - ahead of honoring and serving those around us. This morning, as I took on a household chore that I judged my wife should have at least made progress on, my attitude was not that of a loving husband embracing the opportunity to make his wife's day a little better. Instead, my heart was full of resentment, over debris not having been rinsed off of the dishes I was washing and over the time I was losing at the beginning of my workday that would prevent me from leaving when I hoped to at the end thereof.

My chore was a good thing, but approaching it as a ministry would have been far better. A reader may think I'm holding myself to an impossible standard. Still, I know that given a chance to minister this morning, I was more Martha than Mary in my approach to the task at hand.

Does the Holy Spirit dwell in us or not? If so, we must ask this Counselor to transform us in ways that are impossible by our own efforts.

Come, Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and we shall be created, and you will renew the face of the earth.