The 7ups!

thought-for-sundayFrom the desk of Fr. Ignatius Waters, cp

Sunday, 9th December 2018

  

 

  

When someone asks, “How are you?” how do you respond? Do you say, “Fine!” meaning I don’t want to talk about it? Or do you say, “How much time do you have?” meaning you don’t want to hear about it. Or do you say, “Great!” “Not bad!” or “Middling!”? That’s a good one – somewhere between good and bad. Nowadays, there’s a new one: “I’m good!” which could mean anything. In the country, the answer often was: “Ah, dead and alive!” I like that one because there’s a truth in it that we, perhaps, don’t fully grasp. We can be half dead a lot of the time without knowing it. In fact, we can prefer to be half dead because to be fully alive in this time and place can be too painful. This can be true even when we are very busy, working hard, with no time to think. Most people’s lives today are complex with pressures of all kinds. You can feel you’re being lived instead of really living!

Last Sunday, Jesus called on us to stay awake and be aware of how we’re living our lives. Today, John the Baptist calls on us to get rid of the obstacles we put in the Lord’s way and allow him to help us. These 7Ups may help us in this work:

  1. Wake up! Don’t sleep walk your way through life, unaware of all that’s good and positive about the present time and the present place.
  2. Dress up! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile but one that’s genuine, that comes from within. It’s an inexpensive way to improve your looks!
  3. Shut up! Learn to listen with your heart as well as your ears. If you had to listen to yourself all the time, you probably wouldn’t talk as much!
  4. Stand up! …For what you believe in. Stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything!
  5. Look up! … to the Lord. We need the light and the hope he brings. Let His face shine on you and you will be saved.
  6. Reach up! …Don’t let the gap between the high ideals of the gospel and our poor performance discourage or crush you, as they can. Rather, let them be a call to hope and to perseverance.
  7. Lift up! … your hearts. Learn to stand before God with open hands and open heart, so that one day we may be able to pray the so difficult prayer of Job: “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Lord!”