A Penitent Blogger
Whoa, it’s NOT magic
In today’s Gospel (Mark 9:14-29), the Twelve fail to drive out an unclean spirit, even though our Lord had previously given them the power to do so (Mark 6:7).
After our Lord successfully frees the boy, the disciples privately ask him,
Why could not we cast him out?
And he said unto them,
This kind can come forth
by nothing but by prayer and fasting.
(The expression “and fasting” does not appear in all manuscripts and translations.)
In saying this, our Lord is not providing additional instructions for performing particular kinds of miracles (indeed, the Gospel account doesn't show prayer or fasting as an explicit part of this exorcism).
Rather, our Lord is reminding the Twelve of a critical aspect of ministry and discipleship.
On some levels, some things work automatically - you just do it and it is done: pray in the name of Jesus and God provides; give an order ex officio and subordinates obey; perform a Sacrament validly and the grace is given ex opere operato; sit down to write a blog and people are awed by your brilliance (I’m not writing about myself here).
But on some levels and with most things in the Christian life, something will be lacking in what we say and what we do if these words and deeds are not supported by a personal, vibrant, and ever-deepening relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (miserere mei, Domine).
This relationship is made possible by grace and is manifested and continuously strengthened by prayer and by focusing on God through our bodies (e.g., by use of appropriate disciplines such as fasting).
It is very easy for us to loose touch with this critical reality. It is easy to do things automatically – invoke the Name, give orders, celebrate Sacraments, write off the top of one’s head – but if we want to live and act according to Christ, it is critical that we remain most attentive to our lives of prayer and our lives of focus on Christ.
If the things we do and say are rooted firmly in a deep spiritual life through Christ, our words and deeds will become more and more translucent with Christ’s own light and channels of grace will be multiplied and deepened throughout every moment of our lives.
Christian life and ministry is not magic: it is far more wonderful and powerful.
Don’t “just do it.” Don’t just say words.
Every day, every hour, as we speak and as we live, we need more and more to be focused on Christ and to pray.
After our Lord successfully frees the boy, the disciples privately ask him,
Why could not we cast him out?
And he said unto them,
This kind can come forth
by nothing but by prayer and fasting.
(The expression “and fasting” does not appear in all manuscripts and translations.)
In saying this, our Lord is not providing additional instructions for performing particular kinds of miracles (indeed, the Gospel account doesn't show prayer or fasting as an explicit part of this exorcism).
Rather, our Lord is reminding the Twelve of a critical aspect of ministry and discipleship.
On some levels, some things work automatically - you just do it and it is done: pray in the name of Jesus and God provides; give an order ex officio and subordinates obey; perform a Sacrament validly and the grace is given ex opere operato; sit down to write a blog and people are awed by your brilliance (I’m not writing about myself here).
But on some levels and with most things in the Christian life, something will be lacking in what we say and what we do if these words and deeds are not supported by a personal, vibrant, and ever-deepening relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (miserere mei, Domine).
This relationship is made possible by grace and is manifested and continuously strengthened by prayer and by focusing on God through our bodies (e.g., by use of appropriate disciplines such as fasting).
It is very easy for us to loose touch with this critical reality. It is easy to do things automatically – invoke the Name, give orders, celebrate Sacraments, write off the top of one’s head – but if we want to live and act according to Christ, it is critical that we remain most attentive to our lives of prayer and our lives of focus on Christ.
If the things we do and say are rooted firmly in a deep spiritual life through Christ, our words and deeds will become more and more translucent with Christ’s own light and channels of grace will be multiplied and deepened throughout every moment of our lives.
Christian life and ministry is not magic: it is far more wonderful and powerful.
Don’t “just do it.” Don’t just say words.
Every day, every hour, as we speak and as we live, we need more and more to be focused on Christ and to pray.
posted by Penitens | 11:38 AM
<< Home