THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Our lives feel so very real and large to us that it can be difficult to imagine being part of anything bigger than ourselves. Our daily struggles can feel overwhelming and the call to think about, let alone act in service of, anything beyond our daily survival can feel like more than we can manage. When we couple this with the constant call from motivational gurus to make ourselves the centre of our own universes, we may begin to think that the solution to our problems is to become more self-centred, not less.
But the example that is set for us by the great heroes of faith – not least, John the Baptiser who is the focus of this week’s readings – is that life is not found by focussing on ourselves, but by giving ourselves for the sake of others. When we allow our hearts and desires to be captured by God’s vision of a world of love and justice, and when we allow this vision to lead us beyond ourselves into a much bigger world, we discover a new sense of abundance, purpose and meaning to our lives. It is not self-protection but self-giving that opens us to the best possible human life. The challenge is for us to really believe this.
This week we allow John the Baptiser to teach us to focus not on ourselves, but on God’s mission, and to find life there.
To download this week’s reflections in PDF format, click here.
