LEAD RESPONSE: Week Two (Prayer: Day 2) (Sunday Forum)

by PeterR , Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 08:25 (1182 days ago) @ PeterR

" ...in you is found ... the fullness of life and limitless truth."

(I find it helpful to write these promts to prayer on a piece of paper and put them on my desk where they confront me for most of the day.)

This alternative Opening Prayer is directed to God, the Father of light.

In the transfiguration we are told that Jesus was speaking to Moses and Elijah of his exodus which Jesus was to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Jesus is always the man of contradictions: the way to fullness of life and limitless truth is through Death (and Resurrection).

That contradiction, that foolishness, is the mark of our life in Christ. Of all the potential ways to achieve happiness in our journey through life, the Word of God speaks to us of death and calls upon us to respond to that Word in faith.

Death and Resurrection are qualities of human life, lived each day.

I am challenged to ask myself: How do I live my resolution for the week, my response to the word of God in faith this week, in the light of this challenge? How do I live the Death and Resurrection of Jesus in my being nice to everybody?

These days I venture out very little. It is mainly at the shopping centre that I meet people.

When next I shop, it would be pleasant to look for the attractive young "checkout chick" with whom I enjoyed a passing interaction yesterday in order to enjoy her company again for a few minutes.

As with many supermarkets, the "checkout chicks" are a mixture of young students - as was the young lady yesterday - and older, less educated, women who are not as bright and attractive.

When I shop tomorrow, I shall look for the "chick" who looks most in need of a happy greeting, pass through that checkout and greet her warmly. As a matter of fact there is one such woman who always looks less than happy, is loathe to communicate and is slow in processing the goods. I shall look for her tomorrow and sacrifice ("sacrum facere" = make holy) my shopping venture.

As I mentioned, these days it is mainly at the shopping centre that I meet people. Which reminds me that many of the other shoppers in the supemarket are also old. Some tend to make their weekly shopping venture their day out for the week. There they stand chatting two by two, with their shopping trolleys also, two by two - waiting to have their lives transfigured as one of the bishops observed - but also making an impenetrable blockage in the aisle for a certain male who doesn't exactly enjoy shopping. What another wonderful chance to die to self to live for them by adding a warm, friendly greeting to their morning experience!

"Father of light ...in you is found ... the fullness of life and limitless truth."