September 3, 2010
Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
By Melanie Rigney
It does not concern me in the least that I judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord. (1 Corinthians 4:3-4)
Commit to the Lord your way; trust in him, and he will act. (Psalms 37:5)
“… New wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:38-39)
Piety
Stretch me, Lord. Transform me into something new and help me to embrace that transformation, remembering that I am beautiful in Your eyes.
Study
It takes effort, sometimes a lot of it, to break out of or at least question a routine that we’ve always followed. It’s easy to see the Pharisees and scribes shaking their heads in disapproval in today’s Gospel when Jesus responds to their criticism of his followers eating and drinking instead of fasting. There’ll be time enough for that later, he tells them; they should feast with me while I’m here.
We fall into the same trap when we do the same things we’ve always done: overextend ourselves at work, at home, or in volunteer activities. Overeat. Gossip. Overwhelm our friends and family with self-centeredness and pessimism. Discount the faith or political opinions of others when they differ from ours. Doing what we’ve always done, as Einstein said, is the definition of insanity. It’s also a powerful weapon that the enemy uses against us in spiritual warfare.
Change is hard, but it is required if we are to truly grow in Christ’s love and service. Those old wineskins can be hard to discard, but discard them we must as the Lord acts in us. Those around us may not always appreciate or agree with our growth. Gossiping, substance abuse, and the like seem more acceptable if everyone’s doing it, and changing can cost us friends. Remember, as Paul says, “the one who judges me is the Lord.” His opinion is the only one that matters, short term or long term.
Action
What are you doing out of habit, not because you are called to do it? Pray for discernment.
