“Led by the Spirit” by Colleen O’Sullivan

“Led by the Spirit” by Colleen O’Sullivan

Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like…  In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:19-21a, 22-23a)

 

The Lord said:  "Woe to you Pharisees!  You pay tithes of mint and rue and every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.  These you should have done, without overlooking the others.  Woe to you Pharisees!  You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.  Woe to you!  You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk." (Luke 11:42-44)

 

Piety

(Psalm 1:1-2) Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law, day and night. 

Study

My grandmother once commented that she had lived from the time of the horse and buggy days of the late 19^th century to when we put a person on the moon.  When I ponder that observation, I see just how many things had changed during her lifetime and how much faster things are changing today.  Many families have multiple vehicles in their driveways, where once would have stood a barn for the wagon or carriage and horse.  A child today grows up with all manner of computers, iPads, cell phones, and other technology.   We can start our cars remotely, check our cell phones to see who’s at the door at our home miles away.  I don’t think my grandmother ever ventured far from home when she was young, but in pre-COVID19 days, people could jump on a plane whenever they wanted and travel to the farthest reaches of our planet. 

We human beings are what never seems to change much, though.  Human strengths and weaknesses are pretty much what they always have been.  Our Scripture readings for today are just as pertinent as they were the day they were written.  We have been reading Paul’s letter to the Galatians in recent days.  Too many people live self-directed lives if Paul is to be believed, and he was a keen observer of human behavior.  We don’t all live by the Spirit and, consequently, display what Paul calls the works of the flesh.  We can even sometimes see in ourselves exactly what he’s talking about – people who are jealous or envious of others, people whose hearts are full of hatred for others and who give in to angry impulses, people who don’t compromise and work with others.  These works of the flesh explain how we’ve become a country of extremes, unable even to engage in civil discourse with one another without slinging accusations and spewing rancor.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus accuses many of the Pharisees of being “like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”  They’re dead inside.  They do the outwardly correct thing like pay a tithe of herbs but don’t possess within themselves the love and mercy of God toward others.  The world is full of tiresome people like this if you look around.   They masquerade as upright citizens but get to know them, and you’ll see there’s not much kindness or concern for others there.

Fortunately, there are also great numbers of individuals who live by the Spirit.  We see the fruits of the Spirit in all they do.  I think about the volunteers at St. Mary of Sorrows in Fairfax who tirelessly work to feed the hungry, asking for food and donations, shopping for perishable items, spending hours on their feet filling bags, and distributing the groceries where they’re most needed.  I think of Fr. Stefan Starzynski walking endless miles at INOVA Fairfax Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic to anoint the seriously ill and dying.   I know of families where grandparents, aunts, and uncles have stepped up to the plate so that parents can work, and someone can provide child care or supervise virtual learning at home. 

There are quite a few people whose lives reflect the fruits of the Spirit.   Fill in the blanks with people you know who live in the Spirit.  You don’t hear so much about them, because they rarely make the headlines.  Bad news sells better, unfortunately.

Action

Both Paul’s letter to the Galatians and today’s Gospel allow us to look at our own lives more closely.  Do we live lives focused on ourselves and our interests?  Do our actions and relationships end up causing more chaos and discord than harmony?  Or can others see the fruits of the Spirit in what we do and the way we treat our brothers and sisters?

As we’re reflecting on this, to keep ourselves honest, maybe take the time to list ways in which our actions have caused hurt to others or to the entire Body of Christ, or specifically how the fruits of the Spirit have been generated in our lives.  Offer your reflections to the Lord in prayer when you have done this.