One of the most successful movements ever
started which has been able to help people get their lives back together is the
group known as Alcoholics Anonymous or AA. By now there are also many
other ‘twelve step’ groups, as they are called, such as Narcotics Anonymous,
Workaholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and others. The interesting
thing is that the twelve step program on which they are based, is basically a summary
of the Christian life. The twelve steps involve admitting that you are
powerless over your problem, whatever it might be; that your life is
unmanageable, that only God (as you understand God) can help you and so you
must turn to him; also that you need to atone for the hurt and damage that you
may have caused others. But the main reason why these groups have helped
so many people is because they are based on the idea that we need the support
of like minded people if we are to be able to live any kind of way of life.
Our coming to mass on a Sunday has a very similar thinking behind
it. We come together primarily to worship the Lord of course, but also
because we need the support of like minded people who also believe that Jesus
is the Christ, the Holy One of God. And this was exactly why the early
Christians began to come together in each others houses, so that they could
share their faith together, listen to the Word of God, receive the Lord Jesus
together in the Eucharist and be encouraged by each others presence and
witness.
Today we do the same thing but in a more organised way. But the reason we still come together is not just because it’s Sunday and we have to go to mass, but because we need the support of others who believe as we do. We need to listen to God’s word for guidance and inspiration, so that we can learn how God wants us to live. And of course most importantly to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. We are nourished by Jesus himself when we receive him in Holy Communion and are intimately united with him in the most extraordinary way. The Lord knows much better than we do how much we need this kind of strength and support and that is why he has set it up for us this way. All of this is for our benefit, because we need this kind of support.
In the second reading St. John says that what the Lord asks of us is
this: to believe in the name of Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, and to
love one another. If we can do that much we are doing a lot.
More and more in our society it becomes obvious that we don’t all
believe in the same thing and that is alright, there is room for
everyone. But if we are to blossom, we need the support of each other and
to know that we are not on our own. We also need to look out for each
other, because that is the practical way of living out our faith. It is
not easy to live as a Christian, but then it never has been. In the
Gospel Jesus says, ‘Cut off from me you can do nothing.’ If we are
serious about following this way of life, then we must recognise what it is we
need. Just as with someone suffering from an alcohol or drug addiction,
if they want to get well, they need to work the twelve step program. Well
it is the same for us. If we hope to survive as Christians, we need to
stay close to Jesus, to listen to his word, to receive him in the Eucharist and
to love one another. Jesus is our source of life in every sense. If we wish to
remain alive as Christians, we must be rooted in him. No one else will give us
life as He does.
‘I am the vine, you are the branches... Cut off
from me you can do nothing.’
No comments:
Post a Comment