Just a Thought from Father John

Just a thought
from Father John...

ON THE NINTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR OF MATTHEW,
1st June 2008
In the aftermath of the Chinese earthquake, many of the survivors complained that the death toll was much worse because schools and other public buildings were not constructed to minimise earthquake damage. Yet in Burma few if any buildings withstood the impact of the cyclone.

Jesus uses the image of a storm-damaged house to illustrate the need of proper foundations. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chs 5 – 7) he says, more or less, if you don’t put my teaching into action I’ve wasted my breath on you. St John in his first letter puts it clearly: our love is not to be words or mere talk but something real and active.

On market day the fruit and vegetable traders had set up their stalls for the day when a horse bolted, knocked over one of the stalls, and scattered or trampled the trader’s stock. All the other traders gathered round offering their sympathy, telling him how sorry they were for his bad luck. But one of them, opening his wallet, took out some money to give him. Turning to the others he said: “I’m sorry ten pounds. How sorry are you?”

We can listen to the words of Jesus. We can be profoundly touched by them and resolve to change our lives accordingly. But if we never actually carry out that resolve it’s as if we are throwing Jesus’ words back in his face. Intentions are a fine thing. But our actions are the proof of our intentions, the rock on which our life is founded. GK Chesterton famously remarked: “It’s not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting. It’s been found hard and not tried.”

God bless you and yours.
Fr John