“Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one” (Jn 17:11).
Jesus is well aware of the temptations of the world, recognizes that the disciples will need the protection of his intercession, that they will remain faithful only if they remain in his love and in relationship with him. The unity that the Father and Son share is an eternal and infinite communion. Jesus, as the Son of God, continued to be one with his Father, while fully experiencing his humanity. As a human being, Jesus faced the same temptations present in this world that we face. The difference is that with each choice that he made, as a human being with a free human will, he chose to be faithful to his Father. The unity of his humanity and divinity remained intact and deepened.
Jesus sought the same unity that he shares with his Father for his disciples, and he seeks the same for us today. His hope is that we may be one as he and the Father are one. Yet, he is not going to pull us out of the world for that to happen. “I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One” (Jn 17:15). The disciples then and us today, are to do as Jesus did. We are to welcome the invitation to be in a relationship with God, grow in relationship with him so that we come to know his voice and will, and share it with those we encounter in our realm of influence. We are not to be transformed by the world, but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds and hearts by the love of the Holy Spirit. Through our transformation, we can then bring Jesus’ light into the darkness as God works through us one person at a time.
Following the will of God is simple but not easy and hard work to undo dysfunctional neural pathways, habits, that we have built over years and decades. We are bombarded by distractions, diversions, and temptations that attempt to wear us down and draw us away from being faithful and true to God, ourselves, and who God calls us to be. Many times, these distractions not only appear to be, but are good. The challenge is not whether we are good or evil, even are we being good or doing good, but are we doing God’s will, what God is calling us to do?
Being able to stop, be still, quiet our mind, and just breathe for a sustained period can help us to learn to recollect. Often when we attempt to spend time in prayer, we finish at the moment we are just getting ready to begin, and, then wonder why nothing is happening! Making time to recollect grants us the opportunity to transition from the busy to making friends with silence.
We can deepen our relationship with Jesus and his Father and experience the love of the Holy Spirit when we slow down our pace and become still. We are also in a better place to receive the gifts that the Holy Spirit seeks to impart, his guidance to discern his direction, as well as the courage to follow his will. Resting in silence, we may also experience emotions, some that have been buried. And that is good, because we are now feeling safe enough to experience them and with God release them and begin to heal.
St. Mother Teresa taught that, “in the silence of the heart, God speaks.” We are better able to recognize God’s voice, experience his healing, and guidance when we embrace daily moments of stillness. We are better able to identify the temptations and pitfalls, dysfunctional patterns, and sins that prevent us from healing when we go slower. We grow in discipline, persistence, and dedication when we allow ourselves to be nourished by God’s love and affirmation.
A new way of life is available for us when we are willing to change, to be transformed, and grow beyond the comfort zone of the dysfunction we know. We can trust Jesus, such that even through the growing pains, we will experience the love and oneness Jesus shares with his Father. We are not alone.
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Photo: “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39). When we are willing to slow down, Jesus offers us his peace.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 