Tell us what we need to do

The question which we often ask of those who are leading us is “Tell us what we need to do”. The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today offer some opportunity to reflect on how this question should be addressed. We often seek a direct answer as the believers sought from the first Council in Jerusalem about the religious practices required by Gentiles. It is challenging to separate religious practice from spiritual intimacy. Some practices are aids for our human nature to dispose our attitude to be receptive to the movement of the Spirit. Listening in prayer and meditation on the Word are two religious practices which ‘tune our receiver’ to the channel of love. The psalmist presents a second practice to generate our attitude of gratitude. We should “Declare God's marvelous works among all the peoples!” The Gospel of John presents Jesus response to our concern or fear that we will “mess it up” and disconnect ourselves from the intimacy we experience with the Divine through the resonance of our indwelling Spirit with the Spirit as we live in the Body of Christ. The response is to us as it was to Israel. We must love God. We must place that Love before everything. Simple? Yes! No! Of Course!