Worship From the Heart

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. Mark 7:6–8

It seems quite clear that Jesus’ instant fame led these religious leaders to jealousy and envy, and they wanted to find fault with Him. As a result, they carefully observed Jesus and His disciples, and they noticed that Jesus’ disciples were not following the traditions of the elders. So the leaders began questioning Jesus about this fact. Jesus’ response was one of severe criticism of them. He quoted Isaiah the prophet who said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”

Jesus strongly criticised them because their hearts were lacking true worship. The various traditions of the elders were not necessarily bad, such as the careful ceremonial washing of one’s hands before eating. But these traditions were empty if they were not motivated by a deep faith and love of God. The external following of human traditions was not truly an act of divine worship, and that’s what Jesus wanted for them. He wanted their hearts to be set ablaze with a love of God and with true divine worship.

What our Lord wants of each one of us is worship. Pure, heartfelt, sincere worship. He wants us to love God with a deep interior devotion. He wants us to pray, to listen to Him, and to serve His holy will with all the powers of our soul. And this is only possible when we engage in authentic worship.

As Catholics, our life of prayer and worship is grounded in the holy Liturgy. The Liturgy incorporates many traditions and practices that reflect our faith and become a vehicle of the grace of God. And though the Liturgy itself is far different from the mere “tradition of the elders” that Jesus was criticizing, it’s useful to remind ourselves that the many Liturgies of our Church must move from the external actions to interior worship. Going through the motions alone is pointless. We must allow God to act on us and within us as we engage in the external celebration of the Sacraments.

Reflect, today, upon the burning desire in the heart of our Lord to draw you into worship. Reflect upon how well you allow yourself to be drawn into this worship every time you attend the holy Mass. Seek to make your participation not only an exterior one but, first and foremost, an interior one. Doing so will help ensure that the rebuke of our Lord upon the scribes and Pharisees does not also fall upon you.

My divine Lord, You and You alone are worthy of all worship, adoration and praise. You and You alone deserve the worship I offer You from the depths of my heart. Help me and Your entire Church to always interiorize our exterior acts of worship so as to give You the glory that is due Your holy name. Jesus, I trust in You.

One of our students, Gerald Ngwenya 9LFR, was inspired by the thought of the current world we are living in and he created a ‘Prayer Space’ at home. Here is what he said:

‘It was an opportunity to remember the lives lost during the Holocaust. It also brought an opportunity to stop and reflect as a family about the loved ones we have lost. And the others that have lost their lives to coronavirus.

We go to church on Sundays and always light a candle in remembrance of my grandfather who passed away 2 years ago, we say a prayer for him.

With the covid restrictions, this was a chance for us to have a quiet area, a prayer table and pay our respects for the lost loved ones.’

Could you create a ‘Prayer Space’ at home? It will help you stop, have a quiet place to pray and become closer to God, especially if you are not able to go to your place of worship at this time.

When Life is ‘Drudgery’

Job spoke, saying: Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.  Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again. Job 7:1, 6–7 

The funny thing is, as soon as that reading is concluded at Mass, the entire congregation will respond, “Thanks be to God!”  Really?  Is this reading worth thanking God for?  Do we really want to thank God for an expression of such pain?  We most certainly do!

Job was clearly expressing feelings that we all face at times. He speaks of a sleepless night.  Feelings of a loss of hope.  Months of misery.  Et cetera.  Hopefully these feelings are not an everyday occurrence.  But they are real, and everyone experiences them at times.

The key to understanding this passage is to look at Job’s whole life.  Even though he felt this way, it did not direct his decisions.  He did not give in to ultimate despair; he did not give up; he persevered.  And it paid off!  He stayed faithful to God through his tragedy of losing everything precious to him and never lost faith and hope in his God.  In his darkest hour, even his friends came to him telling him he was being punished by God and that all was lost for him.  But he wouldn’t listen.

Remember Job’s powerful words, “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord!”  Job praised God for the good things he received in life, but when they were taken away, he continued to bless and praise God.  This is the most central lesson and inspiration of Job’s life.  He did not give in to the way he felt in the reading above.  He did not let the despair he was tempted with deter him from praising and worshiping God.  He praised Him in ALL things!

The tragedy of Job took place for a reason.  It was to teach us this essential lesson of dealing with the heavy burdens life can throw at us.  Interestingly, for those who carry heavy burdens, Job is a real inspiration.  Why?  Because they can relate to him.  They can relate to his pain and learn from his perseverance in hope.

Reflect, today, upon Job.  Let his life inspire you.  If you are finding a particular burden in life weighing you down, then try to praise and worship God anyway.  Give God the glory due His name simply because it is due His name and not because you do or do not feel like doing it.  In this, you will find that your heavy burden leads to your strengthening.  You will become more faithful by being faithful when it’s very difficult to do so.  Job did it and so can you!

Lord, when life is hard and the burden is great, help me to deepen my faith in You and my love for You.  Help me to love and worship You because it is good and right to do in all things.  I love You my Lord, and I choose to praise You always!  AMEN

Relying Upon Divine Providence

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. Mark 6:7–8

Why would Jesus instruct the Twelve to go forth to preach with authority but to take nothing with them on the journey? Most people who set out on a journey prepare ahead and make sure to pack what they need. Jesus’ instruction was not so much a lesson in relying upon others for basic needs, as it was a lesson on reliance upon divine providence for their ministry.

The material world is good in and of itself. All creation is good. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with having possessions and using them for our good and for the good of those who have been entrusted to our care. But there are times when God wants us to rely more upon Him than upon ourselves. The story above is one of those situations.

By instructing the Twelve to go forth on their mission without bringing the basic necessities of life, Jesus was helping them to trust not only in His providence for those basic needs but also to trust that He would provide for them spiritually in their mission of preaching, teaching and healing. They were given great spiritual authority and responsibility and, for that reason, needed to rely upon the providence of God to a far greater extent than others. Thus, Jesus exhorts them to trust Him regarding their basic needs so that they will also be disposed to trust Him on this new spiritual mission.

The same is true in our lives. When God entrusts us with a mission to share the Gospel with another, He will often do so in a way that requires great trust on our part. He will send us forth “empty-handed,” so to speak, so that we will learn to rely upon His gentle guidance. Sharing the Gospel with another is an incredible privilege, and we must realize that we will be successful only if we rely wholeheartedly upon the providence of God.

Reflect, today, upon those to whom you sense God wants you to reach out to with the Gospel. How do you do this? The answer is quite simple. You do so only by relying upon the providence of God. Step out in faith, listen to His guiding voice every step of the way, and know that His providence is the only way that the Gospel message will be effectively shared.

My trustworthy Lord, I accept Your call to go forth and to share Your love and mercy with others. Help me to always rely upon You and Your providence for my mission in life. Use me as You will and help me to trust in Your guiding hand for the upbuilding of Your glorious Kingdom on earth. Amen