Serious Admonitions

Tuesday, February, 6, 2007 -- Week of 5 Epiphany; Year One

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 946)
Psalms 78:1-39 (morning) // 78:40-72 (evening)
Isaiah 59:1-15a
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Mark 9:42-50

Our passages from Mark underline the seriousness and radicalism of Jesus' message. Living an authentic life, faithful to the values of Christ's compassion and love, is more important than physical disfigurement. The phrases are repeated: if part of you causes you to stumble, it is better to live without that part than to be thrown into "Gehenna." Gehenna was a narrow valley just outside the wall of Jerusalem which served as the city dump. Garbage of all kind stayed there rocking perpetually. Fires burned continually to try to moderate the stench. Sometimes the bodies of criminals or the executed would be thrown there. It was a vivid metaphor.

One of the characteristics of many of the older and classic works of spiritual direction is their emphasis on the importance of our struggle against wrong action and thought. These classic texts are filled with admonitions on behalf of the struggle for faithfulness and goodness. This excerpt from Jean Pierre de Caussade caught my attention last night:

"If you really have a good will, if you are seriously and earnestly resolved to belong to God, you ought to make every effort to maintain yourself in peace in order not to give the lie to the message of the angels: ' Peace to men of good will.'

"The greatest evil in your soul at present is that of anxiety, uneasiness and interior agitation. This malady is, thank God, not incurable, but as long as it remains unhealed it cannot but be even more dangerous than painful to you.

"Interior disturbance renders the soul incapable of listening to and following the voice of the divine Spirit, of receiving the sweet and delightful impressions of his grace, and of applying itself to devotional exercises and to exterior duties.

"It is the same with such sick and afflicted souls as with bodies enfeebled by fever, which cannot accomplish any serious task until delivered from their malady.

"The health of the body can only be restored by three means: obedience to the physician, rest, and good food. These are, likewise, the three means of restoring peace and health to a soul that is agitated, sick, and almost in agony."

De Caussade offers a compelling spiritual image. The health of the spirit can only be restored by three means: obedience to the Physician, rest, and spiritual nurture. If your hand, foot or eye causes you to stumble, it is diseased and subject to dismemberment. Return to obedience to God, seek rest and renewal for the soul.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.