A while ago, I blogged about the Walk With Me series of pod casts available on the CJM website. There are a couple of 'conversion' stories from Craig and Pádraig, both students for the priesthood, based here at Oscott. They come from completely different backgrounds in terms of their finding of the Faith, each fascinating and each absorbing. The introduction, by our Rector, Mgr Crisp, invites us to think about our own journey of Faith, whilst listening to Craig's and Pádraig's tale.
Our individual journey, does, at least at first glance, seem private and individual and personal to each of us. Yet, our journey is one which is, fundamentally, shared. First with the Lord, and then with another and eventually with the whole Church. It is, whilst reflecting on my own 'individual' journey that I come to see, of course, that from the beginning, it was always a journey which was communal. Like the body of Christ which we are, as church, we are utterly dependant upon one another.
What happens to one has an effect upon each of the other parts of the body. Even if this might seem an insignificant effect, it is, nonetheless, an effect and we do not know the full extent of that effect. I suppose it is what a chaos theorist might term the butterfly effect, or even the China syndrome, for those of a 1980s background, like myself. The concept that a butterfly beats it's wings in one part of the world and a hurricane wind results elsewhere. What we consider of no effect, does in fact have a huge effect on someone else.
Whilst we are fasting, praying and giving alms throughout Lent. The temptation, to consider our meagre efforts make no difference outside our own individual world, can be strong, and we have to rely on Faith to sustain us in our darkest moments. At this point in Lent, perhaps when we have failed to be as strong as we initially hoped we might be, or even have slipped into pride that we are doing better than we had hoped, it is good to take stock and think of the effect we may already have brought about. Somewhere, the Kingdom of God is present as a direct result of the actions, or omissions, we have personally effected. You did it!
...As C S Lewis termed it,the 'Weight of Glory'.Also Mother Theresa when she said,"Let God use you without consulting you".I have a general tendency to like to hear of my good effect and run and hide from owning any destruction or neglect I may have assisted in.Keep pressing on regardless.
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