SECTION 2: FORMATION AND TESTING Chapter 3: Hidden and Unknown in the World
Please join in prayer:
Holy Spirit and Holy Mother, please teach me which ideas to accept and which to reject in the world I live in.
We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God, Despise not our petitions in our necessities, But deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
Does anyone have comments about the previous chapter?
* * * * *
Let’s read our references for this chapter.
Scripture: “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” Letter to the Romans, 12:2
Church Documents: “ . . . the faithful . . . are to be guided by a Christian conscience, since not even in temporal business may any human activity be withdrawn from God’s dominion.” Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 1965
Marist Documents: “The secular city can swallow us.” Jan Snijders, S.M., The Age of Mary, page 126
* * * * *
THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES:
Hidden and Unknown in the World What is of God and what is not of God in the world? Discernment Exercise I I am the Lord, your God Discernment Exercise II Keep my commandments Discernment Exercise III Truth and Freedom
HIDDEN AND UNKNOWN IN THE WORLD
In the last chapter, we reflected on the Marist ideal of being hidden and unknown. As we know, the entire expression is “hidden and unknown in the world.” In this chapter, we will turn our attention to the words “in the world.”
Marists believe that Mary “is a person who is still actively present in today's world.” (See “Devotion to Mary,” Section I, Chapter 3). Like Mary, Marists are aware that the world is the place where we perform as Christians. It is a major part of doing the work of Mary to be “heads up” people who continually seek social, political, economic and cultural understanding of the world.
In the first chapter of this Invitation, we discussed the sacredness of each person’s own here and now. It is where God has put us; it is where we find God and where we find the work God has assigned to us. The here and now of other people’s lives is just as important to them. It will affect how they hear the Gospel. We must try our best to understand the here and now of those we are sent to in evangelization and ministry.
This understanding is one of the tools we need if we are to read the signs of our times and interpret them according to the Gospel. Our knowledge of the world includes an understanding of and commitment to the social teachings of the Church.
Unless we are competent in these areas, we cannot be effective in evangelization and ministry. We will not be able to help other people answer this question:
What is of God and what is not of God in the world we live in?
Obviously, people answer this question in many different ways. We will try to analyze a few ways of thinking that are common in the world today and thatlead to differences of opinion about what is good and what is bad.
* * * * *
WHAT IS OF GOD AND WHAT IS NOT OF GOD IN THE WORLD?
Let’s begin our discernment process by describing the world as we see it now. The following page has two columns headed: “Things of God” and “Things not of God.” List anything that comes to mind: trends, fads, institutions, behaviors, ways of thinking, practices, situations, special interest groups, civil laws . . .
We may match related items; for example, the pro-life movement and abortion.
We want to compile a master list that we can all use as a basis for discussion, so let’s share our thoughts and feel free to list all the ideas we hear.
* * * * *
DISCERNMENT EXERCISE I I am the Lord, your God
Scripture: “I, the LORD, am your god, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me.” Exodus 20:2-3
“Children, be on your guard against idols.” First Letter of John, 5:21
Church Documents: “To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the “nothingness of the creature” who would not exist but for God. To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name. The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2097
Definitions: Idolatry is the practice of worshipping false gods, of honoring the created with an honor that belongs to God alone, and of attributing power to the created that belongs to God alone.
An atheist is a person who does not believe God exists.
An agnostic is a person who believes it is impossible to determine if God exists.
Probably not many people are atheists in the literal sense of the word. Many more people believe God exists, but they have not put God in the center of their lives. God is considered to be more or less irrelevant, except perhaps in times of crisis. In the United States, we continually debate God’s place in public life.
Humankind seeks meaning and purpose. We can not stop asking questions such as these: Why was I created? Is there life after the death of the human body?What makes an action right or wrong?
When God is not central in people’s lives, they will turn to other things for meaning and purpose. In general, we can call these other things false gods.False gods come in many forms. Excessive activity and entertainment, material possessions, ambition, science and technology, comfort foods, careers, achievements, athletes, celebrities, and many other things can be false gods. Belief in horoscopes is an example of putting trust in the created instead of in God.
We can discern that people are worshipping false gods by observing their behavior. Where do they invest themselves and their skills, time, money and education? What is on their minds most of the time? Are they peaceful or agitated? Are they other-centered or self-centered?
Using the lists we made, which items in our “things not of God” column might be related to the worship of false gods?
Can people worship false gods without being aware of what they are doing?
Can we think of other behaviors or clues that help us discern the worship of false gods?
Which items on our list tell us that many people do worship the one, true God?
* * * * *
DISCERNMENT EXERCISE II Keep my commandments
Scripture: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.” Genesis 2:16-17
“The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments.” First Letter of John 2:3
Definitions: This section discusses the thinking behind what is known as “situational ethics” or “moral relativism.”
The world today tends to ignore God’s laws altogether, to edit them to suit the situation of the moment, or to place civil law above God’s law. This characteristic, of course, closely follows the practice of worshipping false gods. If we do not worship the one, true God, we can not have a high regard for God’s laws—the Ten Commandments.
The first three commandments address how we are to act toward God. They do not limit our actions in any way since there’s no end to how much we can grow in our love and service of God.
The other commandments address how we are to treat others. And these commandments do limit us. We are not to kill, steal, lie, defame, envy, think any thought or perform any action harmful to others. We are to respect those with legitimate authority over us. God is the author of these commandments. The quotation from Genesis that appears above tells us that God is the one who decides that certain actions are good or evil by their very nature. This instruction is the first instruction God gave to the first humans. We call these commandments “absolutes.”
Most people have some desire to be good people. But if God and God’s commandments are not central in their lives, they turn to other criteria for deciding whether actions are good or bad.
Some argue that the stated purpose of an action determines whether an action is good or evil (the ends justify the means). For example, some will argue that giving a person a lethal injection of a drug is good because doing so relieves the person’s suffering. They overlook the obvious result of this action.
Many people turn to human emotions and feelings as criteria for behavior. Expressions of sincerity, love, concern and peace can be used to defend nearly any behavior. There’s nothing wrong with human feelings and emotions in themselves. Indeed, God created these human characteristics. But they are subjective—that is, they are open to a different interpretation by every person. What one person defines as “good,” another may define as “bad.” The result is a blurring of good and evil. Anything goes. If it feels good, it’s okay.
Another problem involves society’s approach to suffering. People will go to great lengths to avoid suffering, especially if God and God’s laws are not central in people’s lives. When suffering becomes a reality that cannot be ignored, people may work to eliminate suffering by eliminating those who suffer. Or, they may decide to eliminate the suffering or inconvenience of one person by eliminating another person.
If people believe the authority for determining what is right and what is wrong lies in the individual, then the individual has become a false god.
When the basis for actions is something other than God’s laws, language gets turned on its head. “Quality of life” becomes a more important value than life itself. An unborn baby becomes a “choice.” Murder becomes “assisted suicide.”
People invent new individual “rights,” such as the right to privacy, and give them a place of primacy over God’s laws. Recognizing this kind of language and understanding the real intent of such language are skills we need to develop.
We must also be able to withstand accusations. Often, those who try to honor God’s laws are accused of being uncaring and unmerciful people. Or, they are accused of trying to impose their views on others, as though expressing their views is some sort of offense against freedom and tolerance.
Which items on our list can we relate to a disregard for God’s laws?
Which items are on our list because people do honor God’s authority and obey God’s commandments?
* * * * *
DISCERNMENT EXERCISE III Truth and Freedom
Scripture: “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
Church Documents “Certain currents of modern thought have gone so far as to exalt freedom to such an extent that it becomes an absolute, which would then be the source of values.” John Paul II, The Splendor of Truth, encyclical, 1993
John Paul II teaches us that a misunderstanding of human freedom is a major problem in today’s world where many have replaced “truth” with “freedom.”
Freedom itself can be a false god.
God is the source of true freedom. God created freedom by giving us free will. God protects each of us by placing limits on the behaviors of others (seven of the Ten Commandments). And, of course, God gave us free will so that we can make moral choices.
An example: we have a continuing debate in the United States about pornography. We place great value on freedom of speech, and rightly so. But pornography does tremendous damage to individuals and society. Has our society replaced “truth” with “freedom” in this matter?
What things of God on our list indicate that people understand that freedom has limits? That freedom does not mean “anything goes.”
If people with power claim that whatever they do in freedom is right and good, what might happen to the people who do not have power? Examples?
* * * * *
QUIET TIME
* * * * *
Let’s review our invitations for the coming month.
Closing prayer: Holy Spirit and Holy Mother, open my heart and mind and understanding to the world. Help me understand the peoples and places where I have been assigned.
Thank you for coming.
The Pondering Page for Quiet Time
“The secular city can swallow us.”Jan Snijders, S.M., The Age of Mary
It’s easy to look at our list of the good and bad we see in the world and say, “I know someone or some group that behaves in this way or that way.”
Instead, let’s look at our list and ask ourselves: To what extent have I allowed the secular city to swallow me? To what extent am I caught up in materialism? To what extent is my life chaotic because I am not centered in Jesus?
INVITATIONS
Prayer: Say every day: Holy Spirit and Holy Mother, open my mind and heart and understanding to the world. Help me understand the peoples and places where I have been assigned.
Reading: In A Certain Way, read pages 130-131. The articles on these pages define the world as a mission field for Christians.
Actions: Observe the world: newspapers, television programs, advertisements, behaviors, decisions of business, government and individuals, and language.
Record what you find—both the things of God and the things not of God.
Reflect on these questions:
What do I need to know about the world in order to discern what is of God and what is not of God?
How do I make decisions about my own thoughts and behavior?
How do I evaluate the thoughts and behaviors of others?
As a Christian, what do I have to offer the world?
Discuss these topics with others, if possible.
Our Marist Ways . . . . . . include Eucharistic Adoration. Early Marists, including Lay Marists, established chapels for Eucharistic Adoration, particularly nighttime adoration. St. Peter Julian Eymard, a Marist priest for many years, founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament which is dedicated to making known the mystery of the Eucharist.
The Ten Commandments
I, the LORD, am your God . . . .You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols . . . .
You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. . . .
Take care to keep holy the sabbath day as the LORD, your God, commanded you. . . .
Honor your father and your mother . . . .
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear dishonest witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
You shall not desire your neighbor’s house or field . . . nor anything that belongs to him.
(Audio Available)
