Matthew under the arm 107

Several weeks ago, Columba and I stopped by a rather half-hearted fountain in the middle of this admittedly picturesque little village. I pulled out from my bag some bread and broke some for Columba. He produced some rather pathetic looking tomatoes and an apple from his pockets which he shared with me. Next to us, two men and a women were having an animated discussion about someone else in the village. The absent subject of the conversation was having his personality torn to shreds, which is always the danger of gossip, of course. Columba stopped munching and looked at me, horrified. He turned to the group and said, 'Move on from your self-destruction'. They stopped and looked puzzled. Later he said to me that at least their puzzlement stopped their destructive conversation. 'As for you', he raised his voice to me, 'You were enjoying their gossip'. I was. We reached a crossroads and turned left. As I turned left, I broke into tears. Columba laughed and gave me some ginger from his little paper bag. 'Be ready on all occasions for the presence, the suffering, the death and the resurrection of Jesus', he added with a wink.



Matthew 22:1-14….
The ones who are at the crossroads are at least prepared to go in whichever direction they are called. They are waiting. But the waiting to which Christ alludes must include a personal readiness: a waiting on God. So we are summoned to be at the crossroads and to have all our affairs in order – the wedding garment. The Gospels writers assumed that readers would be familiar with the Kingdom of God being like a banquet, a wedding, a party. After all, the best parties are about relationships. Beautifully cooked food and prepared tables are a sign of love for the guests. Good parties and eating together are also a sign of a group ready to move on in their relationship. Once again the Kingdom of God is not seen as a place but as a process, a journey. Experience shows that the best parties take place on pilgrimages!


In stillness, let your heart and mind be aware of my call to follow My Way

In this exercise, if you can, go out for a brief walk with your bible. Notice the simple activities of how you prepare for this walk. Begin by noticing the environment of your walk: the weather, the street, path or pavement, the buildings, the natural world around you. Smell, look, feel. Stop for a few moments (in a safe and, if possible, inconspicuous place!) and read this passage twice. Then as you continue, recall the parable. Return to your place of prayer and use the sentence to deepen your awareness to Christ’s vocation and the state of your personal readiness.

+Martin
Argyll and The Isles