doing the easy part? 2nd week advent friday 2018

There is a saying which says, you do not put the cart before the horse. Obviously, the horse pulls the cart and not the other way around.  But many times this happens when we hear God’s word.  We only hear that which affirms us, we only hear that which is in agreement with our mindset or in consonance with our behavior.  But we dismiss or rationalize the word of God which judges us, that which convicts us, that which criticizes us.  And so we end up selecting only what we like to do or the easy things which Jesus demands of us.  And so we give alms to those in need because it is easy, but we cannot forgive because it is hard.  We pray because that is easy, but we cannot leave behind something we have already formed the habit of doing.  We become selective in our following of Jesus.  We just take the easy part.  We just do what we like.

St. John of the Cross our saint for today has a very practical advice so that we can grow in our faith.  He said in doing the good choose always to do the most difficult.  What is most difficult to do - to hate or to forgive? What is most difficult to do – to just go away or to confront?  What is most difficult - being patient or being angry.  You want to grow, choose to do the most difficult.