Today’s gospel reading is very short, just four verses:
“Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:“We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t be mourners.”‘For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”
After reading this passage, the working title I had for today’s post was “you just can’t win”.
Too often the process of education (both in families and schools) is motivated by a desire to please others so that they will give us the recognition, the rewards, the work and the money that we think we need in order to be fulfilled. While few of us would admit that we are people-pleasers it is easy to get caught in the trap.
And it is a trap since, as Jesus points out, even when we do what people say they want, they won’t be happy.
The personal cost of being motivated by the desire to fit in is a loss of personal integrity, and even a sense that we might have sold our souls
So if the response / reaction of others is not a stable measure of how well we are doing, where are we to look?
You know where I’m going with this: our only stability is found in personal integrity which is experienced in relationship with Jesus Christ.
An Invitation:
- Take a moment to consider what or who is motivating you in the projects that are important to you these days.
- You might like to print the Christmas poster at this link.
Thank you Father John for timely, wise guidance. Your emails are both challenging and an oasis of calm.
Thank you for your guidance and your thought provoking emails Father John. I try to keep them in mind as I go about my day.
Particularly at this time of year I find it hard to pause & that is exactly what I need to do do get back my stability with God & then reset for family & work
Thanks Father John. Reading your email is a wonderful start to my day. Thankyou for sharing your thoughts and teaching us and helping us understand more of the meanings behind scripture.
I suffered an injury a couple of month ago which stopped me in my tracks. Your daily postings have been my motivation to greet each day in the most positive light and reflect on what is really important. Thank you John.
Amen thanks for beautiful reflection Amen
Thank you Fr John and all the faithful pilgrimage on this journey. Lately I am being re directed and re motivated to make choices that nourishes my whole being, integrity, mindfulness, gratefulness, living well, and even to make my personal prayer effective and wholesome. It is a radical change with motivation and a mission. A journey to wholesome. It is a graced crossroads.
Thank you father John for your encouraging reflections to start the day with hope and meaning.
No sooner had I read
Motivations’ and our phone rang,asking us to deliver a food parcel, to a young person
That has No food at all,it is, motivation that is calling us to
serve those in need,may we Always be ready happy,to
Answer Gods Call
Thankyou Fr John,the humble
Family picture in the link,
Is REAL.
In the past I’ve tried,practiced and delivered and put it in God’s Hands When the arrows come flying they mostly have fallen short. That is because , mostly the Glory is The Lord’s. When I take on the arrows ‘who is the main Character ?’