GET UP AND WALK

God loves us

The Bible is a love story between God and humankind. God loves us so much that He has a plan for each and every one of us. A plan of happiness and joy that calls for us to be like Him. ‘Be holy, as your heavenly Father is holy’ (Matthew 5:48). God does not ask of us what is beyond our reach. A good father would not burden his child with burdens that would crush them. To enable us to achieve what he asks of us, God provides us with the means, including the Church, the community, and the Word of God group for those who belong to it.

Our weaknesses and shortcomings

Everyone, if they are sincere, will recognise that God has placed within their reach the means to help them live their spiritual life well. Jesus said: ‘How many prophets would have loved to see what you see, and hear what you hear!’ In the same way, how many people would have loved to have what is spiritually made available to us, but have not had it, or have not yet had it!

Hindrances

Despite all the spiritual blessings within our reach, we are still severely hampered in our relationship with Jesus. Sometimes, we do not pray enough. Perhaps for a while during the year I prayed a great deal, but today I find myself in a state where my prayer life has waned, perhaps due to spiritual dryness or persistent distractions. Others who do pray are unable to have an intimate moment with Jesus every day. For others still, it is a lack of faithfulness to that intimate prayer they have resolved to offer daily. Yet faithfulness is a key aspect of a friendship. Sometimes, instead of seeking to please Jesus, we do things that displease him.

Does our love for others drive us to help them love Jesus too? Have I not lost some of my enthusiasm for evangelisation? ‘Evangelisation is the greatest act of charity,’ says Pope Benedict XVI (Message for Lent 2013). When I help someone to love Jesus and begin to seek to please him, I am giving that person eternal life. How many opportunities to share Jesus do we often miss: advice left unshared, invitations to retreats neglected, the shame of speaking about Jesus. Sometimes we have let others work alone instead of supporting them in parish or community work. Is this not also due to laziness? Spiritual laziness paralyses. Many of the faithful today have a spiritual life that is ailing and paralysed.

This does not mean that everything is going wrong in our lives. But if someone is healthy and even just one part of their body is unwell, they will face great difficulties. A single serious shortcoming in our spiritual life can greatly hinder us or even paralyse us.

Making an effort to get back on our feet

In the Gospel of John, chapter 5, we find the story of the man who had been paralysed for 38 years. It was Jesus who was able to heal him with his word: ‘Get up and walk.’ He took up his mat, stood up and walked. Jesus makes his grace available to us. ‘God, who created us without us, did not wish to save us without us,’ said Saint Augustine. Let us look at the areas of our lives where we are spiritually lazy. Let us make an effort to get back on our feet and walk. ‘Make every effort to confirm your calling and your election’ (2 Peter 1:10). ‘My friends, whilst you are waiting for this, make every effort so that he may find you pure and blameless’ (2 Peter 3:14). ‘Let us strive to know the Lord’ (Hos 6:3). May we make an effort to get back on our feet and walk, so that we may serve others better. The Great Word of God Retreats are a means to help us in this. Let us not neglect them. Anyone who refuses to make sufficient effort will remain handicapped, spiritually paralysed, and will either fall away or find that their friendship with Jesus has not grown enough. They will not bear much fruit.

Henri Bayemi