“Lord, we ain’t what we want to be;
we ain’t what we ought to be;
we ain’t what we gonna be,
but, thank God,
we ain’t what we was.”
An American preacher and former slave quoted by Martin Luther King Jr.
(gleaned from http://anglicancontinuum.blogspot.com/2008/11/farewell.html)
I stress several things over in over in my homilies, and often in private sessions in confession. I hope you know what they are! This quote sums up one of those themes.
Since the Christian life is about change, we should be able to recognize changes to the good and bad in our way of life, always knowing that we have not yet reached perfection. Humility does NOT mean that we should not recognize when we have changes to the better! This quote captures the right spirit we should maintain – a sense of not doing enough, with a profound thankfulness that we have done something good, with God helping us.
Today’s readings are really good. I want to write something about them, but cannot seem to get anything down. Please read them on your own.
“Today’s readings are really good.” What an understatement! I feel compelled to comment briefly on the first line of the epistle reading: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
This really sums it up, doesn’t it? The rest of the reading is full of examples of how to do this is particular life situations, and is a valuable guide for our behaviour day-in and day-out. This first verse could profitably be taped to a computer screen and read at the beginning of each day. How would our lives be changed if we evaluated our actions be this criterion? “Is what I’m about to do something that I can do in the name of the Lord? Am I giving thanks for everything – good and bad – that He has sent to me?”