This week we Lectio the Liturgy with the Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time.
By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God, may we walk eagerly in that same charity with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Does anyone else like to make lists? I even thought of developing a book in which the first few pages are set aside to make a list of the lists that are in the book. I have a list of what to take when I go on retreat and what to take on a pilgrimage. I’ve figured out to keep the grocery list on my phone so I always have it. I have a list movies I’ve been told are good, and I have a list of recipes to try. How many things I actually cross off those lists shall remain unmentioned, but at least I’ve got a list.
Why all the talk about lists? Because in the prayer, the “help” of God is found in the Latin form of the prayer as opitulante which means to bring aid. The help we are asking for are for the things we need to eagerly walk in that same charity that Jesus did when He gave Himself up to die for us.
As I thought about what I might need to walk eagerly out of love for the world, it occurred to me that this “walk” is the path of discipleship. What does being a disciple look like? A disciple loves Jesus above all. They practice self-denial and total commitment, and they remain true to Jesus’ words. They also love others as Jesus loved them.
In order to eagerly walk this path of love what do you need? What things would be on your list?
Charity is defined as life-giving love, so the first thing on the list would be that we might to ask for the grace of desire. We are going to need that grace as we ask for holiness, or perfection in love, so we can love that much. We might need a heart with less stone and more flesh. We might need to learn a lot more do be a disciple, too. And some extra patience might be helpful, too.
Instead of a list that looks really difficult, I’ve got some good news for you. Instead of a list of help, all we need is a helper. The Holy Spirit isn’t just our Advocate, He shows us the things of Christ and teaches us all things. He brings to mind what we should say, He dwells in believers, convicts of sin, and He is - you guessed it - a Helper.
In the prayer we ask that we would love like Jesus. Before we decide that it is impossible, consider this: Jesus became man, so that mankind could become divine.
To say that I could never be that holy would be true. In our own human nature we can’t. And that statement would also be false, because Jesus makes it possible. Our Helper, the Holy Spirit, is the action of God. We don’t need a list, we just need to be open to the work of the Helper.