UNPACKINGFr. Jeremiah Shryock, CFREvery time I travel I always seem to encounter a common scen
UNPACKINGFr. Jeremiah Shryock, CFREvery time I travel I always seem to encounter a common scenario. As passengers are boarding the plane, there is always one person who believes that his bag, despite being too big, can fit in the last tiny space available in the overhead bins. While the flight attendant arrives to assess the situation, a simple look at the bag is often sufficient for them to determine whether the bag will fit. “I’m sorry,” they often say, “the bag won’t fit. We can check your bag and you can pick it up at baggage when we arrive at our destination.”“No, I think I can make it fit,” the passenger often responds, which is followed by a minute or two of pushing, maneuvering, and attempting to manipulate the space that simply isn’t there. “It’s not going to fit,” the flight attendant says again with a smile. “Let me take your bag and check it.” With a look of confusion on his face, the passenger generally surrenders his bag to the flight attendant and sits down, looking somewhat annoyed and confused. Unfortunately, this is not just one random passenger on a particular flight. This is the way most of us approach life. We are greatly over-packed. Our society has convinced us that our lives are inadequate. We are often told what is wrong with our bodies, families, careers, etc. The answer, society concludes, is waiting for us “out there,” whether it is in the form of a surgery, a new job, or some other thing that promises to perfect our many imperfections. Before we know it, our homes, workplaces, and more importantly, our hearts, are filled with stuff that we never needed. A similar tragedy is played out in the spiritual life as well. I have often met people who believe that being a good Christian comes from reading certain books, attending certain retreats and being active in various ministries. They are often shocked when they discover a fellow Christian who is not walking an identical path. “How could you have not read this book or attended this retreat,” they often ask, as if holiness were merely the result of completing a spiritual checklist. Unfortunately, these spiritual demands often result not in transformation, but burnout. The spiritual life is not a process of acquiring things, but more a process of getting rid of things. Of course reading books, attending retreats and becoming involved in ministry are all important and necessary components of a well-balanced Christian life. However, the purpose of these things is to awaken, not install, God’s life within us. The reason for this is simple. In Christ, we already have everything we need. The problem is, we don’t realize it. St. Paul reminds us “I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge…so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift” (1 Corinthians 1:4-4-7). When I mention these words to individuals in spiritual direction or to a group on retreat, most people struggle to believe them. In fact, most of us believe the opposite. When I first began preaching, the first place I would go to prepare was not the chapel, but the library. I would spend almost my entire prayer time not praying, but reading commentaries and everybody else’s thoughts on the Scriptures because I believed I lacked the necessary gifts to preach effectively. Thankfully, this process was so exhausting that it only lasted a few weeks. Now, most if not all of my preparation for homilies occurs, not by reading commentaries, but by sitting in silence before God in prayer. Once I unpacked the clutter, I found I had more room for God. So where do we start unpacking? The most obvious thing to start unpacking is sin. It is no coincidence that the first words we read of Jesus are “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). Why does Jesus begin here? Let’s take an example from everyday human experience. If one spouse spends an entire week ignoring or speaking unkindly toward the other, their relationship is going to be strained. That behavior might not destroy the marriage, but it does damage it and creates a rift. A simple “I’m sorry,” followed by love and respect can begin healing and strengthening that relationship. What is true in human relationships is also true in our relationship with God. Every one of us at times does, says or thinks things that are contrary to what Jesus has revealed to us. If there is some sin in our life that we are struggling with then that is the place where this unpacking needs to begin. To facilitate this unpacking, we must cultivate friendships that promote holiness and not worldliness. We must avoid those places or situations that tempt us and can lead us astray. We must give God time each day in prayer and, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, humbly confess our sins with absolute confidence in God’s mercy. Through these simple means, we can begin to unpack some things that have been weighing us down. All of this, of course, is usually not an overnight process, but one that requires patience, trust and fidelity. Jesus himself says, “By your endurance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:19). Removing serious sin from our lives is, in many ways, only the beginning of Christian discipleship. There is still more unpacking to do. Each one of us carries a certain amount of baggage that needs to be purified by God’s grace. This baggage appears in many forms, whether it is through emotional and psychological wounds, painful memories we have repressed, or defense mechanisms that we have acquired to protect ourselves from life. Regardless of what form it takes, the baggage we are carrying cannot fit into the life God is inviting us to. The world, often with good intentions, wants us to believe that we are strong, competent and capable of anything. As Christians, we believe that our strength, competency and capability are not something we possess on our own, but something that is ours because of Christ who lives inside of us. St. Paul says it perfectly: “I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). To experience God’s strength in our lives does not require us going anywhere or doing something extraordinary. It is simply a process of unpacking, since in our ultimate destination, heaven, no baggage is necessary. With God, we have everything we need. -- source link