Introduction
Like chalk and cheese .. sort of … are the two pharmacists where I go to get my prescriptions filled. One is very matter-of-fact, focused on transactions. Always polite and gentle, but somewhat distant. The other, also polite and gentle, but also very much into building relationships with her customers.
Her action reminds me of a passage from the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem),
“God saw that all He had made was very good” (Gen. 1:31). This natural goodness of theirs takes on a special dignity as a result of their relation to the human person, for whose service they were created. It has pleased God to unite all things, both natural and supernatural, in Christ Jesus “so that in all things He may have the first place” (Col. 1:18). (n. 7)
Our actions as followers of Jesus do not have to be all-consuming and “out there”. Showing interest in others and being kind, generous and concerned for their well-being is effective action. Joseph Cardijn describes this in Laypeople into Action:
The apostolate of the layperson, specifically as a layperson, is therefore that of their daily life, of their ordinary environment, as regards all the problems and responsibilities this life creates, both for themselves and for those closest to them, for whom they bear a responsibility.
If used as intended, the Gospel Enquiry will assist its users in their quest to put their faith into action in ways that bring glory to God and help to build the Kingdom.
The Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’ (Luke 11:5-13)
The Enquiry
See
What advice does Jesus give about prayer? What does his advice reveal about his relationship with God?
Why does he give this advice to his disciples? Look at what happens in Chapter 10 of Luke’s Gospel and also in 11:1-4. What do you learn about his motives for telling them about how to pray?
What happens when people follow his advice about how to pray?
Judge
What do you think about his teaching about prayer? Is it in keeping with your experience of prayer?
How would you describe the ideal relationship between God and believers?
Where is the ideal to be found in Jesus’ teaching about prayer? Is his teaching easy or difficult to live by?
Act
What is Jesus trying to change in the world? In you?
What small action can you carry out that will contribute to the change Jesus wants to see in the world and in you?
Who can you involve in your action, when, where and how often?
Image Source: Elias Pirasteh (Creator), Knock the Door! Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Worth reading: Cardijn, J. (1964). Laypeople into Action. Originally published in French in 1963, this is the only book written by Cardinal Joseph Cardijn. The book was translated into English by Anne Heggie and published in 1964 as Laymen into Action. Almost 60 years later, ATF Press released an imprint of this classic. You may order a copy here. Cardijn’s words quoted in the Introduction were taken from Chapter 7: “Dimensions of the Lay Apostolate.”