December 2, 2012
Physicians find
that a major part of their practice is medicating symptoms of illnesses.
Many times patients are reluctant to address the causes
behind a sickness,
especially if it
might suggest a need for some major shift in lifestyle.
Easier to take Mylanta,
for example, than explore the underlying reasons of a stressful life.
Likewise, mental
health professionals often discover that working with a client is little more
than "bandaging up" a hurting personality.
When the client
feels better, he or she usually terminates therapy.
A real
"cure" would necessitate delving beyond the symptoms of a particular
disorder into its roots;
not simply
learning better control of one's temper, for instance,
but discovering
what inside is generating so much anger in the first place.
But this is
something many clients have neither desire nor patience to do.
Better a
prescription for a tranquilizer than a probe into one's inner soul.
The second Sunday
of Advent encourages digging at the roots.
All the readings
today propose fundamental change.
The reading from
Baruch senses a radical shift in current events about to unfold, and exhorts
the people of Israel to "take off the garment of your sorrow and
affliction," and "put on forever the beauty of the glory from
God."
Paul's letter to
the Philippians encourages them to be "pure and blameless" in order
that they may fully experience the "day of Christ."
An old way of
life is to be put aside in order to enjoy the "fruits of
righteousness."
John the Baptist
appears in the gospel of Luke preaching a "baptism of repentance."
Preparation for
the coming of Christ would require a major change of heart.
Improvement
always means change.
If we hope for a
more productive and happy life, some changes in our life patterns will have to
occur.
Generally, the
deeper the change the better.
According to
today's readings, growing in the way of the Lord does not discount developing a
better prayer life, or performing works of charity,
but points to
something more radical:
a fundamental
change of heart.
This means going
beyond correcting petty faults and bothersome idiosyncrasies, and looking
deeply at what drives us.
Not only taking
measure of bad language, but of bad attitudes.
Not only
examining problems, but our priorities.
Not only
evaluating behavior, but our hearts.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Add