a lawless blog

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 Sixth Sunday of Easter B
May 13, 2012

Reading I: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Responsorial Psalm: 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4
Reading II: 1 John 4:7-10
Gospel: John 15:9-17

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051312.cfm

We can read the gospels in different ways. We can look at them as history, giving us an account of the life of Jesus; we can mine the gospels for his teaching, identifying key elements that we might call 'dogmas'; we can pick out of items that inspire us, or we can treat the gospel as a puzzle, a mystery text that offers endless scope for interpretation and application to a variety of situations that occur in life.

Last week we noticed that, in declaring himself the true vine and pointing out that the Father was like a vine-dresser, Jesus added that 'you are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you', and we went on to list a few words that might be seen as cutting/pruning words.

Then Sue suggested that the pruning could be pointing to spiritual direction, and this led me to wonder whether John's gospel could be read as a text of spiritual guidance. Whether, in fact, it was written not as further history or clarification of the teaching of Jesus, but precisely as a spiritual guide on the way he taught how to live life.

What is a spiritual director meant to be for? I hope others will enlarge on this more than I can. Sue has indicated that she has looked into the practice in Buddhism and other religious traditions. My own experience tells me that spiritual direction is a tradition held in great honour in the church, but not practised much. To seek regular guidance is not common among catholics, and there is no strong tradition of holding up certain persons as wise, experienced and practical guides for the individual who comes seeking god.

Briefly, I think the purpose or value of having a spiritual guide is to have someone who can help you to open your eyes, to recognise the rocks in your head - the ones you stumble over again and again, a person who can lead you to look at something from another side, one who gets to know you pretty well through and through, and in some ways becomes closer than a friend... and so on.

Coming back to John's gospel, the chapters we are reading from are commonly headed: 'The Discourse of Jesus after the Last Supper'. This is unfortunate, not only because it seems unlikely that Jesus gave a lengthy 'discourse' of this kind on that occasion (the synoptics say that he ended the meal with an urgent: Come on, let's go.), but also because a discourse implies teaching or instruction. Had it been entitled 'The Musings of the Master after the Meal' it might come closer to the mood of these pages.

However, I really think that John has taken occasion here to give us a summary of the spirituality that Jesus shared with them. John's brevity, his staccato style, his omission of explanatory linking passages such as writers normally use to show how one thought flows on to the next, these characteristics force us to focus on words, phrases or small sections separately from the whole. This can be very useful in meditation as these elements become something of a mantra in the 'words of Jesus'.

I would like to go one step further: If I were to take up the words in today's gospel, looking for spiritual guidance, how would I read them? Let's try the first few lines:

+++

"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love."

My spiritual guide begins with an attempt to make me aware of a basic principle of life. He tells me that for him the origin of everything is love. If we can get that established, then we have a starting point that is positive and expansive, which is the opposite to a negative starting point that would include or imply fear and cringing.

He tells me that his experience is one of being loved, and he suggests that I share in that experience by accepting that I, too, am loved. He says he extends the love he receives as a gift to me. And then he says that I should try to make that a firm conviction, like solid ground that I can build on. [Remain in my love.]

+++

"If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father"s commandments
and remain in his love.

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and your joy might be complete."

Then John has him say something about keeping his commandments. This is confusing. Commandments, rules to be kept, orders to be followed are all the stuff of fear and subjection. Love cannot be commanded.

I wonder whether John was looking for a better way to say this. In the language of his day did it sound not as harsh as it does to us? My spiritual guide smiles gently at this point because he wants to reassure me that it is not, after all, that difficult to hold onto this positive grounding we have established: but you will need to be faithful, to put trust in me and to keep that trust without wavering - just as I have learned to trust life, to trust love, to trust 'my Father'. No, it's not about 'doing what you're told!', about obedience, but about going out of your self and holding on to love. 

This is imperative. We lay this down as a first principle of growth. Without a foundation to stand on you will falter.

It's about having this positive attitude at the core of your consciousness, such that whatever happens there is a kind of joy inside you, a peace perhaps, a trust, even a contentment. Every thing is all right! At times, in a way, it can be a complete joy even when everything is all wrong for you. Now just stay there...

+++

I wonder does this sort of reading of the gospel allow us to draw the benefits that a spiritual guide might provide without actually having to spend time face to face with such a person. After all, it is not easy to find someone with the knowledge, the wisdom, the experience, the patience, the self-possession and the time to be 'my' guide. Psychologists and counsellors can do this sort of thing with professional competence and sometimes with personal charism, but somehow it seems that we should be able to have this nourishment in our community without paying professional fees. Given the shaky condition of local communities at the moment, I don't think anything will happen in this area in the short term, even if the value of spiritual direction became recognised as a priority.