August 16th
When it's not COVID season, I enjoy the undeserved privilege of going to people's homes. Sometimes you get a sense of the vibe that is in the walls. There are some homes where the atmosphere is downright fractious. Nothing is said, nothing much happens and yet you know that all is not right and all is not as it should be.There are other homes where it is sweetness, light and comfort. This is a good place to be. People have loved and laughed here. You feel welcome and encompassed by the love that has been relished. This then is a sacred space and I want to reflect on some sacred spaces today. There are areas or spaces that are consciously set aside for the contemplation of and enjoyment of, the divine.
The space where God is sought and found.At an obvious level, our churches are a sacred space. They are consecrated, and set apart. Prayer is offered here and over the years, the walls soak up the prayers, like a sponge. In turn, when others come into our church, they are able to experience something of the divine. The rest of the noisy world is shut off and for a little while, sometimes all too briefly, it's just God and the individual.We might have a sacred space at home. An area that is designated just for contemplation and meditation. It might be a comfy chair, a little study nook or a seat at the table. There might be a crucifix, a bible or a favourite devotional book. This is the sacred space where the wrestle of prayer occurs, this where we sort God out and this where He sorts us out. This is the sacred space where we understand that it is OK to go very softly.
The world doesn’t have to be converted in a simple 3 point plan next week, and it really is alright if I am not perfect by September 12th.This area, this space… is just as important as the kitchen for both are sources of sustenance and nurture. And in these befuddling times we need to take very good care of ourselves and to make sure that we are fed both physically and spiritually.Then there is that sacred space deep within us. It is not a tangible space, but often we would point to our chest or heart if we had to describe where it was physically. This is the sacred space, where God seems to speak quietly, yet powerfully to us and often we have a heart full of things we want to offload onto Him.Mother Mary is another living, sacred space where God dwells. For 9 months she carried the saviour of the world in an intimate and beautiful way that no other human being experienced. She gave birth to the Saviour and thus she gave Him to the world. And in giving Him to the world, allowed Him to be vulnerable and to experience the worst that human beings can inflict on each other.When you think about it, God the Father could have chosen any woman, at any place, in any time in history. In his wisdom and love He chooses this teenage peasant lass from a backwater town, probably about the size of Coleraine, to be the mother of God.
Fr. David’s pet theory is that God chooses the lowly to thumb his nose at the haughty and to reassure the downtrodden. A bit like always barracking for the underdog at the footy. Like Mother Mary, we too are called to have a living intimacy with God’s Son. We are called to nurture Him in that sacred place deep within us. We are called to give Him and share Him with the world, so bursting is our joy, so great is this treasure, that we simply must share it with others. And when we think about it some more, if the body of Jesus is at the altar on Sunday, then so too Mother Mary must also be with us.Mother Mary made room for God in her life. Like all mothers she gave up not only physical space, but emotional, and psychological space. In that lovely irony, when you give up something for someone else, it finds you, comes back to you and floods your soul in ways that you could never imagine in your wildest longings and dreams.Mother Mary looked after the outward, physical space, but she also knew how to look after the inward, sacred space and that is what I would encourage you to do. It is what I know I need to do.
Recognise that the sacred space is around you and within. Nurture it, sustain it, allow it to grow and flourish. Weed out and prune the junk. Prosper the good stuff. Make room for God and take His written word which is His living word, into that sacred space within you. Then give it to those around you, so that all may delight in Him.