Weekly reflection from the Jesuit Institute

This is this weeks reflection from the Jesuit institute in South Africa, it deals with the conflict in the Arab countries of North Africa by starting with a quote from the Qur'an. Nice approach. Enjoy:

Quotation:  "Whoever recommends and helps a good cause becomes a partner therein, and whoever recommends and helps an evil cause shares in its burden." (Qur’an, 4:85)

Reflection:  It is hard to know how to react to what is happening in Egypt.  At first our hearts might be gladdened by the sight of ‘people power’ on the streets: after all popular protest is something that helped bring down a bad government in South Africa. 

But then we might feel dismay and anger at the use of violence, certainly by the Government forces but also by some protestors.  Then we might feel concern that the protests are being orchestrated by certain groups or shock at the violation of great treasures in the museums.  And we might feel anxiety at what happens to peace in the Middle East if this stable but undemocratic regime falls, or fear for the plight of the Christian minority if there is a new Islamist government. 

The quote from the Qur’an reminds us always to return to understand the cause – for in that we will find the measure of what is of God and what is not.

Prayer:  God, the Almighty the Compassionate.  We ask your blessing on the people of Egypt and all the people of Africa.  Give wisdom, compassion and courage to those in authority, those on the streets and those with the power to influence. 
Amen.

Philosophy of the devil (Noses and diagnosis)

As the more observant of you may notice (from my reading list in the right hand margin) I am still reading The Karamazov Brothers. I know it is taking a very long time, but in my defense it is rather long (second only to War and Peace I believe). I have been totally enthralled in recent chapters. Not to give away too much of the story, but there is a delightful conversation between one of the brothers and the devil. The intellectual posturing is at times hilarious and at other times just fascinating. I would like to share with you what the devil thinks of philosophy (I know it is lengthy, but I promise it is worthwhile):

'Philosophy, indeed, when all my right side is numb and I am moaning and groaning. I've tried all the medical faculty: they can diagnose beautifully, they have the whole of your disease at their fingertips, but they've no idea how to cure you. There was an enthusiastic little student here, "You may die," said he, "but you'll know perfectly what you are dying of!" And then what a way they have of sending people to specialists! "We only diagnose," they say, "but go to such-and-such  a specialist, he'll cure you." The old doctor who used to cure all sorts of disease has completely disappeared, I assure you, now there are only specialists and they all advertise in the newspapers. If anything is wrong with your nose, they send you to Paris: there, they say, is a European specialist who cures noses. If you go to Paris, he'll look at your nose; I can only cure your right nostril, he'll tell you, for I don't cure the left nostril, that's not my specialty, but go to Vienna, there there's a specialist who will cure your left nostril. What are you to do? I fell back on popular remedies, a German doctor advised me to rub myself with honey and salt in the bath-house. Solely to get an extra bath I went, smeared myself all over and it did me no good at all. In despair I wrote to Count Mattei in Milan. He sent me a book and some drops, bless him, and, only fancy, Hoff's malt extract cured me! I bought it by accident, drank a bottle and a half of it, and I was ready to dance, it took it away completely. I made up my mind to write to the papers to thank him, I was prompted by a feeling of gratitude, and only fancy, it led to no end of bother: not a single paper would take my letter. "It would be very reactionary," they said, "no one will believe it. Le diable n'existe point (The devil does not exist). You'd better remain anonymous," they advised me. What use is a letter of thanks if it's anonymous? I laughed with the men at the newspaper office; "It is reactionary to believe in God in our days," I said, "but I'm the devil, so I may be believed in." "We quite understand that," they said. "Who doesn't believe in the devil? Yet it won't do, it might injure our reputation. As a joke, if you like." But I thought as a joke it wouldn't be very witty. So it wasn't printed. And do you know, I have felt sore about it to this day. My best feelings, gratitude, for instance, are literally denied me simply from my social position.'

Story of our lives (from Matthew Kelly)

I just received this in the Matthew Kelly newsletter yesterday. He really is an inspiration. See his website http://www.matthewkelly.org/ and for American readers there is the opportunity to receive a free copy of his book Rediscovering Catholicism (I highly, highly recommend it).

Ideas shape our lives. Ideas shape history. We all have a need for a constant flow of ideas that inspire us, challenge us, illumine our minds, teach us about ourselves and our world, show us what is possible, and encourage us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves.

We need a diet of the mind just as much as we need a diet of the body. The ideas we feed our mind today tend to form our lives tomorrow.
Think of it in this way: We become the stories we listen to. It doesn't matter if we get those stories from movies, music, television, newspapers, magazines, politicians, friends, or books-the stories we listen to form our lives.
If you want to understand any period in history, simply ask two questions: "Who were the storytellers?" and "What story were they telling?"
Winston Churchill, Francis of Assisi, Charlemagne, Napoleon, Charlie Chaplin, Adolf Hitler, Bob Dylan, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Nelson Mandela, and Jesus each told a story.
If you want to know how your nation will be different tomorrow from the way it was yesterday, find out how the stories your nation is listening to are different from the stories of yesterday. If you discover that the stories we are listening to have less meaning, contain more violence, and, rather than inspire us and raise our standards, appeal more and more to the lowest common denominator, you can be sure that in the future our lives will have less meaning, contain more violence, and be more focused on the lowest common denominator.
We become the stories we listen to. But perhaps the more important question is, what stories do you listen to? What stories are forming your life?

~ excerpt from The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion & Purpose

Fasting from cricket

I'd like to share some insight on the practice of fasting today. This insight comes from a rather odd source, I found it in my December 2010 issue of the South African version of Sports Illustrated.It contains an interview with one of the best batsmen in the world - South African Hashim Amla. Hashim is a devout Muslim who refuses to wear the team sponsors logo as it is an alcoholic beverage, very brave indeed. On the topic of fasting he has the following remarks:
"Fasting? I love it! Absolutely. Absolutely. I love it. What is there not to love about it? The physical discomfort? You get that in everything. You run 5km to gain fitness. It might hurt, but you know there's benefit in it. I think I've gained more out of fasting when we're playing or training than from the rest of the year. Purely from the mental side. It really is tough... it gives me a much better understanding of what I'm capable of... and what my body's capable of."
Very inspiring.
Catholic inspirational author Matthew Kelly (in his book Rediscovering Catholicism) has these words at the end of the chapter on fasting in the Catholic tradition:
"Our bodies are vehicles that God has given our souls to experience life in the material realm. Until you get a grip on your body, you will never get a grip on any area of your life."
So next time you have the opportunity to fast grab it with both hands and tame that demanding body of yours!