A Catholic Jesus

Last week I met an old friend. He used to be my spiritual director, some years ago, and is now retired. He is (still) a Catholic Priest. You don’t actually retire from this, but remain a ‘priest for ever’. Nevertheless, he is now adapting to life without responsibilities, although still able to conduct Mass in several local churches, to keep his hand in.

We had a coffee and catchup chat in Costa, and reminisced. But what I really like about him is his cheerfulness and positivity, and above all, his infectious love for Jesus and the Gospel. I reminded him of an ecumenical conference he had been to, where, he had observed, none of the speakers once spoke about Jesus. And that is his abiding concern for the church, in general not just Catholics, that although we discuss many worthy subjects, we’ve stopped talking about Jesus – the Lover of Our Souls.

Learning to Pray

It is easy to criticise those who pray for healing or material provision, especially when we come from a comfortable, suburban or academic, social location. Sociology often shapes theology, frequently unconsciously. Prosperity teaching appeals frequently to the urban poor and immigrants, who desperately need God to come through for them.

It was in the inner city that I learned to pray, for example, for finances, not when ministering to rich millionaires, but asking God to provide for people’s rent, bills, and debts. Low level stuff. Prayer ministry lines developed, to intercede for immigration visas and housing problems, not goose-bumps for middle class charismatics.