And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
I can’t imagine a world of the condemned, one with devils, snakes, and poisons. But today, Jesus asks us to imagine one. And then, he asks us to imagine another: a world of believers who are fearless and remain unharmed, who have gifts of language and heal with the touch of their hands.
Jesus asks us to “will” or to “choose” one world over the other: the world with the standard of the Other, of riches, honor and pride, or; the world with the standard of Christ, of service, liberation, and love.
St Ignatius knew that, in the end, there is no ground between these worlds: we must choose.
What is my heart’s desire? Which world do I believe in and choose?
—Carla Orlando coordinates Spiritual Direction Services for the Ignatian Spirituality Center in Seattle.
The King
You will find him among those who have nothing.
He is the man of any color unnoticed
In the back of the room.
Within all living ones,
Wherever there is respect, kindness, caring,
His kingdom is there.
The old ones realized that he followed
The heart of their teachings,
He was the king of their hearts.
He chose the difficult road,
The mysterious and dangerous road,
Bringing little with him.
He never left anyone out.
He despised only the actions of those
Who used jealousy and hatred
To advance their kingdoms.
His kingdom lives only in the inmost center
Of all living ones,
It manifests itself not outside,
In displays of arrogance and power;
But inside, in kind and courageous manners.
He is the king of their hearts.
No magic ever saved him
From the sharp edges of this world.
He accepted all burdens and pain.
In the midst of chaos and unbelievable cruelty
He stayed on his feet, his eyes focused
On the capacity for goodness in all living ones,
His gaze fixed on a gathering place not here,
Created only by love.
He is the king of all hearts.
—Pat Twohy, SJ
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