1 samuel 8:4-22; Ps 89 For ever I will sing the goodness of the lord; Mark 2:1-12
Today in the life of the church we remember St. Anthony of the Desert, the Abbot.
At the age of 18 he sold everything, sent his sister to a convent and headed for the desert, where he stayed for the next 87 years.
All of this began with the words he heard at the mass, "If you wish to be perfect, go sell all that you have. Give to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come. follow me."
Simple. Clear. Precise. Anthony took Jesus at his word. He didn't modify it. He didn't change it. He didn't alter it to fit his lifestyle. He took as it was and allowed the word of Christ to transform him, to guide him, to be the very foundation of his life.
So often we hear people speaking about the word of God and how they let the word of God guide them. But this isn't completely the reality.
What they really mean is they let there interpretation of the word guide them. They live in the spin.
Anthony does no such thing. He took it literal. He sold everything. He gave to the poor. He found treasure in heaven. He followed.
He went to place where following was unhindered by the noise and distraction of the world.
What about us?
Do we live in the spin or do let the unadulterated word of Christ guide us.
This is what Pope Francis is trying to revive in all of us: keep the word of God simple, don't complicate it, and live it as it is.
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