Clearing the Clutter with Dcn Paul: Episode 2 - Why do I prioritise God over other worldly things?

1 00:00:00,432 --> 00:00:02,340 The second Sunday of Lent’s Gospel 2 00:00:02,340 --> 00:00:05,753 has Jesus with Peter, James, and John on a mountain, 3 00:00:05,753 --> 00:00:07,877 where Jesus is transformed 4 00:00:07,877 --> 00:00:10,059 and revealed as ‘the beloved, my son’. 5 00:00:10,395 --> 00:00:12,317 Jesus is then worshipped by them. 6 00:00:12,597 --> 00:00:16,238 Now, the idea of worship may sound strange to modern ears, 7 00:00:16,238 --> 00:00:21,360 but American thinker David Foster Wallace points out that everyone worships something 8 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,871 the only choice we have is what we worship. 9 00:00:24,845 --> 00:00:26,629 The key is in choosing wisely. 10 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,249 Worshiping material things like money or 11 00:00:30,249 --> 00:00:32,376 superficial traits like physical beauty 12 00:00:32,376 --> 00:00:34,677 leads to never feeling satisfied 13 00:00:34,677 --> 00:00:36,210 or always feeling inadequate. 14 00:00:36,759 --> 00:00:39,821 Worship power, you will feel weak and afraid, 15 00:00:39,821 --> 00:00:43,667 and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay, 16 00:00:43,667 --> 00:00:45,385 and so on, you get the picture. 17 00:00:45,930 --> 00:00:47,780 Wallace suggests that a reason for choosing 18 00:00:47,780 --> 00:00:50,585 some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship 19 00:00:50,585 --> 00:00:52,949 is that pretty much anything else you worship 20 00:00:52,949 --> 00:00:54,910 will confuse and eat you alive. 21 00:00:59,187 --> 00:01:00,650 Greetings, 22 00:01:00,650 --> 00:01:03,160 I have been asked the question, 23 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,224 'why do I prioritise God over other worldly things?' 24 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,665 But first, let me introduce myself. 25 00:01:11,091 --> 00:01:12,456 I'm Denise, 26 00:01:12,456 --> 00:01:16,256 I've been married to Jim sixty years in a month or so 27 00:01:16,256 --> 00:01:20,239 and I am a mother, a grandmother, and a great grandmother. 28 00:01:21,302 --> 00:01:26,000 I have been involved in this Archdiocese for many, many years, 29 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,713 employed at a variety of jobs 30 00:01:28,713 --> 00:01:31,714 including Catholic hospitals, schools, 31 00:01:31,714 --> 00:01:34,064 parishes and volunteering. 32 00:01:35,072 --> 00:01:36,794 The question, 33 00:01:36,794 --> 00:01:41,403 'why do I prioritise God over other worldly things?' 34 00:01:42,389 --> 00:01:45,520 Because God is my life, 35 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:47,572 every breath I breathe 36 00:01:47,572 --> 00:01:50,027 is God loving me into life. 37 00:01:50,923 --> 00:01:52,776 And it is only God, 38 00:01:52,776 --> 00:01:55,888 through Jesus and the Holy Spirit 39 00:01:55,888 --> 00:02:00,585 that the yearnings of my heart and soul can be satisfied. 40 00:02:01,828 --> 00:02:03,195 Sometimes though, 41 00:02:03,195 --> 00:02:05,736 I feel I live in a parallel universe. 42 00:02:06,184 --> 00:02:08,120 Spiritual and secular. 43 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,667 How I can so easily become immersed in the futile, 44 00:02:12,667 --> 00:02:15,238 the practical, the externals, 45 00:02:15,238 --> 00:02:18,734 that I ignore my Spiritual yearnings for the Father 46 00:02:18,734 --> 00:02:20,530 and try to go it alone. 47 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,566 That is when my life becomes chaotic and messy 48 00:02:25,566 --> 00:02:27,192 which can and does happen. 49 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,214 I do need to be practical also though, 50 00:02:31,214 --> 00:02:33,000 to function in this world. 51 00:02:33,717 --> 00:02:38,593 To be at peace I need to ‘marry’ the practical with the Spiritual 52 00:02:38,593 --> 00:02:41,329 so that my yearning for the Living Water 53 00:02:41,329 --> 00:02:42,920 is my constant guide. 54 00:02:43,547 --> 00:02:47,741 'O God you are my God for you I yearn', 55 00:02:47,741 --> 00:02:49,151 from Psalm 64. 56 00:02:50,013 --> 00:02:54,314 Consequently each and every ‘cross’ becomes a stepping stone 57 00:02:54,314 --> 00:02:58,288 back to the safe harbour of love, peace and hope. 58 00:02:59,049 --> 00:03:03,480 And in this year of Jubilee I am indeed, a pilgrim of Hope 59 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,741 as God continually and gently calls me back, 60 00:03:07,741 --> 00:03:11,174 'come then my love, my beloved one come', 61 00:03:11,174 --> 00:03:12,501 from Song of Songs. 62 00:03:13,576 --> 00:03:19,784 Being retired I am now able to spend much more time in prayer and reflection 63 00:03:19,784 --> 00:03:24,563 which is such blessing and helps me to hear my God 64 00:03:24,563 --> 00:03:27,197 with the ears of my heart 65 00:03:27,197 --> 00:03:29,621 and God tells me in Isaiah, 66 00:03:29,621 --> 00:03:33,167 'do not be afraid, I have called you by name 67 00:03:33,167 --> 00:03:35,561 because you are precious to me, 68 00:03:35,561 --> 00:03:38,639 and because I love you and give you honour'. 69 00:03:39,692 --> 00:03:44,933 Imagine God not only loves me, He honours me as well! 70 00:03:46,226 --> 00:03:48,981 Being so loved and empowered 71 00:03:48,981 --> 00:03:52,269 I continually return to my God 72 00:03:52,269 --> 00:03:54,286 through the Crucified One 73 00:03:54,286 --> 00:03:56,384 by the power of their Spirit. 74 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:57,940 Amen.