This is the fourth installment of the Lent series examining the spiritual journey from the wilderness back home to God. In this video, presenter Fr Michael Tran explores the essential role of community and the Church. Fr Michael challenges the myth of the “private” spiritual life. He reflects on why Jesus sent the disciples out “two by two” and how our brothers and sisters in Christ carry us when we are weak. Whether it’s a friend, a stranger or the person in the pew next to you, we are reminded that we belong to one another because we belong to Him.
These videos can be used as an inspirational companion series for parish groups and people undertaking a Lenten prayer journey. Continue watching the series each week of Lent to follow Fr Michael as he travels across dusty roads, seasides, and forests sharing the wisdom of the Church.
Transcript
You know, one of the biggest lies the devil tells us: that we are alone. That this journey is just “me and my problems”, “my sins” or “my failures”. And we start to think that if we can’t find our own way out, then we are stuck here forever. But look at the Gospels. Jesus didn’t send the disciples one by one. He sent them two by two. He knew that when one of us stumbles, the other is there to lift him up. He knew that when one of us loses heart, the other can speak of the promises of home. Sometimes, we find our way back home because someone else took our hand and showed us the way. Maybe it is a friend who listens, a stranger who shows kindness, or the person sitting in the pew next to you whom you have never spoken to. Jesus shows us that the people around us, aren’t strangers, they aren’t background characters in your story. They are your brothers and sisters. Because when Jesus ascended into Heaven, He didn’t give us a Bible, He gave us a Church and a leader. It seems, more than anything, Christ wanted us to know we belong to each other because we belong to Him. “We are One Body, with Many Parts”, as St Paul writes. When you struggle to pray, I am praying for you and with you. When I am weak, your faith carries me. We are God’s people. So this journey out of the wilderness, this journey home, none of us walk it alone. The spiritual life is not a private path. It is one we walk with others, for others, just as Christ has showed us.