A Book filled with Gems
Fr. Jim McManus’ Hallowed be thy Name’
A priest friend once said to me that it’s always good to be reading a spiritual book. Recently I saw Fr. McManus’ book in the bookshop at the Diocesan Christian Education Centre in Crawley. I was told it was a good read so I bought it.
The core of the book talks about our self-esteem and how we judge ourselves.
If you listen to parents talking about their children, you can quickly see what they think is important. One parent said to me I have one son in Oxford and the other in London University studying medicine. We usually happily report the success of our children and our sometimes our own achievements. There’s nothing wrong with this unless we really think that success is the most important thing in life.
Can you imagine if you were with other parents and talking about your children and you said, ‘my son is a very caring and loving person.’ Actually I did hear that from someone in our parish. Usually not the first thing that pops into your mind when you’re talking about your children. According to McManus “we judge ourselves in the light of three things: what we have, what we do and what others think of us.” And every one of us knows that’s these are not God’s priorities; at least not according to what the Bible reveals.
The book says much about self-esteem and how thinking about the way the world judges gives many of us a feeling of low self-esteem. This is because our self-image was mostly formed by what other people said about us or thought of us.
But Fr. McManus says we should listen to what God is saying about his people: “We were made in the Image and likeness of God. We are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are God’s work of art. We can either listen to what God says about us, his people, or take on the negative judgment of the world around us”.
There was one young teenager back in Biblical times who seemed to be an outrageous braggart. She said: ‘Yes, from this day all generations will call me blessed…’ but of course what she had said immediately following that shows her humility: ‘for the Almighty has done great things for me.” It’s what God does for us that make us precious in his eyes.
We see ourselves truly only through the way God sees us and Mc Manus gives us some good biblical references to help us through God’s eyes: Image of God ( Genesis 1:26); Precious in God’s sight (Isaiah 43:2-4); God’s work of Art (Ephesians 2:10): Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and lastly You are Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12).
If we really took these on board we would have a valid self-esteem and not one based on what people say or what we can do or have.
Going back to the quote that we are ‘God’s work of Art’, I once teased a young priest when I told him each morning when I looked into the mirror I thanked God for the wonderful work he had made. He disapproved of what I said and thought I was conceited. I didn’t correct his misconception! I really don’t look into the mirror every morning and say that but I wish I did and I wish I believed it!
Further he quotes ‘Gaudium et Spes’: ‘We can discover our true self only in sincere self-giving.’ Once I am capable of accepting myself as God has accepted me then I can love and accept those around me. A person filled with self-hatred and negativity has difficulty in loving others.
He states towards the end of the book when he discusses the topic of contemplation:
“If we are truly entering into our deep heart we will begin to notice that we can accept ourselves just as we are, in an unconditional way, and that motivates us to ever deeper love and generosity.”
The gems of wisdom in this book continue through to the end. I often only read portions of a spiritual book – perhaps I think too much religion is dangerous! But this book has an ending worth reading. It talks about suffering and finding God in troubled times.
It basically tackles the most difficult question of all; why does a loving God allow so much evil in the world?
He answered this question by reference to a family who had lost a daughter when she was raped and murdered.
“‘Why didn’t God stop the murderer?’ They asked. That can be such a stumbling block. We believe that God is all loving and powerful. Then why doesn’t he stop wars, save the innocent, prevent disasters like earthquakes? ‘Our Blessed Lady could have asked that at the foot of the cross. Christ’s enemies did: As for the leaders they jeered at him. ‘He saved others’. They said ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’”(Luke 23-25)
His mother must have suffered terribly to see her son tortured and humiliated. As a parent this gives me comfort.
He then quotes Saint Paul’s answer to the question of evil: ‘With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain after such a gift, that he will not refuse us anything he can give…Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food and clothes or being threatened or even attacked.’
He states that, “To the person without faith, Paul’s answer is not answer; to the person with living faith no further answer is needed.”
The last gem I found at the end of the book. It was a personal statement showing his understanding of suffering:
“In the past few years of my life I have struggled with poor health. Optimists usually enjoy life to the full, and I am no exception! To experience physical weakness, to arrive at acknowledging my dependence on others, having to admit to being unreliable has brought me an awareness of my complete and utter dependence on God.”
I hope what I have written has encouraged you to read this book.
Paul Gruzalski
