LOVE THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME

I am told that the Sermon on the Mount--the essence of Jesus' teaching--is the least quoted in official Catholic Church documents.  -- Fr Richard's Daily Meditation, May 25, 2016

Considering how often in my early years I turned away from the Sermon, the least quoted fact is not surprising to me. 

My spiritual guidebook has become the Sermon on the Mount from the King James version of the Bible (chosen on purpose, the hardest-to-understand version for me). There are many versions of the Sermon, each one a tish softer than the previous one. For me, softer is not better just easier.

Early on the Sermon was anathema to me. My unchartered and wary mind took it as the words of a moralistic poohbah. I had to lay down my mental sword and shield and pray thank you...a lot...before my resistance to Jesus then to his Sermon would give an inch. Hard times...entirely self-determined times. 

The good news is that when we keep returning to the Sermon, searching for we know not what...we will be lifted up to the underlying message. We will be living that underlying message for some time before we can recognize, then accept, then welcome the changes in us. That comes most often when, at peace, we are looking back.

My attempts at living the Sermon have been my earthbound spiritual education...learning that the majority of the time is 51 percent for instance. Before spiritual growth became a necessity to me, 100 percent was the only acceptable measure of anything...so I did nothing. 

Today, I aim as high as it is reasonable for me to expect to go at that time; I like to aim for 100 percent, with 75-80 percent being respectable. Often 51 percent is close enough to perfect for me and hitting anything above 51 percent is not shabby. 

That may be the essence of my spiritual growth...I have learned to love me and thee imperfectly the majority of the time...which is perfectly acceptable to me and the God of my understanding.

Thank you.