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Before
the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from
this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he
loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son
of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully
aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had
come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took
off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his
waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the
disciple’s feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.
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Red
Hot Chili Pepper’s song, "Dani California" speaks of
a person who was not aware of what should have happened in her
life. They begin the song with the start of Dani’s
life: "Getting born in the State of Mississippi, papa was a
copper and mama was a hippie," and by the end of the song, she
had lived a hard life, pushing it to the limit, and finally died at the
hands of a North Dakota man in a gun battle. It is a statement
about the life of someone who did not live as she should have. In
other words, even though she was loved by her
boyfriend--"She’s my priestess, I’m your
priest," they sing--she did not seem to be aware of what she
should have learned from love and life.
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Maturity
has been defined in many ways, but perhaps one of the best ways to
understand
it is from the perspective of awareness. If we become fully aware
of something, we have maturely considered the possibilities and
ramifications of our actions and thoughts. If there was anyone in
history who was fully aware of what he wanted to
accomplish, it was Jesus Christ. One of the concepts he wanted to
teach his apostles was the idea of service to others. Washing his
disciples' feet, Jesus was
fully aware of what he was doing, that is, he knew what he was all
about; he knew what he
wanted to teach.
Most people grow old within a small circle of ideas, most of which have been given to them. They are not wrong, so much, as they are without thought. Many of us simply go through our lives without being aware that life is so much more than what we think it is. To become aware means to understand the many options that we have, and deliberately choose on the basis of an active belief and acceptance of self. Dani California in Red Hot Chili Pepper’s song went through life, it would seem, without being aware of the possibilities that she had. She allowed her life to be governed by her own wants and never really reached full maturity. There are so many people like that in our world. The fact is that, no matter what our past, we have the chance to choose maturity in life, allowing for the possibilities of virtues like service to others, and the like, to be part of who we are. |
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THOUGHT
In
your opinion, what are the principal characteristics of maturity?
PRAYER Good
and gracious God, your Son was fully aware of what he wanted to do for
us, and he accomplished it. Help us be fully aware of your
presence in our lives so that we can develop into the mature person
that you desire us to be. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |