Last week in my reflection, I mentioned a prayer a friend had given me of the Missionaries of Charity about radiating Christ. A number of readers responded they would like to have a copy of the prayer. The prayer was already working on me, and those reader comments encouraged me to let it work some more. What exactly does “radiating Christ” mean? And why did these words especially challenge me: “Let them look up and see no longer me, but only you, oh Lord!”
Radiating Christ Prayer
I found the prayer in a book of Mother Teresa’s talks, Loving Jesus (Servant Books, 1991, p 43-44). It is attributed there to Cardinal Newman. Here is the prayer as it is written in that book:
Dear Lord, help me to spread your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only you, oh Lord! Stay with me, then I shall begin to shine as you do; so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, oh Lord, will be all from you; none of it will be mine; it will be you shining on others through me. Let me thus praise you in the way you love best, by shining on those around me.
Let me preach you without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to you. Amen.
[A note at the end of the book makes this comment, “This prayer and ‘Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,’ attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, are Mother Teresa’s favorites. They have both been incorporated into the daily devotions of her order. In the case of the prayer by Cardinal Newman, the Missionaries of Charity pray it every day at the end of mass.” p 159]Responding to the Prayer
How does the prayer affect you? It calls to me, almost haunts me. I identify that the struggle is that I want to radiate Christ—but with a stamp of my creativity on it. Hmmm.
No, I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works. I’m pretty sure radiating Christ means “the light, oh Lord, will be ALL from you; none of it will be mine; it will be you shining on others through me.”
Scriptures fly through my head, “Unless a grain of wheat shall fall to the ground and die, it remains but a single grain…” “He must increase, I must decrease…” “I am the vine, you are the branches. Remain in me and you shall bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”
This isn’t news. But it calls. I am not there.
Every day for years I have said three morning offerings, “Oh my God, I offer you every…” “Accept, Oh Lord, all my freedom,”…. “Oh Holy Spirit…guide me, console me, strengthen me….”
But each of those prayers keeps the “I,” the “me.” This prayer leaves the “me” out. Only you, Christ.
It’s a step beyond where I’ve been. Well, maybe it’s a leap beyond where I’ve been.
Radiating Christ in Thessalonica in 50 AD
Makes me think of the first reading today from Paul to the little church at Thessalonica.
Our readings this week from this short book of the New Testament have been a bit hard for me to connect with. So I did some background research.
This is Paul’s first epistle—indeed, the first Christian writing we have. Paul, Silas, and Timothy began their second missionary journey about 50-51 AD. As they moved from Asia Minor (Turkey) to Greece, one of the towns they evangelized was Thessalonica. Paul probably only stayed there a few months. Converts were probably mostly Gentile, mostly working class, and likely from a variety of nationalities and cultures. Paul ran into difficulties and had to leave town quickly (something that happened to him more than once!) This letter was written a few months after he had left, as Timothy brought him news that the Christian community at Thessalonica was prospering.
While the letter contains fatherly advice and admonitions to live the Christian way, it also expresses Paul’s joy that the community was doing well. Today’s selection begins, “We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith.”
The Jerusalem Bible translation makes Paul’s joy clearer, “And so, brothers, your faith has been a great comfort to us in the middle of our own troubles and sorrows; now we can breathe again, as you are still holding firm to the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you, for all the joy we feel before our God on your account.”
The new Christians in Thessalonica were radiating Christ.
And in My World Today
My mind wanders and wonders. How would I live my faith as part of a small Christian community in a city where people generally did not even believe in one God? How would I effectively explain my faith to others? How would it be to live by Christian standards of behavior that were totally counter-cultural? How could I help this small Christian community grow?
If I imagine myself there, it is easy for me to see that radiating Christ would have a far greater impact than anything I might be able to do on my own.
Outside of the difference that in Frankfort, Kentucky, a majority of people would SAY they believe in one God (even if living by that belief is a different matter), there is not so much difference between Thessalonica, Greece in 50 AD and Frankfort, Kentucky in 2017. Full, active, Catholic Christianity is counter-cultural. I am part of a small intentional Christian community within my parish. I struggle to explain my faith (and especially my enthusiasm for my faith) to others. I wonder how I can help my small Christian community to grow.
In the here and now, it is easy for me to see that radiating Christ would have a far greater impact than anything I have been able to do on my own. And sometimes, for a bit, it seems to happen. For a moment, it is all about Jesus.
How do I get the “I” out on a regular basis? What does radiating Christ all the time look like?
How do you do it? Are you aware of it when it happens? How can you tell?
Prayer
Remembering that “I make the choice; God makes the change,” I’m going to be very intentional about praying Cardinal Newman’s prayer. Except I’m going to preface it with, “Lord help me to truly mean this prayer TODAY. Show me how to get out of the way and ONLY radiate you TODAY.” Then..
Dear Lord, help me to spread your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only you, oh Lord! Stay with me, then I shall begin to shine as you do; so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, oh Lord, will be all from you; none of it will be mine; it will be you shining on others through me. Let me thus praise you in the way you love best, by shining on those around me.
Let me preach you without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to you. Amen.
