Parables and Positive Psychology 09/23/20

“Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.’
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.” (Luke 9:1-6)
 

As opposed to providing my own summaries, I will now be posting the readings I base my posts on themselves. After reflection, I realized that the word of God ought not to be changed. Only then should I show how the works of positive psychology can be complementary to these teachings, but not intended to add or subtract to them.

So, as usual, character strengths and virtues supported by scientific research can be found in the reading for today. The first part I hone in on is in the beginning where Jesus preaches healing. The apostles, as well as those baptized into Christ, are given the authority to spread the very teachings capable of healing people from various ailments and conditions. In the face of adversity, apostles of Christ must display the virtue of Courage, which will require bravery and persistence to boldly proclaim the word of God to others.

My attention is also captured when Jesus commands them to live simply and take essentially nothing with them but this revealed word of God. Therefore, the virtues of justice and moderation come to mind. For the former, teamwork is of critical importance for these apostles to live off of meager resources, with Christ serving as the leader and everyone else playing their role in building the Church. For the latter, a formidable display of moderation is also useful for followers of Christ, along with the prudence to consider the future. All in all, to be disciples and/or apostles of Christ, these are virtues and character strengths that will serve us well.

So let’s act on what Christ reveals to us today in the Gospel. We have been given the authority to heal people just as Jesus did in his life here on Earth. We may even be called to let go of physical materials in this World that make us comfortable in order to conduct this ultimate mission of Christ, which is to spread the word of God. I thank you all for taking the time to read these reflections today, and feel free to add your own as well. As always, I hope you are all doing well, and God bless you!

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