Day 39 

The Perennial Pitfall

It is important however that what we propose, with the help of God, should be profoundly rooted in contemplation and prayer. Ours is a time of continual movement which often leads to restlessness, with the risk of “doing for the sake of doing.” We must resist this temptation by trying “to be” before trying “to do.” In this regard we should recall how Jesus reproved Martha: “You are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful” (Luke 10:41–42).

— St. John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 15

One of the perennial pitfalls for Christian apostles is activism. Activism is idolizing our evangelizing activities, behaving and thinking as if we ourselves were the redeemers of the world and not Jesus. 

Getting Things Done

Some personalities have a built-in propensity for this — they just want to get things done and have no patience for delays of any kind. For others the temptation flows more from the depth of their love: They see how much need the world has for God’s grace and thus keep overcommitting themselves, taking on way more responsibilities and projects than they can effectively handle. That is a formula for burnout and can serve as a back door for the devil — he can no longer make any progress by tempting someone with mortal sin and outright rebellion against God, so he sneaks in under the radar, stimulating thoughts that appear to be holy (You need to do more for the Lord! Don’t you love him? Isn’t there more you can do?) only to use them as a disguise for spiritual pride (I really have to do this, that, and the other thing, even though my health and my family life and my prayer life are collapsing — if I don’t do all these projects, I will be letting God down, and there is no one else who can possibly do them).

Activism can have truly horrendous consequences. Those who were formerly full of sincere zeal for Christ and his kingdom can become bitter and resentful toward God. They can blame the very people they used to work with in their evangelizing efforts for their own ennui and exhaustion, feeding sentiments of anger as well as violent and destructive criticism. They can even begin to direct their previously apostolic energies toward quixotic causes they believe are necessary to fix all the Church’s problems — the problems that, they claim, led to the painful burnout they experienced. 

Staying Close to the Vine

One giveaway for creeping activism is usually linked to our prayer life. Prayer always must be our first priority. Without a healthy life of prayer — including vocal prayer, mental prayer, and the sacraments of the Eucharist and confession — our relationship with God will surely languish, and then what do we have to give to others? Unless we keep filling our own souls with God’s grace and strength, we quickly run out of the necessary supplies for effective evangelization. As Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Matthew 5:13). 

The apostolic fruit our Christian lives are called to bear is a supernatural fruit. When we cut ourselves off from its source by skimping on our prayer life, we invite barrenness (see John 15:4–8).

The evangelizing power of our way of living, the effectiveness of our words of witness, and the success of our apostolic works (the “fruit” Jesus speaks of) all depend primarily on God’s grace, because they are all directed toward helping people hear his voice in their lives and respond generously to it. Only a healthy life of prayer can keep that grace flowing through our spiritual veins. Pope Benedict XVI made this point explicitly:

Prayer, as a means of drawing ever new strength from Christ, is concretely and urgently needed. . . . It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work.

Watching the Stress Meter

Another indicator that activism may be on the rise has to do with the experience of anxiety or stress. When we begin depending excessively on our own efforts in order to build up Christ’s kingdom, the pressure becomes unbearable. Our efforts will never be sufficient to save the world. Our efforts will never be sufficient to earn God’s unconditional love (we already have that as a pure gift from God). If we put those kinds of burdens on ourselves, they constrict our soul and drain it of joy. God is the author of salvation and the real protagonist in every apostolic endeavor. His invitation to join him in the work of redemption flows from the love he already has for us. 

In all our evangelizing efforts, a continual purification of our intention is a strong help against falling into the perennial pitfall of activism. What are we truly seeking: to glorify God and help our neighbors and thereby fulfill the true meaning of our lives, or to win popularity contests and achievement competitions? Continually and purposely purifying our intention helps us maintain a healthy balance in our lives, giving proper attention to our circles of influence and keeping us docile to God’s direction. Each of us simply needs to listen closely to what he is asking of us and make a decent effort to do that. We are not responsible for saving the world; we are only responsible for doing our part.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion

What idea in this reflection struck you most and why?

In your own life, what are the signs that usually indicate you are falling into your own perennial pitfall?

What can you do to keep God first and to increase your trust in him so that you don’t put undue pressure on yourself?

What will you do today to regain some balance in your life so God’s grace can flow more freely in you and through you?

• I will take a look at what I do for entertainment and cut out any excesses that don’t reflect the purpose of my life here on earth.
• I will reflect on the five most important relationships in my life and see which one is the most neglected. I will make a concrete effort to invest in that relationship this week.
• I will look at my commitments. I will divide them into categories — essential, useful, and superfluous. I will then drop the superfluous commitments and resolve to take sufficient time to reflect before making new commitments.
• (Write your own resolution) I will

Concluding Prayer

Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light, Jesus, your Son — the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God’s call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world. 

— Pope Benedict XVI