You might remember a commercial for Prudential Insurance that contained a picture of a huge rock. Their motto was “Grab a piece of the rock.” When we bought their insurance we would feel protected and safe. That image came to mind when I prayed with the exchange between Jesus and the disciples where Jesus asks: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Recognizing that this knowledge came from above, Jesus renames Peter: “You are rock, and on this rock I will build my Church.”
There is a fun word play in that exchange that we miss in English. There are two Greek words for rock. The word for rock translated as church, is petra. The word for rock that Jesus uses to rename Simon, is petros. Petra means a great big rock, like a boulder. Petros means a small stone, pebble or chip. By calling Simon petros, Jesus is saying that he is a chip off the petra, the Church. I’m a word geek. Discovering this word play gives me an insight into Peter’s relationship with Christ and ours. Each of us, the baptized, are members of the Church, chips off that block. We are connected.
For Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and devotees of Salesian spirituality, the Rock (petra) that binds us (petros) is The Spiritual Directory. At the beginning of the Spiritual Directory (SD), St. Francis de Sales tells us:
“Come, take hold of this book
and eat it,
swallow it,
fill your heart
and nourish your soul with it.
Let its words remain day and night before your eyes
that you may meditate on them
and in your hands
that you may put them into practice
and let your entire being praise God for them.” (SD, “Preface”)
As always, de Sales offers us simple and practical advice that is easy to put into practice. Please let me explain.
Like the rock of Christ’s Church the SD is a firm foundation, a rock.
When we hold onto it, we are anchored.
We hold on to it by reading and rereading it often.
Take hold, grab a piece of the rock!We need to do more than read it:
We must eat and chew on what we read in the SD.
It isn’t “fast food,” so savor it like we do a fine meal.
Let its words rest on our tongue like we might a fine wine or delicious food.
In this way its words and insights begin to become part of us.
Eat, savor and appreciate!Savoring is a conscious act:
We need to be mindful as we read, meditating upon the SD.
This conscious reflection helps us digest the words and guidance in order to enter and fill our hearts.
There, in our hearts, the words of de Sales nourish.
Meditate and be nourished!Once the SD fills our hearts it transforms us from the inside out:
Our heart is filled with Christ so we can remain one with him.
One with him we can act on what we discover and “Live+Jesus.”
“Living+Jesus” makes clear that we are chips off Him, our Rock and foundation.
And we need to repeat this process often, like we need to eat daily.
Return to the SD and eat each day
Who do we say Jesus is? Is he our Rock, our Way, our Life? If so, grab a piece of the rock. Live as chips off the Rock that is the Church, the Body of Christ. Allow the Spiritual Directory to anchor and guide us. Return to it often. Eat the food it has to offer. Savor it. Consciously meditate upon it. Act on it. The SD will help us “Live+Jesus” in simple, practical ways. Each of us is a rock (petros), a chip off of the Rock, (petra), the Church, visible today.
May God be praised.
Rev. Paul Colloton, OSFS
