Turbulence in communities

The devil doesn’t like communities that devote themselves to the service of God, and often he inspires disruption to their harmony through one individual.  Sometimes the individual is charismatic (with a small ‘c’) and therefore has followers in the group who are blind to the damage the person is doing – perhaps through a desire for power over others or a desire for praise or a general control-freakery.  Then you have a faction. This has been the case since the very beginning, as we discover in the Letters of St Paul.  He was all too familiar with the phenomenon in the young churches.  It's good to ask oneself from time to time as a member of a community – am I myself that damaging person, or am I on the way to becoming that person?  On the other hand, dealing with the ravages brought about by a particular damaging individual may be difficult and painful, but if it is not done, the community is likely to go into a downward spiral of decline.  We must pray for the spiritual well-being of our own community.

Intercessions:

Brian Davis - cancer

Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela),

Agnes – in a hospice

Siena, Elara – sick children

Rosemarie – seriously ill

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

David - housebound

Sophia – blind infant

George - dying