Hijacked by the ego

We all know that the ego can get into anything. You set up a committee in your parish or in your diocese to bring relief to the poor or to care for refugees. It is a wonderful work; everybody is inspired by it. But after a couple of meetings, the people on the committee are fighting about who should chair the meeting. The ego manifests itself. This is human nature. The purpose of the daily meditation is to do this continuous servicing of our spirit and rebalancing the stillness at the centre of the wheel with the activity when the wheel turns. Our work is the turning of the wheel, so in one sense, our work is our prayer. But, if there is no stillness or we have lost touch with the stillness at the centre of the wheel, then our work is hijacked. Our activity becomes hijacked by the ego.

Meditating as a Christian by Laurence Freeman OSB