Greetings, Sisters, Brothers, and Friends of the Community!
A windy fall day is upon us which will undoubtedly remove many of the colored leaves that still cling to branches. Well, I suppose I should start thinking about getting the snow shovels ready…
The core of God’s message to us in today’s lectionary readings rests in Jesus’ response to the question he was asked that was designed to trap him: “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” (Matthew 22:17)
An affirmative answer would have put him in trouble with the Jewish leaders (more than he was already). A negative answer would have put him in trouble with the Romans. What could he do to solve this dilemma? He took the issue to a higher level; to a truer perspective. And he did this by simply responding, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.
Often, the answer to a problem we face can not be found in the details before us. It may appear that our choices are limited and none of them are good – pay the taxes to Caesar or not; choose this or that; go left or right. When faced with this situation, take the lead from Our Teacher. Bring God into the mix. This will instantly change the focus and creates new values in our options. Yes, pay the tax that is due Caesar, but also remember who has more power than Caesar.
There are much bigger things in life than what we owe “Caesar.” We have “bigger fish to fry” as they say here in the Great Lakes area. We have hearts to win over for Christ, including our own. To do this takes committing our lives to Christ, and not committing them to some present-day Caesar (any of our present-day gods of power, riches, magic, etc.).
To what are we committing to? A little later in Matthew 22 we are reminded of the Great Commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself.
And how can we do this? To maintain connection with God through prayer – prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, petition, and listening. To be present to the world around us; to be present to each moment of the day as it passes in front of us. And to serve others as the situation calls to us, moment by moment, in our own unique way, the way God created each person individually. No gesture is too small.
Do all this, and the Caesars will vanish.
Please reflect on Matthew 22 this week and let me know what you see.
God’s peace and love to all!
Br. Daniel-Joseph, CTG
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Blessings of Psalm 23
Psalm 23 was part of the lectionary readings for today. It is a very popular and much beloved psalm. When I read and pray it, here is what it means to me:
If we choose the Lord as Our Shepherd (instead of some other false god like greed, power, money, envy, or pride), then the things we really need as a spiritual child of God will be ours in abundance. It is only when we attach ourselves to worldly things that we begin to feel scarcity and depravation. Choosing the Lord is to abandon the false self, and free the imprisoned heart. This will allow our true selves, our souls, to shine through.
The peace that comes to us with this choice will feel like we are relaxing in a beautiful green pasture, near some quiet water, where our souls can be replenished and re-energized. We will then be guided through the day’s activities by the will of God, and our lives will take on a new purpose – a new direction with new meaning. So, even though we are indeed mortal and must face physical death at some point, we come to have little fear, especially of anything evil, because not only is God with us, so are His rod and staff – Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The true enemies that we have – attachments, judgments, biases, fears, prejudices – can all sit and watch while God lavishes His love and compassion on us. They can not stop Him because nothing can – our cup overflows indeed. His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life (which, by the way, extends WAY past living in this physical form). We dwell in the House of the Lord when we choose Him – and elect to shed our worldly, false self.
Jesus adds in Matthew, “Many are called, but few choose Him.” How odd!
Please reflect further on Psalm 23 this week. Let me know if something about it touches you.
Blessings to all!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
And Here's a Plug For...
Greetings, Sisters, Brothers and Friends of the Community!
Sometimes, as in recent weeks, I can get a bit lost in all the news of financial turmoil, tainted food, political and corporate corruption, and war. I get side-tracked and begin to feel that my spiritual energy plug somehow got kicked out of the wall socket, or it feels as though I am being pulled in one direction too many.
Eight years ago I got a copy of Thomas Merton’s “The Silent Life.” I return to this book every so often, and read not only his words, but also the notes I made in the margins about my thoughts at the time. In a way, it is like revisiting an old journal to see what issues and challenges I was wrestling with at the time.
Apparently I have felt somewhat “diffused” in the past, too, because certain sections of the book relating to ‘being lost’ were heavily underlined. Once again I was reminded that when we lose our spiritual connection to God we can begin to feel a little ‘diffused’ and ‘exhausted,’ even to the point of misery. “A person,” writes Merton, “cannot go on happily for long unless s/he is in contact with the springs of spiritual life which are hidden in the depths of his/her own soul.” Without this connection, Merton adds, the person becomes a kind of automaton, living without joy, being bounced around like a billiard ball by all the stuff that happens throughout the day.
How can we get the plug back into the spiritual wall socket? How can we reconnect with the inner voice of God that speaks to us in a heart whisper? For me, returning to the well-springs of life periodically throughout the day helps me keep life in perspective and prevents me from being left to the mercy of modern society. The best way for me to so this is by building my day around a framework of the Daily Offices, meditation, and periods of solitude and silence. Doing this may necessitate somewhat reduced contact with the ‘outside world,’ but there is a balance to be sought. What little things do I do during the course of a day that I can forego, so that I can spend the needed amount of time being with God and getting ‘recharged’ by Him? A little less TV? A little less radio? One less club or group meeting? Trimming back on a lot of the little things often gives me the time I need to get back on track. These times of ‘aloneness with God’ become precious and enjoyable!
Please remember your daily prayer times! Not only will they change you, they will also change the world.
Know that you are loved by God, and are only a plug away!
Brother Daniel-Joseph
Sometimes, as in recent weeks, I can get a bit lost in all the news of financial turmoil, tainted food, political and corporate corruption, and war. I get side-tracked and begin to feel that my spiritual energy plug somehow got kicked out of the wall socket, or it feels as though I am being pulled in one direction too many.
Eight years ago I got a copy of Thomas Merton’s “The Silent Life.” I return to this book every so often, and read not only his words, but also the notes I made in the margins about my thoughts at the time. In a way, it is like revisiting an old journal to see what issues and challenges I was wrestling with at the time.
Apparently I have felt somewhat “diffused” in the past, too, because certain sections of the book relating to ‘being lost’ were heavily underlined. Once again I was reminded that when we lose our spiritual connection to God we can begin to feel a little ‘diffused’ and ‘exhausted,’ even to the point of misery. “A person,” writes Merton, “cannot go on happily for long unless s/he is in contact with the springs of spiritual life which are hidden in the depths of his/her own soul.” Without this connection, Merton adds, the person becomes a kind of automaton, living without joy, being bounced around like a billiard ball by all the stuff that happens throughout the day.
How can we get the plug back into the spiritual wall socket? How can we reconnect with the inner voice of God that speaks to us in a heart whisper? For me, returning to the well-springs of life periodically throughout the day helps me keep life in perspective and prevents me from being left to the mercy of modern society. The best way for me to so this is by building my day around a framework of the Daily Offices, meditation, and periods of solitude and silence. Doing this may necessitate somewhat reduced contact with the ‘outside world,’ but there is a balance to be sought. What little things do I do during the course of a day that I can forego, so that I can spend the needed amount of time being with God and getting ‘recharged’ by Him? A little less TV? A little less radio? One less club or group meeting? Trimming back on a lot of the little things often gives me the time I need to get back on track. These times of ‘aloneness with God’ become precious and enjoyable!
Please remember your daily prayer times! Not only will they change you, they will also change the world.
Know that you are loved by God, and are only a plug away!
Brother Daniel-Joseph
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