A few nights before last Christmas, later in the evening, there was a loud rapping on the glass of our front door. I was annoyed. But it could've been a late package delivery, or a neighbor wishing us some holiday greeting, so I pulled myself out of my comfortable easy-chair, walked past the warm Christmas decorations, and went to the door.
There,
on the other side, was the ugliest human-like creature I've ever seen. It looked into my eyes, and offered me a wry
smile as it began to step inside toward me.
As it pushed past me, I noticed a large word across the front of its
sweatshirt: CANCER.
"Wait
a minute!" I shouted, "You can't come in here!"
It
just smiled at me and declared, "Too bad," as it shrugged. "I thought I'd stop by and visit for
awhile. I haven't been here before. Nice place you have here!"
I
was angry; confused. I tried to grab it,
to throw it out, but it wouldn't budge. Even a gun wouldn't stop this
intruder. Under one arm it carried mutant
genes, x-rays with spots, and conflicting studies. Under the other it carried many sleepless
nights, hours of worry, and fear.
"Where
do want me to put this stuff?" it asked.
"Outside!"
I yelled. But it just smiled.
"Why
are you here?" I demanded. "I'm healthy! I feel fine!"
It
smiled crookedly as it moved closer and ran its grotesque finger along the word
on its chest: CANCER. Then it whispered, "Oh, I'm not here for you – I'm
here for your daughter."
I
crumpled to the floor with a knife in my heart; it cut deep into my soul.
For
a moment the ogre softened, and said, "Don't take it too personally. It's
really not your fault, you know. Remember that I'm in your water, and in your
air; I'm part of your pesticides, and in your processed foods; I'm part of your
genes, and have followed your ancestors for generations; I'm in your plastics
and your carpets and your cosmetics and your clothes." Then it hardened once
again, and chuckled, "You brought me here!"
I
was sliding into a common trap that the ogre loved. I felt alone, powerless, and guilty; feeling
vulnerable and abandoned, cheated by God; dreadfully sorry for my daughter. Why can't the ogre eat me, instead of
her? Where was our Protector? I wanted Him to appear from a cloudy mist or
a magic mirror and slay this dragon.
After
some tears and sleepless nights, I was gently reminded that God does not follow
a Hollywood script. He's not separate
from us, bursting in on a cloud, riding a white horse, swinging a sharp sword. He reminded me that He's a part of us, all
interconnected people in one community, a single family. He abides in us, and we in Him. He gives His
children different gifts to help us solve our problems, so we can work together
for the common good – if we'd only listen to Him and work together that way.
And
then I began to see Him: He was Honnie and David the surgeons, and Editha the
radiologist, and Marie the technician, and Bobbie and Megan the geneticists; He
was Margaret the friend, and Mary the mother, and Alice the grandmother; He was
Doug the advisor, and Kelly the coordinator, and Elina the gynecologist; and He
was Patrick the priest, and Kristen, and Laura, and Tiffany, and Karla, and
Bronnyn, and Ellen, and Becca, and Lisa.
He was all over the place! Everywhere we turned, I began to see Him.
The
ogre grew pale and began to shrink. There were ways to get rid of it, and I
knew that it wasn't going to happen alone.
It'd be a community effort, and we'd win, one way or another. For now, it still roamed the house, but it didn't
speak out. It was growing dimmer.
"There's
one thing I want to thank you for, ogre," I said to it when I found it
cowering in a corner one day. "You've helped me appreciate what I have
right now – especially my family and those helping us get through this. Surely, the presence of God is in this
place."
It
winced. I could barely see the ogre
anymore.
Second Sunday in Lent – Year C
Genesis
15:1-12, 17-18
Psalm
27
Philippians
3:17-4:1
Luke
13:31-35
The Lenten season once again lays upon us a great challenge, a
great decision, squarely before each of us.
During Advent, we were told of Christ's coming, and we waited with much
anticipation. The, at Christmas, we were
told of the stories of his arrival, and received him with great joy. During Epiphany his ministry and message were
revealed to us, and we marveled at it.
Now, in Lent, we are being asked to accept him and allow our lives to be
transform by his Presence.
So, how's that going for you?
How's that going for the world?
Well, there are signs that in many places it's working quite well. If we
look closely, we can see the Spirit actively working through the souls of individuals
and groups, spreading the love of God through words and deeds that really help
those in need. There are many great
support groups, and even people working to unite mankind with nature. Much of the good that happens is not seen by
all, but it's there. And I, for one,
think that most of what's happening in the world is good.
But, of course, there is much work to do. If God is so loving and compassionate, if He
holds the key to a unified world of love, if He can truly wipe away every tear
and turn every anguish into joy, why is this Lenten decision to follow Him so
hard to make and keep?
Why is there still so much violence? Why is our country fractured by a paralyzed
government and general loss of purpose?
Why is our health care system curing people of illnesses and broken
bones, while chewing them up with astronomical costs? Why do some people have seven bathrooms in
their home while others have to pee on the street? Why is our water and food supply being
contaminated with things that hurt us?
Jesus
comes to us with a message of love and unity, and they warn him, "Herod
wants to kill you." Paul writes to
the Philippians and says, "For many live as enemies of the cross of
Christ...Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is
in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things."
"...their
minds are set on earthly things."
Herein lies the core problem – free will decisions that are heavily
influenced by earthly things [read: mankind's delusions and essential survival
instincts]. Devoting one's life to
Christ will often be in direct opposition to natural human tendencies of
physical safety and survival.
Built
into our instincts and brain wiring is the desire to live in safety and
security, and as a result we often feel the need to get as much as we can in
life, whatever it is, to satisfy that survival need. We are deeply afraid of not succeeding at this. Our marketing systems, economic systems,
political systems, and social systems are designed to feed off of this fear,
which pits people against people, in a winner take all environment. This is very powerful and separates us into disconnected
individuals. And this is where the
delusion begins.
The
odd thing, however, is that this need for survival and security is a God-given
thing – He wants us to survive, to be safe, and to prosper, too. But in His case, He wants it used for the common
good. That's where we, as humans, tend to slip up. The abundance of the world must raise us
beyond the shallow waters of the human mind and lead us into the depths of
spiritual love. We must rise above the
fear of scarcity and embrace the faith in a system based on a united human
family.
It
all begins with the individual, you and me, making the Lenten decision to live
a life based on the love of God in Christ.
And although this begins with an individual choice, bringing it to
fruition requires a solid network of support.
Having like-minded people joining you on this quest is the best way to
overpower those forces that would prefer that you fail – the Herods of this
world; the enemies of the soul.
Making
this decision for Christ is only the first step. The rest is a journey as a family. When we stumble, they help to pick us
up. When they stumble we help them,
too. Unity, love, and peace is the
result.
God
bless you on your journey!
Reflection
Questions
1.
What concerns to do have about devoting your life to Christ? Who can help you work through these?
2.
As you walk through your day, try to catch people doing something good for
others. then thank them for it.
3.
Read through the scripture lessons for this Sunday again, and spend some time
journaling your thoughts.
First Sunday in Lent – Year C
Deuteronomy
26:1-11
Psalm
91:1-2, 9-16
Romans
10:8b-13
Luke
4:1-13
After Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, he was led by the
Holy Spirit into the wilderness to make some very important decisions before he
began his ministry. His 40-day
experience was, I suspect, similar to a 40-day Lenten journey we may take that
is filled with prayer, reflection, discernment, and challenges.
Although
Matthew and Luke report the sequence of the three temptations that Jesus faced
in slightly different order, they both begin with the devil tempting Jesus to
turn a stone into bread to satisfy Jesus' hunger. After all, he had been fasting for 40 days,
and was hungry.
Temptations
often come clothed in attractive garments.
On the surface they seem to make a lot of sense, and may even appear to
be a good thing to do. To tempt someone
is offensive to God, as it potentially throws a stumbling block in his or her
way. To be tempted is not a sin. It is quite natural to experience
temptations. What we do with them is
what counts.
Jesus
was being encouraged by the devil to feed himself. So what's wrong with
that? On the surface, nothing. Jesus has the power to turn stones into
bread, and could have done so. But he
recognized the danger of using this power to simply feed the hungry, create
better living conditions, or end poverty without addressing the "higher
good".
And
what is the higher good? Certainly, bread
of flour would satisfy basic physical needs, but it wouldn't address the needs
of the whole person. Spiritual bread is
also needed since we humans are spiritual creatures in a physical body. Therefore his response to the devil was,
"One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the
mouth of God." When we help others,
we must remember that they are beings of flesh and spirit, and should be treated that way. (This doesn't mean we preach at them, but
that we connect with them as a spiritual brother or sister at a heart-to-heart
level.)
Then,
as Luke reports, "the devil led Jesus up and showed him in an instant all
the kingdoms of the world." He told
Jesus that if Jesus would just worship him, all the kingdoms would belong to
Jesus.
The people at the time were ready for a military
messiah, one who could rally the people together to oust foreign intervention
and reestablish a separate and sovereign people. It would have been easier to rise to power on
a platform of revolution in response to this need than on a platform of
building a world-wide community based on the love of God.
Is there really such a difference between the two
systems? God inspired Isaiah to write on
this, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,
says the Lord. For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Man's natural tendency is to divide. He does so to understanding things, increase
safety, and sometimes out of fear. He
forms separate groups for identity and pride.
"If my group is more powerful than your group," he reasons, "then
we are safer, we are better, and you are not." Blind patriotism can be a dangerous thing.
God's natural tendency, however, is to unite. He does so out of love. If we realize that we are all members of the
same family, all brothers and sisters, then fear is destroyed, and we can build
systems to make sure everyone has enough food, clothing, shelter, medical care,
healthy relationships, and other truly human aspects of life. We can help each other become who God made us
to be, serving Him in this world in our own unique way based on the special
gifts he has given to each one of us.
It is a classic choice we all face today - should we
live according to God's rules, or our own?
Jesus' knew that ultimately all the kingdoms would be his own
anyway. So his response to the devil
was, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." Perhaps one day we will all become one
family, one
place where, as St. Paul writes, "If one member suffers, all suffer
together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." (1 Corinthians 12:26)
Then
the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, placing him high on the temple, saying to
him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for God
will command His angels to protect you."
Jesus
knew that just because one wishes to follow God's will, there was no guarantee
that she or he would be kept from physical harm. The assumption often held is that if a person
is good enough, that person will always have the protection of an angel at
their side. But we all know that the
world is a dangerous place.
The
physical world is set up with a different set of rules than the spiritual
world, even though both were made by the same Creator. There are natural forces at work that are
part of the creation process. Sometimes
we get hurt by these things (earthquakes, tornadoes, lightning, etc.). But when we think about it carefully, most of
the world's problems (wars, famines, violence, stress, and many diseases) are
actually caused by people making bad free-will decisions. And good people are
often adversely impacted by the results.
The
certainty in both worlds, however, is that God is ever-loving, and steadfast in
His mercy, and that eventually, all will be made right. (Two major themes of Julian of Norwich.) St. Paul writes that the problems and
tribulations we face in this physical world pale in comparison to the joy,
benefits, and understanding we will have in the spiritual world.
While
this offers some consolation, it doesn't take the full sting from what we sometimes
experience. That's where the other
benefits of having a relationship with God comes in – we have friends,
counselors, therapists, pastors, prayer, meditation, love and hope – the knowledge
that at some point in time, our loving Father will complete His creation and
indeed, all will be well.
Reflection
Questions
1.
How do you consider both the body and soul of other people that you are helping
without preaching or lecturing at them?
2.
What is the best way you can serve your country? Really?
3.
How do you deal with life's hurts and troubles?
How do you help others deal with life's hurts and troubles?
4.
Read through the scripture lessons for this Sunday again, and spend some time
journaling your thoughts.
Ash Wednesday – Year A, B, and C
Joel
2:1-2, 12-17 Complementary
Reading: Isaiah 58:1-12
Psalm
103
2
Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Matthew
6:1-6, 16-21
The Church year began with the season of Advent, bringing the
Good News of the coming of Christ, Messiah of the heart. Advent teaches us to wait patiently for
Christ to come, and to seek God in places we would never expect to find Him.
And then it happens – the Good News of great joy arrives, then
as now, into the world and into our own hearts.
We call it Christmas, a season that repeats itself every time someone
opens his or her soul to let Christ in, only to discover that he was there all
along.
The Epiphany season then revealed to us the purpose, intent and
expanse of the Good News. It's to be for
everyone, everywhere, throughout time and space. It's a message of love, mercy, compassion, and
unity – we are all part of the same family, all children of God; we are to love
Him, each other, and ourselves.
So far, then, we have heard the announcement of his coming, we
have witnessed it happen, and we have been told what it all means. Now the question before us is, "What are
you going to do about it?"
Ash Wednesday is the call for us to consider this question. It brings us back to the very basic facts that
we all have to face in our lives: Do we truly understand that we are spiritual
beings, guests in a house of dust and ashes, created by a loving God, here to
understand love and life, and follow the example He gave to us through His Son? Do we really what to know, love, and serve
this God in our own unique way, using whatever gifts, interest and talents we
have been given?
Did we really hear the "Follow me" in Epiphany?
The
readings for this day provide us with some of the tools we'll need on the
Lenten journey to answer this question, and other questions we have laid before
ourselves this season. These tools are designed
to prepare our hearts and minds to reflect on our spiritual journey, and
receive the loving Presence of God.
The
first of these important tools is found in the reading according to the Gospel
of Matthew where Jesus talks about almsgiving. Of course, helping those in need is a basic
tenant of the Good News message. But
here the lesson is to approach the Lenten season with humility, setting aside
all pretense or self-abasement. Baggage from
the past or worry about the future discolors our perception o God's
Presence. We leave the past to God's
mercy, and the future to His providence, entering this season with a truly open
mind and heart, free of any encumbrances.
Lent
is also a time of prayer, of talking with God, and making sure we listen to
what He offers us. This is best done
alone with Him, in secret. So spend time
in prayer, meditation and contemplation, alone with God, soaking up His company
and feeling His love. "Whenever you
pray," advises Jesus, "go into your room and shut the door and pray
to your Father in secret..." (All
this doesn’t exclude corporate worship and prayer, of course!)
Fasting
is also mentioned, not only to drive home the point about humility, but also to
help us remove things that get in our way of discerning God's love for us. Many people give up certain foods for Lent,
like Chocolate (a tough one for me!), or will watch less television. But how about giving up things like worry,
fear, or uncertainty? Lent is a good
time to practice trusting God in our lives – do we really believe that
"all will be well"?
Let
us also remember the strength of God, and His love for us. The message in Psalm 103 is that the mercy of
the Lord is everlasting. He knows us,
and He remembers that we are like dust; our days are numbered here and this
life on earth is not easy. Because of
this, He is slow to anger, and "plenteous in mercy." Isaiah writes, "The Lord will guide you
continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones
strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose
waters never fail."
I
pray that your Lenten season will renew your bonds with God and with your
fellow neighbor, and that you will enter the Easter season with a deeper sense
of hope, faith and love.
Reflection
Questions
1.
How will you make the most of this Lenten season?
2.
What do you need to hear from God about your life?
3.
Can you believe that God really loves you?
Last Sunday After Epiphany – Year C
Exodus
34:29-35
Psalm
99
2
Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke
9:28-36, (37-43)
Two powerful themes wind their way through today's readings,
coming together into a unified plan for each one of us today.
The first of these themes is the affirmation of Christ as the One
Unifier between the law and the prophets.
The Hebrew scriptures gave us two great theological aspirations: finding
God through obedience to His rules and regulations, and building a personal
relationship with God through realizing His presence in our souls.
Moses is considered to be the great law-giver, coming down from
Mt. Sinai with the foundational ten commandments. From this sprang forth the many rules and
guidelines developed by the priestly class that can be found in Leviticus and
Deuteronomy. Many believed that the path
to salvation was in the perfection of obedience to these laws. This was quite evident in the lives of the Pharisees
in Jesus' time.
But many prophets of the old testament saw things a bit
differently. They tried to promote a
path to God through developing a personal relationship with Him. The prophets knew that God was all-present,
and all-knowing, and took a very personal interest in people's lives. Even the psalmists began to understand God as
being something better than a militant autocrat.
Now we come to the transfiguration on the mountain top, when
Jesus took Peter, John, and James to this place to pray. While this was happening, the countenance of
Jesus changed, and Moses and Elijah appeared in glory with him. They talked together, and were glorified together. It was a symbolic event that positioned Jesus
as uniting the law and the prophets into one idea; that the love of God is for
everyone, and the law can be used as a guide to show us what that love means.
Jesus often said that he did not come to destroy the law, but to
fulfill it. All law must be interpreted
and applied according to God's love, or it is worthless, and could very well
become a god in itself that is worshiped.
The law is not the end, but a means to the end, which is God's love.
But
the love of God does not stay on the mountaintop. Unless it's applied in community, it has
little value. Therefore we come to the
second great theme of the readings – Jesus and his inner circle came down from
the mountain back into human society, with all its frailties, shortcomings and
problems.
It's
here that the law and the prophets come together for the common good. It's here that we take what God has given us,
no matter what it is, and apply it in our own unique way to the present moment
situation that we find ourselves. We
shed the baggage of the past that holds us down, leaving it to God's loving
mercy, and we shun the fears and worries of the future, leaving them to God's
Providence. Now we are free to blend the
guidance of the law and the love of the prophets into our own lives.
The
psalmist writes, "Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain."
This is the contemplative side of our monastic profession. Jesus says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." This is the action part of our monastic profession. Do both for balance. Do both for fulfillment. Do both for the love of God.
Reflection
Questions
1.
How do you balance the contemplative side and the action side of your life?
2.
Do you fear being who you really are?
Why?
3.
Who around you can help you become who you really are?
4.
Read through the scripture lessons for this Sunday again, and spend some time
journaling your thoughts.
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany – Year C
Jeremiah
1:4-10
Psalm
71:1-6
1
Corinthians 13:1-13
Luke
4:21-30
This Sunday's readings offer us yet another revelation about
God's kingdom – this epiphany disclosed much about the true nature of God, which
would greatly please some people, and deeply anger others.
Early in his ministry, Jesus set the stage for what was to
come. After reading a passage from
Isaiah in a local synagogue, Jesus pointed to two stories where the prophets of
God were sent to Gentiles rather than to the Jews (One story was Elijah and the
widow at Zarepath, and the other was the healing of Naaman the Syrian by
Elisha).
Jesus' point was that the love of God could not and would not be
contained to just those people who thought they had a special claim on
God. God's love was available to anyone
who would listen and accept it. No
person, or group of people, regardless of their claim, had any special
privileges with God. He was open to
everyone, equally.
When the people in the synagogue heard this message, they were
"filled with rage." They
lacked the humility to listen to Jesus, or perhaps they were resentful that
this commoner from Nazareth claimed to be getting messages from God. Their false pride built a wall of hatred between
themselves and God's love. Right then
and there, they wanted to throw Jesus off a cliff.
The reaction against Jesus is quite puzzling, especially when we
begin to learn what God's love is all about.
St. Paul offers us some wonderful insights about this in his letter to
the Corinthians: "Love is patient, love is kind; love is not envious or
boastful or arrogant or rude. It does
not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not
rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."
Love
creates an even playing field, and some people would prefer to have the chance
to stand out, to be noticeably better than others. The illusion of superiority is quite sweet,
and catches many flies. This is not to say that doing great things is bad – but
if they are done without love, they are hollow acts.
Paul
notes in his letter, "If I can speak in the tongues of mortals and of
angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Even if I have prophetic powers, and can
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and even if I have faith to move
mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I
may boast (spiritual prowess!), but do not have love, I gain nothing."
If
we can't think, speak, or act with love, then we see in a mirror dimly (only
thinking of ourselves), as Paul says. As
we become enlightened to the truth, we will begin to see "face to
face" – we will begin to see the image of Jesus in the other person, and
be able to connect to each one, heart to heart.
We will also see the image of Jesus in our own soul, and begin to treat
ourselves as a child of God as well, for Jesus reminds us to love our neighbor,
as ourselves.
Present
moment awareness, practicing the presence of God, and self-awareness can help
us practice love. These tools can help us
reflect on each moment of life, seeing where love played a role, and where it
may have been missing. It's not always
easy to interject love in a world of different values, but it can be done. Having the support of others is very
important, too.
Reflection
Questions/ Activities
1.
Who can help you practice loving thoughts, words, and deeds?
2.
Where do you see the love of God in the world around you?
3.
Look for news items, either locally or internationally, where you can see the
love of God in action.
4.
Read through the scripture lessons for this Sunday again, and spend some time
journaling your thoughts.
