Saints Day and beyond . . .

Photo by: Doris Klein, CSA

During World War II a German widow hid Jewish refugees in her home.       
As her friends discovered the situation, they became extremely alarmed.
“You are risking your own well-being,” they told her.
I know that,” she said.
“Then why,” they demanded, “do you persist in this foolishness?”
Her answer was stark and to the point.
“I am doing it,” she said, “because the time is now and I am here.”                  (Source Unknown)

Today we celebrate the feast of all Saints - those known and unknown women and men, and even children - who are called holy because their lives manifested the very holiness of God.  And we do this today because the time is now and we are here. These women and men are those who form “the great multitude of which no one can count, from every nation, race, people and tongue.”

In the early Christian Church the first saints were martyrs, virgins, hermits and monks who were declared holy by popular acclaim.  Since the 16th century, when the modern saint-making process began, canonization was in the control of the popes and became a judicial process complete with evidence and cross-examination.

The person had to pass through a scrutiny of investigations and many proofs of miracles. Once proven, then an elaborate ceremony of canonization occurred.  A feast day assigned, a Church and shrines were dedicated to the saint.

The person would be declared patron saint of a country, a diocese or other religious institutions.  Statues and images would be struck, along with public prayers, relics venerated and possibly a Mass would be composed in the Saint’s honor.

In the times from these early centuries until now, those declared saints have contributed to God’s reign as artists, authors, founders/foundresses of religious orders, monks, martyrs, missionaries and mystics, bishops, popes, poets, peasants, and prophets, women and men religious, kings, queens, historians, and hermits, wives, husbands, reformers, scientists, theologians, teachers, virgins, children, widows, carpenters, shepherdesses and a thousand more paths in which these holy ones gave themselves as self gift.

They lived in times of turmoil and times of tranquility; they endured persecutions, wars, church councils, crusades, The Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, the French Revolution, the Black Death, enemy occupation of their countries, and struggled with unjust government, church, and social systems.

We may tend today to think of Saints as holy and pious people, sometimes irrelevant to our experience and often shown in pictures with halos above their heads with ecstatic gazes or surrounded by angels or holding a symbol particular to their story.

But today – saints are men and women like us who live ordinary lives and struggle with the ordinary and extraordinary problems of life.  What makes them saints is their clear and unwavering focus on God and God’s people.  And so we may ask, who are the holy ones for us today?  And what does holiness look like in our time and place?
Are we not all called to holiness by our very Baptism?
The time is now and we are here.

It can be said that holiness is conditioned by socio-cultural and religious factors. In the early centuries, the martyr paradigm certainly was a manifestation of God’s holiness.  As one author remarks:  "For centuries the church has presented the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is 'icon,' 'star,' 'hero,' ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in  ourselves."- Joan D. Chittister in A Passion for Life

And so in our age, when there is renewed awareness of the suffering of innocent people through human trafficking, or through the exploitation of third world countries, or through the tragic systematic death of peoples by means of torture, famine, and genocide, or by results of violent rhetoric - then we can be sure that the saints will be those who lives are spent working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering.
Because the time is now and they are here.

In an age when Christians are often confronted to choose between life and death for the sake of the Gospel, the saints will boldly choose life through the cost of death.  Because the time is now and they are here.

In an age when there is a clash between human dignity of all and the restrictive power of a few over all, the saints will name the injustice and call it social sin. Because the time is now and they are here.

In an age when there is an ecclesial restriction of gifts of the Spirit to some groups but not to others, the saints will witness to the freedom of the Spirit to give gifts as the Spirit chooses, regardless of restrictive laws about use of the gifts. Because the time is now and they are here.

In an  age when discrimination, elitism, and oppression operate in society, in governments and in our Churches, the saints will again proclaim the reign of God and be "voice and heart, call and sign of the God whose design for this world is justice and mercy for all." (JD)  Because the time is now and they are here.

Because the nature of sainthood is an incarnational reality, the shape and form of holiness may change from age to age and culture to culture.  But the Spirit of the Holy will continue to call people like all of us who are here and those beyond our faith community –
to witness to the freedom of the Spirit;
to run, to risk, and wonder at our daring;
to boldly choose life through the cost of death; to confront the oppressors and marvel at our courage; and work tirelessly for the people of God as we proclaim God’s reign.

For it is God’s caring we witness and
God’s love we share because the time is now and we are here.

Previously posted

A Story to Massage Our Spirits . . .

The Forever Tree

Once, a long, long time ago, a little tree was growing in the forest. As the little tree grew taller and stronger, she began to notice the wide expanse of sky stretching far above her head. She noticed the white clouds scudding across the sky, as if on some great journey.  She watched the birds wheeling overhead. The skies, the clouds, the birds in flight – they all seemed to speak of a land of forever.  The more she grew, the more she noticed these forever things, and the more she longed to live forever herself.  

One day, the forester happened to pass close by the little tree. He was a kindly old man, and he sensed that the little tree was not entirely happy. ‘What’s the matter, little tree?’ he asked. ‘What troubles your soul?’ The little tree hesitated, and then told the forester about the deep desire in the core of her being: ‘I would so much like to live forever.’ ‘Perhaps you shall,’ replied the forester. ‘Perhaps you shall.’

Some time passed, and once again the forester passed close by the little tree, now grown tall and strong.  ‘Do you still want to live forever?’ he asked the tree. ‘Oh, I do, I do,’ the tree replied fervently. ‘I think I can help, but first you must give me your permission to cut you down.’ The tree was aghast: ‘I wanted to live forever.  And now you say you are going to kill me?’ ‘I know,’ said the forester. ‘It sounds crazy.  But if you can trust me, I promise you that your deepest desire will be fulfilled.’

After much hard thought, the tree gave her consent. The forester came with his sharp-bladed axe.  The tree was felled. The sap of life streamed away and was lost in the forest floor. The tender wood was sliced into strips. The strips were planed and shaped and smothered in a suffocating layer of varnish. The tree screamed silently in her anguish, but there was no way back.  She surrendered herself to the hands of the violin-maker, all dreams of foreverness vanished in a haze of pain.

For many years, the violin lay idle. Sometimes, she remembered better days, when she was growing in the woods. What a bad bargain it had been, surrendering herself to the forester’s axe.  How could she have been so naive as to believe that this would enable her to live forever?
But the day came – the right and perfect moment – when the violin was gently lifted from her case and caressed once more by loving hands.  She held her breath in disbelief.  She quivered, as the bow tenderly crossed her breast. And the quivering turned into a pure sound that reminded her of how the wind had once rustled through her leaves, how the clouds had once scudded by on their way to forever, how the birds had wheeled overhead, shaping circled of eternity in the blue sky.

A pure sound.  Pure notes. The music of Forever. ‘My wood has turned into music!’ the tree gasped, deep inside herself. ‘The forester spoke the truth.’

And the music resounded, from listening heart to listening heart, down through all the ages until at last, when all the listening hearts had made their own journey home, it rolled through the gates of eternity, where the little tree became a Forever Tree.

(Photo artist unknown)

                                                                         Story by Margaret Silf  

          (Original Source unknown: Reference in One Hundred Wisdom Stories by Margaret Silf,

Lion Publishing, 2003)

Ponderings:
• What are the desires deep down in the core of my being?
• How does the story make me feel?
• Is there something disturbing for me in the story?
• Is there something true for me in the story?

(questions adapted from Megan McKenna)      

Masking our True Selves?

BEST MASK?

They just had a contest for scariest mask,

And I was the wild and daring one

Who won the contest for scariest mask-

And (sob) I'm not even wearing one.

 by shel silverstein

(source unknown)

According to the statistics, the USA spends approximately 9 billion dollars on Halloween candy, costumes, and decorations.  Even our pets are fully costumed along with accessories to the tune of 3-4 million dollars.  This is an eve to celebrate “All Hallows Eve," the day before All Saints Day. 

Background: Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic tribes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany. On October 31, the tribes would celebrate the festival of Samhain. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead -- including ghosts, goblins, and witches -- returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.

Also, the current custom of going door-to-door to collect treats actually started in Ireland hundreds of years ago. Groups of farmers would go door-to-door collecting food and materials for a village feast and bonfire. Those who gave were promised prosperity; those who did not received threats of bad luck. When an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants came to the United States in the 1800s, the custom of trick-or-treating came with them.

So what is the Good News for us at Halloween?
Let us ponder . . .
• Do we ever put on masks to hide our true selves?
• Do we ever wear masks to present a particular identity or image?
• Often Halloween is a time for children and adults to dress up like a character they’d like to be. Who would you like to be if you had a chance to take on the persona of someone else?
• All of these “fun ‘n games” are grounded in our faith needs - that is, to scare away evil, and have the courage to stand tall and let our true inner selves come forward without fear, and to call upon all the saints – women, men, and children who have been witnesses of lives lived with integrity, mercy, faith, and forgiveness - to be our companions on our faith journey.

 

A Prayer to Quiet Mind and Heart . . .

A Quieting Prayer . . .
I weave a silence on my lips,
I weave a silence into my mind,
I weave a silence within my heart.

I close my ears to distractions,
I close my eyes to attentions,
I close my heart to temptations.

Calm me, O God, as you stilled the storm,
Still me, O God, keep me from harm.
Let all the tumult within me cease,
Enfold me, God, in your peace.
(Author Unknown ~ Celtic Tradition)

Prayer of Love and Peace . . .

new vulnerability
Blessed are the poor …
not the penniless
but those whose heart is free.
Blessed are those who mourn …
not those who whimper
but those who raise their voices.

Blessed are the meek …
not the soft
but those who are patient and tolerant.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice …
not those who whine
but those who struggle.

Blessed are the merciful …
not those who forget
but those who forgive.
Blessed are the pure in heart …
not those who act like angels
but those whose life is transparent.

Blessed are the peacemakers …
not those who shun conflict
but those who face it squarely.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for justice …
not because they suffer
but because they love. ~ P. Jacobs

Thresholds: A Book of Prayers, 2011
Edited and compiled by Helen Hacksley and Robert Steiner
Original source unknown and unavailable. . .

Let us live peace, be peace!

A Franciscan Prayer for Peace
by Chuck Faso, OFM
http://peaceandeverythinggood.blogspot.com/2009/01/franciscan-prayer-for-peace.html

Lord, make us instruments of your Peace

In a world all too prone to violence and revenge,
We commit ourselves to the Gospel Values of
Mercy, Justice, Compassion, and Love;
We will seek daily to promote forgiveness and healing
in our hearts, our families, and our world.

Where there is hatred, let us sow Love;
Where there is injury, let us cultivate Peace

Fear and distance prevent people from recognizing all
as brothers and sisters;
tensions lead to violence and mistrust;
We will strive to honor the dignity that God places
in each and every human person.

Grant that we may not seek to be understood as to Understand;
To be loved as to Love

Our failure to understand the other can create exclusion
in all its negative forms –
racism, marginalization of those who are poor, sick, the immigrant;
it can also create situations of domination, occupation, oppression and war.
We pledge to seek the way of solidarity,
to create hearts, homes, and communities
where all people will experience inclusion, hospitality, and understanding.

For it is in giving that we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned
And in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Let us Pray:
Lord God, create in us:
-the Capacity to hear and understand the voices of those who suffer from
every form of violence, injustice, and dehumanization;
-the Openness to receive and honor people from other cultures, languages,
religious traditions, and geographical regions;
-the Creativity to explore new ways of communication and dialogue through
music, poetry, performing arts, and the mass media;
-the Audacity to undertake the building of communities of forgiveness, healing,
and reconciliation.
To God who is above all and in all are the glory and the honor. Amen

It was for me?

The Investment . . .

There once lived a rich man who had no greater desire than to do good to those around him, and especially to those who worked for him.

He noticed that one of his workmen, a carpenter, was very poor, and was struggling to feed his family. He could see for himself that the hovel in which the man lived with his wife and children was falling into disrepair, and was no longer a match for the cold and the rain that beat down upon it. He felt great compassion for the carpenter and his family, and he had an idea.

He called the carpenter to him one morning and gave him these instructions:

‘I want you to build me a beautiful house,’ he said. ‘I want you to spare no expense, and to employ only the very best craftsmen for every job that is needed. I have to make a journey, and I will be away for a while, but when I come back, I want you to have the house ready for me.’

The carpenter was delighted to be given this task. Immediately, he set to work, and, knowing that the master would be away, he decided to make a good profit on this enterprise. Instead of hiring the best craftsmen, and using the finest materials, he cut corners wherever he possibly could. The master would never know, and he could keep the difference, and make a lot of money for himself.

And so the house was built. From the outside, it looked beautiful, but as the carpenter well knew, it was not at all sound. The timbers in the roof were weak and badly fitted. The bricks were seconds, which would soon begin to crumble. The roof titles were rejects from the quarry. The building had been carried out by inexperienced workers for low pay.

When the master returned, he came to inspect the house. ‘I have done as you instructed,’ the carpenter told him. ‘I have used the best materials and the finest craftsmen.’

‘I’m delighted to hear it,’ said the master. ‘Here are the keys. The house is yours. It is my gift to you and your family.  May it be a fine home for the rest of your life.’

And in the years that followed, the carpenter could often be heard to mutter, under his breath, ‘If only I had known that the house was meant for
me . . .’ (Author Unknown)

Seeing is believing - believing is seeing . . . and more!

 

Artist and Source Unknown

      

"What do you want me to do for you?"

“I see you,” Jake says to the tall, blue-skinned, native woman, Neytiri, in the futuristic, sci-fi epic movie Avatar. The greeting implies a connection beyond seeing with only the eyes.

The phrase “I see you” is used throughout the film to communicate a deep respect for the whole being. Not only does Jake learn to truly see Neytiri, but he also learns that deep-seeing leads to revering- respecting – or holding in the highest regard - the interconnectedness in all of life. (Liz Budd Ellmann, Mdiv)

I suppose you may wonder what this introduction has to do with the story of Blind Bartimaeus in our Gospel? There is a cast of characters in this story, some desiring to see, others desiring to be seen. However, it is Jesus who truly sees with a laser-like vision who has a “deep respect for the whole being” of all whom he meets on his journey toward Jerusalem.

Jesus is surrounded by his disciples, and some “groupies” who act as security guards. Possibly some consider themselves the “in-group”. Or some may have been healed or forgiven by Jesus and now they have joined in the group. 

And yet, there are those in the crowd who see what they want to see and sort out who Jesus should see. They seem to be in charge of “crowd control” and they tell Bartimaeus to keep quiet. Could it be that they are “blind” as well?

Now Bartimaeus has a prime “box seat” right at the edge of the city where many people pass by. He is a street person, sitting in the dust. However, this is a strategic position for someone who needs alms, food, or any other small treasures that will sustain his life for one more day.

His hearing is keen and he becomes aware that Jesus of Nazareth is here. Possibly he has heard of this man of miracles. He shouts to Jesus desiring mercy and compassion. He seems to “see” with his eager spirit and anxious heart.

Even though the crowd considers him invisible, and tries to silence him, he doesn’t give up and calls to Jesus again, louder still . . . and this time, Jesus stops and asks the crowd to bring Bartimaeus to him. Upon Jesus’ request, this crowd immediately has their eyes opened as well as their minds and hearts. Could it be that now they, too, truly see Bartimaeus with a deep respect for his whole being?

It is said that he threw off his cloak and sprang up. This had to be pure God energy. Who of us can sit for hours and all of a sudden throw off our “securities” and spring up to our feet to stand tall in our very selves? 

Having abandoned all his possessions, and especially his cloak – which was his begging bowl by day and his tent by night . . .  he now stands before Jesus in his nakedness and vulnerability. Jesus truly sees him with a deep respect and honors him by asking him what he desires.

The beggar responds, “I want to see again.”  According to some commentaries, the Greek translation has “to look up” as his response. In other words, Bartimaeus desires to look up and all around him so that he no longer needs to be limited to a certain space, or way of living, or be a recipient of ridicule, or not be seen for who he truly is.

Jesus says that his faith has healed him . . . not a faith of dogmas, or commandments but a belief that his life matters, that he matters to God, and that God believes in him. Bartimaeus then moves from the side of the road to join the parade on the road to Jerusalem.

So what is the Good News for us as we ponder this Gospel?

Here are a few questions to consider  . . . 
• When and where in our lives have we felt invisible, excluded, or rebuked for who we are? What was our response?
• Have we ever considered a time in which we were “blind of heart”? How did we respond to this awareness and did we change our lives in any way?
•When and where have I been blind of mind and heart to the pain and cries of those "invisible" in our church, government, communities of faith, work places, and culture?  I ask for the grace to truly see!! 
Let us pray:
Let us look up and all around us to see with a deep respect all those whom we may unconsciously pass by. Let us respond to them saying: “I see you.” And may we grow in our learning “that deep-seeing leads to revering the interconnectedness in all of life.”

Let us ask God to truly see us, and give us sight to where we most need healing, forgiveness, and unconditional loving kindness. 
Let us be open to stand tall in God’s grace as we hear the words of invitation, “What do you want me to do for you?” . . . because God says, “I see you.”

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/102818.html

Something opens our wings.
Something makes boredom and hurt disappear.
Someone fills the cup in front of us:
We taste only sacredness.
Rumi

Praying with hope . . .

 

 

 

Disturb us, God, when
 We are too well pleased with ourselves,
 When our dreams have come true
 Because we have dreamed too little,
 When we arrived safely
 Because we sailed too close to the shore.

 Disturb us, God, when
 With the abundance of things we possess
 We have lost our thirst
 For the waters of life;
 Having fallen in love with life,
 We have ceased to dream of eternity
 And in our efforts to build a new earth,
 We have allowed our vision
 Of the new Heaven to dim.

 Disturb us, God, to dare more boldly,
 To venture on wider seas
 Where storms will show your mastery;
 Where losing sight of land,
 We shall find the stars.

 We ask You to push back
 The horizons of our hopes;
 And to push into the future
 In strength, courage, hope, and love.

 attributed - Sir Francis Drake -1577
Original source unknown

https://www.sethbarnes.com/?filename=disturb-us-lord-a-prayer-by-francis-drake

A prayer for the moment of NOW!

  Father, Mother, God,
 Thank you for your presence
 during the hard and mean days.
 For then we have you to lean upon.

 Thank you for your presence
 during the bright and sunny days,
 for then we can share that which we have
 with those who have less.

 And thank you for your presence
 during the Holy Days, for then we are able
 to celebrate you and our families
 and our friends.

 For those who have no voice,
 we ask you to speak.
 For those who feel unworthy,
 we ask you to pour your love out
 in waterfalls of tenderness.

 For those who live in pain,
 we ask you to bathe them
 in the river of your healing.

 For those who are lonely, we ask
 you to keep them company.
 For those who are depressed,
 we ask you to shower upon them
 the light of hope.

 Dear Creator, You, the borderless
 sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the
 world that which we need most—Peace.
 
prayer - Maya Angelou
Original source unknown

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=177862345616638&story_fbid=827854780617388

Morning Musings . . .

Today in my morning prayer, the Scriptures were from Luke, in which the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. I looked up from my book and viewed the maple tree beyond my patio. Slowly, lovingly, and with inner knowing it was giving a nod to each falling leaf that it was time to let go. Truly, my patio companion was teaching me how to pray!

Oh, how I visited this view often in the spring to watch the buds take shape and birth forth the fragile beauty of the new leaves unfolding.  I remember how each leaf participated in the dance of the April ice storm, the summer intense sun and rains, and the rush of tornadic winds . . . Now it's time to pray them in gratitude for their journey of resiliency and faithfulness. 

And so with each falling leaf, I am being taught how to pray. To pray in gratitude for what was, for what is, and to pray in openness and hope for what will be.

I prayed in gratitude . . .
• for each person I have met along my summer journey as I listened to the joyful and sorrowful mysteries of their lives.

• for each memory of the tragedies of nature – floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, and volcanoes . . .  learning once again, that with some things there is no control, but only honoring our understanding to be in partnership with earth as its stewards.

• for each moment I gathered with friends to celebrate thresholds, turning points, anniversaries, jubilees, professions, passings, and fun times to mark the day and time.

• for each Birthday card I received . . .

• for each opportunity to photograph the streams, flowers, trees, mushrooms, birds, sunsets, and moon risings . . .

• for each time of prayer in which the silence spoke of Divinity . . .

May I continue to listen to the falling leaves as they teach me how to pray. For all that was, I give thanks. For all that is, I give praise for I am blessed, and for all that will be, I pray with openness and hope.
Amen . . .Amen!

 

 

Jesus' loving look . . .

Story:
A father left his village on business and while he was gone bandits came and burned down the village and kidnapped his son. When the father returned he found a burned corpse near his home and thought it was the remains of his son. The father almost went mad with grief and, after an elaborate cremation ceremony, placed the ashes of his son in a beautiful velvet bag, which he carried with him always.

One day the son escaped from his kidnappers and arrived at his father’s home at midnight. He knocked, and his father who was holding the bag of his son’s ashes, said, “Who is there?”  The child answered, “It is me, papa.  Open the door.  It’s your son.”

But the father was so certain that his son was dead that he told the boy to stop tormenting him and go away. The boy knocked and knocked, but the father never answered.  He held the velvet bag closer and cried without ceasing.  Finally the child left and the father and son never saw one another.  (Author and Source Unknown)

In today’s Sunday Gospel the young man, no doubt, has been abundantly blessed with wealth and security.  He was a good man who followed all the commandments, but he wanted to be better in fact.  Could we not say, that he “clutches his velvet bag” of ideals, values and truths with great passion and a strong ego?

Like Jesus, he has been raised on Torah, which is about how to live, not what to believe. This questioner seems reflective rather than impulsive.  He is in search of something more than just a “quick fix.”  He is looking for clarity that stipulates a task or program.  His agenda is clear, his approach direct, and his intentions are honorable.

His manner of living his faith is one of keeping the commandments and having a private piety.  His question concerns practice and not belief.  He wants Jesus to tell him in plain language what kind of life he should be living now in order to live in God’s presence forevermore. 

Well, this seeker has possibly come to the wrong rabbi. Jesus does not always provide clarity.  He rarely stipulates a task or a program and refuses to set a limit to love. Jesus never answers closed questions. Jesus looks for generous and open-ended commitment. 

He has come to expand imaginations, not to play a political game or be limited to the art of the possible. His agenda is as open as God’s love, and his perspective is as wide as God’s reign. This requires any seeker to be willing to choose to live “on the edge”  with an open mind and heart; to have a readiness to embrace vulnerability; to have a willingness to break through illusions and trust in imagination and vision, and move beyond the margins to encounter risk and challenge, and dare to face ambiguity, paradox and creative chaos!

Every time Jesus gives this seeker a challenge, the young man has already accomplished it. But still he wants to do more.  When Jesus says the last thing he can do is to sell everything he has, give the money to the poor, and give up his life and relationships to follow Jesus, that’s even above and beyond.

And so it is written “That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.”  He takes with him his “velvet bag” of the need for answers, clarity, achievement, and a task to accomplish.

When Jesus says, “Follow me,” he is inviting us to a new discipleship. This discipleship requires new kinds of relationships and new kinds of community.  Jesus expects a radical “no nonsense” response when it comes to following his new way. Rugged individualism is simply not adequate.  "To follow Jesus is a dangerous thing. To follow Jesus is to follow the one who turns the world upside down, even the religious world."  Jesus’ idea of discipleship is not about giving people answers but leading them into that space where they will long and yearn for God – for wisdom, for healing and for transformation. 

For us today, Christian discipleship may challenge us to loosen our grasp on our “velvet bag” of treasured beliefs and opinions, hopes and promises, ideas and ideals, truths and traditions.  Christian discipleship invites us to leave our old patterns of life, our cherished identities, and positions of power, success, and security and to be now in the world as “voice and heart, call and sign of the God whose design for this world is justice and love.”

Let us recall the disciple, Sr. Dorothy Stang, a Notre Dame de Namur sister, who dedicated her life for nearly 4 decades in the jungles of Brazil.  She defended the rights of the poor peasants whose land was being devoured by big business, and ranchers and lumber companies. 

On Feb. 12, 2005, 74 year old Dorothy was assassinated.  She was shot six times as she headed to meet government officials to discuss the demarcation of land for peasants.  “According to eyewitness accounts, she held up a Bible and told the gunmen that it was the only weapon she carried. She was reading the book as the bullets struck.”  Truly Dorothy went above and beyond – she gave away everything for the last, the least and the lost. 

And so today, let us be open to the graces of these Scriptures as we take up the challenge to follow Jesus unreservedly.  Let us take time this week to reflect on the “velvet bag” that we might be carrying with treasures which may well be in the way of our responding to God’s invitation to be voice and heart, call and sign of God’s mission for justice, love, and mercy in our world today.  

And finally, one last thought.  Whatever happened to the rich young man?
Perhaps he did return.  Could he be the one in Mark 14: 50 at the arrest of Jesus?  The Scripture tells us:  “And they all left him and fled.  Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body.”  Has our seeker come to tell Jesus that he is now ready to follow him and that he has sold or given away everything?

The Scriptures continue:  “They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked.”    If this is our young man, then he truly did let go of everything he possessed – and no doubt, Jesus looked upon him with love once again. 

Another point of view . . .



Artist and source unknown.
 
 

Today's Sunday Scripture was that of the Good Samaritan parable.  Once I had written a reflection on this Scripture from the Inn Keeper’s point of view.  I post it here for your reflection.  I invite you to consider “stepping into the parable” and writing your own reflection.  Blessings!

 

Shalom to you!

I am the owner and manager of this establishment which some would like to call an inn. It seems to be the only place on this rugged stretch of road between Jerusalem and Jericho.  I see a lot of strange happenings along these heavily traveled paths, for it is a major trade route.  One has to be vigilant on these roads, especially when the band of robbers surprise unsuspecting victims.

 I am often fortunate to encounter a number of travelers who are merchants, pilgrims, temple elders, and foreigners from nearby provinces who are looking for work.  I know that some are not of my faith, but my wife says I need to be open and offer hospitality to anyone who seeks refuge from the desert sun, or needs rest from walking the dirt roads, or who may be on pilgrimage for atonement of sins long ago.  I have a young new family and the extra money is essential for me so I can feed and clothe my family, besides paying taxes to the governor! 

I learned a lot from my father when he was an innkeeper in Bethlehem.  When I was a child, he often told me stories of the people who came to his establishment.  He always enjoyed telling one story in particular of a young pregnant woman, who traveled with a man with strong hands and an anxious heart.   Since this was the time of the census, they sought a place to stay with their relatives, but no one would make room for this unwed mother to be.  It was my father who gave them a place to stay.

So I now encounter this Samaritan man – I can tell by his accent and the way he is dressed.  He is carrying someone on his donkey and is heading here to my desk.  We are a simple establishment. No magnetic swipe, cards, no room service (unless there is money to accompany the request) and no extra set of clean towels.  This tall, quite burly Samaritan says that he found this Jew along the roadside, beaten and left half dead.  Apparently this man encountered those robbers that I spoke of earlier. The Samaritan requested a room for him to care for this injured man. I accommodated and even gave him those extra towels with no charge – my wife said that would be the compassionate thing to do.  Early the next morning, the Samaritan handed me money, two days wages, and wanted me to give the injured man further care with a bed, food, and healing oils.  I agree to do so immediately.  I guess it was his eyes, his gentle voice, and his deep concern for this traveler.  He didn’t even know his name.  He said that he would return in a few days and pay me with more money if what he had given me was not enough. 

He then turned, started to walk out the door, but turned and spoke a blessing to me and my family.  I wondered if he was a follower of the man from Galilee whom they call, Jesus.  This Samaritan man was so compassionate toward this traveler, a Jew.   When he returns, I will ask him where I can find this Jesus. 

~ Based on the Parable of the Good Samaritan ~ Luke 10:25-37

A Flame of Hope . . .

The Story of the 4 Candles

 

The Four Candles burned slowly. Their ambiance was so soft you could hear them speak...
The first candle said, “I Am Peace, but these days, nobody wants to keep me lit." Then Peace's flame slowly diminished and went out completely.

The second candle said, "I Am Faith, but these days, I am no longer indispensable." Then Faith's flame slowly diminished and went out completely.

Sadly the third candle spoke,
"I Am Love and I haven't the strength to stay lit any longer.
People put me aside and don't understand my importance.            
They even forget to love those who are nearest to them."
And waiting no longer, Love went out completely.

Suddenly ... A child entered the room and saw the three candles no longer burning.

The child began to cry, "Why are you not burning? You are supposed to stay lit until the end."

Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the little boy, "Don't be afraid, for I Am Hope, and while I still burn, we can re-light the other candles."
With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope and lit the other three candles. Never let the Flame of Hope go out. With Hope in your life, no matter how bad things may be, Peace, Faith and Love may shine brightly once again. (~ Author Unknown)

Morning Prayer (Part Two)

With that last bolt of lightning
a great calm came over me
and I felt free
the way I always feel, when
I’m finally able to own the truth.

God gave me back the pieces of my heart
without trying to fix them up or mend them
The Holy One looked at me with trust
with total confidence
as if to say,
I’ll be here when you’re ready to begin
the transformation of your heart
for we both know
Your love is too small
That’s why your heart is so divided
That’s why the pieces never seem to fit.

I took the pieces back with reverence
My tears proclaiming
the truth of all I felt.
There was no pressure, no force
just the God of morning
asking for my love.

And now, every time I see those flashes
in the northern sky
I hear again, a voice
saying simply,
Your love is too small.
And I weep; I weep at the possibility
of who I could be.
(Used with permission)

Too Small a Love
Author: Macrina Wiederkehr
Seasons of Your Heart (1991)

http://www.macrinawiederkehr.com/ 

 

Francis . . he set the world on fire!

It is said that at one time Rabbi Lot went to see Rabbi Joseph and said, “Rabbi, as much as I am able, I practice a small rule of life, all the little fasts, some prayer and meditation, and remain quiet, and as much as possible, I keep my thoughts clean.  What else should I do?" Then the old Rabbi Joseph stood up and stretched out his hands toward heaven, and his fingers became like the torches of flame.  And he said, “Why not be turned into fire?"   (From the Desert Fathers and Mothers; Original Source Unknown)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Francis_of_Assisi_by_Jusepe_de_Ribera.jpg
On October 4,  we observe the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, who not only turned into fire but set the world on fire with his generosity, creativity, imagination, dedication to the poor,  and his austere living of the Gospel.  He had a profound faith, a deep prayer life and an abiding love of God and creation.   Many commentators have called Francis “a Second Christ,” because he tried in so many ways to be exactly like Jesus.

He was born in the Tuscan country side of Assisi in 1181 to a wealthy cloth merchant.  Francis enjoyed a very rich easy life growing up; he received little formal education and during his early years he was preoccupied with having fun.  Today, we would perhaps say he is among the bold and the beautiful, the rich and famous, and the young and the restless!  As a young man, he was popular, charming, enjoyed practical jokes and was usually the life of the party.  He was good at business, but wanted to become a troubadour and write poetry.   Everyone loved Francis.  He was constantly happy, a dreamer and a born leader.  

When he was twenty years old he was eager to be a knight and took part in a battle of a nearby country, yet his townspeople were defeated and he spent a year in prison.  After his return to Assisi, he became seriously ill and dissatisfied with his way of life.  He endured a spiritual crisis and devoted himself to solitude, prayer and service of the poor.  One of the many conversion experiences of his life that is told was when he was riding one day, he came face to face with a leper who begged for money.  Francis had always had disgust for lepers, and turning his face, he rode on.  But immediately he had a change of heart and returned to the leper and gave him all the money he had and kissed his hand.  As he rode off, he turned around for a last glance, and saw that the leper had disappeared.  From that day on he dressed in rags and gave himself to the service of the lepers and the poor.

Another conversion moment is told when he was in the nearby Church of San Damiano.  While he was praying, he heard Christ on the cross speak to him.  “Francis, repair my church.”  With this mandate and with the words of the Gospel, “The kingdom of God is at hand, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out devils; freely have you received, freely give.  Carry neither gold nor silver nor money, nor bag, nor two coats, nor sandals. . .”  Francis, then at once felt that this was his vocation and proceeded to preach to the poor.  In time, 12 others joined him in preaching the Gospel and working among the poor. They took literally the words of Christ when he sent his disciples out to preach.  They would have no money and not property, individually or collectively. 

Their task was to preach, “using words if necessary,” but declaring the love of God by their words and actions.  Francis called his order the “Order of Friars Minor” or the order of lesser brothers.  They were to live as brothers of all, to reveal by their love that all human beings are sisters and brothers.  Francis did not live in a monastery but among the people, and in that world, he sought and found God.  

His approach was an Incarnational approach – God was a loving Father/Creator and all that Francis had was gift, Christ was his Brother and the Spirit of that love lived and burned in him.  

Following the Gospel literally, Francis and his companions at first frightened their listeners as these men dressed in rags talking about God’s love.  But soon the people noticed that these barefoot beggars wearing sacks seemed filled with constant joy. They celebrated life.  

An early biographer gives an account of Francis’ physical appearance.  “In stature he was rather on the short side, his head of moderate size and round, his face long, his forehead smooth and low, his eyes of medium size, black and candid, his hair dark, his eyebrows straight, his nose even-shaped, thin and straight, his ears prominent but delicate.  

In conversation he was agreeable, ardent and penetrating, his voice firm, sweet-toned and clearly audible, his lips delicate, his beard black and rather sparse, his neck slender, his shoulders straight, his arms short, his hands small, with long fingers, his feet small, his skin tender, his clothing rough, his sleep brief and his bounty most liberal.”

Francis’ brotherhood included all of God’s creation.  He had a deep love for animals and a special fondness for birds.  He liked to refer to animals as his brothers and sisters.  In one well-known story, Francis preached to hundreds of birds about being thankful to God for their wonderful clothes, for their independence, and for God’s care. The story tells us the birds stood still as he walked among them, only flying off when he said they could leave. 

Another familiar story involves the wolf of Gubbio.  Out of hunger, the wolf took to attacking the people of Gubbio as they worked in their fields. The people were so frightened of the wolf they didn’t dare go out into the fields without armed protection.  Francis said to them, “Let me go out to talk with the wolf.”  So he went out to meet the wolf and spoke with him, who became docile at his approach and so the wolf returned with Francis to meet the people of Gubbio.  Francis arranged a peace pact between the people and the wolf.  The people would feed the wolf and in return the wolf would live peacefully with them. 

Francis’ final years were filled with much suffering.  Praying to share in Christ’s passion he had a vision and received the stigmata, the marks of the nails and the lance wounds that Christ suffered.  Years of poverty and wandering had made Francis ill.  In his final months of his life, being blind and enduring intense suffering, he joyfully and with cheerfulness wrote his beautiful Canticle of the Sun that expresses his brotherhood with creation in praising God.  He died at the age of 45 and at which time there were now several thousand members throughout Europe to carry on his mission and call.  He was canonized two years later.

So what is the good news for us today?
• Francis speaks to us to live with joy, simplicity and faithfulness to the Gospels.   Let us dare to search for meaning and fulfillment in our relationship to God even when we may look a little foolish or even when it may call us to make drastic changes in our attitudes and behaviors.

• Francis speaks to us about our relationship to creation. Let us be voices that challenge as we confront the environmental issues that affect our planet today.  “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Francis

• Francis was called to “repair the church.”  Let us live with integrity and courage to witness a church of inclusivity, compassion, forgiveness and hope so that the message and mission of Jesus will be revealed – and let us use words, if necessary!

• Francis speaks to us about the gift of suffering.  Let us ask for the graces we need when we find life tiring and burdensome so that the gentle and loving presence of God will bless us with refreshing peace, healing and bravery.

• Francis speaks to us of poverty.  Let us live with awareness that all we have is a gift, and that we are to share the resources of this world with everyone; we are guardians and stewards of creation; sisters and brothers to all.

• Francis kisses the leper and tames the wolf.  Let us be aware of the things in our lives that we may fear; the things that scare us – let us ask for the graces to embrace them with courage and love.   

• Let us search for the wolf who hungers in our world, our church, our governments, communities, and in our personal lives – let us name and tame the hungers so that we may live with trust, harmony, justice and peace. “While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.” Francis

• In closing, let us recall the words of the Responsorial Psalm, for they could be the prayer of Francis today:
Take care of me, God, I rely on you for safety.  You are my destiny; my life is in your hands. Even in my sleep, God whispers to my heart.  God is my constant companion, You will direct my steps . . .”

Morning Prayer (Part One) . . .

Too Small a Love
Author: Macrina Wiederkehr
Seasons of Your Heart (1991)
http://www.macrinawiederkehr.com/

Like lightning at dawn
the All-Powerful One came
electrifying
energizing
frightening
shattering
crashing
into my morning prayer!

Totally unprepared
for this kind of interruption
I froze on my knees
both in wonder and terror.
There was no morning silence left,
no comforting darkness to enfold me
only those flashes of light
that make hiding impossible.

It wasn’t exactly a surprise
I was expecting God this morning
But not like this
I was waiting for peace
I was looking for that quiet reassurance
that silence sometimes brings
I was listening for a sound of wings
hovering over me
surrounding me with care
convincing me of presence and protection.

But this?
Oh, this was awful!
God stood there
with terrible,
penetrating
loving eyes,
saying only:
Your love is too small!

Standing that close to truth
felt uncomfortable, unbearable
and I tried to hid my face
the way I often do
when truth gets too close.
I tried to hid the pieces
of my terribly divided heart.
But then the light came again.

And God was standing there
even closer than before
holding the pieces of my heart
with such tenderness
still saying,
Your love is too small.