Friday, October 29, 2021

Yunuen Trujillo Preaches for the Solemnity of All Saints (11/01/2021)

A Prayer for the Earth

A Day of Saints




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.”


Today (November lst) 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 developing world countries, or through the tragic systematic death of peoples by means of torture, famine, and genocide, then we can be sure that the saints will be those whose 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 discrimination, elitism and oppression operates in society, in the government and in our Church, 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.” 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 present 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.

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Letting Go . . . Letting God . . .

 

 


To let go does not mean to stop caring,

it means I can’t do it for someone else.

 

To let go is not to cut myself off,

it’s the realization I can’t control another.

 

To let go is not to enable,

but allow learning from natural consequences.

 

To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means

the outcome is not in my hands.

 

To let go is not to try to change or blame another,

it’s to make the most of myself.

 

To let go is not to care for,

but to care about.

 

To let go is not to fix,

but to be supportive.

 

To let go is not to judge,

but to allow another to be a human being.

 

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,

but to allow others to affect their destinies.

 

To let go is not to be protective,

it’s to permit another to face reality.

 

To let go is not to deny,

but to accept.

 

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,

but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

 

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,

but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

 

To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,

but to try to become what I dream I can be.

 

To let go is not to regret the past,

but to grow and live for the future. 

 

To let go is to fear less and love more

and

To let go and to let God, is to find peace!

Remember: The time to love is short.

 

“Letting Go Takes Love”, Author unknown

 


Gratitude, the only prayer . . .

 



Deeply Grateful

By Edwina Gateley (Growing into God)

 

When I stopped waiting

and only sat,

breathing gently, steadily,

lost simply

in the flow of air . . .

Ah, then,

you tumbled, God,

like an avalanche

fast falling

within me,

gathering self-energized force,

unexpected, unrequested,

but suffusing and possessing all –

leaving me

stunned,

stilled,

And deeply grateful.


 

The Invitation of Silence . . .

 




Dear God,

Speak gently in my silence.

When the loud outer noises of my surroundings

and the loud inner noises of my fears

keep pulling me away from you,

help me to trust that you are still there

even when I am unable to hear you.

 

Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying:

"Come to me, you who are overburdened,

and I will give you rest . . .

for I am gentle and humble of heart."

Let that loving voice be my guide. Amen.

 

- Henri Nouwen


Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Earth Teach Me to Remember

 



Earth teach me stillness 
as the grasses are stilled with light. 
Earth teach me suffering 
as old stones suffer with memory. 
Earth teach me humility 
as blossoms are humble with beginning. 
Earth Teach me caring 
as the mother who secures her young. 
Earth teach me courage 
as the tree which stands alone. 
Earth teach me limitation 
as the ant which crawls on the ground. 
Earth teach me freedom 
as the eagle which soars in the sky. 
Earth teach me resignation 
as the leaves which die in the fall. 
Earth teach me regeneration 
as the seed which rises in the spring. 
Earth teach me to forget myself 
as melted snow forgets its life. 
Earth teach me to remember kindness 
as dry fields weep in the rain. 
Ute, North American

Simone Campbell, SSS Preaches for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Ti...

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

The Light Within . . .

 


Blessed Are You Who Bear The Light

Blessed are you

who bear the light

in unbearable times,

who testify

to its endurance

amid the unendurable,

who bear witness

to its persistence

when everything seems

in shadow

and grief.

 

Blessed are you

in whom

the light lives,

in whom

the brightness blazes ___

your heart

a chapel,

an altar where

in the deepest night

can be seen

the fire that

shines forth in you

in unaccountable faith,

in stubborn hope,

in love that illumines

every broken thing

it finds.


 

Author: Jan Richardson                                         

From Circle of Grace

 http://www.janrichardson.com/index.htmlichardson.com 
janrichardson.com


 

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 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 Sunday 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. Yet 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 or 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?

 

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.”

 

 

 

Allison Connelly-Vetter Preaches for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Ti...

Sunday, October 17, 2021

Ice cream ~ Soul Food!!

 


(Author Unknown)

Last week I took my children to a restaurant.  My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.  As we bowed our heads he said, “God is good. God is great.  Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert.  And with Liberty and justice for all!
 Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, “That's what's wrong with this country.  Kids today don't even know how to pray.  Asking God for ice-cream! Why I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, “Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table.  He winked at my son and said,  "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

 "Really?" my son asked.
 "Cross my heart," the man replied.
 Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing) - "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream.  A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."
 
Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal.  My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her,
 "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."



An Olympic Star!!

 

A story is told that a young man who was raised into an atheistic family environment was training to be an Olympic diver. He had no religious influence except his outspoken Christian friend in school. The young diver never paid much attention to his friend's sermons but he heard them often. One night he went to the indoor pool at his college. The lights were all off, but with big skylights under a bright moonlight, he had plenty of light to practice by. The young man climbed up to the highest diving board. He turned his back to the pool as he prepared to make a somersault. As he went to the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The shape of his body was in the shape of a cross. Instead of diving at once, he knelt down for the first time and finally asked God to come into his life. As he stood, a maintenance man walked in and turned the lights on. The pool had been drained for repairs that night.




Creator/Creative God!

 

A little girl was sitting on her grandfather’s lap as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again.

Finally, she spoke up, “Grandpa, did God make you?”  “Yes, sweetheart,” he answered, “God made me a long time ago.”

 “Oh,” she paused, “Grandpa, did od make me too?”  “Yes, indeed honey,” he said, “God made you just a little while ago.”

 Feeling their respective faces again, she observed,

“Ya know Grandpa, I think God is getting better at it.”

(Author Unknown )









Silent Prayer . . .

 

A story is told that a father took his small son with him to town one day to run some errands. When lunch time arrived, the two of them went to a familiar diner for a sandwich. The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him. They ordered lunch, and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, "Son, we'll just have a silent prayer." Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer, but he just sat with his head bowed for an unusually long time. When he finally looked up, his father asked him, "What in the world were you praying about all that time?" With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied, "How do I know? It was a silent prayer."

(Author Unknown)




Inspiring Story . . .

 


Ruth remembers being a girl, the daughter of a sharecropper in South Carolina, one of ten kids. They lived in an old wooden cabin. One day in spring, her fourth-grade teacher said there would be a talent show. Ruth went home troubled, thinking, What talent do I have?

She couldn’t sleep that night and paced the back porch before the field. It was then the clouds parted and the moon, almost full, filled her face and turned the boards in the porch blue.  Her little mouth dropped and she knew she was part of something larger.  When asked the next day, she said her talent was seeing the moon.

From: The One Life We’re Given by Mark Nepo






Thursday, October 14, 2021

Prayer: Teresa of Avila

 



Prayer is not just spending time with God. 
No, prayer is dynamic. Authentic prayer changes us – 
unmasks us – indicates where growth is needed. 
Authentic prayer never leads to complacency, 
but needles us – makes us uneasy at times. 
It leads us to true self-knowledge, to true humility.





Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Meet Doctor Teresa!


Teresa of Avila by Peter Paul Rubens 
On October 15, the feast of St. Teresa of Avila will be observed in certain Catholic-Christian and Carmelite circles.  As Theresa of Lisieux referred to herself as the “little flower of Jesus," I suppose Teresa of Avila could be considered  the “Big Flower” or “Super Flower” of Jesus!   She was a giant at the time she lived in the 16th century and her presence and force is still with us today!

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) “is one of the most beloved spiritual figures in history . . . she is known around the world as a great mystic, saint, reformer” and the first woman to be named Doctor of the Church!!  After a special vision, she was moved to reform the Carmelite order. She founded the community known as the Discalced (shoeless) Carmelites in Avila.  “The sisters wore hemp sandals, but their name referred to the strict poverty that was a feature of Teresa’s reform.” 

She was the foundress of 17 Carmel convents, the author of four books, and considered one of the outstanding religious teachers of Christian prayer.  She was known to have a charismatic personality, along with wisdom and courage that was deeply rooted in a special love relationship with God.

Throughout her life, she suffered from migraine headaches, and other physical ailments, and experienced dryness in prayer for much of her life. However, it is also written that Teresa had the privilege of hearing God speak to her. She also began to see visions and Jesuit and Dominican priests came to see if this was true. They were convinced and declared that the visions were holy and authentic.  

In accounts of her life, it is said that when she would move into a prayerful ecstasy, there were always a couple of sisters that were appointed to hold onto the hem of her habit so that as she was lifted up in prayerful rapture, she wouldn't injure herself. 

There also is the great story told of her on her travels where she encountered all the hazards of donkey carts which was one of the means of transportation of her time.  “One time her cart overturned, throwing her into a muddy river.  When she complained to God about this ordeal, she heard a voice from within her say, ‘This is how I treat my friends.’ “Yes, my Lord,” she answered, “and that is why you have so few of them.”