Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Symptoms of Advent . . .Hope, Peace, Joy, Love!
The Advent Virus
Anonymous
WARNING……WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS
Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.
Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus:
- A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
- An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
- A loss of interest in judging other people.
- A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
- A loss of interest in conflict.
- A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
- Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
- Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
- Frequent attacks of smiling.
- An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
- An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.
Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.
Advent Blessing . . .
May the Advent God be with you, inviting you to an eager expectation of new life within you. May you know hope, may you know peace as you await the birth of what is yet to be in you. May the life you embrace be a sharing in the God of life and incarnation among us. May the Advent God bless you.
--Maxine Shonk, OP
https://www.grdominicans.org/
Friday, November 25, 2022
Advent Darkness . . .
A Blessing for Traveling in the Dark
Jan Richardson
Go slow
if you can.
Slower.
More slowly
still.
Friendly dark
or fearsome,
This is no
place
to break your
neck
by rushing,
by running,
by crashing
into
what you cannot
see.
Then again,
it is true:
different darks
have different
tasks,
and if you
have arrived
here unawares,
if you have
come
in peril
or in pain,
this might be
no place
you should
dawdle.
I do not know
what these
shadows
ask of you,
what they might
hold
that means you
good
or ill.
It is not for
me
to reckon
whether you
should linger
or you should
leave
But this is
what
I can ask for
you:
That in the
darkness
there be a
blessing.
That in the
shadows
there be a
welcome.
That in the
night
you be
encompassed
by the Love
that knows
your name.
http://www.janrichardson.com/index.htmlichardson.com
©Jan
Richardson. janrichardson.com
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Advent Soup!
Five year old Johnny was in the kitchen as his
mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of
tomato soup. But he didn't want to go in alone. “It’s dark in there
and I’m scared.” She asked again, and he persisted. Finally she said, “It’s OK
— Jesus will be in there with you.” Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and
slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when
all at once an idea came, and he said: "Jesus, if you’re in there, would
you hand me that can of tomato soup?” (Original source unknown)
These four weeks of Advent begin as never before, with a time as individuals,
as a faith community, as a religious congregation, as a church, a nation, and
inhabitants of this planet earth ~we all are faced with standing in liminality
– an in-betweenness - hoping against hope that God is in the darkness of it
all! Like Johnny, we, too, need to be courageous and creative and call
out to our God to hand us what we need in this time of doubt, confusion,
apprehension and fear while walking in this space and time of uncertainty.
In her book, Journey
of the Soul, our own Sr. Doris Klein, describes this liminal experience: She
writes: "When we face those times of uncertainty in our life, the
scene is often blurry. Things we were so sure of suddenly make little
sense. The answers we thought were clear now seem lost in a distant fog,
and we wander aimlessly, unable to regain the focus we once believed we had.
Our confusion is unsettling. Doubt, like vertigo, distorts our balance as
we fearfully wander in a vast and empty inner wilderness as we wrestle with the
darkness, a rush of panic washes into our hearts our breath becomes shallow
and, with each question, the judgments seem to escalate.”
We are not to lose heart. Author Clarissa Pinkola Estes assures us
. . . “We were made for these times,” she writes. “People
everywhere are concerned and deeply bewildered about the state of affairs in
our world. Ours is not a task of fixing the entire world all at once, but
of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.
Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to
assist some portion of this poor suffering world will help
immensely.” Yes, we are made for these times and as a people, a church, a
nation, a world, we need generous, creative, imaginative people whose zeal can
be ignited by the vision of a daring and not quite rational undertaking.
We are made for these times – and we must dare to become imaginative and
creative so as to confront the dark forces that keep our minds and hearts
hostage. When we live in liminality, we need to be able to take risks
without worrying about the consequences. Henri Nouwen once wrote,
“Faithful waiting is the antidote to fear and self-doubt. It is believing
God can accomplish in us something greater than our imaginings.”
Now is the time for hope to be born again in the faces and hearts of our
children and young adults, and where we all stand on the shoulders of those who
have gone before us as pillars of passion, heralds of hope, and voices with
vision where it will spread around the earth, brightening all things. For we
have been made for these times and as Paul writes to the Corinthians: That
in God we are enriched in every way, and that we are not lacking in any
spiritual gifts as we wait for the revelation of Christ Jesus.
It is here in this time that we are to be watchful, alert and awake so that we
will encounter our God in our midst to create from the chaos as in Genesis.
Advent is a season that invites us to cross over the threshold from darkness to
light, from anxiety to a holy serenity, from emptiness to abundance, and to
wholeheartedly turn to seek God who is already in the turning!
Yes, we are made for these times and called, invited, chosen, and challenged to
be alert, awake, prepared and vigilant. So when God breaks into our lives
in unexpected ways during this Advent season and we feel confused, anxious,
frightened, or we find ourselves grasping for hope — let us be ready to ask God
to just hand us the tomato soup or whatever we may need to be at ease and to be
faith-filled as we live into this liminality – for God is already here among
us.
Thanksgiving Reflection . . .
Image by James C.
Christensen
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
It
happened that as Jesus made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the
border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all
lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out,
“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
Taking a good look at them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to
the priests.”
They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One
of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back,
shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful.
He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can
none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he
said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.”
Let us begin by pondering the question: How are the Pilgrims of the first Thanksgiving and the lepers in our Gospel similar? Well, both groups were “outsiders” and “insiders.”
The historical events leading to the first Thanksgiving
celebration can sound like a mini-series for a television drama. In
the early 1600s, persecution, imprisonment, and death were the punishments
awaiting those who separated themselves from King James’ rule of the Church of
England. The Pilgrims found corruption and practices that were in
conflict with the Bible,
and they desired to escape from England and find a place where
they could worship freely. They would
become “outsiders” of the Church of England.
After two other attempts, they set
sail on the Mayflower in September of 1620. There were approximately 41 of
these Separatists aboard, who called themselves the “Saints,” – they wanted
complete separation from the Church of England.
There were others, whom they called the “Strangers.” These were hired men, servants, soldiers, and
others who wanted to start a new life in a new land.
After sailing for 65 days, the ship arrived in November of 1620 at what would become known as Plymouth Colony. The first winter was devastating to the Pilgrims. Many had died during the long, difficult winter. Of the 110 Pilgrims and crew who left England, less than 50 survived the first winter.
In the following year of 1621, Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. The colonists celebrated it as a traditional English harvest feast, to which they invited the local Wampanoag Indians. These Wampanoag Indians were significant in teaching the Pilgrims how to live in this Now, the Pilgrims could be considered the new “insiders,” and we could possibly view the Wampanoag Indians as the new “outsiders.” And so, as we say, the rest is history.
In our Gospel, we have “outsiders” and “insiders” as well. Today’s Gospel is from Luke – which is often called the Gospel of Mercy and Forgiveness. Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem – and in a few Chapters, we will read that he is in the final months of his life on Earth. He knows all too well what it is like to be an “insider” and an “outsider.”
In this middle place between Galilee
and Samaria is a borderland where lepers dwelt. Here, Jesus encounters ten men - all
lepers, who, with their weakened voices, call out to him, “Master” and beg for
mercy . . . they desire human compassion and dignity.
As lepers, they were rejected from society, and they could not participate in worship. They were treated as outcasts and were required to live outside the city in leper camps, forced to ring a bell or shout “unclean” to warn others to keep away as they walked the streets.
These
lepers were the most miserable of all people, believing that they had been
cursed both by God and humankind.
In this time, leprosy was a permanent and external condition of shame, clearly evident in the disfiguring lesions covering the victim’s skin. Because lepers could not participate in worship, most people believed that the disease was due to sins that the individual had committed. The Jewish people couldn’t imagine a worse torment than not being able to worship God – for it was the most holy act of their lives.
These ten “outsiders”– were a band of nine Jewish men - and one a foreigner, a Samaritan – who was even more of an “outsider” – a double outcast, because he was a leper and a Samaritan. These men would normally not be in relationship with each other, but the fate of a terrible disease forced them to band together.
When
Jesus saw them and heard their faint cry for mercy, he doesn’t tell them to go
and wash in the Jordan seven times; He doesn’t touch them as he did for the
single leper earlier in his ministry. No, Jesus asks them to turn toward Jerusalem and sends the
lepers on their way, knowing that his word will do its work. The faith-filled
lepers, who will soon be “insiders,” are cleansed as they travel to meet up
with the Jerusalem CDC! (Center for Disease Control).
To understand the reactions of these healed men, we must first consider that the Law of Moses provided that someone who was afflicted and then healed of an unclean disease was to go and show himself to a priest to verify the healing. This “presentation” was, in essence, his ticket of re-admission into the Temple and restoration of his place within the community of God’s people.
The nine who presented themselves were doing exactly what Jesus told them to do – but, Jesus had a dual purpose: when the priests verified that these lepers were healed, they were unintentionally affirming the divine authority of Jesus - the one who had healed these men, and the priests would not be able to deny that. For in the cultural world of Jesus, it was believed that God alone is the one who heals. How clever of Jesus!
So, the ten head off to see the priests. Except for one of them, who turns around and goes back. It’s the Samaritan who returns to Jesus.
As a Samaritan and an outcast, he knew he couldn’t follow the others. Samaritans worshiped on Mt. Gerazim, and Jews worshiped in Jerusalem. He had no need to be officially pronounced clean and welcomed by the priests; so instead, he confides in Jesus, giving his best offering of gratitude for Jesus’ gift of divine mercy.
The
Scripture states that he is shouting his gratitude . . . his loud voice
signifies his complete healing and the intensity of his praise. Jesus pronounces him healed physically, emotionally, and
spiritually.
He is restored to wholeness – and no longer seen as a foreigner but in God’s merciful eyes is accepted, welcomed, and loved unconditionally. Truly, Jesus’ mission was to be in towns, villages, and in-between spaces to proclaim that God is a God of mercy and compassion who loves us totally, tenderly, tenaciously!
It is written that in the ancient Middle East, to say “thank you” is to end or complete a relationship. The Samarian knew he was in the “wrong” place at the “right” time. He would not be able to be in relationship with Jesus again – the boundaries were clear. Yet, his heart was in the right place at the right time! This Samaritan is no longer an “outsider” – now, he is blessed to be a “near” sider – he is near to God’s heart of mercy – he is near to God as disciple and friend . . . the God of forgiveness, healing, and compassion.
This
would seem like a good place to end the story. However, there is more to this
story. But what of the faith-filled
nine?
Perhaps we can find them in the final chapters of Luke’s Gospel – living their newly restored lives with their families and friends; worshiping at the Temple; having a place to call home – and no longer being “outsiders;” and, forever aware of the God with the gaze of mercy who restored them to health, to society, and to the Temple. They now live lives of generous gratitude.
Therefore, when it came time to obtain a colt for Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and the owners were told, “The Master has need of it,” these owners, once the outsiders, give in gratitude to the Master.
When
the time came for the Hosanna Parade through the streets of Jerusalem, these once
outsiders, now walk and run in gratitude among the people with shouts of
Hosanna happiness.
And, when the time came for Passover to be prepared, the man with the water jar, once an outsider, now generously gives his upper room in gratitude to the Master.
And
the rest is history, and more, much more. . .
So what is the Good News for us today?
· For Luke -
Jesus is the God of compassion, forgiveness, and mercy for all people whether
rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, slave or sinner, winner or loser, saint or
stranger. With Jesus there are no boundaries, borders, barriers, boxes, or
biases.
· Let us pray
for all whom this day experience being an outsider in our church, in
governments, in society, and in nations throughout our world. May the God of
mercy bless them with courage and integrity to shout forth their message and
find meaning in their suffering and may there be hands and hearts to reach out
to their cries of hope.
· For ourselves – our community, families, friends, may God’s grace, mercy, compassion. and wisdom accompany our lives as we strive to live with purpose and in gratitude day by day.
· So let us
pray: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness
of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into
acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into
gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes
into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for
today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melodie Beattie
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
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 . . .’
The best restaurant . . .
A Jewish folk tale:
A story tells of a man who went to the office every day in his expensive car, and made important decisions and signed big contracts. Often, the important man would enjoy business lunches with his clients, and would try to distract the attention of his influential guests away from the unsavory spectacle of the beggars on the streets of his city.One evening, after a hard day making money, he packed his briefcase to go home, where supper would be waiting for him. As he was locking his desk for the night, he caught sight of a stale sandwich lying abandoned at the back of the drawer. Without much thought he crammed it in his coat pocket. No need for it to go moldy and mess up his desk. And on the way out to the car park he saw a street beggar on the steps, huddled in an old blanket. ‘Here, my friend’ he said to the beggar. ‘Here is something for your supper.’ And he gave him the stale sandwich.
That night, the man dreamed that he was away on a business trip. After the day’s meeting, he was taken with his fellow directors to the town’s most luxurious restaurant. Everyone gave their orders, and settled down with their drinks before the meal to look forward to a convivial evening.
The orders arrived. Pâté de foie gras. Medallions of venison. Lamb cutlets with rosemary and garlic. The dishes being brought to the table brought gasps of delight from all the company. Then his own order appeared. A waitress set in front of him one small plate, on which was served a stale sandwich.
‘What kind of service is this?’ the man demanded, enraged. ‘This isn’t what I ordered! I thought this was the best restaurant in town!’
‘Oh sir,’ the waitress told him, ‘you’ve been misinformed. This isn’t a restaurant at all. This is heaven. We are only able to serve you what you have sent on ahead while you were alive. I’m very sorry, sir, but when we looked under your name, the best we could find to serve to you was this little sandwich.’ (Retelling of a Jewish folk story)
Always Beginning . . .
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
A Thanksgiving Pot . . .
Practicing Gratitude . . .
Prayer Practice:The end of the day is always a good time to lean back in our memory and recall the experiences of the day and to pray with gratitude. The Examen prayer format is not for judging your day or yourself, but for reviewing the day and noticing and acknowledging the day and its gifts.
Step 1: Set aside a quit time at the end of your day and look back over it. Ask yourself, “What was life-giving for me in this day?” and take some time to remember what brought you life this day. Then ask yourself, “What was life-draining for me this day?” and recall what was draining for you this day.
Step 2: Another optional set of questions could be, “Where did I notice God’s love this day?” or “Where did I receive God’s love this day and give God’s love today?”
Or another set of questions could be, “When was I really awake this day?” and “when was I just drifting this day, not awake at all?”
Step 3: Spend time reflecting on each question. Then, on your out-breath release anything you wish to let go of from this day. – “I release ___ from this day. On your in-breath, affirm what you hold as a gift this day. – “I affirm ___ from this day - offering it all to our compassionate God.
A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?"
"I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say, " the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"
Monday, November 7, 2022
God comes to us disguised as our lives!
Sometime ago, I was sharing with someone who at one time had been homeless. He told me of how often he would long for a sandwich. So he would hang out at fast food restaurants to collect the discarded ketchup packets. Then (if he was lucky that day) he would find a slice of bread and squeeze out the remaining ketchup from the assorted packets to make a ketchup sandwich.
Friday, November 4, 2022
The Heart of the Matter . . .
And God said:
I myself will
dream a dream
within you.
Good dreams come
from me
you know.
My dreams seem impossible,
Not too practical,
Not for the
cautious
woman or man,
A little risky
sometimes,
A trifle brash
perhaps.
Some of my friends
prefer
To rest more
comfortably,
In sounder sleep,
With visionless
eyes.
But for those who share my dreams,
I ask a little patience,
A little humor,
Some
small courage,
And a listening
heart.
I will do the
rest.
Then they will
risk,
And
wonder at their daring
Run,
and marvel at their speed;
Build,
and stand in awe at the beauty
of
their building.
You
will meet me often as you work:
In
your companions,
who
share your risk;
In your friends,
who believe in you enough to lend their own dreams,
Their own hands,
Their own hearts,
To your building;
In the people who
will find
your doorway,
Stay awhile, and
walk away
Knowing
they, too, can find a dream . . .
There will be
sun-filled days,
And sometimes it
will rain.
A little variety!
Both
come from me.
So come now,
Be content.
It is my dream you
dream:
My house you
build;
My caring you
witness;
My love you share;
And
this is
the
heart of the matter.
Sister Charity, RGS - 1981
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
A time to choose to change . . .
What we choose changes us.
Who we love transforms us.
How we create remakes us.
Where we live reshapes us.
So in all our choosing,
O God, make us wise;
in all our loving,
O Christ, make us bold;
in all our creating,
O Spirit, give us courage;
in all our living
may we become whole.
Befriending the Darkness . . .
We Need to Find God,
God Cannot Be Found in Noise and Restlessness.
God Is the Friend of Silence.
See How Nature . . .
Trees, Flowers, Grass
Grow in Silence.
See the Stars, the Moon and Sun . . .
How They Move in Silence.
The More We Receive in Silent Prayer,
The More We Can Give in Our Active Life.
We Need Silence to Be Able to Touch Souls.
The Essential Thing Is Not What We Say,
But What God Says . . .
To us and Through us.
Unless They Come from Within.
Words Which Do Not Give the Light of Christ . . .
Increase the Darkness.
-Blessed Mother Teresa
