Being in the world

Serve Love…

I remember as a young student feeling fascinated as I learned all about the human heart, its functions and their importance. I was most amazed by the strength of the heart and its capacity, pumping 2,000 gallons of blood each day throughout the body. It wouldn’t be until years later that my amazement would become even greater in coming to understand the heart’s greatest asset—the rhythm, steady and strong, seeking to draw one closer, revealing God, and yearning not only to keep the connection of love, peace, and healing going, but also to help it to thrive without bounds. As the 13th century Persian poet, Rumi, wrote, “Love is the bridge between you and everything.”

In chapter 7 of the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus says to the Pharisees,

“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:

    This people honors me with their lips,

        but their hearts are far from me;

    in vain do they worship me,

        teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” (Mk 7:6-8)

Jesus is calling on them to be honest… to look more closely and to see that their hearts are not leading them in union with God. Their love has become misplaced. It is self-serving and focused on what is earthly rather than what is truly, right and just. Their words and actions do not come together to reflect the beauty of God’s goodness—the law that is placed in every heart—dignity, care, and love of all who are placed alongside us whether in location, heart, or mind.  

This same love is what the author of the Letter of James is calling people to when he writes,

“Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,

for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.

Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” – Jas 1:19-22

No matter where one might be, or the circumstances that exist, Love is the only true hope there is. And while there may be many things that seem beyond reach, or out of control, Love is the anchor that holds us altogether, moves us into action, and brings peace, or peace of mind, strength, truth and justice, never growing cold.

The Place of Choice…

In the last chapter of the Book of Joshua (Jos 24), Joshua, who succeeded Moses, is nearing death when he gathers the tribes of Israel and speaks the words of the Lord. First, the Lord helps the people to remember the truth of their journey together and God’s presence throughout. Then, the ageless choice, just as poignant today as back in Joshua’s times and prior, is offered: “…choose today whom you will serve…” (Jos 24:15).

Oftentimes the way of society tends toward reaching heights higher than, obtaining more than, and being waited upon or served as if elevated in position. And in that striving and the push to achieve, there are all sorts of temptations moving in and out, and throughout, trying to slide into place without notice, shifting motivation away from what might truly be good. Then, there is also the voice of reason—Truth, seeking balance, calling for heart and soul to live and breathe in all that drives the choices being made, actions being taken, and the spirit in which they are carried out.

So how does one proceed with so many competing interests? More simply, slowing down with prayerful moments that lead to the choosing in each, and every, day.

This past Wednesday was the feast day of Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, S.J. He was born in 1901 and lived in Chile, becoming a Jesuit priest who served the poor and worked for social justice until his death in 1952. The following prayer is his prayer. It seeks integrity, hope, and faith in God and reminds one of Truth—all things are possible with God.

Prayer of St. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, S.J.

Lord, help me to speak the truth in front of the strong
and not say lies to gain the applause of the weak.

If you give me fortune, don’t take happiness away from me.
If you give me strength, don’t take reason away from me.
If you give me success, don’t take humility away from me.
If you give me humility, don’t take dignity away from me.

Help me always see the other side of the medal.
Do not let me blame others of treason
for not thinking like me.
Teach me to love people as myself
and to judge myself as others.

Do not let me fall into pride if I triumph
nor in despair if I fail.
Rather, remind me that failure
is the experience which precedes triumph.

Teach me that forgiving is the grandest for the strong
and that revenge is the primitive sign of the weak.

If you take away my fortune, leave me with hope.
If you take away success, leave me with the strength
to triumph from the defeat.

If I fail people, give me the courage to ask pardon.
If the people fail me, give me the courage to forgive.
Lord, if I forget You, don’t forget me.

The Ups and Downs of Our Terrain…

With the starting point blanketed in fog, one couldn’t help but wonder whether it would be worthwhile to venture out any further on this day. Yet, despite the limited visibility we carried on, coming across pockets that offered clearer vision—spots and places once hidden, where we could pause and gather our bearings. And as for the silence encompassing the mist all around, while at first eerie, with time becoming rather comforting, inspiring a sense of adventure and greater insight as we moved along the contours, crossed plateaus, and entered the ups and downs of our terrain.

Always a spot to rest, or safely step, provided when needed most.

Always a way around, over, or simply through, provided when needed most.

Always at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way, provided when needed most.

Interesting how most needs are met, in trusting, while moving toward, and searching for, what is truly needed.

He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” – Luke 11:28

Quieting the Murmur…

Depending upon one’s experiences, certain words can bring to mind a particular image or situation. Hearing or seeing the word, “murmur,” many people might think of the human heart and the condition of a heart murmur, speaking in a low volume as in under one’s breath, or perhaps a hushed conversation between a number of people within a larger setting. Interestingly, in any of these cases, the murmur, or anything else that may be transpiring, can be of no significance, or the opposite. And, as always, the only way to know more certainly is by tuning in more closely.

While searching to discover what’s going on may seem pretty basic or obvious, human nature often leads us toward conjecture, murmuring amongst ourselves rather than seeking the source directly and looking for the answers or understanding there.

In the Gospel according to John, chapter 6, verses 41-51, the people are in disbelief, and maybe confused about Jesus’s statement that he is the bread of life that has come down to earth from heaven. Filled with questions, and likely doubt, with a limited knowledge of who Jesus really is, they are quietly speaking amongst themselves. They are looking for answers from each other, even though none of them understand what was said or what Jesus meant by it. What might this passage, and what follows from it, look like if instead of asking each other, the people asked Jesus directly about his statements, and took careful notice of his response together with his actions?

Moving forward to the way that Jesus responds to the hushed voices going on around him, regarding him, it is as if Jesus is simply saying, “Stop,” to the gossip and speculation. He does not enter into the grumbling. He does not succumb to it, and the questions the people were asking each other instead of engaging directly with Jesus, go unanswered, while Jesus continues to focus on Truth, and giving voice to it. After all, the fact of the matter is that more often than not, it really is as simple as continually asking Jesus for help in seeing something for what it is, saying, “Stop,” to nonsense, understanding and embracing what is of genuine importance, and listening, so as to recognize when and how to be moved.

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
“I am the bread that came down from heaven,”
and they said,
“Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?
Do we not know his father and mother?
Then how can he say,
‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Stop murmuring among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

– John 6:41-51

With Whom…

Pulling into an open lot along a scenic road, initially it seemed as though there was no place from which to view the water. Bushes and trees were all around, as if a fortress blocking the way to the water gently waving behind it. However, stepping out into the fresh air, with each movement closer, possibilities arose, until at last, nearer still and despite any preconceived notions, a path, narrow as could be, but still present, a way through appeared.

Oftentimes, there is much more than one might see or think there to be, yet it can be tempting to refrain from asking, disregard the invitation, and instead turn back, embrace presumptions from afar, and choose a side, rather than trusting that call, choosing to discover (ask and receive), allowing paths to appear and Truth to become known.

In the passage below, what resonates most with you at this moment? Which person(s) do you identify with and in what ways? How do you desire to be, and to live? Where is God in that desire?

The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The Israelites said to them,
“Would that we had died at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt,
as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!
But you had to lead us into this desert
to make the whole community die of famine!”

Then the Lord said to Moses,
“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them,
to see whether they follow my instructions or not.

On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in,
let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.
So Moses and Aaron told all the Israelites,
“At evening you will know that it was the Lord
who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord,
when he hears your grumbling against him.
But who are we that you should grumble against us?”

And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening
and in the morning your fill of bread,
and hears the grumbling you utter against him,
who then are we?
Your grumbling is not against us, but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole Israelite community:
Approach the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.”
But while Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community,
they turned in the direction of the wilderness,
and there the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud!

The Lord said to Moses:
“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.
Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,
and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,
so that you may know that I, the Lord, am your God.”

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp.
In the morning a dew lay all about the camp,
and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert
were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground.
On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?”
for they did not know what it was.
But Moses told them,
“This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.” – Exodus 16:2-15

The Sum of Kind and Wonderful…

With lots of rain this past week and existing conditions around the globe, it certainly seems like stormy times continue to be the pattern. Not only that, but it’s like they are holding as if super glue. So why not embrace them?

We know that the perfect storm forms out of what can be predicted or seen combined with what is unforeseen or unplanned. That is why such a storm often catches us off guard; there is an opening. Similarly, anything in life that is mutually beneficial, or truly divine, comes to fruition. And, even in the times when we cannot perceive or name it, there is always something more than what meets the eye, seeking to bear fruit. Always something more working through whatever failings or inadequacies there may be, to spread light and love, and ultimately, to break through, bringing what is good into the world.

During all this storminess, sometimes it can be tempting to look at life through a smaller lens, as if a mathematical equation to be solved. As if you get out of it what you put in, and the sum of all our human efforts creates a whole or complete picture of the end sought from the beginning. Yet, although these philosophies may be true to some extent, there is a lot more that comes into play for any given situation.

Often, in times like these, there is an invitation to see more clearly, and a reminder that while the surface may seem clear cut, Truth is encompassed in the depths and cannot be erased. It draws for us a complete picture, and what is Whole, never lies.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation. – Psalm 85:8

Like a Lady…

Behold God beholding you… and smiling. – Anthony de Mello, SJ

Pausing to take a deep breath and take in a beautiful day, as I survey my surroundings, I take joy in a ladybug who comes into view, also exploring. Interested, I move closer to get a better view. There it is. Moving along, wings closed, orange with spots of black, yellow head, eyes, antennae, and legs; many parts, one body.

As I watch, I am amused by its way—steady… patient… gentle, but also driven—purposeful. Different, yet underneath it all, the same. A reminder to remember, everyone… everything, is heading somewhere, here and now, and eventually, as well as ultimately.

In the Gospel acclamation for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, it is written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor” (Lk 4:18). If you had to re-write this sentence, applying it to yourself, what is it that the Lord has anointed or wants to anoint you for?

Moving on to the Gospel according to Mark, in chapter 6, verses 1-6, we read about Jesus essentially being shut out in his hometown area. It appears he is seen through a very narrow lens and because of this he is not welcome, encouraged, or accepted for who he truly is in the present. There is a lack of openness to the value he brings to the table, and he is limited in what he can accomplish.

It is important to remember that Jesus’s inability to be effective has nothing to do with Jesus. It is the result of the closed-minded, closed-hearted resistance he meets. A meaningful encounter cannot happen in the conditions that exist, and so, he must move on.

Perhaps one of the things Jesus is asking us in this passage is to examine the conditions that exist within our own hearts and minds. If, for example, we had to take our words and actions throughout the course of the day and insert them, one by one, at the end of the phrase, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to,” how would they fit in with Christianity?

In praying with this passage, as you hold dear the desire to honor the Lord whose Spirit is upon you, and who not only anoints you, but also delights in you, what invitation(s) is awaiting?

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith. – Mark 6:1-6

What The World Needs Now…

In chapter 5 of the Gospel according to Mark, the saving power of Jesus is revealed in the healing of the man with unclean spirits (the Gerasene demoniac), the woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years, and the daughter of Jairus, a synagogue official. In all three cases, Jesus acts differently than what is expected, in that he is not afraid to meet and embrace those who have met misfortune, and are viewed as less than, and he does not treat anyone or anything as a lost cause or beyond repair. Because of this, even though what he has to offer is beneficial, to those who are married to one way of being he is seen as someone to be weary of and who is dangerous.

When Jesus heals the demoniac, sending the unclean spirits into a herd of swine who then head over the bank and into the sea where they meet their demise, folks become afraid. They cannot see the miracle in the healing that has taken place and ask him to leave. He does get in the boat and depart back to the other side. However, he also remains. The man he healed takes heed in Jesus’s instructions to him. In staying behind, Jesus is with him, and the man gives witness to what the Lord has done for him.

When the hemorrhaging woman touches his cloak, Jesus, who is on the way to heal the synagogue official’s daughter, stops, and takes time not only to seek and find the woman he has just healed, but also to engage with her. Despite fear, the woman comes forward to own, or to claim, the truth. In doing so, she is met, not with a critical, harsh, or condescending response, but rather with affirmation. She believed in Jesus and was willing to take a leap and trust in the healing that she sensed he could bring, when she dared to reached out to touch his garment as he passed by. With Jesus, there is no such thing as too little, too late, not worthwhile, or not enough time.

When it is announced that the synagogue official’s daughter is dead, and that he is no longer needed, Jesus does not turn away. He tells the girl’s father, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith.” (v. 36). Despite the news and being ridiculed by others, Jesus proceeds to their house and wakes the girl up. With Jesus, nothing is impossible.

As a Christian, one is called to follow Jesus, embracing the Way, and striving, through the grace of God, to live it. As challenging, uncomfortable, or unpopular as it may be, oftentimes, this requires change and evolution. Sometimes it may mean the opposite or a variation of the new ways and examples happening in the world, and at other times, it may mean the opposite or a variation of the old ways. Either way, the constant is Love, and the question is whether we trust God enough to let Love be the author.

It’s an incredible mystery of God’s love that the more you know how deeply you are loved, the more you will see how deeply your sisters and your brothers in the human family are loved. – Henri Nouwen

A Whole New World…

Have you ever had the experience of trying to purchase a one-quarter section of watermelon at a grocery store or market, only to have it ring up as a whole watermelon? Despite its popularity, the one-quarter section is, to this day, not found in the “look up” section of the check-out screens, at least not where I am. It is as if the scanner gods will not have the purchase of anything less than an entire watermelon.

While this may seem trivial, it appears that people were becoming more unhappy and customer service was becoming overrun. Over time it became clear that the system wasn’t working, and a change(s) was necessary. The issue was legitimate and needed to be addressed, so some stores posted notices advising customers of the code to enter or added stickers with bar codes to the plastic wrap on the quartered sections of watermelon. Finally, steps were taken to try to ensure customers were not being overcharged and hindered as they tried to pay for their groceries and continue with their day.

So, what does this have to do with faith? Well, in chapter 5, verses 14-17 of the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, St. Paul starts by talking about being driven by the love of Christ. This was the same person, Paul of Tarsus, who was once driven by the love of rules and laws, thinking he was serving God by persecuting early Christians because their way was different. Imagine, Paul of Tarsus could have kept doing things his way instead of answering the call to conversion, embracing the Way—Jesus, and eventually becoming St. Paul.

Thank God he was open to change!

Brothers and sisters:
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come. – 2 Cor 5:14-17

Waiting to be Found…

From childhood, the name Anthony has evoked two thoughts more prominently than others, spaghetti day and help in finding what has been lost— “St. Anthony, please come around: something is lost, and it cannot be found,” or the less formal, “Tony, Tony, look around. Something’s lost and must be found!”

Today, June 13th, is the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua whose life in words and actions is an inspiring example of participation in the Kingdom of God, here on earth, and everlasting. Anthony accepted the invitation, sought union with the Lord, and allowed himself to be led, leaving behind a path that guaranteed him earthly wealth and power. It seems so appropriate that the name Anthony means fortunate… blessed… praiseworthy… priceless. Words that create an image of abundance, and that one can also imagine applying to the Kingdom of God.

In the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, it is written:

Thus says the Lord God:
I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,
    from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
    on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,
    and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,
    every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
And all the trees of the field shall know
    that I, the Lord,
bring low the high tree,
    lift high the lowly tree,
wither up the green tree,
    and make the withered tree bloom.
As I, the Lord, have spoken, so will I do. – Ez 17:22-24

Reading this passage, listening to the words and phrases within it, and considering the example of St. Anthony, one is reminded that just as the Lord stooped down, becoming one of, and with us, we also, are called to abandon lofty ideals, places, and practices. While the world, and all that is passing, might seek to grip and hold us down, God seeks to meet us on ground level, and elevate us to that which is eternal. In what ways, might this Divine invitation be accepted more fully?

“The creator of the heavens obeys a carpenter; the God of eternal glory listens to a poor virgin. Has anyone ever witnessed anything comparable to this? Let the philosopher no longer disdain from listening to the common laborer; the wise, to the simple; the educated, to the illiterate; a child of a prince, to a peasant.” – St. Anthony of Padua