Each year, again, we seek
something more, something new.
Building up. Tearing down.
Holding more than our own
as Glory Be’s to You.
Drawing lines in the sand,
fast and loose with quick claims,
Quit it. Learn a new beat.
Reverence, deference,
in honor of what/who?
Big? Bold? Leaves love to die,
but Love, ever faithful,
with us always, urging
mercy, peace, and goodwill,
for all, not just the few.
We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. – Matthew 2:2
In the eye of one’s heart—soul,
Each step on this great journey
Giving not away, but way
To the will of Greater Glory.
Lives come and pass, to behold,
With examples that linger
And great lessons that remain;
Teach what to hold or let go.
In sacred remembrance,
All souls living on the earth
Have been given the honor
To seek what is wise and true,
And choose what is eternal.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. – Psalm 23:1
From day to day, the better part
lives and breathes, beckoning to all.
Caught in between concerns and cares,
weighed down with worries and/or fears,
but always there for the finding.
From day to day, the better part
waits us out, and begs our pardon.
Patience looks for the gate to lift
and the willful to be open;
the Timeless, ready on a dime.
From day to day, the better part
flows from the heart of one’s choosing.
But what underlies the surface?
Influencers? Influences?
Aware or not, we all have them.
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.” – Luke 10:38-42
In the second reading for this Sunday, the Baptism of the Lord, Peter says to those gathered before him, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34-35).
Fear (or reverence) of the Lord can be a challenging concept. In fact, it can be tempting to mistake reverence as only being evidenced in what one can see. It can also be tempting to shrink it down to a fixed notion of what reverence looks like.
However, our faith calls us to remember, that we do not have the mind, or the insight of God. It is important to keep in mind that in our humanity, we can get hung up in appearances or distracted in what we think ought to be, and in the process, lose sight of the heart of any matter. It is only God who can truly judge, and help us to know, when and what to say or do in response to a situation(s).
And God, as we learn in the Scripture verses leading up to this Sunday’s second reading (Acts 10:9-33), does exactly this for Peter. God helps Peter to see that the faith that he holds so dear, is not just for those like him, but also for the gentiles. His experience on a rooftop during his midday prayer reveals the following:
He was hungry and wished to eat, and while they were making preparations he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something resembling a large sheet coming down, lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it were all the earth’s four-legged animals and reptiles and the birds of the sky. A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.” But Peter said, “Certainly not, sir. For never have I eaten anything profane and unclean.” The voice spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.” This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into the sky. – verses 10-16
As Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said [to him], “There are three men here looking for you. So get up, go downstairs, and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.” – verses 19-20
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.” While he conversed with him, he went in and found many people gathered together and said to them, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with, or visit, a Gentile, but God has shown me that I should not call any person profane or unclean. – verses 25-28
However, there’s more than that. God also helps Cornelius. Who like Peter, is not tethered to his own notions, and therefore is able to be open to being guided by the Spirit of God. It is written that Cornelius responds to Peter’s inquiry as to why he called him:
“Four days ago at this hour, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was at prayer in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling robes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to listen to all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” – verses 30-33
During the midday and afternoon hours of prayer, Peter and Cornelius had experiences of God that were different, but the same in Spirit. God gave them both direction, and despite it being an unusual or unexpected ask (for a Jew and a gentile, given practices, tradition, and cultural norms), both men in their fear or reverence of God, allowed themselves to cling to God and this new or different way, rather than a choice rooted in their worldly understanding—one that would have kept them separated… continuing with a wedge in place.
What wedges do you desire God to help humankind overcome today? Knowing that God’s grace flows in many directions on both small and large scales at the same time, what personal wedges would you like to overcome?
Take some time to reflect on this Scripture and how it relates to your experiences, both personal and more community or world-wide.
What happens when you think about God as placing emphasis on internal disposition or drive and how it motivates, informs, and influences one’s actions?
Envision the peace of God embracing you, calling your name, and saying, “You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22). Rest in the Lord and listen to what God desires for you.
When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. – Titus 3:4-7
“The proof is in the pudding” is a familiar phrase when looking at or trying to assess a situation. Originally, this proverb was “The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” but over time words were dropped and it morphed into “The proof is in the pudding.” Either way, the intended meaning is that judgment is best based on one’s experience. This is not to say that the experiences of others should not matter, but rather that one’s own experience is a necessary component.
In the Gospel for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 21:28-32), Jesus tells the story of two sons and their response to their father’s request, “go out and work in the vineyard today.” There is the son who says yes, but then does not follow through and the son who says no, but then changes his mind and does as his father requests. One of the ways we can look at this parable is to see it as a reminder that it’s never too late to change one’s mind or attitude and for one’s actions to follow suit. Going a little deeper, there is always an invitation to pay closer attention to our words and actions, and what goes into them. Oftentimes, we can miss or ignore God’s will, but with openness to something different than our initial response, we can overcome missteps.
Thinking about the two sons, in addition to sharing a father who made the same request of each of them, they are in the same place, at the same time. They share history and their words and actions, their choices, are adding or detracting in the present. Part of what they have in common is that they share space and, whether knowingly or not, they are helping to shape the direction of the future.
What is influencing their choices? And how does time affect them and their ability to be in tune with their internal influences?
In times where opinions are more widely and loudly expressed than ever and thrown out into the universe by all kinds of media, it can be easy to defer taking time to consider all things and to form fully informed personal opinions. However, fully informed personal opinions that include some sort of firsthand experience are perhaps more important than ever. And while impatience seems to rule the world and jam-packed schedules can make it more and more tempting to move through daily life on sound bites and to rush to judgment on fragmented information, that often opens the doors for outside influences to hold more weight than they deserve, and for one to be distracted and swayed in a direction that is less than.
To fully taste or experience the pudding requires taking time to ingest, and digest, it. It’s interesting that Jesus starts the parable of the two sons with the question, “What is your opinion?” What’s it like to consider Jesus as wanting to know your opinion? Not just in a surface kind of way, but deep down and in the nitty-gritty details.
How are you inspired by the thought that Jesus values both you and your fellow human beings in terms of thoughts, feelings, and experiences? In what ways do you ask Jesus for his opinion?
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
He said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.” – Matthew 21:28-32
In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2). Although he was writing to people of a different time than us, how appropriate this instruction or advice is for any age. After all, looking around and considering all of creation, there’s not only a broad spectrum of living things, but also cycles or seasons of change that occur across each category, and all created in the image of the Creator. With all of this, it’s not too hard to imagine God as being far more dynamic than any one generation, society, or age might deem.
Still though, it can be easy to move through a task, a day, or more with “a place for everything and everything in its place” mindset, whether as an individual or within a group or an organization. Perhaps St. Paul is reminding us not to get hung up on making things fit into our existing notions, to the extent that we leave no room to perceive the new things that God is doing or trying to teach us (Is 43:19). After all, how can God reveal to us, even a portion of insight to God’s will or a shimmer of the expanse and depth of God’s love, if one has already made up their mind and is so fixed and unwilling to consider something other?
This is not to say that one should never hold fast to a value or notion, but rather to be cautious of excluding possibilities outside of the ones already recognized or held.
In the Gospel for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Matthew 16:23). He says this because Peter’s response comes out of his own understanding and is not based on listening to and considering what was said or communicating with Jesus.
When Jesus reveals that he will be killed, it does not fit the narrative of Peter’s notion of what’s to come of the Anointed One. The influence of Peter’s response is not of God. It is rigid, does not consider what the Anointed One has said, and leaves no room for possibilities outside of what Peter “knows”.
Again, looking around and considering all of creation, there is change, there is fluidity. God is not rigid. And, having been created in God’s image, humankind is not meant to be rigid either. To hold fast? Yes, but first and foremost to God. This is so that everything else not only falls into place in a way that is most fitting, but also in a way that is blessed and does not serve to block the flow of God’s grace from extending in ways beyond our own understanding.
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.” – Matthew 16:21-27
Covered with snow, the landscape so quiet, so still, so beautiful. The branches and shrubs become as if carefully wrapped, insulated from the elements, as well as by the elements. Becoming part of what’s on the outside pushing inward? Or, perhaps, it’s the outside becoming part of what’s inside and underneath, pushing outward? How will they lean, where will they fall, maybe, just maybe, they will stand upright, if anything at all.
A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. – Ps 51:12
The Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent (Mt 4:1-11), is an account of the temptation of Jesus. We all experience variations of temptation throughout our lives. We all have weaknesses or tendencies that can lead us astray or take us away from being at or near our best, most genuine selves.
Looking to the example of Jesus, we can see his response to temptation, is first and foremost, to be aware and recognize it. Then second, to respond by remembering, and not only naming, but also reclaiming God as the source of all wellbeing. Jesus keeps God at the center throughout, and God’s grace enables him to overcome each temptation.
How can one apply this to real life experience in today’s world?
We can start by being aware and recognizing that temptation works in different ways. Sometimes it tries to move us toward “absolute” or limited views and the choices that flow from them, while at other times, temptation seeks to blur the lines between choices so that the best choice is left behind for the choice that seems good enough. Temptation tries, and keeps trying to find whatever hook will sink, to snag and pull one toward a more self-centered space and making a choice from there, instead of making it from a God-centered space where the choice is generative and beneficial beyond what one can surmise.
In the Gospel passage of the temptation of Jesus, Jesus shows us how to lean on the grace of God, and how to patiently endure to overcome temptation by living with God at the center—always in our hearts and minds. He reminds us that what has been written, holds true now, as well as forever.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God. – Dt 8:3
He will command his angels concerning you
and with their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone. – Ps 91:11-12
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test. – Dt 6:16
The Lord, your God, shall you worship
and him alone shall you serve. – Dt 6:13
Reflecting on each of Jesus’s responses above, what comes to mind in terms of your own experience of God’s grace in the face of a struggle or challenge you faced? Recall how God was present to you, and how you were, or became present to God? Share with God what that experience was like, and what it means to you today. What inspiration or insight might God want that experience to reveal to you today?
Walking along the pace is brisk in some places
and much slower and methodical at others.
The path so concrete,
laid out as clear as day,
but then seemingly disappearing,
leaving those travelling it to take stock…
to figure the way forward that safely,
or maybe wisely, fits them best.
Yet, sometimes the “where I am” and “where I want to be”
do not meet, or maybe just not yet.
A process that makes time, and the taking of it,
not only a good thing,
but also a necessary thing.
Overall, a journey building upon itself
before coming to the end of the trek,
or this one, on this plane, at least,
and landing on stable ground,
or rather learning to be steady
on whatever the ground may be.
While some building may call for a single column
as if marking the way,
some calls are for branching out,
and lending support.
Still rising, tall and strong,
a new look on a familiar way,
always moving, continuing the journey,
sometimes quick, slower at others,
maybe even coming to a pause,
but ultimately, always moving toward,
if not with, greater depth.
Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed. – Heb 12:13
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.
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
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