Facing fear

Love equals Goodness

But for Goodness…

Raise a glass and tip your hat to Goodness.
Don’t be fooled or led astray,
Goodness is in all places;
No corner can escape it.

Even in the most common
Or the tiniest of things,
Goodness is awaiting us
To turn, and let Goodness in.

What of clouds, and darkness then?
What of violent, hateful things?
Big and bad, though they may be,
They are no match for Goodness.

Do not fear, do not distress,
But grab a hold of Goodness.
Better yet, say a prayer;
let Goodness, grab a hold of you.

Love equals Goodness

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him. – Psalm 34:9

Easter Rising…

As rays of light penetrate the darkness, so to the love of each. And, through the shine and glow of the heart and soul, we know, our God is with us.

Having been at the foot of the cross, witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus, it seems likely that Mary Magdalene would have been overcome with emotion, confusion, and a sense of loss, to say the least. The circumstances in which she found herself had to be unexpected and vastly different than anything she could have imagined.

Yet, Mary of Magdala, held on. She did not become motionless or stuck in despair. Despite however she may have felt after the death of Jesus, and the magnitude of those feelings, she got up and went to the tomb in the days that followed.

Sometimes, like Mary of Magdala, we have to lift ourselves up, and do something. We have to listen to the Voice within, and “go out.”

Sometimes, we have to put ourselves out there, bearing our souls to each other, listening and sharing, trying something new or in a different way… connecting in ways that show we care, at whatever distance we may be.

Oftentimes, we must overcome doubt and fear, in order to experience the joy of being risen.

Oftentimes, when we lift ourselves, we lift others too.

On this Easter, and always, may the love of God, the sacrifice of Jesus, and the example of many, inspire all toward life everlasting.

Easter2020

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead. – John 20:1-9

In the Palm of Our Hands…

Yesterday morning, I was thinking about how up until a few weeks ago, it had been quite some time since I found myself in a position where it was mostly better and necessary for me to stay home than to go out. I found myself remembering days when my children were not in school yet, or days when they were unexpectedly home from school. There was one day in particular that came to mind. I remember it so vividly.

It was a sunny, slightly breezy spring day. I was noticing the color of the sky and feeling the warmth of the sun and the gentle blowing of the wind on my face as I walked along the walkway toward the parking lot where my car was parked. I had just come around the side of a building, and as I did, I saw a familiar face. We exchanged a smile and greeting, and then had a brief conversation.

In the course of sharing how nice it was to start the day, quietly, being where we were, I mentioned feeling frustrated that sometimes, due to the unforeseen and unexpected, I could not be there. Then, I’ll never forget the way, Joe, the older gentleman I was speaking with responded. His words were so comforting and enlightening as he shared the belief that in the sacrifice of Communion to answer the call of motherhood, or any call in the service of others, was in fact, also the reception of Communion. Since that bright and sunny day, not being able to go somewhere I wanted to go or do something I wanted to do has been less frustrating. Now, as I think about my late friend’s words, it is so much easier to open my hands, and let go.

All we ever really hold in the palm of our hands, is our will. And that, is always best when we turn it over to God. Only then, are we truly free. Only then, do we arise.

Jesus advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” – Matthew 26:39

InThePalm

Little Things With Great Love

In the garden of our Savior, no flower grows unseen;
His kindness rains like water on every humble seed.
No simple act of mercy escapes His watchful eye —
for there is One who loves me: His hand is over mine.

In the kingdom of the heavens, no suff’ring is unknown;
each tear that falls is holy, each breaking heart a throne.
There is a song of beauty on ev’ry weeping eye —
for there is One who loves me: His heart, it breaks with mine.

Oh, the deeds forgotten; oh, the works unseen,
every drink of water flowing graciously,
every tender mercy, You’re making glorious.
This You have asked us: do little things with great love,
little things with great love.

At the table of our Savior, no mouth will go unfed;
His children in the shadows stream in and raise their heads.
Oh give us ears to hear them and give us eyes that see —
for there is One who loves them: I am His hands and feet.

By Audrey Assad, Isaac Wardell, and Madison Cunningham
© 2017 Porter’s Gate Publishing (BMI) and Hymns From the Porter’s Gate (ASCAP). All rights reserved and administered by Fair Trade Music Publishing c/o essentialmusicpublishing.com.

Rock the Boat…

On a big lake, slouched down at one end of a small canoe-like boat, the joy of my childhood anticipation and enthusiasm at the opportunity for me and one of my sisters to accompany a relative who was going fishing had been rapidly replaced by shaky nerves almost immediately upon embarking from the shore. I was 9 or 10 years old at the time, and although it was so long ago, I vividly remember the experience.

It was early one muggy summer evening and, outside of bugs sporadically buzzing around, there seemed to be no movement in the air. The area around the lake was blanketed in the browns and greens of the many trees that encircled it. The sky seemed as if being slowing drained of its light as the day progressed toward an end. And the lake, when glancing across to the other side, seemed as still as the air.

I could not fathom why the boat was rocking and swaying the way it was when there seemed to be so much at rest around it. I remember feeling like I could not wait to get back to land. My relative was standing and fishing, and my sister was sitting more upright than I. She was searching for any signs of life on and in the water. As she described what she saw over the edge of the boat, I would periodically straighten up enough to get a brief glimpse of what she was talking about before sliding back down into what seemed a safer position.

Then, at one point my sister excitedly said, “Look at that!” To which I reacted, without thought. I sat upright and both of us looked and leaned in the same direction, shifting the weight inside the boat. Luckily the boat did not tip, but the incident did provide a heart racing moment for all of us in the boat, and undoubtedly for the inhabitants of the water in close proximity to it.

As much of a jolt as the experience of almost tipping the boat was, it was also life-altering for the better. The rock and sway of the boat, that had been almost unbearable from the time we had departed from the shore, somehow was not so bothersome any more. And it was as if the fear of being anything other than tucked in or sheltered inside the boat, was tossed out, during those uncertain moments of rapidly rocking back and forth from the sudden shift of weight.

From that point onward, my sister and I both sat upright, together. Taking in, talking, sharing, and discovering the wonder of all that was over the edge of the boat, and all around us.  The time passed and as it began to get darker outside, we returned to the shoreline, made our way back to the car, and eventually home.

My sister and I did not have our own nets, fishing line, rods, and bait, as we sat in the boat, on the lake, fishing that day. However, we had all we needed—we had each other, and we had God. In a time when there are great efforts being made to “Fish for people” (or to evangelize), sometimes, it’s a matter of rocking the boat, in order to wake up and find the fish.

RockTheBoat

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening
to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him. – Luke 5:1-11

Getting Out of the Boat…

As a young child I recall being afraid to swim after seeing the movie about a great white shark that was striking terror along the shores of the fictional town of Amity Island. As I think back on it now, I find it rather funny because at that time the bulk of my swimming was in an in-ground pool. Still though, there was a drain at the bottom of the pool and my young mind could envision the possibility of some creature getting in through it and pulling me down into the great abyss that was the deep end of the pool. As impossible as it might have been for what I imagined to occur, as a child I was genuinely afraid of this; it was very real to me.

In the Gospel passage where Jesus walks on water, the disciples are described as being “terrified” and we are told, “they cried out in fear,” at the sight of what they initially perceived to be a ghost. They had already been startled by their boat being rocked around by powerful winds in the pre-dawn hours of the day. Then, with an already heightened sense of apprehension, they see something walking toward them… on the water!

Whether young, old, or in between, we all have things that frighten us. Like the disciples, we are all prone to becoming even more unsettled once already unnerved. This is why it is so important to strive to be centered, and to recognize when we are not.

The disciples learn that it is Jesus who is walking toward them and they hear his words, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Perhaps they are at least temporarily reassured. However, Peter checks the situation out a little further. “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Peter believes if Jesus commands something of him, no matter what it is it will be possible for him to do it… and it is, but only so long as Peter stays focused on the Lord. Once he becomes distracted, just like us, he falters. Still though, he does not sink all the way, and neither do we. When we call out, the Lord is there to catch us, to set us on our feet again, to show us the way, and to save us from all that would seek to do us in.

Sometimes it can be challenging to know in what direction to proceed and how to receive and respond to the world around us. Rest assured though, when our inner compass is set on the Lord, we can and will find our way.

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.

During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.

Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.” – Matthew 14:22-33

FrLindsayTheBoat1
Painting by the late Fr. Bob Lindsay, SJ