Faithfulness

The Pilot…

To get somewhere, one needs to know where they are in relation to where they want to be and then to come up with a travel plan. However, oftentimes the path or trajectory shifts or ends up being different due to changing circumstances such as weather, terrain, and/or other unexpected issues. And while there are rules of navigation, the ability to adapt and adjust is crucial just as much as precision is.

One way to consider the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent is not only as tools, but precision tools for navigation. In the first reading (Jeremiah 31:31-34), the prophet reveals that God is making some adjustments. This is not a change in commitment level or objective, but rather a change in approach.

“I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. They will no longer teach their friends and relatives, “Know the Lord!” Everyone, from least to greatest, shall know me—oracle of the Lord—for I will forgive their iniquity and no longer remember their sin.” (verses 33-34)

God’s communication is going to be directed straight to God’s people (not requiring a “go-between” or a 3rd person account), making it more personal and approachable as well as accepting and forgiving—all hallmarks of a healthy relationship.

In the responsorial psalm (Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15), the psalmist expresses a desire for God to wash away their wrongdoing and states:

“A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.” (verses 12-13)

Since a heart cannot be clean or pure when it’s holding onto transgressions, resentments, or cold feelings toward oneself or others, the psalmist first asks for God’s mercy (for these things holding them back to be lifted from them). Once the obstacle(s) is removed, the way toward a heart that is unwavering in faithfulness to God is opened because the heart is better able to receive the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit.   

In the Letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul uses two words, in the passage for the second reading (Hebrews 5:7-9), that are sometimes received less enthusiastically than words like mercy and compassion. They are “reverence” and “obedience.” St. Paul writes of Jesus: “…he was heard because of his reverence” and “…he learned obedience from what he suffered”. Jesus’s relationship with God was open and honest; it was sacred. Jesus walked this earth, rooted in a desire to do God’s will and always seeking God as his source of strength and wisdom to face what he needed to face. When taken in the light of Jesus’ example, these words, “reverence” and “obedience”, when chosen with one’s free will express an attitude of humility and faithfulness to God, and of God to us.

Coming to the Gospel (John 12:20-33), Jesus’s words here strike at the heart of navigating. That is, holding onto or maintaining focus on the end goal despite the challenges that arise along the way.

It is written:

“Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (verse 23-24).

If one is going to get to their destination, they can’t stay in one place or state of being. A change, shift or movement toward what one desires is necessary.

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.” (verse 27)

Jesus knows his purpose or mission through his relationship with God. What are you and God aiming for as you navigate? (If unsure, consider what is fulfilling or rings true with the soul, bringing a sense of peace.)

“Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” (verse 28)

When two wills move together, there is resonance in words and actions. However, there can only be one pilot.

“Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.” (verse 31)

Jesus knows who’s leading the way and encourages us toward awareness as well.

May the strength of God pilot us,
may the wisdom of God instruct us,
may the hand of God protect us,
may the word of God direct us.
Be always ours this day and for evermore. – St. Patrick

What Are Words For…

According to the Oxford English Dictionary there are around 170,000 words currently used in the English language. In addition, there are around 47,000 words that are now considered outdated or obsolete. In preparing for, and during Lent, there is often a great focus on actions and what one will do or perhaps not do over the course of these forty days. However, Lent is also a great time to consider the importance and weight or impact of words, and how they are used.

The Gospel Acclamation for the First Sunday of Lent is “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4b).

Consider things you have heard over the past week or so. How did you receive them? What words impacted you most? Now consider things you have said over the past week or so. What effects do you imagine your words have had? Invite the Lord into this process of remembering and discerning.

Whether in words heard or spoken over the past week, how did you experience God or characteristics of God’s word through the exchanges you had, words involved. and/or information received or given out?

In the Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent, it is written:

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert,
and he remained in the desert for forty days,
tempted by Satan.
He was among wild beasts,
and the angels ministered to him.

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:12-15

In what ways would you like the Lord to help you when it comes to the word of God as you go about each day?

Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant. – cf. Psalm 25:10

Saturday after Ash Wednesday…

Sometimes due to the weather or one’s location, for example in the snow, on the sand at a beach, or stepping out of a pool, the impact of where one has traveled can be clearly seen. Most often though, we tread without leaving any physical indications at all.

The response for today’s Psalm is derived from Psalm 86, verse 11ab: Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

The text for the complete verse is as follows:

Teach me, Lord, your way
that I may walk in your truth,
single-hearted and revering your name. – Psalm 86:11

Reflect on the places to which you have traveled and/or spent time over the past few days, or the past week. As you remember where you have been, what comes to mind?

In what ways would you say that you experienced walking in God’s truth, single-hearted and revering God’s name? Were there places or situations where you were more grounded and fully present to the moment?

As you allow yourself to imagine revisiting these places, take time to notice or re-notice things.

Next, have a conversation with the Lord and share whatever thoughts and feelings arise within you. Ask to be shown what the Lord sees in these experiences and wants you to see as you continue striving in discipleship.

When your conversation is completed, pray:

Teach me, Lord, your way that I may walk in your truth, single-hearted and revering your name. – Ps 86:11  

Friday after Ash Wednesday…

It can be easy at times to focus so much on a plan or a routine that one might fall away from the point of having it in the first place. Without even realizing it, the point or the goal can be supplanted by a step(s) laid out to achieve it. This can be especially true during Lent when there’s a tendency to make greater efforts to be intentional about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

The scripture passages for today can be taken as an invitation to consider what one’s prayer, fasting, almsgiving, etc. leads them to. For example, in the first reading (Isaiah 58:1-9a), the Prophet Isaiah tells the people what the Lord has said with regards to fasting. The Lord wants to share thoughts and let the people know the attitude and approach that is desired.

Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking off every yoke?
Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry,
bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: “Here I am!” – Isaiah 58:6-9a

Spend some time contemplating these verses and current events or situations from a broader perspective (e.g. the world, your country) to a more personal one (e.g. your community, family, individual). As you contemplate each area, share your thoughts with the Lord and bring to prayer whatever comes to mind.   

Closing prayer: Lord, grant me, and all your people, the grace to know when our steps are leading us away from the goal—You. Draw us closer and provide us with the wisdom and the strength to let go of whatever may be holding us back. Help us to change course when we’ve gone astray, and to be re-directed so that You and Your ways may always be our foundation and guiding light. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ready, Set, Lent…

The mark is made,
The season begins,
From one to forty,
Days, one at a time,
As if turning pages
We make our way,
From start to end,
Through these Lenten days.

Giving up, giving in, letting go,
Yet not one thing for another,
As if a game of swapping.
No. Not at all.
Some thing, or things, for One.
The point remains on focus,
In the here and now,
Not here and there
Or scattered about,
But brought together.

Body and soul,
Front and center,
Sorted out or broken down,
But always built back up,
From one desire to another,
According to Thine will,
Heart and mind become one,
Drawn closer, e’er closer,
To the image of One.

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. – Psalm 51:12

Discovering Joy…

The 3rd Sunday of Advent is referred to as Gaudete Sunday, as we move closer to Christmas, anticipating the joy and celebration of the birth of Jesus, the new Adam. The readings for this Sunday (Isaiah 61:1-2A, 6-7; Responsorial Psalm – Luke 1:46-50, 53-54, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, and John 1:6-8, 19-28) call upon us to embrace and rejoice in the Spirit of the Lord. What does that look like? How do you know when you’re embracing and rejoicing in the Spirit of the Lord?

In the Gospel, John the Baptist is asked by priests and Levites, “Who are you?” (John 1:22). Part of John’s response is, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’” (John 1:23). Reflecting on John’s response, what do you imagine it was like for him? How would you respond to the question, “Who are you?” In what ways would your response be the same or different depending on who asks the question?

What’s it like to ponder that the same God who created John and inspired his words and actions, desires to do the same for all of us?

Continuing to consider this, in what places or situations do you desire your words and actions to be influenced more by God? What are the places or situations where you experience peace, joy, and a sense that your desire and God’s are united?

Prayer: Gracious and merciful Lord, over the course of the next few weeks, with all the busyness of the Advent and Christmas Season, help us to be open to your inspiration and to cooperate with the glue that is your Grace, so that we might discover that there is joy in each moment.

“Man is born broken; he lives by mending. The grace of God is the glue.” – Eugene O’Neill

To Grow in Faith…

As the fire kicks in,
it dances about.
And the smoke?
It fades away.
All attention now
To the brilliance
Of its flames.

No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you working such deeds for those who wait for him. – Isaiah 64:3

The readings for the First Sunday of Advent call upon one and all to watch and wait… to pay attention. However, it can be very challenging to take heed to this message, especially at a time of year when everything is busier and there is pressure to fit more and more into whatever time one has. So, what are some ways that one can wade through the sea of distractions that float their way this Advent?

O God, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved. – Psalm 80:4

First, get in touch with your desire for this Advent Season. Make time for some solitude and prayer so that you can get a better sense of your heart’s deepest wishes. What are your priorities? What are ways you can continue to pray and draw inspiration through each day of Advent?

God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:9

Second, consider how you can be more intentional in moving through the season with your desires and an openness to God’s presence. What are you willing to invest with regards to time and space? Remember, more is not necessarily better. Also, the attitude with which one approaches a commitment, or a task, will affect the experience. So, try to take your coat off and put your bags down at the door, so to speak, as you enter. Take some time to unload and put aside whatever you’re coming from or holding onto so that you can receive whatever may be awaiting you.

Show us Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation. – Psalm 85:8 (Gospel Acclamation)

Before moving on, spend some time reflecting on the goodness of God. Recount your experience of God’s love (through prayer, nature, art, a meaningful exchange, etc.) over the past weeks and months. Allow yourself some time to bask in the grandeur of God.

What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” – Mark 13:37   

Third and last, Jesus instructed his disciples to keep watch and to be ready. It can be easy to take this as a directive and make it our own, but no matter how determined one might be, the risk becomes leaving God at the direction, and therefore missing the intent. This is not a solo endeavor! There is no way to effectively watch and be ready, without the grace of God.

This brings us back to desire! Scripture tells us that it is God who has chosen us (John 15:16). The season of Advent is an opportunity to remember and pay homage to this. It is an invitation to keep striving to avail oneself to the grace of God, not only to keep the faith, but to also to proceed with a willingness and openness to God’s ways and to grow in faith.

May we all use this Advent to choose, and keep choosing, God.      

The Strength to Get Along…

Taken by the contrasting colors of the leaves against the soothing blue backdrop of the sky, it’s interesting how well they get along.

In the Gospel passage for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the heart of Jesus’ response can be seen as an invitation to consider love, and how it is revealed through, and in, relationships. Jesus reminds us that being faithful to God is more than striving to love and serve God. It also involves striving to love or to take care of oneself as well as one’s neighbor.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” – Mt 22:34-40

Reflecting upon the past week, in what ways did you strive to love and serve God? What thoughts and feelings surface as you recall the situations where the love of God was most present to you? Allow yourself to envision God’s response to a heart, your heart, operating in love and service.

Continuing to stay with the moments of the past week, are there ways you took care of yourself through them? Take some time to consider more fully how each experience came about. What might God want you to know about them? How might you pray in response?  

What moments come to mind as ones where the love you have received extended beyond yourself whether in thought or deed?

Still reviewing the past week, who or what would you include as your neighbors (family, community members, any fellow human being, animals, nature, etc.)? What did you appreciate in them? For each way that you might have struggled to appreciate them or that you felt more than a little challenged by them, try to return to naming something you appreciated.

How do you feel inspired by the things that you have contemplated during this time? And what do you desire to carry forward?

I love you, Lord, my strength. – Psalm 18:2

Conversion…

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?

Gold circle representing the world filled with sky blue color and a white heart with a white cross in the center.

In the Wrapping…

The first reading for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time speaks of helping those in need as the way to overcome darkness. The Lord says through the prophet Isaiah, “If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.” (Is 58:9b-10). Perhaps this can be seen as an invitation to greater unity through the exercise of mercy and compassion. Think about a time when you were shown mercy and compassion. What was that experience like? How did it impact you? Oftentimes, in showing mercy and compassion, a greater sense of unity is born and the light within each of us shines brighter with Life, making the darkness in the world, what it really is, “less than.”

In the First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes, “…my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” (1 Cor 2:4-5). It’s human nature to want to understand and to make logical conclusions. It’s just the way we are. However, when the determination to meet this need to know or to make sense of happenings becomes more driven by human motivation, the results tend to run narrow, and create vision like that of being in a tunnel. It is then, that our understanding becomes warped and more of an obstacle than an aid to seeing the “greater than” that exists in each situation. Instead, it leads to a hardening of both one’s mind and heart, and an approach that pulls one away from living with authenticity and integrity and making choices in the light of truth and justice.

In the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, we read, “… I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer 31:33).

In striving to make choices that are truly beneficial—ones that embrace love, peace, and justice for oneself as well as others—balance is necessary, and the starting place for that is in one’s heart. It is only in our hearts that we can begin to understand in a way that will lead us to what is best. It is only in our hearts that Jesus, the light of the world, shows us the way that is truly just. And it is only through our hearts that our motivation becomes purer, our minds move toward a broader way of being, and we can genuinely shine before others, giving glory to God (Mt 5:16).

So, when I can’t understand, show indifference or disdain, begin to make assumptions, can’t give the benefit of the doubt, and can’t wrap my head around something, perhaps it’s because, first, I need to be wrapping my heart around it.

Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
they are gracious and merciful and just.
Well for them who are gracious and lend,
who conduct their affairs with justice. – Psalm 112:4-5