Led by the Spirit

Solemn Joy…

“Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that came down to us from the darkness of those days there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy and under the shadow of death light that endures.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

The above quote seems so apropos for the world of today despite it being written many decades ago. Interesting how in every age there are things about which one can say, what’s old is new, and what’s new is old, or in other words some things are timeless.

Entering the 3rd week of Advent, the readings invite us to avail ourselves of God’s promise,

The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals. – Zep 3:17-18a

To step over the darkness of our times,

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the Lord,
and he has been my savior. – Is 12:2

And into the ever-present joy and light of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:4-7

As we wait in hope for the coming of the Lord, in what ways does the wisdom of God’s word resonate? How is the Spirit of the Lord present in these moments of waiting? In what ways do they create inspiration? And where do they spark peace and love… joy and light?

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people. – Luke 3:10-18

The Light of Faith…

In chapter 18 (verses 33-37) of the Gospel according to John, Pilate asks Jesus who he is and what has done, and Jesus’ answer, as always, is all about truth. And that’s what faith is really all about—Truth and learning not only to recognize it, but also to listen to, and be led by it. In the verses that follow this passage, Pilate knows the Truth—Jesus has done no wrong, but he does not choose to listen and allow himself to be led by it.

On the Feast of Christ the King, this passage presents a great opportunity for prayer and reflection on who we are and what we do as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both collectively and individually, as we approach the season of Advent and the Nativity of Christ our Lord, in what ways do the things we do and the presence of heart and mind with which we do them, reflect the goodness of God? And to what extent are they the result of truly listening and being led by Grace?

Amid one’s hopes and dreams and into the flow of reality, how do the choices of yesterday, infused with faith and the grace of God, inform and shape those of tomorrow?

So Pilate went back into the praetorium
and summoned Jesus and said to him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?”
Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?”
Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”
So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” – John 18:33-37

Trust in God’s Reach…

At first it may seem that Eldad and Medad are just the names of two of the elders mentioned in chapter 11, verses 25-29 of the Book of Numbers. However, while it may be tempting to readily move past them and keep reading on the way to the Gospel for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, it’s worth pausing to consider this scene some more.

While all the other elders are gathered at the tent to receive the spirit of the Lord and begin to prophesy, Eldad and Medad are back at the camp. Despite not being at the “right place, at the right time,” at least not physically, they are still included by God, the Spirit is bestowed upon them, and they begin to prophesy.

This is key. Eldad and Medad receive the spirit and prophesy right where they are, giving testimony to the fact that the grace of God is not limited and that there is more than one way, more than one place, to be gathered before the Lord. Reflect on this truth: regardless of where we are, all of us are always within reach of God’s grace. What’s significant… what matters most, is whether we are open to receiving the grace of God, however it is presented.

Continuing to look more closely at this passage, Eldad, whose name means “Love of God”, and Medad, whose name means “Love,” have been called. Their names are known to God. All that is required of them, and us, is not to meet the expectations of others, or to hurry up over to the meeting place to join their fellow elders, but rather, to simply be where they are and be willing to be whom they were created to be. That is, to not only embrace their gifts with an open heart and mind, but also to allow themselves to be inspired by the Spirit of the Lord as to how to use and share them.

Eldad and Medad numbered among many. It’s not only interesting, but also a simple imperative by which to live—Love of God, Love.

The Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the Lord bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.

Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
“Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, “
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, said,
“Moses, my lord, stop them.”
But Moses answered him,
“Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!
Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!” – Numbers 11:25-29

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

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

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

Something Else..

The world,
And its inhabitants,
Who are abundantly “living,”
Something else.
In a shell,
On a hill,
Away from it all.
Yet, Life,
Forgotten,
Trampled, and hidden.
Nothing else.
Something else.

Create a clean heart in me, O God;
Renew within me a steadfast spirit. – Psalm 51:12

How Often…

How often devotion becomes tangled up, and chained, to this or that, but mostly misdirection.    

Sidetracked, razor-focused, tunneling toward the goal.

How often the depth and scope of perspective shrinks toward misperception.

Moving forward… if today… if tomorrow… wait, can’t wait.

Closer in…

Look at yesterday.

Listen to today.

Learn for tomorrow.

No sight to be seen, no sound to be heard… so many, so much lost in the shadows of “light.”

Closing in…

Widen. Stop, human striving toward human understanding of perfection… imperfection!

Yes, be committed… be faithful, but underneath it all, hold onto God—justice for all.

Keep it real, keep it honest.

Be sure to know, check and see, from minute to hour, from day to year, to what, and to whom, allegiance is professing.

How often what we have is greater than nothing, and everything else that is more, is empty.

And, remember, in the end and in between, bow to no one, but bend to the One, and only One, whose Essence is within us.

How often the lost become truly found, while the “found” become lost in notions from afar.

The Next Chapter…

So what happened to Jonah? What did he do after delivering the message to “shape up” to the Ninevites?

First, he witnessed them take heed and repent. Next, he witnessed God shower them with mercy (Jonah 3:1-10). And then, in the next chapter, chapter 4, Jonah walked away, angry at God’s forgiveness and understanding of those “wicked” people of Nineveh. Why?

Jonah’s mind had already been made up about the Ninevites. That’s why he initially tried to run away from the mission God gave him (Jonah, chapter 2). Unsuccessful, though, and after being spewed from the belly of the fish, he ended up going to Nineveh to deliver God’s message to the people. And, exactly as Jonah expects, God ends up forgiving the Ninevites.

It’s interesting how God accepts the actions of the people of Nineveh as acknowledgement of their wrong doing, while Jonah, who had already determined the Ninevites did not deserve another chance, hardened his heart toward them and could not see or receive the spirit of their actions as a desire to make amends. That’s okay though, because as the story continues, we see more about God’s ways. Despite his lack of understanding or missing desire for mercy to extend to the Ninevites, God does not abandon Jonah either. Rather, God continues the conversation and keeps seeking to reach Jonah and his heart, the same as with the Ninevites.

The Book of Jonah reveals the story of a prophet whose name means “dove” in Hebrew. In a time when a desire for peace seems so great, for so many, it is important to remember that God’s embrace, and longing for ongoing, personal relationship with all creation, extends to all.  Yes, all!

God accepts those who accept and receive God, even when human beings can’t or won’t. Thank God! There are no exceptions, and only God can ever truly know what is in someone else’s heart.

But this greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry.

He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment.

So now, Lord, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”

But the Lord asked, “Are you right to be angry?”

Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city.

Then the Lord God provided a gourd plant. And when it grew up over Jonah’s head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was greatly delighted with the plant.

But the next morning at dawn God provided a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.

And when the sun arose, God provided a scorching east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then he wished for death, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry over the gourd plant?” Jonah answered, “I have a right to be angry—angry enough to die.”

Then the Lord said, “You are concerned over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow; it came up in one night and in one night it perished.

And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?”

– Jonah 4:1-11

If Today You Hear…

Looking across the room and then glancing down, I see ridges all around—like a welling up of paths. Whether taken in patches or one by one, they give the appearance of being well-traveled in some spots and lightly, or not at all in others. It is not unlike the journey of coming and going throughout the years.

So many paths not only along the way, but also sometimes in it. Then, in the ways we travel, we often weave, and as we do, some paths seem steadier, tried and true, and we visit them with greater frequency. While other paths, are traversed less often, sometimes only at a gentle coaxing from within or a push from expectations on the outside pressing in. And finally, there are the paths that are perhaps averted altogether. For good, or not?

There are a great number of ways as we go. Each has its own enticements. However, to stay on a track worth trekking, one needs the help of inspiration. Shifting gears and tuning into motivation, influence has a multitude of sources. They are, more or less, good or bad, better or worse, and more, but it’s always wise to explore them, to discover what’s really at the core.  

In looking underneath the surface, discernment is waiting to be used. While hope is the light that moves us, discernment, when it’s true, is earnest, and looks to help us as we choose. We slip and slide when we lose focus, and quite often, wisdom escapes us. But motivation stores the details of one’s heart and is always within reach. It brings forth words and actions, and influences replies. It’s where God is calling to us to love, but often gets denied.  

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” – Mk 1:7-11