On this 4th Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday, the readings invite us to consider the depth of God’s steadfastness and love. Focusing on the second reading, take some time to reflect on the qualities of God (rich in mercy, great love, etc.).
Brothers and sisters: God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ — by grace you have been saved —, raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them. – Ephesians 2:4-10
How do you experience these qualities in your life? In your relationship with God and others, where do you give? and where do you withhold? Take some time to ponder being God’s handiwork.
“You often say, “I would give, but only to the deserving.” The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.” – Kahlil Gibran
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
In the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 30, verses 15-20, after having presented God’s commandments to the people, Moses exhorts them to choose life over death by embracing and living by God’s “commandments, statutes and decrees”. This brings up an interesting question. Outside of obvious situations where the distinction is clear between a choice that is life giving and one that is not, how does one determine what they are really choosing, and perhaps more importantly, why?
There are few things in life that are clear cut and without the possibility for change. Yet, the human tendency leans toward wanting things to be one way or the other, to fit comfortably into categories or boxes, and to be “known for all time”. However, this leaves little to no room for new information or consideration of different circumstances.
Sometimes it can be helpful to flip things around, contemplating them from another angle or two and considering different points of view. Oftentimes, what is thought to be wrong, so different, or out of line, underneath the surface or layers upon first look, can be not so wrong, different, or out of line, at all.
During Lent, we try to renew or refresh our spirit and growth mindset. We open our hearts and minds to seeing and being anew and strengthening our faith and discipleship ways. We are reminded of what it is we profess to believe and why, as well as the desire to choose what is life giving so that even in death, we experience Life.
Take some time to contemplate Moses’ words about choosing life or death alongside the following poem from the Persian poet Rumi.
“I died as mineral and became a plant, I died as plant and rose to animal, I died as animal and I was human, Why should I fear? When was I less by dying? Yet once more I shall die human, To soar with angels blessed above. And when I sacrifice my angel soul I shall become what no mind ever conceived. As a human, I will die once more, Reborn, I will with the angels soar. And when I let my angel body go, I shall be more than mortal mind can know.” – Rumi
What influences your choices? How do you draw inspiration from the example of Jesus in making them? What grace(s) do you desire in this area? Invite Jesus into this conversation, taking time to listen and asking to be open to and to notice whatever insights might be revealed.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord; the Lord will be their trust. – Jeremiah 17:7
A star found residing where it was placed. Holding still and quiet.
Its edges beveled, dimensions on display, highlighting different shades, color throughout the various times of day.
Sometimes crystal clear, what’s behind showing through. And other times, transforming as a show of what’s reflected on it.
A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” – Mark 1:3
In what situations do you sense facets of your faith more strongly? In what areas do you desire to deepen or to be more in touch with your faith? In what ways is your faith multidimensional?
There’s the saying that attitude is everything, and there is no denying the importance and impact of attitude on behavior. The Gospel for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mt 25:14-30 shown below), provides an example of how attitude can affect choices. In this passage, referred to as the Parable of the Talents, Jesus tells the story of three servants and how they handled the possessions their master entrusted to them while he was away.
To start, we learn that the master gave each servant a different amount based upon their ability. This suggests that he had a sense of what they were capable of and perhaps a desire not to give them more than what they might be able to handle. But also, more importantly, the master gave something of value to each of them, allowing them room for growth. He would not have done that if he did not see potential in each of them.
Looking at how each servant responded, we can see that the ones who were entrusted with more (five and two talents respectively) produced more and the one entrusted with the least (one talent), produced the least. It can be tempting to look at this situation, and the master’s response upon his return, as a simple matter and to judge the servant who buried the talent instead of growing it as weak for allowing his actions to be driven by fear. However, there is more to this story than what is on the surface.
Think about the characteristics of Jesus and the way that he responds to people. He listens, he notices, he allows people to be who they are, and where they are in their journey, while at the same time loving or valuing them, and encouraging them toward growth and living in the light. There is always a path toward shedding whatever it is that is holding someone back from becoming more and more authentic as one created in the image of God.
When considering this passage in the light of attitudes, we can easily jump to a conclusion that two of the servants had what might be thought of as a healthier attitude and did something productive with what was entrusted to them. While on the other hand, the third servant focused on the unjust ways of his master, resulting in a poor attitude and therefore a lackluster performance. What about the master though?
What was the master’s attitude in this parable? At the beginning, it is implied that he saw less potential or expected less from the third servant. Also, upon his return, how did he receive the third servant’s choice and the reasons behind it?
The third servant says, “Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.” All the master seems to take in is the fact that the servant did not multiply what was entrusted to him. And his reaction to that is to assign the servant even less value (“You wicked, lazy servant!”) and to condemn him to darkness. How might his response have been different if he was able to consider the impact of his ways, and the fear it created in the servant?
Although the servant didn’t, at the time, possess the wherewithal to multiply what was given to him, he at least recognized its importance and preserved it. His fear held him back, but he did do something. It seems the master couldn’t appreciate that. If you think about Jesus and his interactions with people, in what ways does the master’s words and actions reflect the attitude and behavior of Jesus?
While the Parable of the Talents might be considered in terms of “what one does with what is given to them is important,” it can also serve as an invitation to consider roles and the attitudes that can accompany them. As you consider your own life, in what situations might you be one of the servants who multiplied the talents? the servant who was given one talent? the master? Reflect upon your demeanor in these roles. How, if at all, does your attitude shift in these different situations? Where is the light of God and in what ways is Jesus present to, and in, you?
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'” – Matthew 25:14-30
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?
“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
On a recent trip into the city, memories of daily travel into the office by commuter rail came to mind. In particular, the schedules and the frequency of trains, or lack thereof, depending on what the workday had to offer and when it ended up being time to go home. During that time, there were a number of trains between 4:45pm and around 6:30pm on the line that I needed to take, so if I missed one, I could just hop on the next without much of a wait. However, if I was delayed at work past 6:15, and not able to run fast enough to make it to the platform and onto the 6:30 train before it started pulling out, the wait for the next train was substantial.
Thinking back on those times, I remember running for that last rush hour train and seeing other people do the same, sometimes making it, and sometimes times not. Then there were those occasional times of choosing not to make a mad dash for it, but rather to slow down, letting go of any notion of getting onto the train in those last moments before it pulled away. On those days, it was interesting how the station gradually transformed from being so crowded and noisy to a quieter, more spacious, easy-going place as it moved past the hours known for their rush. It was also easier to appreciate, once foregoing the push to move quickly, hop on, grab a seat, and get outbound.
It seems like a lot of life can be focused on being outbound and moving on to the next thing. Society just keeps pushing for more and more, and with greater speed, seemingly unaware of what is being lost or left behind. This constant hustle often leads to losing sight of what’s personal and meaningful, diminishing the time and patience that allows for potential to be seen and nurtured, and forgetting that “best” is most often brought out in one another by that which is rooted in a higher purpose—that which is mutually beneficial.
In the First Reading of the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time it is written,
“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” – Isaiah 55:6
In this busy, challenging world in which we live, what’s it like to turn this verse around and to contemplate the Lord seeking you, and calling your name with a desire to draw near to you? Where are the places that you invite or allow the Lord to find you and to be close to you? Where are the places where perhaps you don’t?
In verse 18 of Psalm 145, we read, “The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.” And in the Second Reading, we read part of St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he relates his desire to be Christ-centered (“Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” – Phil 1:20c). For it is in the Lord, and in living out the ways of the Lord, that he not only finds purpose and meaning, but also becomes an extension of God’s grace to others, encouraging them to also strive toward that which is greater than.
How are you inspired in relationships? Where do you find purpose, meaning, and mutual, generative benefit? In what ways do you desire to deepen your relationship with God, and others?
In the Gospel reading, Jesus shares the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) where the focus is on the desire and willingness to join in and work in the vineyard, rather than who got there first, who worked the longest, or any other credentials. This passage is a great reminder that with God, it’s never too late, nor too early, patience is abundant, potential is appreciated, and there’s always room for those who desire a place in the vineyard and come willing to do the work. With God, you can’t miss, not just because the time is always right, but also because the schedule is flexible, as well as forgiving.
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” – Matthew 20:1-16
Having stood next to the falls of Niagara and experiencing with awe the rainbows and mists as well as their thunderous rage, even in a controlled setting, the words of Dr. Seuss, “So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act…”, came to mind upon seeing the painting below.
Imagining the amount of focus, control, and awareness crossing the falls step by step on a wire, once again the word “awe” best captures the impression.
Sitting with the readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, these same words “focus”, “control”, and “awareness” provide an opportunity for further reflection on relationship with God. In the first reading (Is 56:1, 6-7), we are reminded of what one can control—“Observe what is right, do what is just;” (v. 1)—one’s own actions; what one’s focus ought to be—joining, ministering, loving, serving the Lord (v. 6); and an awareness through which we ought to live—”For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (v. 7)—striving toward the same kind of faithfulness to love and equity with which God bestows upon us.
In the responsorial Psalm (Ps 67:2-3,5,6,8), the psalmist cries out, “O God, let all the nations praise you!” (v. 4). The verses resonate or echo the desire to live up to and embrace what the Lord has said through the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading. They call for inclusivity and equity among God’s people—all those who observe what is right and do what is just, join, minister, love, and serve.
With the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans, St. Paul reminds us that love and mercy go hand in hand. This is especially important to consider when forming opinions and discerning choices.
Brothers and sisters: I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. – Rom 11:13-15, 29-32
It is the grace of mercy that calls one to exercise an understanding heart, and the grace of love and mercy together that move one toward what is just.
In the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 15:21-28), the story of the Canaanite woman, provides an example of the grace of God in response to an authentic desire for what is good and just. The Canaanite woman believes that Jesus can heal her daughter and does not allow the fact that she is not Jewish or that Jesus initially seems to turn her away, to dissuade her from seeking that healing and engaging in dialogue not only to ask for what her faith has led her to believe, but also to ask a question that ends up revealing Jesus ministry as being for all people. The woman and Jesus, like God the Father throughout many Bible passages, show an openness to dialogue, propensity toward flexibility with a fixed focus on love and mercy, self-control through respect and consideration in truly listening to each other, and an awareness that flows from a relationship or interactions where all parties have an authentic desire for what is good and just.
Looking again to the tightrope walker, how do they keep their balance? The one pictured above is holding a pole with both hands and using it to maintain their center of gravity, and therefore their balance. At this time in your life, how are you holding onto God, and God onto you? In what ways is God your center of gravity, helping you to focus, exhibit self-control, and have awareness for what is good and just? In what areas do you need God more as your center of gravity? What are some of the ways in which faith has helped you maintain your balance in terms of living and striving to live in a way that exemplifies mercy and love of God, neighbor, and self?
“Thus understanding and love, that is, the knowledge of and delight in the truth, are, as it were, the two arms of the soul, with which it embraces and comprehends with all the saints the length and breath, the height and depth, that is the eternity, the love, the goodness, and the wisdom of God.” – St. Bernard of Clairvaux
At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour. – Mt 15:21-28
To rest easy, As you go. Rest easy, As you work. Rest easy, As you play. Rest easy, Here and now. Rest easy, In each moment. Rest easy, Rest assured, Rest in Light and Love, Rest in Peace.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. – Matthew 11:28-30
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