Remember

The Emmaus Road II painting by Daniel Bonnell

On the Way There…

You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever. – Psalm 16:11

Thinking over the past week, reflect on the path(s) you traveled as you went from place to place or activity to activity. Try to recall what you were thinking and feeling as you moved from one thing to another. Overall, as you went along each day, what sentiments did you carry with you? To what did you hold onto and of what did you let go?

Take some time to converse with the Lord about what you felt grateful for and what you struggled with or disliked during the week, and what it is like now as you think back on it. What strikes you most? As you share, allow time to listen to what strikes the Lord most about your week. What does the Lord want you to know? How might you draw both peace and strength, joy and reverence from this past week?

Continuing with paths along one’s journey, imagine yourself on the road to Emmaus as you read the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Easter.

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread. – Luke 24:13-35

What insight or wisdom does the Lord want to impart to you at this moment? And how might it inspire you to be a greater reflection of God’s love and mercy as you journey on?

The Emmaus Road II painting by Daniel Bonnell
Easter Heart with Cross in the middle

To Believe is to Remember…

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, or in the Catholic Church, Divine Mercy Sunday, as it was designated in the year 2000 by Pope John Paul II. When you think of mercy, what does it look like? What characteristics come to mind?

On the night that Jesus was arrested, he said to the disciples gathered around the table,

“This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed’;
but after I have been raised up,
I shall go before you to Galilee.” – Matthew 26:31-32

In today’s Gospel (John 20:19-31), the disciples, although afraid from all that transpired and what it might mean for them, have reconnected and come back together. They did not allow what might be labeled as their failures (e.g. fleeing the scene, Peter’s denials) to override the example of Jesus and to tear them apart. Instead, they chose to embrace what was instilled in them by the grace of God and imparted to them by the mercy of God, extending both to each other.

Rather than looking to place blame or find fault with each other and giving rise to in-fighting and division, the disciples, still afraid and likely unsure, gathered together, and in their unity, Jesus appears to them, not upset at them for scattering or holding a grudge, but wishing them peace and extending grace to them.

Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.” – John 20:19-23

How do Jesus’s words above speak to you today? Share with Jesus what’s in your heart and on your mind as you consider these verses. Ask Jesus for his perspective.

Now, Thomas who was absent when Jesus appeared to the disciples doesn’t believe what is reported to him by the disciples who were there. Or, perhaps the thing that Thomas doesn’t believe without seeing for himself, is not the words of his fellow disciples, but the words of the Lord.

In other words, maybe the point is not that Thomas was expected to blindly take the words of his fellow disciples as truth, but rather that Thomas’s faith was so shaken by the experience of the crucifixion that it led him to some level of mistrust in the words that Jesus had spoken before his death.

Next, consider Jesus’s response. True to His nature, Jesus, again, doesn’t hold a grudge and doesn’t lose faith in Thomas, but as always, responds with understanding. In his mercy, Jesus appears again to the disciples at a time when Thomas is present. Jesus gives Thomas what he needs in order to be strengthened in his fatih, and at a time when he is able to best receive it.

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” – John 20:24-29

What do you imagine the week between being told about Jesus’s appearance and his reappearance was like for Thomas? What might the week between the two appearances have been like for the rest of the disciples?

Reflect on your experience of moments of uncertainty or times when your faith has been shaken. What was it like? And how did you face it? In what ways was Jesus present to you, and how might you need that same presence today?

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name. – John 20:30-31

In his poem, The Universal Prayer, Alexander Pope wrote, “Teach me to feel another’s woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me.” How has your heart been touched by mercy? And how you have extended mercy to others?

Easter Heart with Cross in the middle

The Universal Prayer by Alexander Pope
Father of all! In every age,
In every clime adored,
By saint, by savage, and by sage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord! Thou great First Cause, least understood!
Who all my sense confined
To know but this, that thou art good,
And that myself am blind; Yet gave me, in this dark estate,
To see the good from ill;
And binding nature fast in fate,
Left free the human will. What conscience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do,
This, teach me more than hell to shun,
That, more than heaven pursue. What blessings thy free bounty gives,
Let me not cast away;
For God is paid when man receives,
To enjoy is to obey. Yet not to earth’s contracted span
Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round: Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Presume thy bolts to throw,
And deal damnation round the land
On each I judge thy foe. If I am right, thy grace impart
Still in the right to stay;
If I am wrong, oh teach my heart
To find that better way. Save me alike from foolish pride,
Or impious discontent,
At aught thy wisdom has denied,
Or aught thy goodness lent. Teach me to feel another’s woe,
To hide the fault I see;
That mercy I to others show,
That mercy show to me. Mean though I am, not wholly so,
Since quickened by thy breath;
Oh lead me whereso’er I go,
Through this day’s life or death. This day be bread and peace my lot:
All else beneath the sun,
Thou know’st if best bestowed or not;
And let thy will be done. To thee, whose temple is all space,
Whose altar, earth, sea, skies,
One chorus let all being raise;
All nature’s incense rise!

Cross Roads…

Meet me at the Intersection.
You know the place.
The one where our wills meet,
And where differences are laid aside.
The one where hearts meld for all.

Meet me at the Intersection.
You know the place.
The one where face to face,
Our guards recline and fears subside,
As we recall the beauty of our Oneness.

Meet me at the Intersection.
You know the place.
The one, and only One,
Where we help each other,
And the choices made,
Regardless of their ilk,
Shine with greater Glory.

Meet me at the Intersection.
You know the place.
The one where we walk, hand in hand,
And there is no wedge between us.
Where we recall, together is our destiny.

Meet me at the Intersection,
You know the place.
For there is no other way,
But the Way—open, just, and free,
As life, in all its Glory, rises to its fullness.

When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem
and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,
“Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately you will find an ass tethered,
and a colt with her.
Untie them and bring them here to me.
And if anyone should say anything to you, reply,
‘The master has need of them.’
Then he will send them at once.”
This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Say to daughter Zion,
“Behold, your king comes to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.
They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them,
and he sat upon them.
The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
while others cut branches from the trees
and strewed them on the road.
The crowds preceding him and those following
kept crying out and saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;
hosanna in the highest.”
And when he entered Jerusalem
the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?”
And the crowds replied,
“This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.” – Matthew 21:1-11

Recalling…

In the quiet stillness,
A peace easy to remember,
Flowing from what was,
What is, and what shall always be.
It is in a gentle whisper,
Sometimes a sturdy breeze,
Raining down, then kicking up,
All sorts of memories.
The beckon of a beacon,
Remaining steady in its yearning.
Always right on center,
In both time and space,
Calling back the mind
That tends to wander,
Calling for a time
To pause, sit and ponder.
Although clock is moving,
And pledges have been made,
This is not a race.
Think about the prayer,
The way things are,
What has passed, 
And may never be again.
Yet hope does not fade,
Sometimes it saunters to a linger.
A soft and warming glow,
But held in place,
Infused with cherished memories.
Some say only time will tell,
Yet faith knows or better senses,
Only truth will tell.
Your deep abiding love,
The only trust worth trusting.
For, ever is it known,
That all is well or on its way,
But only in remembrance
Of your ever-present grace.

Lord, show us the light of your face! – Psalm 4:7b

More than a recipe…

I did not learn to make hummus, with just the “right” amount of fresh garlic, salt, and lemon juice by eating it, reading a recipe, or watching my mother make it over, and over again. Rather, I learned by taking what I saw, remembering what I had tasted, and trying to make it myself, over, and over again. After all, the most helpful way to learn is by ongoing, active observance, repetition, participation, reflection, and openness to growth.

While experience is key, it is interesting that oftentimes as experience increases, awareness to room for improvement can lessen, or even disappear. With that, it may be more than tempting to take moments and situations for granted, rote, or with a “nothing new here” spirit. However, even the process of washing, rinsing, and repeating, holds newness and opportunity with each turn.

In the Gospel according to John, a week later, when the disciples were still locked in the room, Jesus appeared again (Jn 20:26). What was it like for the disciples who had seen the risen Jesus the first time he had appeared? Was it just a been there, done that, repeat for them, or were they able to experience the second appearance in a new or deeper way?

What was the attitude in the room? Were the disciples who had previously seen Jesus able to receive this visitation as being as much for them as it was for Thomas? To whom was Jesus speaking when he said to Thomas, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?”

In the Gospel according to Mark, chapter 16, verse 11, it is written that when Mary Magdalene told the disciples that the risen Jesus had appeared to her outside the tomb, they did not believe without seeing either. Did the disciples remember this, when Thomas said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”(Jn 20:27)?

What did Thomas think, when Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29)? What did he feel? Perhaps, he felt bad that he did not believe what he had been told by the other disciples. Or, perhaps Thomas felt joy that Jesus heard his need, and responded to it, allowing him to experience the risen Jesus himself.

After all, whether making hummus , dealing with faith, or anything else for which there may be “recipes” or popular thought, there is always more than what is on the page, for “Experience is the teacher of all things” (attributed to Julius Ceasar).

In all times, but most especially in those that are challenging, we must consider experience, both our own and that of others. What has it been like? Do we remember the times and places where we have doubted, questioned, or disagreed, and, do we extend the same courtesy, patience, peace, and understanding that Jesus extends to us, to others?

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name. – John 20:19-31

Waving…

Sometimes walking or climbing to navigate and continue onward. Sometimes stopping to more fully appreciate the beauty all around, to take a breath or two of fresh air, or simply to rest. Depending on the time and the day, perhaps depending on the air, the path is very clear, or not so much. Yet, even in those moments of uncertainty or when it looks like there is no passageway to be found, before long there is an opening, and the way to proceed is there, revealed.

Sometimes turning back, it may seem to have disappeared, a distant memory, but not lost. Lingering, leaving the sense that somewhere down the road, it will be there once again. For now, carry on, but also, remember… trust… believe.

Teach us to count our days aright, Lord, that we may gain wisdom of heart. – Psalm 90:12

Maneuver

Lady Luck…

As I proceeded toward the steps and the front door, I could see something… a bug, moving on the frame around the door. With each step, I could see it more clearly. I was thinking, “It couldn’t be, it’s too cold,” but as I got closer to the front door, I saw that in fact it was a ladybug. What a pleasant surprise, in stark contrast to the spotting of the brown stink bugs that are common this time of year.

As I watched the ladybug crawling around for a few moments, I could not help but smile. Although it was a small thing, on a rather chilly day, this friendlier, more palpable kind of bug brought a sense of wonder and joy to me as the weather progresses toward winter where I live.

What a great way to prepare to enter the house. What a great way to prepare to enter any place for that matter. To go forth thinking… feeling… remembering the truth of what it means to be begotten by God. That is blessed!

Gifts and blessings come in packages of all types and sizes. Look for and welcome the unexpected. Receive all that each moment brings. Strive to remain faithful regardless of circumstances. Trust that what God has in store is always the best.

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever. – Psalm 16:11

LadyBug

A Walk in the Woods…

As we entered the woods, we were drawn from one path to another. The hustle and bustle of the everyday was left behind, replaced with sounds of a different… simpler… more pure kind. The further we walked, the more deeply in touch we became with our surroundings.

With each step, we traveled closer to the center, quietly, gently becoming part of a different world. We were surrounded by life, even in that which seemed at first glance to be without it. Layers of decaying leaves, fallen branches, and tree trunks, all returning to the earth, carrying nutrients from the past through the present and into the future. A reminder that when we remain in union with Creation, when we live and breathe Truth, all is One; there is no difference between life and death.

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it within us, or we find it not. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

TheWorldRound

For example…

As I looked around, I saw so many faces. Some were familiar and some were new, but all were listening with great interest and intrigue. I felt overwhelmed with a sense of joy and gratitude. How good it was to be in a place that seemed to be filled with openness and a deep desire for good.

As we all listened, we were reminded of ways in which God is ever-present. Not only is God always with us, but also constantly emanating a love for all creation… a love that is boundless, alongside mercy and compassion that is endless.

We sat and listened to experiences that were shared and our hearts were touched as we marveled at the manner in which God brings people together for more than the good of just a select few or a particular group. Again, reminded of a Love that is not only beyond limit, but also beyond compare… a Love in which we share.

It was good to listen and to remember, but perhaps most important, it was liberating.

It is amazing what the power of example can do when there is openness to receiving it. Sometimes it helps to ask, “What am I holding onto? And how is it affecting me, and those around me?”

Let go and let God. Oftentimes, that is all that is needed.

HeartLeave2

If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”

If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.

— Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9.

Traveling the Terrain…

Yesterday, the snow was falling and the roads were slippery on the ride home. Given the conditions outside, it was natural to slow down, happening almost automatically and without much thought. Proceeding with caution and at a slower rate of travel made it much easier to navigate and to be aware and to respond appropriately to icy spots along the way, even those that were hidden and caked over with snow.

Throughout life and the various paths as we journey, there are the things that we may see as well as the things that seem to come out of nowhere. At times, we can be left questioning, “How did I get here?” “Was this avoidable?” … “Was there something I did or did not do?” So often, one may never know the answers to such questions. Even when we do though, we are still in the place in which we are.

It is written of John the Baptist that he was, “A voice of one crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” (Mark 1:3). Surely, his journey included roads with slippery spots… even in the desert. As human beings, we never really know exactly where the curve in the road, or the tricky terrain, will be until we come upon it. However, perhaps the best way to manage whatever that territory may be is to slow down and to remember that in the dark of night, our eyes with the help of the smallest ray of light are able to seek and find the way. Just the same, when we persevere in faith, strive to be faithful, and trust in the Lord, we are guided to life, even in conditions, and at times, that may seem to be the worst.

TravelingTheTerrain