Strength for the journey

All We Have—More Than Enough…

In the Gospel passage for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Luke 9:11b-17), it is written that as the end of the day is drawing near, Jesus’s disciples go to him with their plan on how to proceed with regards to the crowds who have followed Jesus and his disciples to Bethsaida, a town near the Sea of Galilee, and have witnessed Jesus’s preaching and healing. The disciples say, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” However, Jesus seems to have other ideas. He responds, “Give them some food yourselves.”

Take a moment to consider how you might receive Jesus’s words in this situation. How might your response vary based on whether you are in a deserted place? What’s it like to consider yourself as part of the solution, no matter where you are?

Next, the disciples focus on what they might do, but recognize it’s not possible for them to do much with what they have:

“Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”

Think of a situation where you feel that all you have is not enough to address it. Now, envision Jesus coming into the situation and inviting you to tell him more about it. Start with the words, “All I have is …” Notice what you include (things, people, thoughts, feelings, etc.).

What happens within you as you name what you bring to the situation? How does Jesus receive you and respond?

Now imagine Jesus instructing his disciples, and you, “Have them sit down in groups…”. Then Jesus, with abundant love and patience, turns to you, and tells you more. Pray and converse with Jesus about what this might mean for you and your situation. Share any, and all, thoughts and feelings that arise within you.

In the Gospel passage, after the disciples listened to Jesus and did as he asked, it is written:

“Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets.”

What’s it like to contemplate the fact that with Jesus, all you have is enough, and can even be more than enough?

Take time today, and throughout the week, to set down whatever is on your plate or is occupying your mind. Then pause and invite Jesus to say the blessing over you and your concerns. Next, allow the peace and wisdom of Jesus, the Bread of Life, to wash over you, and reveal how what you have can meet this moment and the moments ahead, and be more than enough.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever. – John 6:51

Holy Spirit…

In a row,
Towing the line,
Just waiting
For something
Or someone,
To arrive.

Time passes.
On one hand,
Eroding,
While on the
Other hand,
Green growing.

The wind blows.
Water flows.
In and out,
All around.
Refreshing
To one’s soul.

One Spirit,
Rendering
To us all,
One Wisdom,
Inner Strength,
And calmness.

Send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth. – Psalm 104:30

Roadway with trees on both sides and rays of sun shining

Providence…

We move forward,
One step at a time,
Despite what may appear.

We move forward,
Sometimes quick and others slow,
But nonetheless, forward we go.

Sometimes we go solo,
As if all on our own,
Although we’re not alone.

Intuition to guide us,
Wisdom and Hope to lead us,
Grace around and within us.

We move forward,
One step at a time,
Despite what may appear.

We move forward,
From our stumbling we rise,
Learning from what’s passed.

The road, although it varies,
Up and down, and side to side,
With Providence, always,
We move forward.  

Roadway with trees on both sides and rays of sun shining

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. – Psalm 23:1

Deference to Love…

Circumstances come and go,
Like trains arriving and departing.
Slowing down to a standstill,
Then picking up, increasing speed.
Paying homage on one hand,
Indifference on the other.
Sometimes creeping in,
Showing up unannounced,
All at once, or not at all,
And everywhere in between.
They slip in, they slip out,
They disappear, or they don’t.

Circumstances show themselves,
Morning, noon, and night,
But so do signs, big and small,
They come and go as well.
Some noticed, some not, but…
Always on time, in time,
If not a step ahead.
They are all around us.
Then, there is Love,
Binding all together
In this coming and this going.
Love serves us well…
If we allow it.

White flower with dirt to one side and vegetation to the other side.

“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.” – John 15:16-17


This is the Day the Lord Has Made…

Neither grave, nor the gravity,
Could hold Him down.
That cross, though heavy,
Not heavy enough,
Nor could it ever be.
A temporary thing,
A passage, passing with time,
The Begotten not gone.

That stone, though big,
Not big enough,
Nor could it ever be.
A temporary thing,
A passage, passing with time.
The Begotten hidden,
Not seen, not heard,
But certainly not gone.

Then, Easter.
Arriving between the quiet,
Entering amid the stillness,
And everything changes.
Everything becomes new again,
In the remembering of what is.
Nothing ever stronger than What was,
What is, and What shall ever be.

Just as Light cannot be kept from shining,
And Truth, refusing to remain hidden,
There is no greater shield or power than that created by Creator.
We are more than passengers on borrowed time.
More than temporary things or passages, passing with time.
And in Him, with Him, and thru Him,
Neither grave, nor the gravity,
Can hold us down.

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

Ever Evolving…

The readings for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time begin with a passage from the Book of Job where the subject, Job, continues to express dissatisfaction as he tries to come to terms with, and understand the reason for, the trials and tribulations he is and has been experiencing.

Job spoke, saying:
Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?”
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again. – Job 7: 1-4, 6-7  

Thinking about this passage, what resonates with you most? How do you feel about Job’s plight and about God’s role in it?

Recall a time when you felt challenged, and your faith tested. In what ways was God present to you, even if you were not aware or able to name God’s presence as such at that time? What would you say it was about that experience that affected your faith or trust in God? Take some time to share with God what’s on your mind and in your heart at this moment.

The response for the Responsorial Psalm this Sunday is, “Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.” (Psalm 147 cf. 3a). We all experience heartache and heartbreak as we journey through life. What situation in your life is outright disturbing your heart or creating a sense of unrest or uneasiness? What do you desire from God regarding this situation? What might God want you to know or to consider? In what ways can you envision this situation as an opportunity to deepen your faith and relationship with God?

In the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, verse 22 of chapter 9, we read, “To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.” What’s it like to consider this, in light of today’s world, as an invitation to getting along in service to God and for the sake of being a living testament to the Gospel? Sticking with this, what would you want to ask St. Paul about this passage and the challenges he faced? What do you need from God as you strive to be a disciple of Jesus in today’s world? Pray for God’s desire for you, in terms of how you navigate the division and issues in today’s world, to be placed in your heart, imparting wisdom throughout each day.  

Next, as we move to the Gospel passage for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 1:29-39), we have Jesus’ healing Simon’s mother-in-law as well as a multitude of people. Upon being healed, Simon’s mother-in-law gets back to the business of serving others. We also learn that Jesus separates from the crowd to go pray. Once he is found, Jesus gets back to the business of preaching and healing people as he moves on to the neighboring villages. Take time to contemplate this passage in terms of the necessity of prayer and downtime or time away. What happens when there is an interruption in your routine? In what ways are you open to change? How do you experience the dynamic nature of God through interruptions and changes around you?

“In Christianity, God is not a static thing—not even a person—but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance.” – C.S. Lewis

Something About the Way…

Traveling through time,
Year after year, tick upon tock,
Broken down into moments,
One leading into the next,
Some greener than the others,
But all steady in their passing.
Once gone, they are away,
As if lost, forever missing.
Yet, amid the shades of darkness,
Light lives, cradled deep within,
Both ready and most willing,
Shining ever, and for all.
Walking with great care,
Thoughtful hearts take notice,
Finding Whom they seek,
Steady in their passing.

“We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” – Matthew 2:2

Holy, Holy, Holy…

Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. – Col 3:15a, 16a

The verses above are used for the Gospel acclamation for the Feast of the Holy Family (usually celebrated the Sunday after Christmas). Oftentimes, the nativity of Jesus and the spirit of Christmas can be accompanied by thoughts of serenity and peace as well as images of idyllic creches and decorations. In such a setting, it can be rather easy to allow the peace of Christ and the word of Christ to flourish within when riding the joy of Christmas or any other anticipated or celebratory day or event. Yet, reality is such that life is a mixed bag and the unexpected, sometimes the dreaded, can come along at any moment, making it more challenging to be open to or inspired by the peace and word of Christ.

Imagine the joy and astonishment of Mary and Joseph at the birth of Jesus and what they initially encountered in the aftermath of his birth as people paid homage. Are there times in your life that come to mind and to which you can relate this experience? Times that have given rise to great joy, overwhelming peace, and/or the feeling of being so amazed.  

Now, here we are, a week later, and in our liturgical celebration, we hear about Simeon and Anna paying homage to Christ and at the same time foretelling what’s to come (Lk 2:2-40).

“and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed’.” (v.34-35)  

And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. (v. 38)

What’s it like to reflect on the fact that even though Jesus is the Christ, the reality is that it’s not going to be all roses and sunshine for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph either? It can be tempting to forget or to overlook reality, and to see the Holy Family as not only holy, but also as untouched. Take some time now to invite the Holy Family into whatever is happening at this time in your life. In what ways can you draw strength and inspiration from Jesus, Mary, and Joseph? What’s it like to consider that your experiences, your life, your family, and that of all those around you, are holy too?

Envision the peace and the word of Christ entering into the conversation and dwelling with, within, and all around you, drawing you, and all, closer to God.

Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.  – Col 3:12-17

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