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
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
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
Reading Scripture it’s not too hard to envision the Pharisees and scribes as having a persona of lofty authoritarians who are learned, serious, and on the surface appearing to be so proper. Yet, Jesus points out that their actions do not align with their words. In the Gospel for the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus tells the crowd and the disciples to observe and do as the Pharisees and scribes say, but do not act as they do. Do not hold down or seek to elevate yourself above others. Jesus then goes on to say, “you have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.” You have but one Father, but one master, Christ, and that the greater glory is not in being served or glorifying yourself, but rather in being of service to others, and therefore of service to God.
Reflecting on this Gospel and considering other Scripture passages as well, it may seem obvious that the Pharisees and scribes were not about what they proclaimed. Perhaps they fell victim to the notion that they had already arrived, were afraid of losing what they had attained, or some other thing that shrunk their hearts and made them sterner with others, and lax in their own prayer and practices, making them less likely to be inspired by God and more likely to be misguided and led astray.
Despite this, the actions of the Pharisees and scribes don’t make them worthless or deserving of being canceled. We can hold them accountable but must remember they are still part of God’s creation. They also need love, mercy, and prayers.
Jesus says to observe and listen to what they say. Maybe he’s reminding us that God can still work through them. Their transgressions are not bigger than God.
Praying with this passage brought to mind an instance from grade school, in my 2nd grade classroom, where being orderly was of the utmost importance to the teacher, most especially when it came to the inside of a student’s desk. All the students knew what was expected, and it seemed that all of us really tried to meet this expectation. However, there were a couple of students who had a very hard time with being organized. So, one day, the teacher was walking around the classroom, teaching a lesson, and without warning, flipped and dumped out the contents of this student’s desk, startling everyone, to say the least, and sending books, paper, pencils, and so on, all over the place. The student was then yelled at for being so disorganized, the teacher turned the desk back upright, and told the student to pick everything up, and put it back in the desk, neatly. The student, who was normally quiet, shrunk even more, their cheeks turned red, and tears were coming down their face as they began doing as they were told. The rest of us 7- and 8-year-olds, just sat there horrified. None of us dared to try to help the student for fear of what would happen if we did. It’s interesting how fear can interfere. It’s also interesting how judgment can be too.
When I think about this instance, in the light of this Gospel, I wonder, what was the point, or the lesson being taught that day? What made it so important that the inside of our desks be orderly, to the extent that a student who was trying their best and just being themself, be demeaned like that, and the room be made so disorderly, in efforts to obtain order? However, faith also calls me to hold and look at the entire picture, including before and beyond that instance and to recall that I also had what one would call a lot of positive experiences in that classroom.
Looking at the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus points out a disconnect not only between their words and their actions, but also in their hearts. He cautions the crowd, and us, to not be fooled or distracted toward self-serving ways. To not rely on external things, such as possessions or positions of authority, to gain good graces or a particular outcome, but rather to rely on the grace and guidance of God. Jesus is saying, if we’re going to be led by anybody or anything, or if we’re going to follow anybody or anything, first and foremost, let it be God.
But there’s more… humility.
When we think about this Gospel passage, it can be tempting to cast stones at the Pharisees and the scribes, thinking of ourselves as perhaps being far removed from them, especially in the “us” and “them”, divided times I which we live. Yet, in our certainty and in our knowing, we too can become susceptible to an attitude or posture that interferes and creates static, making us less receptive to being led by God, more likely for other things to come before, or in place of God, and making us less loving, compassionate, and forgiving.
It’s unlikely that the Pharisees and scribes set out to fall into a haze, becoming less aware, open, or able to continue learning through experiences, and blocked, at least at that time, from continually drawing closer to God. However, in certainties and in knowing about what ought to be, it can be easy to become closed off to what is, and the open, honest dialogue that helps us to know when we are moving toward a will that is not in alignment with God, and that is of disservice, rather than what is best.
“Humility is an attitude of honesty with God, oneself, and of all reality. It enables us to be at peace in the presence of our powerlessness and to rest in the forgetfulness of self.” – Thomas Keating
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” – Matthew 23:1-12
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?
Leaning into Fall, the trees embrace the Essence of their nature. Season after season, year after year, who’s to say on time, or in time? Either way, waiting without edge, trusting in the beauty of Your time as you gently reveal the colors, so many colors, of Your way.
Beacon calling out to one and all alike, remember: life is but a spectrum, at its fullest and shining bright, when casting out the shadows, fears, and doubts. Your light so much stronger than the decay, rising up and out from far below.
It’s time to recognize again who we really are. So much alike, created to be different, but not with indifference or carrying any shades of hate. Loved into existence, the vision of Your eye. Side by side, each and every one of us are vessels of Your grace, and we all have a place.
Holy God, Most High Creator, hold us all together, unite us in Your heart… in our hearts.
Shine like lights in the world as you hold on to the word of life. – Phil 2:15d, 16a
From one thing to another A shade, or some truth survives. Perhaps hidden from plain view, But nonetheless existing, If only to be seen, picked, From underneath the rubble, Intertwined and wrapped around, Trying to conceal or blur, The hard lines and soft edges, Leading one to discovery. Aiming, always aiming high, To the place where feelings go To wash away thoughts unkind. Resting in the heart of One, Meeting up, then stepping out, Similar but not the same. Grateful for Your peace and love, Amazing, so amazing, What can happen thru Your eyes. Though the winds may shift and change, The soul carries on its way, Steady in One who remains.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. – Psalm 23:1
As summer heads toward a close, schools reopen, and traffic picks up in the Northern Hemisphere, time can be more challenging to come by as busyness seeks to prevail. Like “a thief in the night” it can swiftly sneak away the quiet, still moments that seem to come more easily during the days of summer. Yet, despite a likely fuller schedule and a quicker pace all around, peace within remains, patiently waiting to connect… waiting to be heard.
In the Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Responsorial Psalm is “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” (Psalm 95:8). What does that really mean? While it can be difficult to think of oneself as having a heart that is hardened, maybe there’s another way to consider this.
St. Thomas of Villanova said, “I cannot see without light: yet if I shut my eyes in the midst of the noon-day light, the fault is in me, not in the sun.” Although today’s world tends toward pointing fingers, and finding fault may be tempting, perhaps the key here is in exploring what one sees.
What are the situations and places where one is more prone to looking past what’s in plain sight, readily drawing a conclusion, or closing one’s eyes, rather than opening them wider and acknowledging all there is to see or consider? These are the places that hold an invitation to prayer and discovery. These are the places where a heart might be less open to God (hardened) and God’s ways of love, mercy, compassion, peace, hope, integrity, and more. These are the places where one can grow closer to God, living more fully in a way that encompasses a desire for goodness for all and operates to extend love and the flow of God’s grace.
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” – Mt 18:20
In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2). Although he was writing to people of a different time than us, how appropriate this instruction or advice is for any age. After all, looking around and considering all of creation, there’s not only a broad spectrum of living things, but also cycles or seasons of change that occur across each category, and all created in the image of the Creator. With all of this, it’s not too hard to imagine God as being far more dynamic than any one generation, society, or age might deem.
Still though, it can be easy to move through a task, a day, or more with “a place for everything and everything in its place” mindset, whether as an individual or within a group or an organization. Perhaps St. Paul is reminding us not to get hung up on making things fit into our existing notions, to the extent that we leave no room to perceive the new things that God is doing or trying to teach us (Is 43:19). After all, how can God reveal to us, even a portion of insight to God’s will or a shimmer of the expanse and depth of God’s love, if one has already made up their mind and is so fixed and unwilling to consider something other?
This is not to say that one should never hold fast to a value or notion, but rather to be cautious of excluding possibilities outside of the ones already recognized or held.
In the Gospel for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Matthew 16:23). He says this because Peter’s response comes out of his own understanding and is not based on listening to and considering what was said or communicating with Jesus.
When Jesus reveals that he will be killed, it does not fit the narrative of Peter’s notion of what’s to come of the Anointed One. The influence of Peter’s response is not of God. It is rigid, does not consider what the Anointed One has said, and leaves no room for possibilities outside of what Peter “knows”.
Again, looking around and considering all of creation, there is change, there is fluidity. God is not rigid. And, having been created in God’s image, humankind is not meant to be rigid either. To hold fast? Yes, but first and foremost to God. This is so that everything else not only falls into place in a way that is most fitting, but also in a way that is blessed and does not serve to block the flow of God’s grace from extending in ways beyond our own understanding.
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct.” – Matthew 16:21-27
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
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