Wisdom

What It’s All About…

It’s human nature to try to assign meaning to the things that happen in life. We all have experiences that can leave us wondering, “What was that all about?”. They are situations or encounters that may or may not eventually become more fully known or revealed. However, oftentimes, instead of waiting for that moment to come, where everything comes together and starts to make sense, we rush ahead making our own sense of it.

In those times of “What was that all about?”, temptation seeks to make the situation neatly fit into our own understanding or way of looking at things. That is, the temptation is to see what one wants to see through the lens through which one chooses to see it, rather than allowing time for the grace of God to open the eyes of one’s heart.

In the Second Reading for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17), St. Paul writes:

“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.” – 1 Corinthians 1:17

What words or images come to mind when you consider the meaning of the cross of Christ, and what values do they imply?

How are you influenced by, and how do you remain mindful of, the meaning and those values as you go about each day?

In what ways do you leave room for the possibility that there’s more that you need to consider regarding a situation? How might you rely upon the grace of God more fully?  

In the verses that proceed the one above, St. Paul appeals to the church of God—the people—in Corinth not to succumb to temptation, which seeks to separate them and pit them against each other. He starts off by imploring them to be united:

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” – 1 Corinthians 1:10-11

St. Paul’s audience is the early Christian community in Corinth. Surely, they had more than just a few disagreements! Don’t people almost always though? Despite this, people always also have much in common.

Take some time to contemplate areas of disagreement that you may have with family, friends, and/or others. After naming the point(s) of contention, think about at least one thing you have in common and that you both value. How might that become, or continue to be, a source of unity? Pray with the desire that enters your heart as you consider this.

In the Gospel passage for this Sunday (Matthew 4:12-23), in part, it is written:

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people. – v. 18-23.  

Notice how Jesus called two sets of brothers. Chances are that within each set as well as taken all together, the brothers, didn’t see eye to eye on everything. However, they were all called, and they all left something behind or had to let go of something.

Simon (Peter) and his brother, Andrew, James and his brother, John, certainly must have had their differences, but they all made the individual choice to place their focus on following Jesus, who taught in the synagogues, proclaimed the Gospel, and “cured every disease and illness among the people.” They embraced the Way. And in doing so, they were able to draw closer to God, they were strengthened through their differences, and they stayed united rather than becoming divided.   

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? – Psalm 27:1

From the heart of God

To those who accepted Him…

In the Gospel passage for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, John the Baptist gives witness, or testimony, to Jesus being the Son of God.

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” – John 1:29-34

Notice how the passage starts with Jesus coming toward John and John, seeing Him, stating what he has come to know—Jesus is the Son of God. John doesn’t just make this statement or claim, out of thin air. The day before, as written in the previous verses of this Gospel, he was asked who he is, to which he responds, “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” (John 1:23). He continues, explaining to the priests, Levites, and Pharisees sent to question him that he is not the Messiah. John knows his God-given role and accepts it.

Praying with and reflecting on this passage, what have you come to know about your God-given role, and how does the grace of God reaffirm you in it, and help you to accept and live it out?

Contemplating John’s explanation of how he has come to know that Jesus is the Messiah, what do you make of John saying twice in this passage, “I did not know him”? What strikes you about the words that follow each, “I did not know him”?

I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

When you find yourself in a situation of not knowing, how do your instincts and what you know come together with, and make room for, God’s wisdom? How about when you find yourself in a situation where you think, or are sure, that you know?

The Gospel passage ends with John saying, “Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” Recount whatever comes to mind about what you have seen or experienced that is of God, and how you have come to know.

What is your testimony to God? (Keep in mind that there are many ways in which testimony can be given to God.) How do you desire to give witness to what you have come to know?

From the heart of God

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. – Psalm 40: 8a, 9a

A heart with a white center

What are you looking for…

With the news of yet another mass shooting in the United States along with violence and conflict around the world, on top of any personal challenges, from which no one is spared, a sense of doom or a feeling of imprisonment can hang in the air and weigh on one’s heart and mind. Yet, as we enter the Third Week of Advent, Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday, our faith encourages us to remain a people of hope, holding firm to the Lord, and continuing to strive to be living testaments to the Way, knowing that there is something greater, and that God is with us.

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 11:2-11), it is written:

“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” – v. 3

This is the question that an imprisoned John the Baptist, having heard about “the works of the Christ,” (v.2) had his disciples ask Jesus.

With the events occurring around you, and in the world today, what are you looking for?

Taking a step back, in the First Reading (Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10), it is written:

Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you. – Isaiah 35:3-4

Spend some time recalling some of the ways that you have been strengthened by the Lord. What happens as you allow yourself to remember?

Read aloud today’s Psalm (146:6-10):

The Lord God keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets captives free.
The Lord gives sight to the blind;
the Lord raises up those who were bowed down.
The Lord loves the just;
the Lord protects strangers.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The Lord shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.

Reflecting on the qualities of God expressed in the Psalm, bring forth your own petitions, praying for the cares and concerns that are pulling at your heart at this time. Following each one, say the response, “Lord, come and save us.”

In the Letter of Saint James, from today’s Second Reading, it is written:

Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.
You too must be patient.
Make your hearts firm,
because the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. – James 5:7-10

Share with Jesus, the ways or situations in which you are feeling challenged when it comes to patience, complaining/criticizing, and/or a heart firm in the Lord. Allow Jesus to impart his wisdom regarding this.

When you are ready for this prayer period to come to a close, offer an expression of gratitude, and ask the Lord to help you to draw inspiration from the experiences recalled and the insights gained during your prayer.

A heart with a white center

Lord, help me to discern what’s important as I face the moments before me today, and in the days to come. Help my choices to reflect your goodness, and my prayers to reflect your heart.

Sun

Inseparable…

Healing rays are cast in all directions,
driving away the shadows’ ill intent,
while drawing in the heart of willing souls.

Quilt of Truth, pure gold, rising from within,
revealing wisdom and granting vision
to what is otherwise beyond, unknown.

Resounding praise giving Glory its due,
You are everything! All that’s good and true.
God of mercy, God of justice, shine through.

Sun

“It is by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man and man to God.” — St. Albert the Great

Saving Power…

Taking the plunge, one by one,
each day breaks through, something new;
Your wisdom and grace abound.

You come to us, work through us,
dignify our worth, our place.
How great when we allow it!

Kindness, compassion, mercy,
Your word, all within our reach,
to embrace, not turn around.

Brute force is never Your way.
Choice upon choice, you give us,
filled with hope, to seek what’s best.

Guiding light softly spoken,
gentle nudging, Love of loves,
Always with us, through and through,
Saving Power seeking heart.

Heart with a cross in the center

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. – (cf. Psalm 98: 2b)

Calculating the Cost…

All answers lie in waiting,
as paths are straightened, made clear,
with decency, Truth ascends.

Wisdom permeates the air,
as backs turn, and carry on,
as if escape is needed.

Our days are numbered, it’s true,
but are they just? Are they right?
And refuge? Where is it sought?

What is it being proclaimed?
Spell upon spell, or Gospel?
Beheld, or holed up, held up?

Often kneeling, bowing heads,
possessed into possessions.
Cross? or crossing out the other?

Let your face shine upon your servant; and teach me your laws. – Psalm 119:135

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

More Than a Wish…

The magi, or three wise men, are first drawn to Jerusalem by the star signifying the birth of a newborn king. Once there, they encounter Herod, who acting on fear, deceptively seeks to have them locate this king so that he may bring about his demise; not pay homage as he has claimed.

For the wise men, this journey began with the beckon of a bright, new star. Then, from Jerusalem and their exchange with Herod, that same star leads them further onward, guiding them to Bethlehem, and Jesus Christ. And after paying homage and offering gifts to the newborn king, it is a dream that directs them back home, rather than returning to Jerusalem to reveal the location of the newborn king to Herod.

Along the way, and at each stop, the wise men, like us, undoubtedly had choices to make. What, do you imagine, inspired them to keep following the star from its rising all the way to Jerusalem? And then onward to Bethlehem?

What led them to listen to the dream and go home a different way rather than returning by way of Jerusalem, stopping to give Herod the information he wanted from them?

After taking some time to contemplate the Gospel passage for the Epiphany of the Lord (Matthew 2:1-12), reflect on the choices that you may be facing at this time and how you go about making decisions.

What influences your decisions and from where do you take direction or draw inspiration? What are the factors that motivate you? How do they reflect a posture of paying homage to the Lord? (Perhaps they are born out of, or hold at their roots, love, patience, or something similar.)

Take what you notice into prayer, inviting Jesus to share Light and Wisdom with you. Pray with any feelings or desires that arise in you. And when this prayer time comes a close, ask Jesus to reveal one parting word, phrase, or image that will help to draw and lead you, like that star, to where you ought to be.

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

Learning from the Fig Tree…

In the Gospel passage for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Mark 13:24-32), Jesus says, “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.” (v. 24). These words are part of his response to a question asked of him by the disciples, Peter, James, John, and Andrew.

Away from the others, and just after Jesus commented to his disciples on the destruction of the temple, they had asked him, “Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be when all these things are about to come to an end?” (Mark 13:4). The first thing that Jesus says to them is, “See that no one deceives you.” (Mk 13:5). As he continues to tell them the signs and what will happen (trials and tribulations such as war, persecutions, etc.), he also continues to give them instructions as to how to handle themselves and the situations they will face. He says:

“… do not be alarmed” (v. 7)

“Watch out for yourselves.” or be aware (v. 9)

“… do not worry beforehand about what you are to say. But say whatever will be given to you at that hour. For it will not be you who are speaking but the holy Spirit.” (v. 11)

“Be watchful!” (v. 23)

Then he says these words that are part of the Gospel for today, “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.” (v. 28). And although Jesus says this as he continues to tell Peter, James, John, and Andrew about the signs that will occur at the end times, the gospel passage ends with Jesus saying, “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (v. 32). In other words, perhaps Jesus is reminding us not to focus on the signs, but rather to focus on his instructions.

His last instruction, “Learn a lesson from the fig tree,” is intriguing. In chapter 11 of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus curses a fig tree for being fruitless:

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, ‘May no one ever eat of your fruit again!’ And his disciples heard it.” (Mark 11:12-14).

In this earlier passage, there is a mention of time, “… it was not the time for figs.” And now, when Jesus is telling some of his disciples about the signs of the end times and instructing them on how to be prepared, he again, refers to figs and time (and not knowing the exact time of the end).

A few interesting things about figs and time… Fig trees, like other fruit trees, have leaves, but unlike other fruit trees, their fruit flowers internally. Also, each fig contains a collection of many flowers and seeds. And while one may think of a fig as a piece of fruit, they are actually an infructescence—a multiple fruit—that in a sense, is always in the process of blooming.

So, in both times of uncertainty and times of comfort, see that no one deceives you, do not worry, and learn from the fig tree, continuing to grow from within, knowing that the fruit will come at the time that is appointed.  

“Lord, my allotted portion and my cup, you have made my destiny secure.” – Psalm 16:5