"I tell you most solemnly, unless a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain, but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest".
Gospel of John
The question that arises from the above quote from the Gospel of John is: "What can a grain of wheat tell us about the purpose for life, and the Kingdom of God?"
Jesus is speaking to the rural folks in Palestine, people familiar with the soil and farming. These people knew that if they wanted an abundance of grain to feed their families and livestock, then a single grain would have to be planted into the rich soil where it would be broken down by the elements and die. But from that decomposing seed, a sprout would appear that would eventually produce an abundant harvest.
Father George Maloney, a Jesuit and contemporary writer explains it this way:
There is a basic law of growth that applies to all of nature including human development: "Nothing lives, but that something dies". We cannot attain a higher level of human development unless we let go of a lower stage. The child must let go of being a child in order to become an adolescent. An adolescent must let go of being an adolescent in order to become an adult. A single person must let go of the single life and all that it entails to enter the responsibilities of marriage and family life. Closing old doorways always leads to the opening of new doorways.
Church is not primarily about fabulous buildings, wonderful music, perfect liturgies, fancy vestments, positions of ministries, or keeping everybody happy. Church is about creating a human family that is able to live in accordance with God's plan for creation. In order to do this, we must be willing to let go of old ways of being in order to be born anew into the ways of Christ. This requires that we die to a way of life lived on the surface of things in order to move into a deeper way of being with Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit. This not only leads to our joy and liberation, but also gives birth to a society that gives witness to the presence of God in our midst. "Nothing lives but that something dies."
Christ, whom the Christian Church declares to be God's son, became the single grain who placed Himself in the rich soil of humanity, to die in order that a new sprout of humanity may burst forth, to inspire humanity in the ways it must grow. Churches are missioned with the tasks of reflecting, teaching and acting in ways that will give birth to this new reality, this new life. When its focus turns away from this primary mission, it loses its way, just as we lose our way when our focus becomes something other than Christ and His Spirit.
"I tell you most solemnly, unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain, but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest".
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Experiencing God - Laborers in the Field 78
"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. Gospel of Matthew
Over my forty years of employment, I worked with organizations that proclaimed to be "equal opportunity" employers. These employers had a rather complex system for hiring and promotion based on three main criteria:
1. academic qualifications of the individual,
2. experience and skills of the individual,
3. personal suitability of the individual relating to the job.
As long as you had the academic qualifications, you could get an interview for the job. An interview board would then establish who best had the experience, skills, and personal suitability for the position. After the interview process, if the person didn't like the results, they could file a grievance and the whole process would be checked by a separate committee. Were there many grievances filed? All the time. The question as to whether the interview board made an impartial selection was always a sensitive issue.
A question arises from this Gospel Parable above know as "The Laborers in the Field": "Is God an equal opportunity employer"? Based on our cultural understanding of fairness and impartiality, the answer, in most cases, would be "no". The workers who labored all day in the hot sun were justified in their complaints that it was unfair for them to received the same wage as those who were hired at the last hour of the day. So today, we would probably argue: "Where's the human justice in this"?
The point that Jesus is making in this Gospel Parable, and what we often fail to see on its quick reading, is that the Kingdom of God is not based on human constructs of what we think is fair and reasonable; but on relationship -- the relationship that exists between a loving and merciful God and the people He calls His children.
To put this Gospel parable into a "relationship" understanding, let's imagine for a moment that one of the persons who worked all day in the hot sun was a father, and at the end of that hard day's work, he discovers that the person who was called at the last hour and received the same pay as himself was his son. And the father knew that the son needed this day's pay to provide for his young family. Would the father complain against his son for receiving the same pay as himself? Of course not. He would go to his son and with great delight, celebrate with him his good fortune. He would be happy for his son, and rejoice over the master's generosity. Why? Because of the relationship of love that exists between the father and the son.
If the person who worked all day in the hot sun was a wife and mother, and the person invited at the last hour was her husband, there would also be much delight, much celebration in that household that evening because all would share in and benefit from the master's generosity.
Through these examples, we begin to see, not only the relational connection that God has with us, but also the overall relational connection that God desires we have with each other as part of a human family. We are His children and there is nothing that God would not do to bring us into right relationship with Him, and in right relationship with one another.
Church is really only the stage where each of us are invited to act out of this relationship that God desires for us in our day-to-day lives.
Is it easy? No it is not. Does it always happen? No it doesn't. The reason for this is because we so often get caught up in our human constructs, our human way of thinking. Self-concern and self-indulgence so easily comes into play and causes us to forget God's plan for us. We forget the delight and the celebration we experience when we enter into the fullness of God's presence. We forget that this expression of God's love is found only in sacrificial giving.
On the cross, Jesus invited the repentant thief to share in the delights of God's Kingdom that had been prepared for him since the beginning. He comes at the last hour, but received the same good fortune. Do we delight in, celebrate and embrace such a loving Father?
“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. Gospel of Matthew
Over my forty years of employment, I worked with organizations that proclaimed to be "equal opportunity" employers. These employers had a rather complex system for hiring and promotion based on three main criteria:
1. academic qualifications of the individual,
2. experience and skills of the individual,
3. personal suitability of the individual relating to the job.
As long as you had the academic qualifications, you could get an interview for the job. An interview board would then establish who best had the experience, skills, and personal suitability for the position. After the interview process, if the person didn't like the results, they could file a grievance and the whole process would be checked by a separate committee. Were there many grievances filed? All the time. The question as to whether the interview board made an impartial selection was always a sensitive issue.
A question arises from this Gospel Parable above know as "The Laborers in the Field": "Is God an equal opportunity employer"? Based on our cultural understanding of fairness and impartiality, the answer, in most cases, would be "no". The workers who labored all day in the hot sun were justified in their complaints that it was unfair for them to received the same wage as those who were hired at the last hour of the day. So today, we would probably argue: "Where's the human justice in this"?
The point that Jesus is making in this Gospel Parable, and what we often fail to see on its quick reading, is that the Kingdom of God is not based on human constructs of what we think is fair and reasonable; but on relationship -- the relationship that exists between a loving and merciful God and the people He calls His children.
To put this Gospel parable into a "relationship" understanding, let's imagine for a moment that one of the persons who worked all day in the hot sun was a father, and at the end of that hard day's work, he discovers that the person who was called at the last hour and received the same pay as himself was his son. And the father knew that the son needed this day's pay to provide for his young family. Would the father complain against his son for receiving the same pay as himself? Of course not. He would go to his son and with great delight, celebrate with him his good fortune. He would be happy for his son, and rejoice over the master's generosity. Why? Because of the relationship of love that exists between the father and the son.
If the person who worked all day in the hot sun was a wife and mother, and the person invited at the last hour was her husband, there would also be much delight, much celebration in that household that evening because all would share in and benefit from the master's generosity.
Through these examples, we begin to see, not only the relational connection that God has with us, but also the overall relational connection that God desires we have with each other as part of a human family. We are His children and there is nothing that God would not do to bring us into right relationship with Him, and in right relationship with one another.
Church is really only the stage where each of us are invited to act out of this relationship that God desires for us in our day-to-day lives.
Is it easy? No it is not. Does it always happen? No it doesn't. The reason for this is because we so often get caught up in our human constructs, our human way of thinking. Self-concern and self-indulgence so easily comes into play and causes us to forget God's plan for us. We forget the delight and the celebration we experience when we enter into the fullness of God's presence. We forget that this expression of God's love is found only in sacrificial giving.
On the cross, Jesus invited the repentant thief to share in the delights of God's Kingdom that had been prepared for him since the beginning. He comes at the last hour, but received the same good fortune. Do we delight in, celebrate and embrace such a loving Father?
Experiencing God - Invitation to Wholeness 77
"Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" "Come and see for yourself," Philip replied.
Gospel of John
In the Gospel quote above from John we find Philip who has just become a disciple of Christ, eagerly telling his best friend Nathaniel about Jesus. Nathanial, or Bartholomew as he is called in the other three Gospels, is not impressed. In fact, he is very skeptical. "How could the Messiah, the one foretold by Moses and the prophets come from such an unlikely place as Nazareth."
Nazareth was a town on the crossroads. People from different cultures and religions would pass through this small community on the way to other places. So there was this perception that the religious teachers in this outbound community were not very orthodox in their understanding and interpretation of the law. "How could anything good come from such a place?" is Nathaniel's response.
Philip's response to his friend is one well worth noting. "Come and See". Come and see for yourself who this Jesus is, and who He claims to be.
Instead of arguing with his friend over matters of rule, law, interpretations, or justifying his own conclusions about Jesus, Philip invites Nathaniel to "come and see".
Have you ever been invited somewhere where your original thoughts may have been questioning or skeptical? I was not raised Catholic or Christian. In fact, I was not exposed to any religion while growing up as a child and young adult. When I began to work in Halifax at eighteen years of age, I became exposed to all kinds of people with all kinds of religious ideas, and I must admit that I was skeptical of many of them, some for good reasons. But while boarding with a family in the South end of Halifax, I began to observe something that caught my attention. The family I was living with practiced their Catholic Christian faith. My best friend there and fellow boarder was a student at St. Mary's university, and one Sunday evening, he was getting ready to go somewhere, so I enquired with him about where he was going. He said that he was going to the folk mass at the university: And he invited me to come along. "Come and see".
This simple invitation changed the whole direction of my life from that point on. In some six months to a year after this invitation, I became a baptized member of this Catholic faith community.
What Nathaniel discovered, and in my own way what I discovered, is that God places in every heart a desire and yearning to personally know Him. As St. Augustine discovered himself: "God has made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him."
The New Evangelization, if you examine it carefully, is this invitation to "Come and See". Come and see for yourself that which brings life. Be renewed personally by a rediscovery of your own faith in Christ through that personal experience and encounter with Him on a daily basis. Invite others to "come and see", so that they may have an opportunity to share in the abundant life of the Spirit.
Let me present just one of the challenges that our Archbishop is presenting to all of us in respect to the New Evangelization. He writes:
a. Identify and encourage the living signs of the Gospel of life in your parish and community.
b. Look around and see what is actually going on and celebrate the daily lived commitment of those who make life more valuable, accepted and precious.
c. Become known for who you are, and not for what you are against.
Nathaniel came to Jesus and accepted Him as Messiah and Lord, not because he was convinced by Philip or anyone else, but because Jesus spoke to his inner most being. We have a need to know God personally in our lives, and to be united with that love which He offered. In this way, we see the world differently, we are changed and made more whole.
Gospel of John
In the Gospel quote above from John we find Philip who has just become a disciple of Christ, eagerly telling his best friend Nathaniel about Jesus. Nathanial, or Bartholomew as he is called in the other three Gospels, is not impressed. In fact, he is very skeptical. "How could the Messiah, the one foretold by Moses and the prophets come from such an unlikely place as Nazareth."
Nazareth was a town on the crossroads. People from different cultures and religions would pass through this small community on the way to other places. So there was this perception that the religious teachers in this outbound community were not very orthodox in their understanding and interpretation of the law. "How could anything good come from such a place?" is Nathaniel's response.
Philip's response to his friend is one well worth noting. "Come and See". Come and see for yourself who this Jesus is, and who He claims to be.
Instead of arguing with his friend over matters of rule, law, interpretations, or justifying his own conclusions about Jesus, Philip invites Nathaniel to "come and see".
Have you ever been invited somewhere where your original thoughts may have been questioning or skeptical? I was not raised Catholic or Christian. In fact, I was not exposed to any religion while growing up as a child and young adult. When I began to work in Halifax at eighteen years of age, I became exposed to all kinds of people with all kinds of religious ideas, and I must admit that I was skeptical of many of them, some for good reasons. But while boarding with a family in the South end of Halifax, I began to observe something that caught my attention. The family I was living with practiced their Catholic Christian faith. My best friend there and fellow boarder was a student at St. Mary's university, and one Sunday evening, he was getting ready to go somewhere, so I enquired with him about where he was going. He said that he was going to the folk mass at the university: And he invited me to come along. "Come and see".
This simple invitation changed the whole direction of my life from that point on. In some six months to a year after this invitation, I became a baptized member of this Catholic faith community.
What Nathaniel discovered, and in my own way what I discovered, is that God places in every heart a desire and yearning to personally know Him. As St. Augustine discovered himself: "God has made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him."
The New Evangelization, if you examine it carefully, is this invitation to "Come and See". Come and see for yourself that which brings life. Be renewed personally by a rediscovery of your own faith in Christ through that personal experience and encounter with Him on a daily basis. Invite others to "come and see", so that they may have an opportunity to share in the abundant life of the Spirit.
Let me present just one of the challenges that our Archbishop is presenting to all of us in respect to the New Evangelization. He writes:
a. Identify and encourage the living signs of the Gospel of life in your parish and community.
b. Look around and see what is actually going on and celebrate the daily lived commitment of those who make life more valuable, accepted and precious.
c. Become known for who you are, and not for what you are against.
Nathaniel came to Jesus and accepted Him as Messiah and Lord, not because he was convinced by Philip or anyone else, but because Jesus spoke to his inner most being. We have a need to know God personally in our lives, and to be united with that love which He offered. In this way, we see the world differently, we are changed and made more whole.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Experiencing God - God's Will, Not Mine 76
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."
Gospel of Mark
Let's imagine for a moment that you have experienced a special call, a call to serve God in a particular way, say in a healing ministry. As a personal response to Grace, you set out to put a plan in place for this ministry, working diligently with several helpers to make it a huge success.
All the people you expected to come did come. The healing service went just as you had hoped. Many who came with illnesses, handicaps and various other problems were healed, and many others converted to the faith. People were astounded by the power of Grace that was evident throughout the course of the service.
Would you be inclined to repeat the process? Would you be inclined to think: Wow, this is surely the way God is calling me to serve in ministry. If I keep this up, incredible change will take place? Do we not often get emotionally attached to our own successes?
Jesus had such a day and evening. We read in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law. She was able to get up and wait on the disciples. Then all those in the neighborhood, particularly those suffering from various diseases and handicaps came to Him and were healed. But after this was all over, early the next morning, Jesus left that house and made His way to a lonely place to pray.
This reminds me of the Gospel reading from Matthew when Jesus was answering the question about prayer. He said: "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you".
In the Gospels, it is often written that Jesus frequently moved away from the crowds to a quiet place in order to pray. In this quiet place, He was able to come into God's presence, and listen to the movements of the Spirit in His own heart.
For us as well, in order to discern the direction that God is calling us, we must find that place away from the crowds in order to commune with the Spirit of truth that dwells within. Jesus always returned to that quiet place, and His future direction always sprung from those times of quiet listening when He was alone in His Father's presence.
During His early morning time of prayer, the crowds finally did catch up with Jesus, and still excited about the events of the previous evening, wanted more of the same. Why ruin a good thing. But Jesus' mission was not to repeat the successes of a previous evening, but to follow the will of the Father.
Gospel of Mark
Let's imagine for a moment that you have experienced a special call, a call to serve God in a particular way, say in a healing ministry. As a personal response to Grace, you set out to put a plan in place for this ministry, working diligently with several helpers to make it a huge success.
All the people you expected to come did come. The healing service went just as you had hoped. Many who came with illnesses, handicaps and various other problems were healed, and many others converted to the faith. People were astounded by the power of Grace that was evident throughout the course of the service.
Would you be inclined to repeat the process? Would you be inclined to think: Wow, this is surely the way God is calling me to serve in ministry. If I keep this up, incredible change will take place? Do we not often get emotionally attached to our own successes?
Jesus had such a day and evening. We read in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law. She was able to get up and wait on the disciples. Then all those in the neighborhood, particularly those suffering from various diseases and handicaps came to Him and were healed. But after this was all over, early the next morning, Jesus left that house and made His way to a lonely place to pray.
This reminds me of the Gospel reading from Matthew when Jesus was answering the question about prayer. He said: "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you".
In the Gospels, it is often written that Jesus frequently moved away from the crowds to a quiet place in order to pray. In this quiet place, He was able to come into God's presence, and listen to the movements of the Spirit in His own heart.
For us as well, in order to discern the direction that God is calling us, we must find that place away from the crowds in order to commune with the Spirit of truth that dwells within. Jesus always returned to that quiet place, and His future direction always sprung from those times of quiet listening when He was alone in His Father's presence.
During His early morning time of prayer, the crowds finally did catch up with Jesus, and still excited about the events of the previous evening, wanted more of the same. Why ruin a good thing. But Jesus' mission was not to repeat the successes of a previous evening, but to follow the will of the Father.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Experiencing God - Praying via Holy Spirit 75
"Do not worry about your life and what you are to eat, and your body and how you are to clothe it. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing."
Gospel of Matthew
Human nature, being what it is, first seeks the lower level needs of comfort, security, and bodily nourishment. In the Book of Numbers, we hear of the plight of the Israelite people. They have just been freed from slavery in Egypt. They have experienced God's saving hand at the Red Sea, and now they grow impatient. "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread or water here, and we are sick of this unsatisfying food."
Although our basic human needs are important, and have to be met, we are continually reminded in scripture that our deeper hunger, our deeper thirst, will never be satisfied by these external realities. We need these outward things, we need food for good health and clothes for warmth; however, they will never fully satisfy us. We must look inward and discover that which truly nourishes, truly sustains, and truly warms us.
For a few years now, I have been visiting an elderly woman from an adjoining parish. Because of her age and condition, she often has difficulty breathing. It's the first thing I notice when I visit at her home. And, as you can imagine, this causes her a lot of distress and worry. After we have had our prayers and share the Eucharist, it is quite remarkable that her breathing is much easier and she is much more at ease. And she often remarks that her breathing has much improved. Could it be that as we turn inwards in prayer and get in touch with God's Spirit within that much of the stress caused by our anxiety and concern disappear? Could it be that when we rest more completely in God's presence, we experience greater freedom from bodily concerns?
When the Israelite people were attacked by snakes, Moses was told to mount a bronze serpent on a standard or rod. If anyone was bitten, they were told to look at the serpent on the standard, and they would live.
Are they not really being asked to turn inward, to place their trust and faith in God who is present with them? Are they not really being told to set aside their worries and concerns and rest in God?
On the feast day of the Triumph of the Cross, we are in fact invited to move towards this same inner reality of faith; not by looking at a bronze serpent on a standard, but by internally giving our attention to Jesus. "God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son, so that all who see and believe in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life."
What are your crosses? For most of us, if we reflect carefully, our crosses are principally the external things we want but do not have, or the conflicts and tensions we experience in our external world. We do not have enough money, we do not have enough time, we have to do something that we do not want to do, or we cannot do something because of an illness, handicap or personal suffering.
But as we look within, to get in touch with our inner being, to experience God's sacrificial love for us, we experience His special call. We discover anew Jesus' love for us, a love so great that it's as if we were the only person for Him to love.
Where are our crosses now? We accept and embrace them because we have been led inward to the source of our true fulfillment, a place where we discover the healing presence of God who loves and sustains us.
Pray, not asking for exterior things, or bending God's ear to comply to our wishes. No, pray by turning inward to the place where God dwells, to hear His promise of new life and abundance.
Prayer is this emptying of our self-concern so that God's radiance may dominate our entire lives.
Gospel of Matthew
Human nature, being what it is, first seeks the lower level needs of comfort, security, and bodily nourishment. In the Book of Numbers, we hear of the plight of the Israelite people. They have just been freed from slavery in Egypt. They have experienced God's saving hand at the Red Sea, and now they grow impatient. "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread or water here, and we are sick of this unsatisfying food."
Although our basic human needs are important, and have to be met, we are continually reminded in scripture that our deeper hunger, our deeper thirst, will never be satisfied by these external realities. We need these outward things, we need food for good health and clothes for warmth; however, they will never fully satisfy us. We must look inward and discover that which truly nourishes, truly sustains, and truly warms us.
For a few years now, I have been visiting an elderly woman from an adjoining parish. Because of her age and condition, she often has difficulty breathing. It's the first thing I notice when I visit at her home. And, as you can imagine, this causes her a lot of distress and worry. After we have had our prayers and share the Eucharist, it is quite remarkable that her breathing is much easier and she is much more at ease. And she often remarks that her breathing has much improved. Could it be that as we turn inwards in prayer and get in touch with God's Spirit within that much of the stress caused by our anxiety and concern disappear? Could it be that when we rest more completely in God's presence, we experience greater freedom from bodily concerns?
When the Israelite people were attacked by snakes, Moses was told to mount a bronze serpent on a standard or rod. If anyone was bitten, they were told to look at the serpent on the standard, and they would live.
Are they not really being asked to turn inward, to place their trust and faith in God who is present with them? Are they not really being told to set aside their worries and concerns and rest in God?
On the feast day of the Triumph of the Cross, we are in fact invited to move towards this same inner reality of faith; not by looking at a bronze serpent on a standard, but by internally giving our attention to Jesus. "God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son, so that all who see and believe in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life."
What are your crosses? For most of us, if we reflect carefully, our crosses are principally the external things we want but do not have, or the conflicts and tensions we experience in our external world. We do not have enough money, we do not have enough time, we have to do something that we do not want to do, or we cannot do something because of an illness, handicap or personal suffering.
But as we look within, to get in touch with our inner being, to experience God's sacrificial love for us, we experience His special call. We discover anew Jesus' love for us, a love so great that it's as if we were the only person for Him to love.
Where are our crosses now? We accept and embrace them because we have been led inward to the source of our true fulfillment, a place where we discover the healing presence of God who loves and sustains us.
Pray, not asking for exterior things, or bending God's ear to comply to our wishes. No, pray by turning inward to the place where God dwells, to hear His promise of new life and abundance.
Prayer is this emptying of our self-concern so that God's radiance may dominate our entire lives.
Experiencing God - Praying via Holy Spirit 74
Why do we need the Holy Spirit when we pray?
Praying to God is possible only with God. It is not primarily our accomplishment that our prayer actually reaches God. We Christians have received the Spirit of Jesus, who wholeheartedly yearned to be one with the Father: to be loving at all times, to listen to each other with complete attention, to understand each other thoroughly, to want wholeheartedly what the other person wants. This holy Spirit of Jesus is in us, and he is speaking through us when we pray.
Basically prayer means that from the depths of my heart, God speaks to God. The Holy Spirit helps our spirit to pray. Hence we should say again and again, "Come, Holy Spirit, come and help me to pray."
The bible says, "We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words"
Romans 8:26
Romans 8:26
Praying to God is possible only with God. It is not primarily our accomplishment that our prayer actually reaches God. We Christians have received the Spirit of Jesus, who wholeheartedly yearned to be one with the Father: to be loving at all times, to listen to each other with complete attention, to understand each other thoroughly, to want wholeheartedly what the other person wants. This holy Spirit of Jesus is in us, and he is speaking through us when we pray.
Basically prayer means that from the depths of my heart, God speaks to God. The Holy Spirit helps our spirit to pray. Hence we should say again and again, "Come, Holy Spirit, come and help me to pray."
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Friday, October 25, 2013
Experiencing God - Come and See 73
"Jesus said, `Come and see.' They went and saw the place where Jesus was staying. They stayed with Jesus the rest of the day. Andrew was one of those two followers of John who heard John speak and went after Jesus. The first thing Andrew did then was to find his brother Simon. He said, `We have found the Messiah!'
Gospel of John
What are you looking for? What do you want? These are the questions that we are all familiar with, particularly as it relates to our spouse and children. How often have we said to our children: What do you want? What are you looking for?
When Jesus turned to the two disciples of John and asked them this question, He didn't mean it in the same way as when we ask our kids. What Jesus was asking: "What in life are you are looking for? What are you aiming for, trying to get out of life?"
If Jesus were here today, in our Church, He may ask us: "What are you looking for in coming to Church?" Our answer might be: What am I looking for? To be with you. To learn about you. To be your disciple. With that, Jesus' response would probably be the same for us as for His disciples: "Come and See".
For those who have accepted this invitation, the best of what we can offer to others is summed up in this very simple invitation: "Come and see". Come and see for yourself what the Lord has to offer. Experience what we have experienced in our lives. And you will experience the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in the field."
You can only extend the invitation. It's up to the other to accept or reject it. Andrew went immediately to his brother Simon to invite him to come and see the treasure he had discovered. "We have found the Messiah!"
It was Jesus who reached out to Simon Peter and helped him to discover what he was looking for. In the same way, it is Jesus who reaches out to those whose hearts are open to receive Him. All we can do is extent the invitation. What is given can only be grasped by faith.
The Holy Spirit gives to those who are open in faith to know Jesus personally, to experience His love and to live the power of the Gospel.
Is this not the story for each of our lives as we experience our own encounter with Christ?
For me, it happened as an adult in my early twenties. I saw others who had their own experience of faith and I wanted to share in it. So they said to me: "Come and See". It took a while to break through some old conditioning of pride, doubt, skepticism, but finally in one heart-felt sweep, I discovered that the One I was searching for was there all the time, calling me, beckoning me, and finally flooding my awareness with His Presence.
We live in a world that is crying out for this discovery. If only they would accept the invitation to "come and see", and discover what has been there all the time, waiting for them.
What is it in life are we looking for? What is it we are aiming for, trying to get out of life? Come and See! It never really ever stops, because each of us have to be continually drawn into a deeper reality of who Christ is for us. Each of us has to continually let go of the baggage we carry along the way to discover anew that which we truly desire, that which has been waiting for us all along.
Gospel of John
What are you looking for? What do you want? These are the questions that we are all familiar with, particularly as it relates to our spouse and children. How often have we said to our children: What do you want? What are you looking for?
When Jesus turned to the two disciples of John and asked them this question, He didn't mean it in the same way as when we ask our kids. What Jesus was asking: "What in life are you are looking for? What are you aiming for, trying to get out of life?"
If Jesus were here today, in our Church, He may ask us: "What are you looking for in coming to Church?" Our answer might be: What am I looking for? To be with you. To learn about you. To be your disciple. With that, Jesus' response would probably be the same for us as for His disciples: "Come and See".
For those who have accepted this invitation, the best of what we can offer to others is summed up in this very simple invitation: "Come and see". Come and see for yourself what the Lord has to offer. Experience what we have experienced in our lives. And you will experience the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in the field."
You can only extend the invitation. It's up to the other to accept or reject it. Andrew went immediately to his brother Simon to invite him to come and see the treasure he had discovered. "We have found the Messiah!"
It was Jesus who reached out to Simon Peter and helped him to discover what he was looking for. In the same way, it is Jesus who reaches out to those whose hearts are open to receive Him. All we can do is extent the invitation. What is given can only be grasped by faith.
The Holy Spirit gives to those who are open in faith to know Jesus personally, to experience His love and to live the power of the Gospel.
Is this not the story for each of our lives as we experience our own encounter with Christ?
For me, it happened as an adult in my early twenties. I saw others who had their own experience of faith and I wanted to share in it. So they said to me: "Come and See". It took a while to break through some old conditioning of pride, doubt, skepticism, but finally in one heart-felt sweep, I discovered that the One I was searching for was there all the time, calling me, beckoning me, and finally flooding my awareness with His Presence.
We live in a world that is crying out for this discovery. If only they would accept the invitation to "come and see", and discover what has been there all the time, waiting for them.
What is it in life are we looking for? What is it we are aiming for, trying to get out of life? Come and See! It never really ever stops, because each of us have to be continually drawn into a deeper reality of who Christ is for us. Each of us has to continually let go of the baggage we carry along the way to discover anew that which we truly desire, that which has been waiting for us all along.
Experiencing God - Converson of Saint Paul 72
"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked."Acts of the Apostles
One of the most dramatic conversions to Christianity every told is the conversion of Saint Paul. In fact, it is considered of such importance that the Church has chosen January twenty-fifth as a day to celebrate this event. When it comes to spiritual experiences or miraculous events, the Church has always followed the policy of checking things out very carefully before officially accepting them as credible. In fact, at times, it seems that they are the last to come on side, but there is an important reason for this.
I remember years ago reading many of the books written by Fr. John Powell, a Jesuit from Chicago. In one of his books (I don't remember which one) he mentioned that miraculous conversions should be run through three tests: the time test, the charity test, and the commitment test.
The time test is quite easy to understand. Will the conversion to Christ stand the test of time or is it just a temporary phenomena? It cannot be a momentary insight that reverts back to the old way of thinking after a few days. It must create a permanent change in the person who experienced the conversion. Saint Paul would certainly pass this test as his radical conversion resulted in a life-time change and a life-time goal of bringing others to Christ.
The second, charity test, is probably a more important test, particularly as it relates to Saint Paul. Paul was always passionate in his approach to God. He always put everything he had into the pursuit of his goals, even as a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians; but he experienced a radical shift in his approach after his conversion. He shifted from using acts of violence and fear, to using love. He became Christ-like in his new approach. Before, he condoned putting people to death, as in the case of Steven, or to putting people in prison. After his conversion, he had a complete turnaround. Violence and fear were no longer acceptable behaviors and methods in pursuing God's will. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Children of God" became for him a way of life. Christians see clearly that love is the most powerful motivational force for change. It is in the commandment of love that we find the fulfillment of all the commandments of God.
For Saint Paul, this was surely a miraculous shift in thinking and behaving, a way that he never abandoned, even when facing those who opposed him.
The third test mentioned by Fr. John Powell was one of commitment or servant hood. It's almost as if a conversion to Christ ignites a fire within that keeps burning brighter and brighter encouraging us to continue in our response to Grace. It's not a case that we have decided to share the Gospel with others; we must share it. It becomes a part of who you are. And this is certainly true of Saint Paul whose fire is still burning in the hearts of many Christians today.
Most of us may never experience as dramatic a conversion as Saint Paul. Most of us will move into our Christian way of life without a radical or noticeable shift because we have grown into faith since our childhood. But Paul's conversion gives witness to God's power to change the heart of anyone, regardless of how far they may seem to have drifted off the Christian path. And that anyone can be the ones we least expect.
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked."Acts of the Apostles
One of the most dramatic conversions to Christianity every told is the conversion of Saint Paul. In fact, it is considered of such importance that the Church has chosen January twenty-fifth as a day to celebrate this event. When it comes to spiritual experiences or miraculous events, the Church has always followed the policy of checking things out very carefully before officially accepting them as credible. In fact, at times, it seems that they are the last to come on side, but there is an important reason for this.
I remember years ago reading many of the books written by Fr. John Powell, a Jesuit from Chicago. In one of his books (I don't remember which one) he mentioned that miraculous conversions should be run through three tests: the time test, the charity test, and the commitment test.
The time test is quite easy to understand. Will the conversion to Christ stand the test of time or is it just a temporary phenomena? It cannot be a momentary insight that reverts back to the old way of thinking after a few days. It must create a permanent change in the person who experienced the conversion. Saint Paul would certainly pass this test as his radical conversion resulted in a life-time change and a life-time goal of bringing others to Christ.
The second, charity test, is probably a more important test, particularly as it relates to Saint Paul. Paul was always passionate in his approach to God. He always put everything he had into the pursuit of his goals, even as a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians; but he experienced a radical shift in his approach after his conversion. He shifted from using acts of violence and fear, to using love. He became Christ-like in his new approach. Before, he condoned putting people to death, as in the case of Steven, or to putting people in prison. After his conversion, he had a complete turnaround. Violence and fear were no longer acceptable behaviors and methods in pursuing God's will. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Children of God" became for him a way of life. Christians see clearly that love is the most powerful motivational force for change. It is in the commandment of love that we find the fulfillment of all the commandments of God.
For Saint Paul, this was surely a miraculous shift in thinking and behaving, a way that he never abandoned, even when facing those who opposed him.
The third test mentioned by Fr. John Powell was one of commitment or servant hood. It's almost as if a conversion to Christ ignites a fire within that keeps burning brighter and brighter encouraging us to continue in our response to Grace. It's not a case that we have decided to share the Gospel with others; we must share it. It becomes a part of who you are. And this is certainly true of Saint Paul whose fire is still burning in the hearts of many Christians today.
Most of us may never experience as dramatic a conversion as Saint Paul. Most of us will move into our Christian way of life without a radical or noticeable shift because we have grown into faith since our childhood. But Paul's conversion gives witness to God's power to change the heart of anyone, regardless of how far they may seem to have drifted off the Christian path. And that anyone can be the ones we least expect.
Experiencing God - Gratitude in Living 71
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Gospel of Matthew
It's amazing the things we learn in married life. I recall times in the past when my wife would ask me to do something for her, perhaps one of those chores around the house, and I really didn't want to do it. But finally, I would reluctantly agree. You might say that I agreed to do it, but with an attitude. During these times, I would be reminded that just doing the task was not enough. It was equally important to her that I should want to do it.
It took me a long time to understand this type of thinking. For me, just doing it and getting it over should have been enough. But to actually want to do it? That was like asking too much. But is it asking to much?
I've learned that what my wife was asking for, in addition to some help, was for a response out of love. We do things for others not just to get it over, or just because we like to do it; but because we love the other person and you want what is best for them.
We can only come to this understanding by looking inward at our attitude, and by reflecting on the underlining intentions we have for doing what we do.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus singles out three recommendations for His disciples; the actions of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. For the Israelites of Jesus' time, these three actions were seen as key signs of a pious person, three great pillars on which holy life was based. If you did these three things, then you would be considered a pious person.
But Jesus also pointed out to His disciples that it was not enough just to do these actions. It was also necessary to want to do them with the right attitude and intention. "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."
We have to want to do them out of a response of love. If we pray, fast and give alms for the purposes of seeking attention for ourselves or for praise from others, then it's not true piety. True piety is only present when we offer these actions in a loving intention to God in an attitude of awe, reverence, worship and surrender.
Is Jesus asking too much of us? What is the internal disposition generated when our actions flow from a response of love?
If we reflect on this carefully, we discover that our internal disposition in these cases is one of gratitude and thanksgiving. We see life as a gift from God to be treasured and held sacred before Him. Actions that flow from a response of love that generate dispositions of gratitude and thanksgiving acknowledges our desire to share these gifts with those around us. It is on this disposition that the Kingdom of God is built.
Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season is a time of preparation in order that we may be awakened to this reality. As described in the prophet Joel, it is a time when we rend, not our clothing, but our hearts and return to the Lord. The ashes that we share remind us that life as we know it is short, but our time with God is infinite, and we have much to be thankful for as we place our trust in Him.
Gospel of Matthew
It's amazing the things we learn in married life. I recall times in the past when my wife would ask me to do something for her, perhaps one of those chores around the house, and I really didn't want to do it. But finally, I would reluctantly agree. You might say that I agreed to do it, but with an attitude. During these times, I would be reminded that just doing the task was not enough. It was equally important to her that I should want to do it.
It took me a long time to understand this type of thinking. For me, just doing it and getting it over should have been enough. But to actually want to do it? That was like asking too much. But is it asking to much?
I've learned that what my wife was asking for, in addition to some help, was for a response out of love. We do things for others not just to get it over, or just because we like to do it; but because we love the other person and you want what is best for them.
We can only come to this understanding by looking inward at our attitude, and by reflecting on the underlining intentions we have for doing what we do.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus singles out three recommendations for His disciples; the actions of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. For the Israelites of Jesus' time, these three actions were seen as key signs of a pious person, three great pillars on which holy life was based. If you did these three things, then you would be considered a pious person.
But Jesus also pointed out to His disciples that it was not enough just to do these actions. It was also necessary to want to do them with the right attitude and intention. "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."
We have to want to do them out of a response of love. If we pray, fast and give alms for the purposes of seeking attention for ourselves or for praise from others, then it's not true piety. True piety is only present when we offer these actions in a loving intention to God in an attitude of awe, reverence, worship and surrender.
Is Jesus asking too much of us? What is the internal disposition generated when our actions flow from a response of love?
If we reflect on this carefully, we discover that our internal disposition in these cases is one of gratitude and thanksgiving. We see life as a gift from God to be treasured and held sacred before Him. Actions that flow from a response of love that generate dispositions of gratitude and thanksgiving acknowledges our desire to share these gifts with those around us. It is on this disposition that the Kingdom of God is built.
Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season is a time of preparation in order that we may be awakened to this reality. As described in the prophet Joel, it is a time when we rend, not our clothing, but our hearts and return to the Lord. The ashes that we share remind us that life as we know it is short, but our time with God is infinite, and we have much to be thankful for as we place our trust in Him.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Experiencing God - Living by the Spirit 70
"You must not let sin reign in your mortal bodies or command your obedience to bodily passions. You must not let any part of your body turn into an unholy weapon fighting on the side of sin."
Paul's letter to the Romans
The letter of Paul to the Romans can at times be very wordy and hard to follow. After reading parts of his letter, I find it often creates more questions than answers.
The principal question that comes to mind in the above quote from the early chapters of Romans is: "How do I know when I am allowing sin to exercise dominion in my mortal body and command obedience to bodily passions? Is it when I get angry? Is it when I feel sad? Is it when I fight passionately for a worthy cause? Or even a cause that may not be so worthy, but one important to me."
The letter does not give us a clear answer. It only instructs: "Don't be a slave to your passions, but be slaves to righteousness. But Paul does answer this question in his letter to the Galatians.
In Galatians Paul says: "Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh, for what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit. The works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. I ware you, Paul says, those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
This letter to the Galatians then goes on to give the fruits of the Spirit. We've heard them many times. "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you want to know if you are living by the flesh or by the Spirit, then look at the fruits of your endeavors.
The Gospel of Luke confirms Paul's view on this as well. In this Gospel, Jesus says to His disciples: "You can be quite sure, if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the walls of his house. You too much stand ready." And then Jesus goes on to explain that if a servant acts inappropriately, beating other servants, men and women, drinking and getting drunk- in other words "living by the flesh and not by the Spirit", then be on your guard, because you never know when the master is returning.
If you are found living by the Spirit, you will be rewarded as such. However, if you are found living by the flesh, your disappointment will be great.
The time to be living by the Spirit is "now"! Not tomorrow, or next week, or next year. The only time we have is the time we have right at this moment. The temptation we may have, while the Master is away, is to put off for tomorrow what we know the Master expects of us today. We are called "now" to live by faithfulness to the Spirit, the way that leads to life.
Paul's letter to the Romans
The letter of Paul to the Romans can at times be very wordy and hard to follow. After reading parts of his letter, I find it often creates more questions than answers.
The principal question that comes to mind in the above quote from the early chapters of Romans is: "How do I know when I am allowing sin to exercise dominion in my mortal body and command obedience to bodily passions? Is it when I get angry? Is it when I feel sad? Is it when I fight passionately for a worthy cause? Or even a cause that may not be so worthy, but one important to me."
The letter does not give us a clear answer. It only instructs: "Don't be a slave to your passions, but be slaves to righteousness. But Paul does answer this question in his letter to the Galatians.
In Galatians Paul says: "Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh, for what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit. The works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. I ware you, Paul says, those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
This letter to the Galatians then goes on to give the fruits of the Spirit. We've heard them many times. "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you want to know if you are living by the flesh or by the Spirit, then look at the fruits of your endeavors.
The Gospel of Luke confirms Paul's view on this as well. In this Gospel, Jesus says to His disciples: "You can be quite sure, if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the walls of his house. You too much stand ready." And then Jesus goes on to explain that if a servant acts inappropriately, beating other servants, men and women, drinking and getting drunk- in other words "living by the flesh and not by the Spirit", then be on your guard, because you never know when the master is returning.
If you are found living by the Spirit, you will be rewarded as such. However, if you are found living by the flesh, your disappointment will be great.
The time to be living by the Spirit is "now"! Not tomorrow, or next week, or next year. The only time we have is the time we have right at this moment. The temptation we may have, while the Master is away, is to put off for tomorrow what we know the Master expects of us today. We are called "now" to live by faithfulness to the Spirit, the way that leads to life.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Experiencing God - Our Call and Mission 69
"An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Nivevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation"
Gospel of Matthew and Luke
The Book of Jonah is a story told in order to teach a lesson to the inhabitants of Judah. Jonah was an extremely nationalistic Jew from Judah, and a somewhat reluctant messenger called by God. Jonah symbolizes the whole country of Judah, which at the time was failing to understand God's message of salvation. God's call to conversion was meant for all nations and peoples, even those who they may have felt were not worthy of God's grace and compassion.
In sending Jonah, the main character in the story, to the foreign city Nineveh, we are reminded as well that Jesus' mission was meant to be for all people and all nations.
Jonah preached God's message to the Ninevites, and the Ninevites listened and repented (that is they changed the direction in which they were going) and as a result, the disaster that was predicted by Jonah was averted. The city and its people were saved from possible destruction.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus makes a very interesting statement to the people who demanded a sign from Him. He said: "An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Nivevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation". Then he left them and went away.
When Jonah preached God's message, the Nivevites repented and changed, and the disaster was averted. Jesus says: "And there is something greater than Jonah here".
Jesus is for us what Jonah was for the Ninevites. Jesus calls us, not to look for marvelous signs and wonders, spectacular miracles which dazzle our eyes, but to repent, to change the direction in which we are going. Jesus calls us to live the Gospel of love.
Our culture today is perhaps similar to the culture in Jesus' time when He called it an evil generation, a generation that was not listening to God's word, a generation that was going its own way. Jesus' call to the generation of His day is the same as His call to us today; we must change.
God's light and salvation breaks through only if we turn to Him, and live His law of love. This call includes becoming a messenger of God, and bearers of the Good News.
The purpose for our spiritual journey is to draw us more deeply into this realization, to make us aware that our wholeness, well-being, our healing as a people will only come as we abandon our own ways of doing things and turn to God for guidance and direction. It is a call to change. This change creates within us a new ardour and enthusiasm for the Gospel. And God's grace gives us a new vibrancy which enables us to express our faith in a manner that draws others to conversion, to the realization that it is only in God that we can place our hope and trust. Like Jonah, the reluctant messenger, we must come to the realization of the importance of our mission of calling others to wholeness, a message meant for all peoples and all nations.
Gospel of Matthew and Luke
The Book of Jonah is a story told in order to teach a lesson to the inhabitants of Judah. Jonah was an extremely nationalistic Jew from Judah, and a somewhat reluctant messenger called by God. Jonah symbolizes the whole country of Judah, which at the time was failing to understand God's message of salvation. God's call to conversion was meant for all nations and peoples, even those who they may have felt were not worthy of God's grace and compassion.
In sending Jonah, the main character in the story, to the foreign city Nineveh, we are reminded as well that Jesus' mission was meant to be for all people and all nations.
Jonah preached God's message to the Ninevites, and the Ninevites listened and repented (that is they changed the direction in which they were going) and as a result, the disaster that was predicted by Jonah was averted. The city and its people were saved from possible destruction.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus makes a very interesting statement to the people who demanded a sign from Him. He said: "An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Nivevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation". Then he left them and went away.
When Jonah preached God's message, the Nivevites repented and changed, and the disaster was averted. Jesus says: "And there is something greater than Jonah here".
Jesus is for us what Jonah was for the Ninevites. Jesus calls us, not to look for marvelous signs and wonders, spectacular miracles which dazzle our eyes, but to repent, to change the direction in which we are going. Jesus calls us to live the Gospel of love.
Our culture today is perhaps similar to the culture in Jesus' time when He called it an evil generation, a generation that was not listening to God's word, a generation that was going its own way. Jesus' call to the generation of His day is the same as His call to us today; we must change.
God's light and salvation breaks through only if we turn to Him, and live His law of love. This call includes becoming a messenger of God, and bearers of the Good News.
The purpose for our spiritual journey is to draw us more deeply into this realization, to make us aware that our wholeness, well-being, our healing as a people will only come as we abandon our own ways of doing things and turn to God for guidance and direction. It is a call to change. This change creates within us a new ardour and enthusiasm for the Gospel. And God's grace gives us a new vibrancy which enables us to express our faith in a manner that draws others to conversion, to the realization that it is only in God that we can place our hope and trust. Like Jonah, the reluctant messenger, we must come to the realization of the importance of our mission of calling others to wholeness, a message meant for all peoples and all nations.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Experiencing God - Become Doers of the Word 68
"Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. If any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they look like."
Letter of James
This is very strong imagery, and we can all put an interpretation on what it may mean. Some would say that it means; "practice what you preach", but I believe it runs much deeper than that.
James speaks of looking at ourselves in a mirror, seeing ourselves, and then going off and forgetting what we look like. In other words, its a form of blindness. We look and see that we are children of God, but when we turn away and move out into our daily living, our lives do not reflect the reality of who we are, Children of God. We forget who we are, and live like anyone else.
I believe the term coined by Pope Benedict when speaking about our present Western culture as an "eclipse of God" is really the same thing. This is a term that has been used extensively in the New Evangelization. This image of eclipse describes a prevailing darkness or blindness, something that is blocking the return of the light from the sun, and because we cannot see the light, we begin to believe and act as if its not there. Recovering from the "eclipse of God" is therefore a way of speaking about rediscovering the presence of God, because God is always present. God is always with us.
What is it that we must do to rediscover God's presence as an experienced event so that the living out of our lives reflect this reality? How do we shed this apparent blindness caused by this "eclipse of God" that is prevalent in Western society?
We change our lives so as to be doers of the Word as St. James suggests in his letter. We give witness to God's presence among us by the way we live and by the choices we make.
I believe James' advice to the faithful of his time is just as relevant for the problem with today's darkness. "Be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to rouse your anger, for anger does not produce God's righteousness." This listening has more to do with an internal listening. Our own internal conversion from darkness to light depends on an internal listening which allows us to experience God's love and presence in our lives. The whole purpose of meditation is to bring us to that experiential awareness of God's love for us as a lived reality.
How can we possibly speak of God's presence and love to the world if it is not a real part of our own experience, a real part of our own lives. We can only share what we ourselves experience.
In the Gospel of Mark, we all know the story of the healing of Bartimaeus. "Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Bartimaeus did not have to work hard or angrily at witnessing to his healing. One only had to look at him. "My God, he said, I can see". And everything about him radiated the presence of Christ - his surprise, his joy, his smile, his praise, his forgiveness - All gave witness to the Glory of God.
Do we experience God so deeply, so personally, that we radiate the presence of Christ? Do we give witness to God in our life in this way? Can others who may be caught up in the darkness of the present day see in us that which cannot be explained by words, concepts, rules or argument.
If we experience God in this way, then we become doers of the word. We see ourselves clearly for who we are, Children of God, and we don't forget this as soon as we turn away from the mirror.
Letter of James
This is very strong imagery, and we can all put an interpretation on what it may mean. Some would say that it means; "practice what you preach", but I believe it runs much deeper than that.
James speaks of looking at ourselves in a mirror, seeing ourselves, and then going off and forgetting what we look like. In other words, its a form of blindness. We look and see that we are children of God, but when we turn away and move out into our daily living, our lives do not reflect the reality of who we are, Children of God. We forget who we are, and live like anyone else.
I believe the term coined by Pope Benedict when speaking about our present Western culture as an "eclipse of God" is really the same thing. This is a term that has been used extensively in the New Evangelization. This image of eclipse describes a prevailing darkness or blindness, something that is blocking the return of the light from the sun, and because we cannot see the light, we begin to believe and act as if its not there. Recovering from the "eclipse of God" is therefore a way of speaking about rediscovering the presence of God, because God is always present. God is always with us.
What is it that we must do to rediscover God's presence as an experienced event so that the living out of our lives reflect this reality? How do we shed this apparent blindness caused by this "eclipse of God" that is prevalent in Western society?
We change our lives so as to be doers of the Word as St. James suggests in his letter. We give witness to God's presence among us by the way we live and by the choices we make.
I believe James' advice to the faithful of his time is just as relevant for the problem with today's darkness. "Be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to rouse your anger, for anger does not produce God's righteousness." This listening has more to do with an internal listening. Our own internal conversion from darkness to light depends on an internal listening which allows us to experience God's love and presence in our lives. The whole purpose of meditation is to bring us to that experiential awareness of God's love for us as a lived reality.
How can we possibly speak of God's presence and love to the world if it is not a real part of our own experience, a real part of our own lives. We can only share what we ourselves experience.
In the Gospel of Mark, we all know the story of the healing of Bartimaeus. "Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Bartimaeus did not have to work hard or angrily at witnessing to his healing. One only had to look at him. "My God, he said, I can see". And everything about him radiated the presence of Christ - his surprise, his joy, his smile, his praise, his forgiveness - All gave witness to the Glory of God.
Do we experience God so deeply, so personally, that we radiate the presence of Christ? Do we give witness to God in our life in this way? Can others who may be caught up in the darkness of the present day see in us that which cannot be explained by words, concepts, rules or argument.
If we experience God in this way, then we become doers of the word. We see ourselves clearly for who we are, Children of God, and we don't forget this as soon as we turn away from the mirror.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Experiencing God - Thoughts on Obedience 67
In the book of Samuel we read about the rather topsie turvie ride of the people of Israel under the rule of King David. It seemed that King David's reign, as it is captured in this story, describes moments where this King is highly esteemed and honored, and moments where he fell into serious error of judgement which had catastrophic results. His glorious moments were the time he was anointed by Samuel to be King, when he slew Goliath the Philistine giant, and when he was being undeservingly pursued by Saul out of jealousy.
But King David also had those moments of falling from Grace such as when he took advantage of Bathsheba and sent her husband to the front lines of battle to be killed.
Whenever King David relied on his own power and judgement, being disobedient to the will and wisdom of God, we discover a person who not only fails in his pursuits, but causes harm to himself and others.
The struggle that King David had with obedience is illustrative of the struggle that the whole nation of Israel also had with obedience, and their biblical history documents the results of the glory and turbulence that resulted from their choices.
Is this also not part of our own turbulent history today as we struggle to deal with the results of the many choices we make as individuals and nations that reflect and ignore God's will? We lose our way when we begin to act as if we know what is best for ourselves and others at the expense of God's natural plan and path for human society and creation. And of course, the natural consequences of this are often quite devastating. Why is it we so often seem to move against God's plan for us?
The Church today is suffering from a struggle to be heard by a culture that seems to have turned its ears in another direction. It's a complex problem far beyond my understanding, but I believe it begins when we start to adopt the view that we know more of what's best for ourselves than any outside authority including God. We fail to stop, reflect, listen and receive the message of truth that is there to guide us, protect us, and lead us to wholeness. We slip into error by following our own individual preferences.
The Gospel story about Jesus trying to minister in His own home town is perhaps an illustration of this inability to hear, to listen, and to discern the truth of what is before us. As a result, the truth was rendered incapable of being acted upon for the people of that place.
The people of Jesus' home town were not bad people. They were ordinary folks like ourselves. But they were a people who could not hear the message of Christ because they were caught up in their own stories. Is this not the carpenter's son who grew up among us? Is this not Mary and Joseph's son who went to school with our kids, and attended our synagogue? And it is written that they could not accept Him, so they went there own way. Jesus' message fell on deaf ears. The truth was not heard.
How can we be obedient to God's voice, to Christ's message today in a culture that has largely turned its ears away from listening to the Church and its teachings? Archbishop Anthony Mancini provides some thoughts on "obedience"
"Obedience" by some form of external pressure, is not obedience, it is forced behavior. Any behaviour which is forced is not the best practice, for while it may effect conformity, it may only be an external appearance.
A fuller understanding of obedience, especially in a religious context, is to appreciate it as a positive response to what the authority has said, because the request has been heard, received, reflected upon, accepted and put into action, by giving it internal assent which refers to one's mind and heart. This is obedience understood in its highest form, and no doubt, requires time for this form to be truly appreciated and put into practice.
Nevertheless, it is important to see that a "yes" which is forced is not a "yes". When one accepts to go through the above process, the result is that one who speaks (authority) and the one who hears (obedience) will have come to be of one mind and heart. Anything else falls short of the expected standard for the assembly of Christ's disciples.
This process is reflected in the attitudes and actions reported in the Acts of the Apostles about discernment and decision making in the Christian community. If we do not enter into such a spirit of discernment or try to understand or be open to each other's best intentions, "obedience" produces nothing but an appearance of religiosity, rather than an authentic expression of faith."
But King David also had those moments of falling from Grace such as when he took advantage of Bathsheba and sent her husband to the front lines of battle to be killed.
Whenever King David relied on his own power and judgement, being disobedient to the will and wisdom of God, we discover a person who not only fails in his pursuits, but causes harm to himself and others.
The struggle that King David had with obedience is illustrative of the struggle that the whole nation of Israel also had with obedience, and their biblical history documents the results of the glory and turbulence that resulted from their choices.
Is this also not part of our own turbulent history today as we struggle to deal with the results of the many choices we make as individuals and nations that reflect and ignore God's will? We lose our way when we begin to act as if we know what is best for ourselves and others at the expense of God's natural plan and path for human society and creation. And of course, the natural consequences of this are often quite devastating. Why is it we so often seem to move against God's plan for us?
The Church today is suffering from a struggle to be heard by a culture that seems to have turned its ears in another direction. It's a complex problem far beyond my understanding, but I believe it begins when we start to adopt the view that we know more of what's best for ourselves than any outside authority including God. We fail to stop, reflect, listen and receive the message of truth that is there to guide us, protect us, and lead us to wholeness. We slip into error by following our own individual preferences.
The Gospel story about Jesus trying to minister in His own home town is perhaps an illustration of this inability to hear, to listen, and to discern the truth of what is before us. As a result, the truth was rendered incapable of being acted upon for the people of that place.
The people of Jesus' home town were not bad people. They were ordinary folks like ourselves. But they were a people who could not hear the message of Christ because they were caught up in their own stories. Is this not the carpenter's son who grew up among us? Is this not Mary and Joseph's son who went to school with our kids, and attended our synagogue? And it is written that they could not accept Him, so they went there own way. Jesus' message fell on deaf ears. The truth was not heard.
How can we be obedient to God's voice, to Christ's message today in a culture that has largely turned its ears away from listening to the Church and its teachings? Archbishop Anthony Mancini provides some thoughts on "obedience"
"Obedience" by some form of external pressure, is not obedience, it is forced behavior. Any behaviour which is forced is not the best practice, for while it may effect conformity, it may only be an external appearance.
A fuller understanding of obedience, especially in a religious context, is to appreciate it as a positive response to what the authority has said, because the request has been heard, received, reflected upon, accepted and put into action, by giving it internal assent which refers to one's mind and heart. This is obedience understood in its highest form, and no doubt, requires time for this form to be truly appreciated and put into practice.
Nevertheless, it is important to see that a "yes" which is forced is not a "yes". When one accepts to go through the above process, the result is that one who speaks (authority) and the one who hears (obedience) will have come to be of one mind and heart. Anything else falls short of the expected standard for the assembly of Christ's disciples.
This process is reflected in the attitudes and actions reported in the Acts of the Apostles about discernment and decision making in the Christian community. If we do not enter into such a spirit of discernment or try to understand or be open to each other's best intentions, "obedience" produces nothing but an appearance of religiosity, rather than an authentic expression of faith."
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Experiencing God - Servants of Christ 66
"Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, "Anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave."
Gospel of Mark
Mr. Anderson is a prominent business man living in a small town. He has a large family of seven children. One day he is told by his doctor that he has less than a year to live. He meets with his family to tell them.
Mr. Anderson's family is typical of many families. The oldest two sons are quite ambitious and want to make something of themselves. Two are a little rebellious. Perhaps they could be called the agitators of the family, mostly, not going with the flow. Two are complacent, and prefer not to get involved with family activities and plans. The youngest is somewhat of a laid-back character, and is construed by the older two brothers as lazy and irresponsible.
On hearing the news of their father, all were saddened. After a few days had passed, the oldest two sons approach their father and asked that all of his business interest be turned over to them as they were the best equipped to run the business and make it successful.
When the other family members heard about this, they were outraged and upset, and began to speak out against their two older brothers.
Mr. Anderson, on hearing about the problems that were beginning to surface, called his family together to speak to them. "I have only a few more months to live, he told them, and the only thing of importance to me at this point is my family. We are one. We are united by an inseparable bond that must never be broken. Work at discovering the special gift you are to each other. It is only there that you will discover your true treasure."
I'm not sure how things turned out with the Anderson family. But we do know how things turned out in the family about which the above Gospel reading from Mark was written.
Jesus met with his disciple family and reminded them: "You know out there in the world, things are handled in a certain way. Ambition, rebellion, complacency and laziness forces people to respond negatively to each other, often passing judgement, creating divisions and quarrels. But this must not happen to you. Anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave."
It is very hard for us to think in these terms as expressed by Jesus. It's even harder for us to act out in this manner in our lives. And the only way that we can begin to think and act in this manner is to see that the treasure we are all looking for cannot be found in exterior and worldly behaviors. It can only be found in unity, and the bonds of love that are created as we reach out in love to each other. Our motivation comes from the promises of Christ, and the movement of His Holy Spirit in our lives.
One of the greatest agitators in our Christian history was St. Paul. He was feared for his ruthlessness and his attacks on other Christians. Yet through Christ, he became one of the greatest Christian messengers, and was largely responsible for the spread of Christianity in the world of his time. One of the most rebellious and pleasure seeking Christians in our history was St. Augustine, who after experiencing Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, became one of the leading teachers and authorities in the ways of God.
When we accept Christ's call to serve, and leave the rest to God, then good things begin to happen; but when we follow our own ambitions and plans, and insist on our own way, it is then that divisions and animosities arise.
What is our greatest treasure? It is not the worldly attributes of our false selves. It's something internal, something that allows us to see that we are all in some way connected, held together in a bond of love that can only be discovered in God. When we discover this treasure, we are willing to let go of our false selves to become immersed in that love that unites us all.
It takes a while to discover this treasure, as it did for St. Paul and St. Augustine, but when we do, everything changes. We are no longer ambitious, rebellious, complacent, or lazy. We become servants of Christ.
Gospel of Mark
Mr. Anderson is a prominent business man living in a small town. He has a large family of seven children. One day he is told by his doctor that he has less than a year to live. He meets with his family to tell them.
Mr. Anderson's family is typical of many families. The oldest two sons are quite ambitious and want to make something of themselves. Two are a little rebellious. Perhaps they could be called the agitators of the family, mostly, not going with the flow. Two are complacent, and prefer not to get involved with family activities and plans. The youngest is somewhat of a laid-back character, and is construed by the older two brothers as lazy and irresponsible.
On hearing the news of their father, all were saddened. After a few days had passed, the oldest two sons approach their father and asked that all of his business interest be turned over to them as they were the best equipped to run the business and make it successful.
When the other family members heard about this, they were outraged and upset, and began to speak out against their two older brothers.
Mr. Anderson, on hearing about the problems that were beginning to surface, called his family together to speak to them. "I have only a few more months to live, he told them, and the only thing of importance to me at this point is my family. We are one. We are united by an inseparable bond that must never be broken. Work at discovering the special gift you are to each other. It is only there that you will discover your true treasure."
I'm not sure how things turned out with the Anderson family. But we do know how things turned out in the family about which the above Gospel reading from Mark was written.
Jesus met with his disciple family and reminded them: "You know out there in the world, things are handled in a certain way. Ambition, rebellion, complacency and laziness forces people to respond negatively to each other, often passing judgement, creating divisions and quarrels. But this must not happen to you. Anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave."
It is very hard for us to think in these terms as expressed by Jesus. It's even harder for us to act out in this manner in our lives. And the only way that we can begin to think and act in this manner is to see that the treasure we are all looking for cannot be found in exterior and worldly behaviors. It can only be found in unity, and the bonds of love that are created as we reach out in love to each other. Our motivation comes from the promises of Christ, and the movement of His Holy Spirit in our lives.
One of the greatest agitators in our Christian history was St. Paul. He was feared for his ruthlessness and his attacks on other Christians. Yet through Christ, he became one of the greatest Christian messengers, and was largely responsible for the spread of Christianity in the world of his time. One of the most rebellious and pleasure seeking Christians in our history was St. Augustine, who after experiencing Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, became one of the leading teachers and authorities in the ways of God.
When we accept Christ's call to serve, and leave the rest to God, then good things begin to happen; but when we follow our own ambitions and plans, and insist on our own way, it is then that divisions and animosities arise.
What is our greatest treasure? It is not the worldly attributes of our false selves. It's something internal, something that allows us to see that we are all in some way connected, held together in a bond of love that can only be discovered in God. When we discover this treasure, we are willing to let go of our false selves to become immersed in that love that unites us all.
It takes a while to discover this treasure, as it did for St. Paul and St. Augustine, but when we do, everything changes. We are no longer ambitious, rebellious, complacent, or lazy. We become servants of Christ.
Experiencing God - Fulfilling the Law 65
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished."
Gospel of Matthew
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? This is a somewhat strange question to ask a group of faith filled people. But it is a good question to "frame" an understanding of the above Gospel reading from Matthew.
Jesus says: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished." And then He goes on to say that whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus does not leave much room for doubt on this matter. However, if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Word made Life, then we must also agree that the Old Testament, with all of its laws and prophetic teachings must all be referenced to Jesus and the role that He played. In other words, Jesus came to reveal the true meaning of the Old Testament laws, to express what the laws and the prophets wished to convey, and to bring them to fulfillment.
The law is eternal. Jesus becomes the authoritative interpreter of the Jewish tradition found in the Old Testament, the One who is able to bring light to its most profound aspects. When you examine Jesus' teachings and His life, you find a man who did not get too caught up in externals. If you read on in the Gospel of Matthew, you discover His main objections are voiced against the Scribes and the Pharisees who are constantly getting caught up in external practices and details. "For I tell you, Jesus says, unless your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven."
Jesus is always much more interested and concerned with that which lies at the heart of things, the underlining motivation and reason for doing things. Where rigidity in following certain external rules or practices lead to a self-justification, (look at me and what I do) an examination of what lies at the heart of things leads to a humility and surrender.
"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God." This leads to a serving of those less fortunate than ourselves versus a laying of heavy burdens on others.
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He did not trumpet her failings before her, but by invitation, challenged her to raise her awareness. "If only you knew of God's gift, and who it is who is asking you for a drink; then you would ask Him, and He would give you living water." It is this same living water that He offers us, despite our failings.
In many other instances, Jesus pushes the existing precepts or rules in order to get at the root disposition that lies behind the forbidden action. Jesus' followers cannot be satisfied with merely avoiding the acts of stealing or doing harm to others. We must also curb and deal with the underlining disposition that gives rise to the offence; anger, insults, greed or whatever else, that gives rise to wrongful action. It is in dealing with the underlining causes and overcoming them that the Kingdom of God is revealed to those who believe.
When we allow Jesus to be the fulfillment of the laws of the Old Testament, then we allow Him to be the way, truth, and the life in our own life's journey. Although it is a narrow road, it is the safe sure road that leads us to the revelation of God's Kingdom in the here and now.
Gospel of Matthew
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? This is a somewhat strange question to ask a group of faith filled people. But it is a good question to "frame" an understanding of the above Gospel reading from Matthew.
Jesus says: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished." And then He goes on to say that whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus does not leave much room for doubt on this matter. However, if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Word made Life, then we must also agree that the Old Testament, with all of its laws and prophetic teachings must all be referenced to Jesus and the role that He played. In other words, Jesus came to reveal the true meaning of the Old Testament laws, to express what the laws and the prophets wished to convey, and to bring them to fulfillment.
The law is eternal. Jesus becomes the authoritative interpreter of the Jewish tradition found in the Old Testament, the One who is able to bring light to its most profound aspects. When you examine Jesus' teachings and His life, you find a man who did not get too caught up in externals. If you read on in the Gospel of Matthew, you discover His main objections are voiced against the Scribes and the Pharisees who are constantly getting caught up in external practices and details. "For I tell you, Jesus says, unless your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven."
Jesus is always much more interested and concerned with that which lies at the heart of things, the underlining motivation and reason for doing things. Where rigidity in following certain external rules or practices lead to a self-justification, (look at me and what I do) an examination of what lies at the heart of things leads to a humility and surrender.
"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God." This leads to a serving of those less fortunate than ourselves versus a laying of heavy burdens on others.
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He did not trumpet her failings before her, but by invitation, challenged her to raise her awareness. "If only you knew of God's gift, and who it is who is asking you for a drink; then you would ask Him, and He would give you living water." It is this same living water that He offers us, despite our failings.
In many other instances, Jesus pushes the existing precepts or rules in order to get at the root disposition that lies behind the forbidden action. Jesus' followers cannot be satisfied with merely avoiding the acts of stealing or doing harm to others. We must also curb and deal with the underlining disposition that gives rise to the offence; anger, insults, greed or whatever else, that gives rise to wrongful action. It is in dealing with the underlining causes and overcoming them that the Kingdom of God is revealed to those who believe.
When we allow Jesus to be the fulfillment of the laws of the Old Testament, then we allow Him to be the way, truth, and the life in our own life's journey. Although it is a narrow road, it is the safe sure road that leads us to the revelation of God's Kingdom in the here and now.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Experiencing God - Being Free of Attachments 64
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Gospel of Luke
Upon the first reading of this Gospel scripture, Jesus seems abnormally harsh in His requirements to be a follower. "Let the dead bury their own dead" Jesus says to the one who requested that he first be allowed to bury his father.
In order to understand this Gospel, we have to first understand that it has little or anything to do with providing a funeral service for a parent, or saying good-bye to relatives and friends. It has to do with what we feel is important; our attachments. Jesus understood human nature well. He knew that if we are driven by an attraction to one thing, then that thing, whatever it might be, would be given preference over other things. In fact, what we are "attracted" to, often hides from our view those other things that may be of greater importance. That's why Jesus said to His disciples: "No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; You cannot serve both God and money".
There's nothing wrong with money. It is merely a medium of exchange to provide for our needs. But if money becomes our master, then God and His Kingdom will not be revealed to us because we will be consumed by our attraction to money.
We see this all the time with our human emotions. It's very hard if not impossible to experience two contradictory emotions at one time. If I really love you, it is almost impossible to hate you at the same time. The reverse of this is also true. If I really hate you, it is impossible to love you at the same time. So it is with our awareness of the Kingdom of God. God is all around us. God is present in all things including ourselves. God manifests His presence to all people at all times. His love is ever present but many have no experience of this. Why is this? Because we have become blinded by our attraction to other things.
Our task, of course, is not to pass judgement on those who have difficulty experiencing God, or to consider them lessor than ourselves. Our task is to reveal to them, in the manner of our own lives, that there is something more important that they may not be seeing.
This was Jesus' mission, to reveal to us that the Kingdom of God is at hand; that it is among us. Jesus became the "way" to that realization through the life that He lived. So now Jesus asks us to follow Him in this "way" in order to make His Kingdom visible to others. "But you go, and proclaim the Kingdom of God".
When I was working, I often ran into people who would say: I admire your faith and I should go to church. Well, maybe after retirement. I'll have more time then. Right now, I'm just too busy with my job and family. I just don't have time to pray right now.
These are the people that Jesus was speaking about in the scripture above. I want to follow you, but I still have the responsibilities for my parents. When they are dead and gone, I'll have more time. Or let me say farewell to my relatives and friends; Perhaps then I can join you.
Really, what has one to do with the other? We are not making a choice between our parents, relatives, friends and God.
In following Christ, we are acknowledging that we have discovered something much more attractive, much more important, and much more fulfilling than all those other things and events that compete for our attention. We have discovered the treasure hidden in the field. We have discovered the Pearl of Great Price, and we so much want to share this treasure with those we meet, including our parents, family and friends if need be. And we are willing to sell off, or "let go" of our other things in our lives, to buy the field which contains the treasure.
We cannot offer to others what we ourselves do not possess. Discover within yourselves God's Kingdom. Discover within yourselves the Presence of God. Be energized by a renewal of your own faith, and then we have something to share, to be a witness to with parents, relatives and friends and all others we meet.
Gospel of Luke
Upon the first reading of this Gospel scripture, Jesus seems abnormally harsh in His requirements to be a follower. "Let the dead bury their own dead" Jesus says to the one who requested that he first be allowed to bury his father.
In order to understand this Gospel, we have to first understand that it has little or anything to do with providing a funeral service for a parent, or saying good-bye to relatives and friends. It has to do with what we feel is important; our attachments. Jesus understood human nature well. He knew that if we are driven by an attraction to one thing, then that thing, whatever it might be, would be given preference over other things. In fact, what we are "attracted" to, often hides from our view those other things that may be of greater importance. That's why Jesus said to His disciples: "No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; You cannot serve both God and money".
There's nothing wrong with money. It is merely a medium of exchange to provide for our needs. But if money becomes our master, then God and His Kingdom will not be revealed to us because we will be consumed by our attraction to money.
We see this all the time with our human emotions. It's very hard if not impossible to experience two contradictory emotions at one time. If I really love you, it is almost impossible to hate you at the same time. The reverse of this is also true. If I really hate you, it is impossible to love you at the same time. So it is with our awareness of the Kingdom of God. God is all around us. God is present in all things including ourselves. God manifests His presence to all people at all times. His love is ever present but many have no experience of this. Why is this? Because we have become blinded by our attraction to other things.
Our task, of course, is not to pass judgement on those who have difficulty experiencing God, or to consider them lessor than ourselves. Our task is to reveal to them, in the manner of our own lives, that there is something more important that they may not be seeing.
This was Jesus' mission, to reveal to us that the Kingdom of God is at hand; that it is among us. Jesus became the "way" to that realization through the life that He lived. So now Jesus asks us to follow Him in this "way" in order to make His Kingdom visible to others. "But you go, and proclaim the Kingdom of God".
When I was working, I often ran into people who would say: I admire your faith and I should go to church. Well, maybe after retirement. I'll have more time then. Right now, I'm just too busy with my job and family. I just don't have time to pray right now.
These are the people that Jesus was speaking about in the scripture above. I want to follow you, but I still have the responsibilities for my parents. When they are dead and gone, I'll have more time. Or let me say farewell to my relatives and friends; Perhaps then I can join you.
Really, what has one to do with the other? We are not making a choice between our parents, relatives, friends and God.
In following Christ, we are acknowledging that we have discovered something much more attractive, much more important, and much more fulfilling than all those other things and events that compete for our attention. We have discovered the treasure hidden in the field. We have discovered the Pearl of Great Price, and we so much want to share this treasure with those we meet, including our parents, family and friends if need be. And we are willing to sell off, or "let go" of our other things in our lives, to buy the field which contains the treasure.
We cannot offer to others what we ourselves do not possess. Discover within yourselves God's Kingdom. Discover within yourselves the Presence of God. Be energized by a renewal of your own faith, and then we have something to share, to be a witness to with parents, relatives and friends and all others we meet.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Experiencing God - "Opening the Doors" 63
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to."
Gospel of Matthew
In this part of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is singling out the teachers and lawyers with some rather strong words of rebuke. The word "woe" can also be translated as "alas". Alas is as much an expression of sorrowful pity as it is of anger. So why is Jesus issuing such a strong rebuke?
The main reason for His anger with the religious leaders was because they failed to listen to God's word, and, as a result, misled the people they were suppose to be guiding in the ways of God. The scribes devoted their lives to the study of the laws of the Old Testament and regarded themselves as legal experts. They divided the ten commandments and precepts into thousands of tiny rules and regulations. They were so exacting in their interpretations and in trying to live them out that they had little time for anything else. In their misguided zeal for following burdensome rules with rigidity, they forgot the more important matters of faith, of loving God and neighbor.
We all need rules in our society and organizations. They guarantee order and helps to eliminate the chaos and confusion we would otherwise experience. Imagine driving on our highways without the rules of the road. However, when our obsession with following rules out weighs the actions of love and charity in our relationships, then they kill the spirit that unites us as a human family.
Recently, I attended a workshop led by Tom Quinlan from Chicago. This workshop was on the New Evangelization. Tom first went into detail on the difficulty the church is having in attracting and retaining people in our under-age forty group. He called this group the "post-moderns", while most of us who are older than forty fell into the pre-modern group.
He explained, with a video presentation, that the "post-moderns", our young people, think differently than the pre-modern group. The post-moderns have been influenced by an astronomical amount of information provided by the advances of technology. They are the group who have grown up in a pluralistic society, a culture of diversity. As a result, they base decisions more on how they experience reality from within, and not so much based on institutional rules that do not speak to them personally. The post- moderns are more concerned with relational equality, therefore their boundaries are more fluid and less defined than pre-moderns.
The purpose of this discussion was to emphasize that if the church wishes to attract and retain people in the under forty age group, then it must begin to meet them where they are. To meet them where they are is to recognize their need to personally experience the truth we wish to convey. In other words, we need to find new methods, new ways of expressing our faith that will speak to them.
I believe this is why our church leaders today are challenging us to begin to identify and encourage the living signs of the Gospel of Life in our communities. We must learn to celebrate and bring alive those areas of our faith where we experience the gospel of life being lived out; where Christ's life is made visible. We must become known for who we are and what we are for; not for what we are against.
Tom mentioned that to tell a post-modern person that he/she will go to hell if they don't attend mass will not work. In fact, it will have the opposite affect. Where's the good news in that? But if they can see and experience the abundant life that springs from our community that is living the Gospel of life, then they will be drawn to that.
Everyone knows what the church is against. We don't need to be constantly reminding ourselves and others about that. The question we need to ask is: "What are we for and what are we doing to celebrate that through our pastoral care and outreach? Is this not the light on a lampstand, that we put out there for everyone to see? Are we not shutting the doors of the Kingdom of heaven on the faces of the post-moderns if we fail to respond?
Gospel of Matthew
In this part of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is singling out the teachers and lawyers with some rather strong words of rebuke. The word "woe" can also be translated as "alas". Alas is as much an expression of sorrowful pity as it is of anger. So why is Jesus issuing such a strong rebuke?
The main reason for His anger with the religious leaders was because they failed to listen to God's word, and, as a result, misled the people they were suppose to be guiding in the ways of God. The scribes devoted their lives to the study of the laws of the Old Testament and regarded themselves as legal experts. They divided the ten commandments and precepts into thousands of tiny rules and regulations. They were so exacting in their interpretations and in trying to live them out that they had little time for anything else. In their misguided zeal for following burdensome rules with rigidity, they forgot the more important matters of faith, of loving God and neighbor.
We all need rules in our society and organizations. They guarantee order and helps to eliminate the chaos and confusion we would otherwise experience. Imagine driving on our highways without the rules of the road. However, when our obsession with following rules out weighs the actions of love and charity in our relationships, then they kill the spirit that unites us as a human family.
Recently, I attended a workshop led by Tom Quinlan from Chicago. This workshop was on the New Evangelization. Tom first went into detail on the difficulty the church is having in attracting and retaining people in our under-age forty group. He called this group the "post-moderns", while most of us who are older than forty fell into the pre-modern group.
He explained, with a video presentation, that the "post-moderns", our young people, think differently than the pre-modern group. The post-moderns have been influenced by an astronomical amount of information provided by the advances of technology. They are the group who have grown up in a pluralistic society, a culture of diversity. As a result, they base decisions more on how they experience reality from within, and not so much based on institutional rules that do not speak to them personally. The post- moderns are more concerned with relational equality, therefore their boundaries are more fluid and less defined than pre-moderns.
The purpose of this discussion was to emphasize that if the church wishes to attract and retain people in the under forty age group, then it must begin to meet them where they are. To meet them where they are is to recognize their need to personally experience the truth we wish to convey. In other words, we need to find new methods, new ways of expressing our faith that will speak to them.
I believe this is why our church leaders today are challenging us to begin to identify and encourage the living signs of the Gospel of Life in our communities. We must learn to celebrate and bring alive those areas of our faith where we experience the gospel of life being lived out; where Christ's life is made visible. We must become known for who we are and what we are for; not for what we are against.
Tom mentioned that to tell a post-modern person that he/she will go to hell if they don't attend mass will not work. In fact, it will have the opposite affect. Where's the good news in that? But if they can see and experience the abundant life that springs from our community that is living the Gospel of life, then they will be drawn to that.
Everyone knows what the church is against. We don't need to be constantly reminding ourselves and others about that. The question we need to ask is: "What are we for and what are we doing to celebrate that through our pastoral care and outreach? Is this not the light on a lampstand, that we put out there for everyone to see? Are we not shutting the doors of the Kingdom of heaven on the faces of the post-moderns if we fail to respond?
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Experiencing God - Judging and being Judged 62
"Therefore, you have no excuse when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same thing."
Paul's letter to the Romans
St. Paul speaks at length about passing judgement because he knows first hand the damage it can cause to a Christian community. There's nothing that ruffles feathers more, and raises passions to a fever pitch than the feeling of being judged by another, and passing judgement on another, particularly when it concerns matters of faith and matters of beliefs. Passing judgement and being judged causes deep rifts and barriers between individuals and groups of Christians in community that can sometimes become irreparable, and yet it is a trap that we can all slip into so easily because it touches us so deeply.
So what is it we can do when we fall into this trap of judgement, or see others succumbing to judgement?
Saint Paul himself was very familiar with this difficulty and had experienced the deep rifts that had arisen among Christian believers. In his community in Rome, a divisive dispute arose in his community about whether it was proper to eat meat that had been offered in Sacrifice. Some thought it was all right while others were highly offended by this practice. In chapter fourteen of his letter to the Romans, he provides his answer to the problem that had arisen.
1. Accept others, for God accepts them - vs. 1-3
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat, for God welcomes them.
2. Focus on serving, not judging - vs. 4
Who are you to pass judgement on the servants of another. It is before their own Lord that they will stand and fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
3. Focus on God, not opinions - vs. 5-9
Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds as to what they believe. Those who observe the day, observe it in honour of the Lord since they give thanks to God. Also, those who eat, eat in honour of the Lord since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain in honour of the Lord also give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
4. We are all accountable only to God - vs. 10-13
Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. Let us therefore no longer pass judgement on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.
God desires that we be united in faith, to work and serve in solidarity with one another. In those instances where we slip into passing judgement or being judged by others, we need to take this to God in prayer and ask for a humble and repentant heart so that we may always respond to these situations in accordance with His will and His desire.
Paul's letter to the Romans
St. Paul speaks at length about passing judgement because he knows first hand the damage it can cause to a Christian community. There's nothing that ruffles feathers more, and raises passions to a fever pitch than the feeling of being judged by another, and passing judgement on another, particularly when it concerns matters of faith and matters of beliefs. Passing judgement and being judged causes deep rifts and barriers between individuals and groups of Christians in community that can sometimes become irreparable, and yet it is a trap that we can all slip into so easily because it touches us so deeply.
So what is it we can do when we fall into this trap of judgement, or see others succumbing to judgement?
Saint Paul himself was very familiar with this difficulty and had experienced the deep rifts that had arisen among Christian believers. In his community in Rome, a divisive dispute arose in his community about whether it was proper to eat meat that had been offered in Sacrifice. Some thought it was all right while others were highly offended by this practice. In chapter fourteen of his letter to the Romans, he provides his answer to the problem that had arisen.
1. Accept others, for God accepts them - vs. 1-3
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat, for God welcomes them.
2. Focus on serving, not judging - vs. 4
Who are you to pass judgement on the servants of another. It is before their own Lord that they will stand and fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
3. Focus on God, not opinions - vs. 5-9
Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds as to what they believe. Those who observe the day, observe it in honour of the Lord since they give thanks to God. Also, those who eat, eat in honour of the Lord since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain in honour of the Lord also give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
4. We are all accountable only to God - vs. 10-13
Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. Let us therefore no longer pass judgement on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.
God desires that we be united in faith, to work and serve in solidarity with one another. In those instances where we slip into passing judgement or being judged by others, we need to take this to God in prayer and ask for a humble and repentant heart so that we may always respond to these situations in accordance with His will and His desire.
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