Five truths of the Christian Faith that, if we take them seriously and live them daily, will completely transform our lives:
1. Christ really lives within us
2. We have many false selves, and we are incapable of healing our own state of disintegration. Only the Divine Physician can heal us. Only Jesus can fill us and lead us to our fullest potential.
3. It is through the Holy Spirit that we can fully know Jesus, and in union with Him, find our true identity.
4. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our hidden selves can grow strong, and Christ can live in our heart through faith.
5. We will grow into our true "selves" by dying to our unreal selves. This is called "an incorporation into Christ". This is real union. The life of Christ risen is shared with us in an intimate way.
George Maloney SJ - "Alone With The Alone"
When St. Paul left Ephesus after three years of ministry there. a Christian community had been formed. Upon his leaving, he spoke to the Ephesians in a very moving way. His words were more a caution to remain faithful. Faithful to whom? Faithful to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul knew that this small community which he had dedicated his life too transform would be subject to many temptations. Paul referred to these temptations as fierce wolves that would try to persuade them to abandon their faith in Christ, and to induce them into falling back into their old ways.
If we look at those old ways in today's terms, what would they be? They would be anything that would lead us to a false way of living, a false way of being. It could mean getting caught up in consumerism, greed, profiteering at the expense of others, unhealthy pre-occupations with pleasures or self-gratification. Really, anything that would take us away from the life built on Christ, to move us back to a more self-centered existence.
St. Paul assured the Ephesians that he did not act in this manner himself while he was with them. He renounced that as a way of life because he knew it would lead to death.
In the Gospels, Jesus prays for His disciples for the same thing. "Father, keep those you have given me true to your name so that they may be like us." In other words, protect them from everything that leads to death in order that they may be given the joy of New Life through the Holy Spirit. It is an appeal that they remain incorporated into Christ, to live their lives fully as Christ had taught them.
This is not just a message that is only relevant to the people of Ephesus, or to the disciples of Christ. It is a message that is particularly relevant to us today. We cannot be incorporated into Christ, into this real intimate union that Fr. George Maloney speaks about, unless we are incorporated in the community of which Christ is a part. We cannot heal our own state of disintegration. This can only be done by the Divine Physician, Christ. We need that exposure to the community of faith where Christ is present in order that our true selves grow strong.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Experiencing God - Growth 32
In January of last year, Archbishop Gérald Lacroix of Quebec and Primate of Canada, electrified the airwaves during an interview with this statement:
“I have a lot of hope for what is growing in our Church. There’s something dying, but there’s something new that’s coming up, that’s growing, that’s sprouting, that is filling me with hope”.
For the many times I’ve participated in retreats and seminars in the past, I usually began with the anticipation of a change, a quick change in the person I am. After all, we are talking about God are we not? If God wants to change me, then He can certainly do it; and for some, it seemed to be an instant process. But if we examine things closely, we discover that, for most, change is not instant. Change happens through a process of slow growth. So if you haven’t noticed a quick detectible change, don’t be alarmed.
I invite you to ask yourself a few simple questions. Over time, have you experienced a greater understanding of God? Do you feel closer to God? Are you gentler in dealing with yourself and with others? Through your discipline of daily prayer, do you experience being closer to Christ? These are some of the signs of change; and you can be assured of further change as you continue to follow a discipline for continual growth.
Growing up on a farm gave me first-hand knowledge of this slow steady growth. Nature is a great teacher. The seeds that we planted in early spring took weeks before they could be visibly seen as new young shoots. It would be weeks more before they we big enough to be hoed, and it would be months before they could be harvested. All the change happened without our really seeing it happen.
In 1978, some 35 years ago, I began the process of discernment and formation towards becoming a Deacon. I was in process because I had limited knowledge and experience about what it was to be Deacon. Between then and now, much has happened; many experiences, many retreats, many ministries, much personal development. I am no longer the same person I was back then. Everything has changed, but I am still as much in the process of growth as I was back then. Growth requires of us to be always in that stance of further growth, so that we continue with our development until a time of harvest.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 13, we read: “Jesus puts before his disciples a parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown, it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches”.
The Kingdom of heaven that Jesus is speaking does not lie in some far off place. It lies within you. It lies within the expanding heart of every person who is turning to Christ, who is being transformed and re-created by His all-pervasive Spirit. This is why it is so important that the Kingdom within us remains open to growth, open to be nourished by God’s love through Sacrament and Prayer. As God’s Kingdom comes alive within us, we embrace with awe and wonder an expanding vision of God and His plan for us as a part of His creative process.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. I would like you to picture a chart which for me describes the process of spiritual growth. On the left side of this chart is marked “Unrelatedness with God”. On the right side of this chart is marked “Relatedness with God”. Arrows run from the "Unrelatedness" to the "Relatedness" which indicate the direction that is necessary for spiritual growth. If we are growing spiritually, then we must be moving in the direction towards greater relatedness with God.
All of us fall somewhere between these two realities. We are all on the bar. Where we are at this particular moment in time is of no importance. What is important is the direction we are going. Do you experience your spiritual growth moving you in the direction towards greater relatedness with God?
Now picture a list of qualities under each of these two headings. The ones of the left under "unrelatedness" are illustrative of some of the qualities that we are trying to move away from. The list on the right under "relatedness" are some of the opposite qualities we are moving towards. If we are growing spiritually, we are moving away from selfishness and towards unselfishness, we are moving away from self-centeredness towards other centeredness. We are moving away from isolation and alienation towards a spirit of openness and community, and so on. You can add more to this list. For example, if we are growing towards greater relatedness with God, then we are moving away from slavery and growing in greater liberty and freedom as God’s Children.
As God’s Kingdom comes alive within us, we embrace more and more the awe and wonder of His expanded vision for us, His plan for us as a part of His creative process. Spiritual growth is being open and receptive to the workings of the Spirit within us. But there is one thing we have to realize.
The movement from unrelatedness to relatedness with God is not possible under our own power. Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in them will produce abundantly, but apart from me you can do nothing.” This movement to greater relatedness with God is only possible through the love of God that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
In my mid-twenties, I had discovered within myself a deep dissatisfaction of life. Despite that fact that I was succeeding in many of my goals (in my accounting career, my family, in acquiring the things I wanted), something was radically missing. I felt empty when it came to love and relationships. As a result, I experienced being isolated and alienated from others. And there seemed to be nothing I could do to dispel the feelings that came from this. In my search for an answer, I decided to get more involved at church. I began to teach catechism, joined the parish men’s group, and I become part of a prayer group. It was there at the prayer group, on a cold November evening during a time of prayer that I let go of my fears, and in tears, turned to Jesus and asked Him for help. It was as if the walls of my alienation and fear washed away, and I experienced, for the first time, Jesus love for me, so strong that the structures of my well planned life were shaken. A few days after this, I was reflecting on the scripture of Jesus walking on the water towards his fearful disciples sitting in their boat, hanging on for dear-life. I heard Jesus’ call to me as well. "Do not be afraid. Take courage, I am with you. Come, step out of the boat, and walk towards me."
This left with no doubt as how I had to respond. Jesus was calling me, to step away from a way of life where everything depended on my efforts and the false illusion of security it provided, and to step into the waters of uncertainty. Jesus was asking me to begin a journey towards greater relatedness with God. I share this experience reluctantly because it was only a beginning of the long journey that was to follow.
Each of you have had your own beginnings in faith, in which God has worked through your own unique circumstances and experiences. No two encounters with Christ are the same. But there are commonalities in the journey we take.
First, is the recognition of those areas in our lives that are in need of change, our self-centeredness, our clinging to attitudes and ways that prevent us from growing in holiness, whatever they may be.
Secondly, is to place these areas of our lives before the Lord, cry out to Him for assistance, and allow His healing grace to move us into greater relatedness. Only through Christ the vine, and our connection with Him, will we realize our full potential.
Everything that followed in my life from this initial encounter were the integral parts of a life’s journey that has led and continues to lead to greater relatedness with God: commitment to daily prayer, retreats, participation at mass and in church, being part of faith sharing groups, the response in service. This way of life has been necessary to continue the growth towards God that only comes through faith and a gradually submission to Him.
My recommendation to you for growth in faith is only that. Do what you must, do what you can to remain close to God. Come to church, celebrate Christ’s presence with the community of faith, and be nourished by His presence in the Eucharist. We pray in many ways. Pray in a way that unites your Spirit to His. Service plays itself out in many different forms. Find that activity that draws you into relationship with that abundant source of Life that is available to all.
Groups of many types are available to stimulate your growth as Christ’s disciples. Find the group which fires up your spirit to live a life that is joyful and abundant. Practice sharing your time and resources, for this builds a spirit of generosity that draws you close to the one who wishes to share with you ultimate joy and abundance. The three fold actions of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are important in that they give witness to our lives built on Christ. But they are also there for another reason. They are there as a discipline to help us break the roots of our own insecurity, our excessive attachment to pleasure and comfort, so that we may enter into greater relatedness with Christ.
I conclude with another quote from Archbishop Gérald Lacroix. In that same interview that I mentioned as the beginning, he said:
“Bringing people to a personal encounter with Jesus Christ changes their lives because it brings them into a relationship with the Lord, with God our Father, with the Holy Spirit. And this changes everything. Only this gives them a new vision of life, a new vision of values, and a new vision of family and community. It helps them to be different in the midst of this world so much in need of healing, so crying out to be saved.”
“I have a lot of hope for what is growing in our Church. There’s something dying, but there’s something new that’s coming up, that’s growing, that’s sprouting, that is filling me with hope”.
For the many times I’ve participated in retreats and seminars in the past, I usually began with the anticipation of a change, a quick change in the person I am. After all, we are talking about God are we not? If God wants to change me, then He can certainly do it; and for some, it seemed to be an instant process. But if we examine things closely, we discover that, for most, change is not instant. Change happens through a process of slow growth. So if you haven’t noticed a quick detectible change, don’t be alarmed.
I invite you to ask yourself a few simple questions. Over time, have you experienced a greater understanding of God? Do you feel closer to God? Are you gentler in dealing with yourself and with others? Through your discipline of daily prayer, do you experience being closer to Christ? These are some of the signs of change; and you can be assured of further change as you continue to follow a discipline for continual growth.
Growing up on a farm gave me first-hand knowledge of this slow steady growth. Nature is a great teacher. The seeds that we planted in early spring took weeks before they could be visibly seen as new young shoots. It would be weeks more before they we big enough to be hoed, and it would be months before they could be harvested. All the change happened without our really seeing it happen.
In 1978, some 35 years ago, I began the process of discernment and formation towards becoming a Deacon. I was in process because I had limited knowledge and experience about what it was to be Deacon. Between then and now, much has happened; many experiences, many retreats, many ministries, much personal development. I am no longer the same person I was back then. Everything has changed, but I am still as much in the process of growth as I was back then. Growth requires of us to be always in that stance of further growth, so that we continue with our development until a time of harvest.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 13, we read: “Jesus puts before his disciples a parable.
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown, it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches”.
The Kingdom of heaven that Jesus is speaking does not lie in some far off place. It lies within you. It lies within the expanding heart of every person who is turning to Christ, who is being transformed and re-created by His all-pervasive Spirit. This is why it is so important that the Kingdom within us remains open to growth, open to be nourished by God’s love through Sacrament and Prayer. As God’s Kingdom comes alive within us, we embrace with awe and wonder an expanding vision of God and His plan for us as a part of His creative process.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. I would like you to picture a chart which for me describes the process of spiritual growth. On the left side of this chart is marked “Unrelatedness with God”. On the right side of this chart is marked “Relatedness with God”. Arrows run from the "Unrelatedness" to the "Relatedness" which indicate the direction that is necessary for spiritual growth. If we are growing spiritually, then we must be moving in the direction towards greater relatedness with God.
All of us fall somewhere between these two realities. We are all on the bar. Where we are at this particular moment in time is of no importance. What is important is the direction we are going. Do you experience your spiritual growth moving you in the direction towards greater relatedness with God?
Now picture a list of qualities under each of these two headings. The ones of the left under "unrelatedness" are illustrative of some of the qualities that we are trying to move away from. The list on the right under "relatedness" are some of the opposite qualities we are moving towards. If we are growing spiritually, we are moving away from selfishness and towards unselfishness, we are moving away from self-centeredness towards other centeredness. We are moving away from isolation and alienation towards a spirit of openness and community, and so on. You can add more to this list. For example, if we are growing towards greater relatedness with God, then we are moving away from slavery and growing in greater liberty and freedom as God’s Children.
As God’s Kingdom comes alive within us, we embrace more and more the awe and wonder of His expanded vision for us, His plan for us as a part of His creative process. Spiritual growth is being open and receptive to the workings of the Spirit within us. But there is one thing we have to realize.
The movement from unrelatedness to relatedness with God is not possible under our own power. Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in them will produce abundantly, but apart from me you can do nothing.” This movement to greater relatedness with God is only possible through the love of God that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
In my mid-twenties, I had discovered within myself a deep dissatisfaction of life. Despite that fact that I was succeeding in many of my goals (in my accounting career, my family, in acquiring the things I wanted), something was radically missing. I felt empty when it came to love and relationships. As a result, I experienced being isolated and alienated from others. And there seemed to be nothing I could do to dispel the feelings that came from this. In my search for an answer, I decided to get more involved at church. I began to teach catechism, joined the parish men’s group, and I become part of a prayer group. It was there at the prayer group, on a cold November evening during a time of prayer that I let go of my fears, and in tears, turned to Jesus and asked Him for help. It was as if the walls of my alienation and fear washed away, and I experienced, for the first time, Jesus love for me, so strong that the structures of my well planned life were shaken. A few days after this, I was reflecting on the scripture of Jesus walking on the water towards his fearful disciples sitting in their boat, hanging on for dear-life. I heard Jesus’ call to me as well. "Do not be afraid. Take courage, I am with you. Come, step out of the boat, and walk towards me."
This left with no doubt as how I had to respond. Jesus was calling me, to step away from a way of life where everything depended on my efforts and the false illusion of security it provided, and to step into the waters of uncertainty. Jesus was asking me to begin a journey towards greater relatedness with God. I share this experience reluctantly because it was only a beginning of the long journey that was to follow.
Each of you have had your own beginnings in faith, in which God has worked through your own unique circumstances and experiences. No two encounters with Christ are the same. But there are commonalities in the journey we take.
First, is the recognition of those areas in our lives that are in need of change, our self-centeredness, our clinging to attitudes and ways that prevent us from growing in holiness, whatever they may be.
Secondly, is to place these areas of our lives before the Lord, cry out to Him for assistance, and allow His healing grace to move us into greater relatedness. Only through Christ the vine, and our connection with Him, will we realize our full potential.
Everything that followed in my life from this initial encounter were the integral parts of a life’s journey that has led and continues to lead to greater relatedness with God: commitment to daily prayer, retreats, participation at mass and in church, being part of faith sharing groups, the response in service. This way of life has been necessary to continue the growth towards God that only comes through faith and a gradually submission to Him.
My recommendation to you for growth in faith is only that. Do what you must, do what you can to remain close to God. Come to church, celebrate Christ’s presence with the community of faith, and be nourished by His presence in the Eucharist. We pray in many ways. Pray in a way that unites your Spirit to His. Service plays itself out in many different forms. Find that activity that draws you into relationship with that abundant source of Life that is available to all.
Groups of many types are available to stimulate your growth as Christ’s disciples. Find the group which fires up your spirit to live a life that is joyful and abundant. Practice sharing your time and resources, for this builds a spirit of generosity that draws you close to the one who wishes to share with you ultimate joy and abundance. The three fold actions of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are important in that they give witness to our lives built on Christ. But they are also there for another reason. They are there as a discipline to help us break the roots of our own insecurity, our excessive attachment to pleasure and comfort, so that we may enter into greater relatedness with Christ.
I conclude with another quote from Archbishop Gérald Lacroix. In that same interview that I mentioned as the beginning, he said:
“Bringing people to a personal encounter with Jesus Christ changes their lives because it brings them into a relationship with the Lord, with God our Father, with the Holy Spirit. And this changes everything. Only this gives them a new vision of life, a new vision of values, and a new vision of family and community. It helps them to be different in the midst of this world so much in need of healing, so crying out to be saved.”
Experiencing God - Wisdom 31
"Whoever loves wisdom, loves life. Those who wait upon wisdom early will be filled with happiness. Whoever holds wisdom close will inherit honor. Whoever pays attention to wisdom dwells secure"
Book of Sirach
One of the most outstanding psychiatrists in America who died in 1987 was Carl Rogers. Rogers developed what is called the humanistic approach to psychology. In his approach, he discovered that the personalities of his clients could be developed by moving them beyond the responses that had been habitually formed from their past experiences. For Rogers, deep down in each person is the innermost self. The core of our personality, this innermost self, he found, is basically healthy, positive, and society oriented. In other words, this inner most self is a much truer expression of our humanity.
In my last posting, I mentioned the Book of Sirach, one of the Wisdom books from the Old Testament. The above quote is from this Book of Sirach.
It is clear from this book of the Old Testament that "wisdom" is not conventional intellectual learning, like learning to be a lawyer or an accountant. Wisdom is a gift. Wisdom is something that wells up at the Soul or Spirit level of a person. Wisdom comes to us as a guide, enabling us to respond to life's situations in a manner that is most beneficial to ourselves and to those with whom we interact.
In the political scene today, particularly with the recent discovery of Senate expense scandals that we are hearing so much about in the news, we see evidence of clever well educated people who are not being guided by wisdom. What is it that prevents some from seeing and using the gift of wisdom?
It usually springs from a blindness that results from the past life's habits of self-centeredness, greed, anger, hatred, resentments, insecurity, arrogance, and many other things. These many things distort our vision as to what is important.
Jesus speaks about this blindness in the Gospel of John when he is approached by Nicodemus by night who asked Him many questions. The fact that Nicodemus meets with Jesus at night is symbolic of the blindness or darkness that many experience. Jesus tells Nicodemus: "What is born of the flesh is merely flesh, but what is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Flesh begets flesh. Spirit begets Spirit". What I believe Jesus is saying by this is that when it comes to our spiritual nature, humans are not sinful. But it is the "sarx" in us, which means the flesh element, through which sin enters the world and tends to move us towards self-centeredness. But it is through the gift of the Spirit within that the gift of wisdom is made known and moves us towards selflessness or a self-sacrificing love.
If we wish to tap into wisdom, or the Spirit, we must tap into God. Otherwise, we will have only the whims of the flesh to guide us. As evidenced by the scandals in our institutions; and yes, even in our churches, the flesh has not served us well.
Jesus recognizes this in what He taught and in how He lived. When the apostles confronted Jesus about the fact that someone who was not a part of their group was ministering in His name, Jesus told them: "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because they are a follower of mine, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.
In other words, that person is guided by wisdom.
Book of Sirach
One of the most outstanding psychiatrists in America who died in 1987 was Carl Rogers. Rogers developed what is called the humanistic approach to psychology. In his approach, he discovered that the personalities of his clients could be developed by moving them beyond the responses that had been habitually formed from their past experiences. For Rogers, deep down in each person is the innermost self. The core of our personality, this innermost self, he found, is basically healthy, positive, and society oriented. In other words, this inner most self is a much truer expression of our humanity.
In my last posting, I mentioned the Book of Sirach, one of the Wisdom books from the Old Testament. The above quote is from this Book of Sirach.
It is clear from this book of the Old Testament that "wisdom" is not conventional intellectual learning, like learning to be a lawyer or an accountant. Wisdom is a gift. Wisdom is something that wells up at the Soul or Spirit level of a person. Wisdom comes to us as a guide, enabling us to respond to life's situations in a manner that is most beneficial to ourselves and to those with whom we interact.
In the political scene today, particularly with the recent discovery of Senate expense scandals that we are hearing so much about in the news, we see evidence of clever well educated people who are not being guided by wisdom. What is it that prevents some from seeing and using the gift of wisdom?
It usually springs from a blindness that results from the past life's habits of self-centeredness, greed, anger, hatred, resentments, insecurity, arrogance, and many other things. These many things distort our vision as to what is important.
Jesus speaks about this blindness in the Gospel of John when he is approached by Nicodemus by night who asked Him many questions. The fact that Nicodemus meets with Jesus at night is symbolic of the blindness or darkness that many experience. Jesus tells Nicodemus: "What is born of the flesh is merely flesh, but what is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Flesh begets flesh. Spirit begets Spirit". What I believe Jesus is saying by this is that when it comes to our spiritual nature, humans are not sinful. But it is the "sarx" in us, which means the flesh element, through which sin enters the world and tends to move us towards self-centeredness. But it is through the gift of the Spirit within that the gift of wisdom is made known and moves us towards selflessness or a self-sacrificing love.
If we wish to tap into wisdom, or the Spirit, we must tap into God. Otherwise, we will have only the whims of the flesh to guide us. As evidenced by the scandals in our institutions; and yes, even in our churches, the flesh has not served us well.
Jesus recognizes this in what He taught and in how He lived. When the apostles confronted Jesus about the fact that someone who was not a part of their group was ministering in His name, Jesus told them: "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because they are a follower of mine, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.
In other words, that person is guided by wisdom.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Experiencing God - Lessons on Virtues 30
"Have mercy on us, O God of all, and put all the nations in fear of you. Let them acknowledge you, just as we have acknowledged that there is no God but you Lord."
Sirach
Sirach is one of the Deuterocanical books of Wisdom from the Old Testament. It was written approximately two hundred years before Christ by a man who devoted himself to a study of the Hebrew Scriptures. He decided to share the considerable knowledge that he attained from this study with the greater population. It is a book about "ethics" in public life and stresses that our true measure of character can only be found in virtue, not in money, wealth or position. The following excerpt is called "The Prayer of the People":
"Have mercy on us, O God of all, and put all the nations in fear of you. Let them acknowledge you, just as we have acknowledged that there is no God but you Lord."
In the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels, we find much wisdom for living a live of virtue. The thing with Christ is that we experience His wisdom from two different directions; from what He said, and from how He lived. In fact, unlike us, at least some of the time, Jesus perfectly reflected in the way He lived, the wisdom that He taught. Jesus used every opportunity to convey to His disciples God's message to humanity, not only by what He said, but by how He lived. An example of this can be found in the synoptic Gospels.
We read in each of these Gospels how Jesus would draw His disciples aside and tell them of His upcoming death at the hands of the Chief Priests and Scribes. Often time, the disciples would have a somewhat dazed response to what they were told, probably not wanting to believe that such a thing could happen to their leader. In one instance, James and John came to Jesus and asked for certain favors: "Allow us to sit, one at at your right hand, and one at your left in your glory". And when the other disciples heard of this request of James and John, the felt an indignation towards them, a little put out that those two would be looking for special favors.
Jesus always uses these times as opportunities to teach the wisdom of virtues that were necessary to live the life of a disciple. Those virtues were not only taught by Jesus, but lived by Him, and He challenges His disciples to not only learn from Him but to incorporate these teachings in their lives.
Jesus's response to the Apostles: "Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must to slave to all".
Matthew
Like the wisdom found in the book of Sirach, Jesus is saying that the true measure of character can only be found in virtue, not in money, wealth, position or honor. And then He goes on to wash the feet of His disciples and die a humiliating death on the cross to set them and us free from ourselves.
Virtue for Jesus was to love, but He knew that we could not love effectively until we have been set free by the Holy Spirit, a Spirit that could only be released by His own death.
If we could only begin to understand the depth of Christ's love for us, then our lives and the lives of the world would change in a flash. God's very Kingdom is present and active among us. We see this in Christ, in His words, and in the life that He lived.
Sirach
Sirach is one of the Deuterocanical books of Wisdom from the Old Testament. It was written approximately two hundred years before Christ by a man who devoted himself to a study of the Hebrew Scriptures. He decided to share the considerable knowledge that he attained from this study with the greater population. It is a book about "ethics" in public life and stresses that our true measure of character can only be found in virtue, not in money, wealth or position. The following excerpt is called "The Prayer of the People":
"Have mercy on us, O God of all, and put all the nations in fear of you. Let them acknowledge you, just as we have acknowledged that there is no God but you Lord."
In the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels, we find much wisdom for living a live of virtue. The thing with Christ is that we experience His wisdom from two different directions; from what He said, and from how He lived. In fact, unlike us, at least some of the time, Jesus perfectly reflected in the way He lived, the wisdom that He taught. Jesus used every opportunity to convey to His disciples God's message to humanity, not only by what He said, but by how He lived. An example of this can be found in the synoptic Gospels.
We read in each of these Gospels how Jesus would draw His disciples aside and tell them of His upcoming death at the hands of the Chief Priests and Scribes. Often time, the disciples would have a somewhat dazed response to what they were told, probably not wanting to believe that such a thing could happen to their leader. In one instance, James and John came to Jesus and asked for certain favors: "Allow us to sit, one at at your right hand, and one at your left in your glory". And when the other disciples heard of this request of James and John, the felt an indignation towards them, a little put out that those two would be looking for special favors.
Jesus always uses these times as opportunities to teach the wisdom of virtues that were necessary to live the life of a disciple. Those virtues were not only taught by Jesus, but lived by Him, and He challenges His disciples to not only learn from Him but to incorporate these teachings in their lives.
Jesus's response to the Apostles: "Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must to slave to all".
Matthew
Like the wisdom found in the book of Sirach, Jesus is saying that the true measure of character can only be found in virtue, not in money, wealth, position or honor. And then He goes on to wash the feet of His disciples and die a humiliating death on the cross to set them and us free from ourselves.
Virtue for Jesus was to love, but He knew that we could not love effectively until we have been set free by the Holy Spirit, a Spirit that could only be released by His own death.
If we could only begin to understand the depth of Christ's love for us, then our lives and the lives of the world would change in a flash. God's very Kingdom is present and active among us. We see this in Christ, in His words, and in the life that He lived.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Experiencing God - Grapes Thorns Figs Thistles 29
"Jesus said: You will know them by their fruit. Do people get bunches of grapes from thorny weeds, or do they get figs from thistles?"
Gospel of Matthew
What do grapes, thorns, figs and thistles have to teach us about the Kingdom of God? This imagery would have been very familiar to Jesus' audience. A certain thorn bush had berries which resembled grapes. A certain thistle had a flower which at a distance resembled the fig. But the fruit of these plants were not the real thing. And if you tried to eat from these plants, you would be, not only disappointed, but may do yourself harm. The real fig tree, the real grape vine could be determined by their fruit that was harvested from it, fruit that was real, nourishing, and sound.
Jesus uses this analogy when it came to people, particularly those who professed to have some special knowledge or wisdom in respect to faith or faith matters. Is what they say and do real, nourishing, sound? Are they producing good fruit, that which unites, that which leads to spiritual growth and wholeness?
In the Gospel, Jesus is saying that good fruit is the result of sound living.
I've recently read that people of our culture today are more focused on personality than they are on character. Am I good looking; Am I personable or appealing; Do I have a gift or skill that sets me apart from the ordinary; Am I self-assured and confident? These things are great, but what about a person's character. Am I impeccably honest in my dealings with others; Do I know God; Do I derive strength from God; Do I live in accordance with God's truth; Do I show caring and concern for others? Persons of good character see their special talents or skills as gifts given them for the good of others, not something just for their own personal exploitation and gratification.
These are the qualities or fruits from which the Kingdom of God are built, from which communities of faith are born and grow.
Pope Francis recently made the following statements:
"When the Church does not come out of itself to evangelize, it becomes self-referential and then gets sick. That inward-looking Church which doesn't look sufficiently to Christ and doesn't reflect Him, His light and His love for those walking in darkness, quickly succumbs to what is the worst evil of all, a spiritual worldliness, living in itself, of itself, for itself. That is the fundamental corruption of the Church that needs to be reformed.
One of the wild grapes that flows from the vine is a hypercritical spirit that leads some Catholics to expend most of their energy censuring others inside and outside the Church rather than seeking to live and share the joy of the Christian faith. This is a problem not only for clergy but for lay people. One isn't a good Catholic when he or she is looking only for the negative for what separates us. This isn't what Jesus wants. The reform of the laity must involve reforming them to become missionary disciples in communion. It's a community of believers trained and inspired to go out to transform politics, society, education, neighborhoods, family and marriage. It's a body of torch-bearers radiating Christ's light rather than hiding it within the bushel basket of self-referential, spiritually worldly and ultimately sick parochial and diocesan structures."
How do we avoid falsehood in our personal lives? By being true to God, His word, His Grace. Those who are true to God know that their strength lies, not in themselves, but in Him who supplies all that we need. The fruit of a disciple is marked by faith, hope, love, justice, prudence and fortitude.
Do you seek to cultivate the good fruit in your life and reject that which is bad?
Gospel of Matthew
What do grapes, thorns, figs and thistles have to teach us about the Kingdom of God? This imagery would have been very familiar to Jesus' audience. A certain thorn bush had berries which resembled grapes. A certain thistle had a flower which at a distance resembled the fig. But the fruit of these plants were not the real thing. And if you tried to eat from these plants, you would be, not only disappointed, but may do yourself harm. The real fig tree, the real grape vine could be determined by their fruit that was harvested from it, fruit that was real, nourishing, and sound.
Jesus uses this analogy when it came to people, particularly those who professed to have some special knowledge or wisdom in respect to faith or faith matters. Is what they say and do real, nourishing, sound? Are they producing good fruit, that which unites, that which leads to spiritual growth and wholeness?
In the Gospel, Jesus is saying that good fruit is the result of sound living.
I've recently read that people of our culture today are more focused on personality than they are on character. Am I good looking; Am I personable or appealing; Do I have a gift or skill that sets me apart from the ordinary; Am I self-assured and confident? These things are great, but what about a person's character. Am I impeccably honest in my dealings with others; Do I know God; Do I derive strength from God; Do I live in accordance with God's truth; Do I show caring and concern for others? Persons of good character see their special talents or skills as gifts given them for the good of others, not something just for their own personal exploitation and gratification.
These are the qualities or fruits from which the Kingdom of God are built, from which communities of faith are born and grow.
Pope Francis recently made the following statements:
"When the Church does not come out of itself to evangelize, it becomes self-referential and then gets sick. That inward-looking Church which doesn't look sufficiently to Christ and doesn't reflect Him, His light and His love for those walking in darkness, quickly succumbs to what is the worst evil of all, a spiritual worldliness, living in itself, of itself, for itself. That is the fundamental corruption of the Church that needs to be reformed.
One of the wild grapes that flows from the vine is a hypercritical spirit that leads some Catholics to expend most of their energy censuring others inside and outside the Church rather than seeking to live and share the joy of the Christian faith. This is a problem not only for clergy but for lay people. One isn't a good Catholic when he or she is looking only for the negative for what separates us. This isn't what Jesus wants. The reform of the laity must involve reforming them to become missionary disciples in communion. It's a community of believers trained and inspired to go out to transform politics, society, education, neighborhoods, family and marriage. It's a body of torch-bearers radiating Christ's light rather than hiding it within the bushel basket of self-referential, spiritually worldly and ultimately sick parochial and diocesan structures."
How do we avoid falsehood in our personal lives? By being true to God, His word, His Grace. Those who are true to God know that their strength lies, not in themselves, but in Him who supplies all that we need. The fruit of a disciple is marked by faith, hope, love, justice, prudence and fortitude.
Do you seek to cultivate the good fruit in your life and reject that which is bad?
Experiencing God-Faith-Believing Without Seeing 28
Jesus said to Thomas: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Gospel of John
Everyone has their own way of handling the tragedies that happen in their lives. A sudden death of someone we love, a parent or a spouse, or maybe even a loss of a child. These are events that leave us most vulnerable, hitting us emotionally, leaving us confused.
Jesus' death would certainly have been one of those events to the apostles, their companions and family. They had spent many years working with Jesus in His teaching and healing ministry. They had formulated ideas and plans in their minds as to the many things they wished to accomplish together and the changes they wished to make. They had formed bonds of love and commitment with each other as they worked to put these plans in place; and suddenly, everything changed because of the tragedy.
Even though they were forewarned that it was going to happen, this could never completely prepare them for the actual event. Peter just wanted to go back fishing; to doing something familiar and simple. Mary Magdalene wanted to be with what remained of Jesus at the tomb where He was laid. And Thomas sought to be by himself in his time of sorrow. So he pulled away and did not want to be in that place that brought back so many memories and broken promises.
Even when Thomas heard the news from the women who visited Jesus at the tomb, and from the other apostles that Jesus had risen, he would not believe. He could not subject himself to other possible disappointments.
But finally he did experience the risen Jesus, examined the wounds in His hands and side, and made that faith proclamation that we are all called to make: "Jesus, my Lord and My God".
It is through this gift of faith, not necessarily by what we may visible see, that we are all able to recognize the presence of the risen Lord in our personal lives. It is, for the most of us, the Holy Spirit who reveals Christ to us, and through that revelation we are able to proclaim with Thomas: "You are my Lord and my God"; and this amazingly brings us to that new understanding of God and His ways.
There is really no intellectual answer that we can give for this gift of the Spirit that enables us to proclaim Jesus as Lord, but it changes the way we see everything else from that point onward.
Jesus says to Thomas: "You believe because you see. Blessed are those who believe but have not seen". This is the gift of faith, the gateway that many seek, but few find. It's the gift that resides in the hearts of each and every person, but obscured from view because we get so distracted by so many other things. Let us, with Thomas, give thanks that we are beneficiaries of this gift of the Holy Spirit.
Gospel of John
Everyone has their own way of handling the tragedies that happen in their lives. A sudden death of someone we love, a parent or a spouse, or maybe even a loss of a child. These are events that leave us most vulnerable, hitting us emotionally, leaving us confused.
Jesus' death would certainly have been one of those events to the apostles, their companions and family. They had spent many years working with Jesus in His teaching and healing ministry. They had formulated ideas and plans in their minds as to the many things they wished to accomplish together and the changes they wished to make. They had formed bonds of love and commitment with each other as they worked to put these plans in place; and suddenly, everything changed because of the tragedy.
Even though they were forewarned that it was going to happen, this could never completely prepare them for the actual event. Peter just wanted to go back fishing; to doing something familiar and simple. Mary Magdalene wanted to be with what remained of Jesus at the tomb where He was laid. And Thomas sought to be by himself in his time of sorrow. So he pulled away and did not want to be in that place that brought back so many memories and broken promises.
Even when Thomas heard the news from the women who visited Jesus at the tomb, and from the other apostles that Jesus had risen, he would not believe. He could not subject himself to other possible disappointments.
But finally he did experience the risen Jesus, examined the wounds in His hands and side, and made that faith proclamation that we are all called to make: "Jesus, my Lord and My God".
It is through this gift of faith, not necessarily by what we may visible see, that we are all able to recognize the presence of the risen Lord in our personal lives. It is, for the most of us, the Holy Spirit who reveals Christ to us, and through that revelation we are able to proclaim with Thomas: "You are my Lord and my God"; and this amazingly brings us to that new understanding of God and His ways.
There is really no intellectual answer that we can give for this gift of the Spirit that enables us to proclaim Jesus as Lord, but it changes the way we see everything else from that point onward.
Jesus says to Thomas: "You believe because you see. Blessed are those who believe but have not seen". This is the gift of faith, the gateway that many seek, but few find. It's the gift that resides in the hearts of each and every person, but obscured from view because we get so distracted by so many other things. Let us, with Thomas, give thanks that we are beneficiaries of this gift of the Holy Spirit.
Experiencing God- Ordinary Doing Extraordinary 27
"Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."
Gospel of Matthew
If anything we can learn from scripture is the fact that God calls and uses very ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Stories in both the Old and New Testament illustrate that if we remain faithful to God, then God can turn even tragic circumstances into opportunities for growth, and into opportunities to serve Him in ways beyond our understanding at the time.
In the Old Testament, we have the story of Joseph who was sold into slavery to the Egyptians by his brothers who were jealous of their father's love for him. By remaining faithful to God, Joseph not only recovered his status as a family member, but also was instrumental in saving them all from starvation as God created the circumstances for these actions to be carried out.
"To remain faithful, and to continue to place our complete trust in God" is the one quality that separates those who have been called by God to be disciples of Christ from those who are not.
In the Gospel from Matthew above, Jesus is calling forth his twelve disciples, and giving them authority over unclean spirits, the ability to cast them out and cure all kinds of diseases. What are the qualities of the ones He called? It's not what we would consider today to be qualities of leadership. In the choice of the twelve apostles, we see a characteristic feature of God's work. Jesus chooses very ordinary people, but people with faith. They were all non-professional, no wealth or position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, who had no special education or social advantage. Jesus wanted people who could take an ordinary assignment and do it in an extraordinary way. He chose those people, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming, through faith, under the grace and direction of God.
When the Lord calls us to serve, or when we look for those we feel will best serve in God's plan, we must not think that we have nothing or little to offer. Neither must we think that of others. The Lord takes ordinary people, but extraordinary in faith, to work at building His Kingdom among us. The Lord looks at faith, not credentials. God looks for those who will be faithful, like Joseph, even through adverse and uncertain times. If you look at the one apostle who failed Jesus in his Christian mission, he was the one who was unable to see the mysterious unfolding of God's plan, and decided to follow his own way of doing things. He was the one who failed to trust God's wisdom, but trusted only in himself.
Do you trust God's plan for His church today?
We do this by remaining faithful to building God's Kingdom, not by our design, but by His.
Gospel of Matthew
If anything we can learn from scripture is the fact that God calls and uses very ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Stories in both the Old and New Testament illustrate that if we remain faithful to God, then God can turn even tragic circumstances into opportunities for growth, and into opportunities to serve Him in ways beyond our understanding at the time.
In the Old Testament, we have the story of Joseph who was sold into slavery to the Egyptians by his brothers who were jealous of their father's love for him. By remaining faithful to God, Joseph not only recovered his status as a family member, but also was instrumental in saving them all from starvation as God created the circumstances for these actions to be carried out.
"To remain faithful, and to continue to place our complete trust in God" is the one quality that separates those who have been called by God to be disciples of Christ from those who are not.
In the Gospel from Matthew above, Jesus is calling forth his twelve disciples, and giving them authority over unclean spirits, the ability to cast them out and cure all kinds of diseases. What are the qualities of the ones He called? It's not what we would consider today to be qualities of leadership. In the choice of the twelve apostles, we see a characteristic feature of God's work. Jesus chooses very ordinary people, but people with faith. They were all non-professional, no wealth or position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, who had no special education or social advantage. Jesus wanted people who could take an ordinary assignment and do it in an extraordinary way. He chose those people, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming, through faith, under the grace and direction of God.
When the Lord calls us to serve, or when we look for those we feel will best serve in God's plan, we must not think that we have nothing or little to offer. Neither must we think that of others. The Lord takes ordinary people, but extraordinary in faith, to work at building His Kingdom among us. The Lord looks at faith, not credentials. God looks for those who will be faithful, like Joseph, even through adverse and uncertain times. If you look at the one apostle who failed Jesus in his Christian mission, he was the one who was unable to see the mysterious unfolding of God's plan, and decided to follow his own way of doing things. He was the one who failed to trust God's wisdom, but trusted only in himself.
Do you trust God's plan for His church today?
We do this by remaining faithful to building God's Kingdom, not by our design, but by His.
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