"Take Courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."
Gospel of Mark
Does Jesus ever seem distant when trials and difficulties come?
At times, in scripture, we can get so caught up in the story and the events that are happening that we miss the underlining teaching.
Right after Jesus performed the miracles of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, He leaves the disciples so that He could go off and pray. The disciples go off by themselves, across the Lake of Galilee where they are confronted with a life-threatening storm. Although they are experienced fishermen, they recognize the seriousness of their situation and fear for their lives. It was in their most desperate moment that they sighted Jesus coming towards them on the Lake. And they heard the words of reassurance come from the One who they thought was a ghost: "Take Courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." In other words: "Don't give in to fear and panic, take courage, be calm. You are never alone. I am here with you."
There's a couple of points in Mark's Gospel story that are easy to miss. As Jesus was coming towards the disciples, Mark includes a very unusual phrase. "Jesus meant to pass them by, but when the disciples saw Him, they thought He was a ghost and cried out."
The Israelites believed that to see God's face meant death. In Exodus, we have reference to God setting Moses in a hollow of a rock and covering him with His hand until He had passed by. This was to protect Moses from looking upon the face of God.
Jesus, in being attentive to the panic and fear of the disciples, acts in a different manner. Jesus reveals a new relationship, a new way of responding. He comes to be with those who are afraid. He assures us with the words: "IT IS I". It is His presence with us, His walking with us, that defines a new type of relationship between ourselves and Christ. It is this presence, this walking with us that drives out all fear as described in the letter of John.
"In love, there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love."
Mark also says in the Gospel story that the disciples hearts were hardened in respect to the miracles. In the Jerusalem Bible it says that their minds were closed. Mark is looking for something deeper from the disciples and from his readers. Mark is looking for something deeper from us than just the surface reading of this Gospel narrative. Mark is hoping that we will begin to question our owl level of intimacy with Christ.
During our own wind-tossed times; during the storms in our own lives; will we be able to stand firmly on that stabilizing rock of our faith in Christ? Will we know, no matter what comes our way, we are not alone?
Christ is there, sharing our journey. His presence is not just an intellectual understanding or consent. It is something real, something sustaining, something healing.
Do we experience Jesus as present with us when trials and difficulties come our way?
Friday, January 9, 2015
Friday, January 2, 2015
Experiencing God - 200 Surrender
"Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter, and will not be able."
Gospel of Luke
In my late twenties, I went through what I would call a difficult time, a time of struggle. Although I was succeeding in most of my goals -- I had an excellent job, good opportunities; I was happily married with three children; I had or could have had most of the things I wanted -- however, I continued to feel empty. As a result, I felt like a failure. Since my wife and I were connected with church, I started to move towards greater involvement in volunteering in search for an answer as to why I was feeling this way. I started to teach Sunday school, and eventually joined a prayer group. None of these activities seem to work, to take away the emptiness I was feeling until one evening. I was at the prayer meeting, feeling very low, when in my desperation I reached out to Jesus and cried for help. That moment of surrender changed everything.
When speaking about the narrow door, we must understand, first of all, that Jesus is the door through which we must enter. Jesus is the way through. As Jesus says in Revelation: "I stand at the door and knock. If you answer, if you open the door, I will come and sup with you."
But we have a resistance to opening that door.
This "resistance" makes the "way" narrow, because we battle with an alternative way of thinking, of believing that it has something to do with us. Many, including myself, attempt to find an alternative route to God through the exercise of our self-will, through doing something ourselves through our own effort.
Jesus makes it clear in the above Gospel that we must strive to enter through the narrow gate. We confuse this"striving" to "doing it ourselves", when it is not that at all. The Greek word for "striving" is to agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle. Unfortunately, we often interpret this struggle with something that we must accomplish. This only hinders the process of surrendering to God's more perfect plan for our lives.
The narrow gate is difficult because of the resistance we experience from our own human pride, our natural attraction to doing things on our own, mostly because of our need to maintain personal control over our lives and the lives of others. Surrender is a process of letting go of that.
The exhortation by Jesus to "strive" is a command to repent, to surrender to Him; not just stand and think about it, or complain that it's too hard or too small. We are not to ask why others are not entering. We are not to be concerned with the number who will or will not enter. We are to plow ahead, despite the resistance; and in doing so, we become liberated. We become the source of encouragement for others to follow.
Gospel of Luke
In my late twenties, I went through what I would call a difficult time, a time of struggle. Although I was succeeding in most of my goals -- I had an excellent job, good opportunities; I was happily married with three children; I had or could have had most of the things I wanted -- however, I continued to feel empty. As a result, I felt like a failure. Since my wife and I were connected with church, I started to move towards greater involvement in volunteering in search for an answer as to why I was feeling this way. I started to teach Sunday school, and eventually joined a prayer group. None of these activities seem to work, to take away the emptiness I was feeling until one evening. I was at the prayer meeting, feeling very low, when in my desperation I reached out to Jesus and cried for help. That moment of surrender changed everything.
When speaking about the narrow door, we must understand, first of all, that Jesus is the door through which we must enter. Jesus is the way through. As Jesus says in Revelation: "I stand at the door and knock. If you answer, if you open the door, I will come and sup with you."
But we have a resistance to opening that door.
This "resistance" makes the "way" narrow, because we battle with an alternative way of thinking, of believing that it has something to do with us. Many, including myself, attempt to find an alternative route to God through the exercise of our self-will, through doing something ourselves through our own effort.
Jesus makes it clear in the above Gospel that we must strive to enter through the narrow gate. We confuse this"striving" to "doing it ourselves", when it is not that at all. The Greek word for "striving" is to agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle. Unfortunately, we often interpret this struggle with something that we must accomplish. This only hinders the process of surrendering to God's more perfect plan for our lives.
The narrow gate is difficult because of the resistance we experience from our own human pride, our natural attraction to doing things on our own, mostly because of our need to maintain personal control over our lives and the lives of others. Surrender is a process of letting go of that.
The exhortation by Jesus to "strive" is a command to repent, to surrender to Him; not just stand and think about it, or complain that it's too hard or too small. We are not to ask why others are not entering. We are not to be concerned with the number who will or will not enter. We are to plow ahead, despite the resistance; and in doing so, we become liberated. We become the source of encouragement for others to follow.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Experiencing God - 199 Gift of Faith
"But to all who did accept Him, He gave the power to become children of God."
Gospel of John
Last night, I watched a movie on TV called "Heaven is for Real". I read the book a few years ago. It is a real story about a four year old boy who had a "near death experience" as the result of a ruptured appendix. After his recovery from this near death experience, he began to reveal, little by little, to his shocked parents, his experience of "going to heaven" during the critical time of his illness. Some of the things he revealed were quite extraordinary. They were, not only beyond the knowledge of a four year old boy, but things about others he would not have otherwise known.
This movie gave rise to some interesting discussions in our family afterwards. How did we react to the movie? What evidence do we see that gives credibility to the Gospels and its teachings? For example, we know that:
1. Jesus was a real historic figure.
2. Jesus had a specific teaching which, if it were not true, would suggest that He was mad; yet His life would support the position that He was very sane, perhaps even more so than anyone else.
3. His apostles and followers believed in Him and His teachings to the point of sacrificing their own lives in martyrdom for His cause.
4. Jesus and his teachings have affected the lives of millions of people in the centuries that followed.
5. And, of course, the greatest miracle of the conversion of one's heart to faith, is a common phenomena to those who accept Christ in their lives.
And yet, not all people come to faith in Christ. Faith, as St. Paul would describe it, is a gift of grace. In the prologue to John's gospel we read: "But to all who did accept Him, He gave the power to become children of God".
For those of us who have accepted Christ, do we not often take for granted this tremendous gift that has been given to us? For those of us who have received this gift of faith through Grace, is it not something that we should be honored to share?
Does our gift of faith entitle us to look down on those who do not share this particular gift? Certainly not! After all, it is a gift; which means, something that is given to us by another. A gift is something that is not necessarily given to everyone. I have not been given the gift of music, at least to any extent. I do not write poetry; I do not excel in certain sports, and none of my teachers ever considered me a genius. Yet, I do have this gift of faith in Christ which I cannot fully explain; and as with you, through this gift, I experience very strongly this connection with God, which again I cannot explain.
Yet, we know that, like a spark, our own faith can ignite the hearts of faith in another, if the right conditions exist.
I remember a song from my early days as a christian:
"It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
and soon all those around will warm up in its glowing.
That's how it is with God's love, once you've experienced it; It's fresh like spring, you want to sing,
You want to pass it on."
So we don't look down on a brother or a sister who has not received the gift of faith, but, when the time is right, we joyfully share that gift with them in the hopes that they too may share in our joy.
Gospel of John
Last night, I watched a movie on TV called "Heaven is for Real". I read the book a few years ago. It is a real story about a four year old boy who had a "near death experience" as the result of a ruptured appendix. After his recovery from this near death experience, he began to reveal, little by little, to his shocked parents, his experience of "going to heaven" during the critical time of his illness. Some of the things he revealed were quite extraordinary. They were, not only beyond the knowledge of a four year old boy, but things about others he would not have otherwise known.
This movie gave rise to some interesting discussions in our family afterwards. How did we react to the movie? What evidence do we see that gives credibility to the Gospels and its teachings? For example, we know that:
1. Jesus was a real historic figure.
2. Jesus had a specific teaching which, if it were not true, would suggest that He was mad; yet His life would support the position that He was very sane, perhaps even more so than anyone else.
3. His apostles and followers believed in Him and His teachings to the point of sacrificing their own lives in martyrdom for His cause.
4. Jesus and his teachings have affected the lives of millions of people in the centuries that followed.
5. And, of course, the greatest miracle of the conversion of one's heart to faith, is a common phenomena to those who accept Christ in their lives.
And yet, not all people come to faith in Christ. Faith, as St. Paul would describe it, is a gift of grace. In the prologue to John's gospel we read: "But to all who did accept Him, He gave the power to become children of God".
For those of us who have accepted Christ, do we not often take for granted this tremendous gift that has been given to us? For those of us who have received this gift of faith through Grace, is it not something that we should be honored to share?
Does our gift of faith entitle us to look down on those who do not share this particular gift? Certainly not! After all, it is a gift; which means, something that is given to us by another. A gift is something that is not necessarily given to everyone. I have not been given the gift of music, at least to any extent. I do not write poetry; I do not excel in certain sports, and none of my teachers ever considered me a genius. Yet, I do have this gift of faith in Christ which I cannot fully explain; and as with you, through this gift, I experience very strongly this connection with God, which again I cannot explain.
Yet, we know that, like a spark, our own faith can ignite the hearts of faith in another, if the right conditions exist.
I remember a song from my early days as a christian:
"It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
and soon all those around will warm up in its glowing.
That's how it is with God's love, once you've experienced it; It's fresh like spring, you want to sing,
You want to pass it on."
So we don't look down on a brother or a sister who has not received the gift of faith, but, when the time is right, we joyfully share that gift with them in the hopes that they too may share in our joy.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Experiencing God 198 - Growth
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”.
Often, in the past, when it came to Spiritual Growth, I began with the anticipation of a quick change. After all, we are talking about God are we not? If God wants to change me, then He can certainly do it, quickly.
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 don't noticed a quick detectable change, don't be alarmed.
I invite you to ask yourself a few simple questions. Are you experiencing 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 through on 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. Let's pretend that you see a chart which describes the process of spiritual growth. Note that the arrows on the chart are going from left to right as you face the chart. The left side of this chart is marked “Unrelatedness with God”. The right side of this chart is marked “Relatedness with God”. The arrows 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?
Note the list of qualities that you see under each of these two headings. The ones of the left are illustrative of some of the qualities that we are trying to move away from. The list on the right is 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 towards greater liberty and freedom as God’s Children.
“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”.
Often, in the past, when it came to Spiritual Growth, I began with the anticipation of a quick change. After all, we are talking about God are we not? If God wants to change me, then He can certainly do it, quickly.
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 don't noticed a quick detectable change, don't be alarmed.
I invite you to ask yourself a few simple questions. Are you experiencing 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 through on 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. Let's pretend that you see a chart which describes the process of spiritual growth. Note that the arrows on the chart are going from left to right as you face the chart. The left side of this chart is marked “Unrelatedness with God”. The right side of this chart is marked “Relatedness with God”. The arrows 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?
Note the list of qualities that you see under each of these two headings. The ones of the left are illustrative of some of the qualities that we are trying to move away from. The list on the right is 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 towards 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. Len, Do not be afraid. Take courage, I am with you. Come, step out of the boat, and walk towards me.
This left me 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. And secondly, 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 mass, 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 alms giving 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.”
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. Len, Do not be afraid. Take courage, I am with you. Come, step out of the boat, and walk towards me.
This left me 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. And secondly, 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 mass, 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 alms giving 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.”
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Experiencing God - 197 Shining in our Darkness
In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace.
Gospel of Luke
We are all familiar with the story of Job from the Old Testament. Job was a very successful man in every way. But he lost everything; his property, his family including his children, and finally, even his health. Job is a story about a man who had a complaint against God for taking away everything he had of value. He did not see this as fair because he was a just man, undeserving of such losses.
The story concludes when Job is humbled by God's reply to him: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements -- surely you know? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together, and all heavenly beings shouted for joy?"
The story concludes with Job coming to a new understanding of his relationship with God; humbling but filled with awe and reverence. "I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know." The story concludes with Job's prosperity being restored.
From the book of Samuel, we find King David in somewhat of a similar but opposite situation. David is sitting on the throne of success. He has defeated his enemies, he lives in riches, surrounded by family and friends and untold wealth; and in his grandeur, he wants to return something to God. "I am living in a house of cedar while the Ark of God dwells in a tent", he says.
As with Job, David has to be reminded that it is not his plans that determine a place for God, but it is God's plans that determine a place for him. And God's plans reach far beyond David's puny moments of success. It reaches far beyond his knowledge and understanding. It is a plan that includes countless future generations of peoples and nations.
In the Gospel of Luke, we hear the beautiful canticle of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist. "In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace." We begin to gain some insight into the plan that Nathan the prophet revealed to King David many centuries previous.
Like Job and King David, do we still not live our advents with the view of fitting God into our plans for Him, instead of understanding that advent is really about the fulfillment of God's plan for us?
God appears to us only as we put ourselves in right relationship with Him. Job came to that understanding when he admitted: "I have uttered what I do not understand; things too wonderful which I did not know". King David understood this when he heard God's voice speak to him through the Prophet: "Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep"?
Do we not understand that God's plan for us this Advent can be found in the sign of a child, a successor of David, one called Emmanuel - God is With Us -- born in a stable because there was no room for Him in the inn. This advent, are we busy fitting God into our plans? Do we still live in a world that does not have time for God's unfolding mystery and plan for us: to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace?
Gospel of Luke
We are all familiar with the story of Job from the Old Testament. Job was a very successful man in every way. But he lost everything; his property, his family including his children, and finally, even his health. Job is a story about a man who had a complaint against God for taking away everything he had of value. He did not see this as fair because he was a just man, undeserving of such losses.
The story concludes when Job is humbled by God's reply to him: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements -- surely you know? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together, and all heavenly beings shouted for joy?"
The story concludes with Job coming to a new understanding of his relationship with God; humbling but filled with awe and reverence. "I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know." The story concludes with Job's prosperity being restored.
From the book of Samuel, we find King David in somewhat of a similar but opposite situation. David is sitting on the throne of success. He has defeated his enemies, he lives in riches, surrounded by family and friends and untold wealth; and in his grandeur, he wants to return something to God. "I am living in a house of cedar while the Ark of God dwells in a tent", he says.
As with Job, David has to be reminded that it is not his plans that determine a place for God, but it is God's plans that determine a place for him. And God's plans reach far beyond David's puny moments of success. It reaches far beyond his knowledge and understanding. It is a plan that includes countless future generations of peoples and nations.
In the Gospel of Luke, we hear the beautiful canticle of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist. "In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace." We begin to gain some insight into the plan that Nathan the prophet revealed to King David many centuries previous.
Like Job and King David, do we still not live our advents with the view of fitting God into our plans for Him, instead of understanding that advent is really about the fulfillment of God's plan for us?
God appears to us only as we put ourselves in right relationship with Him. Job came to that understanding when he admitted: "I have uttered what I do not understand; things too wonderful which I did not know". King David understood this when he heard God's voice speak to him through the Prophet: "Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep"?
Do we not understand that God's plan for us this Advent can be found in the sign of a child, a successor of David, one called Emmanuel - God is With Us -- born in a stable because there was no room for Him in the inn. This advent, are we busy fitting God into our plans? Do we still live in a world that does not have time for God's unfolding mystery and plan for us: to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace?
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Experiencing God - 196 Seeing Things As They Really Are
“I am not the light. I am not the Messiah. But I am a witness to testify to the light”
Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
For the last two weeks of advent, we have been hearing a
lot about John the Baptist and his role in announcing the coming of
Christ. The question I asked myself as I
was preparing this homily is: “How can these gospel
accounts about John the Baptist help us in our own understanding of advent?” Perhaps I can begin with a story that I read
a couple of months ago that continues to be a source of reflection for me this
Advent.
There once was a young man who wanted to become a monk in
a near-by monastery. But he had a
problem. This particular monastery
followed a strict spiritual discipline and rigid ascetical practices. And this young man was considered by many in
his community to be a little slow, undisciplined, and at times, a little
clumsy. But he decided to try anyway; so he placed himself under the direction
of the Novice Master at the monastery to begin the required formation. After two months, the Novice Master was
called in by the Abbott of the Monastery to see how the new young recruit was
doing. The Novice Master told the Abbott
that he was not doing well. He was having great difficulty in learning
the rule, and was undisciplined in following the required practices. In fact, he told the Abbott, for the previous
two months, he had assigned him the daily task of cleaning the dirt from the
sandals of the monks as they entered the prayer room, and sweeping the dust
from the floor. As a result, he
recommended that the young man be dismissed.
The Abbott, being
a compassionate man, asked to speak to the new recruit. When he arrived, the two spoke, shared a few
stories. Finally the young man expressed
the difficulty and struggle he was having in formation, but still affirmed his
desire to become a monk. The Abbott gave him some direction. “From now on, when you clean the dirt from
the sandals, and when you sweep the dust from the floor, I want you to say to
yourself: I am removing the obscuration
so as to be the beloved of Christ.”
And what do you mean by obscuration, the young man asked
the Abbott? An obscuration is anything
that prevents you from seeing things are they really are, replied the Abbot.
So the young man agreed to try this new discipline. At first, every now and again, he would forget
what he was supposed to say. And he
would meet with the Abbott for a refresher, but soon he was pretty good at
following this basic instruction, and he carried it our faithfully every day as
he did his task.
Six months later, the Abbott called the young recruit in for
another meeting. He asked him: “Have you
been cleaning the dirt from the sandals?”
Yes, was his quick response? “Have
you been sweeping the dust from the floor?”
Again, yes was his quick response.
“Have you been removing the obscuration so as to be the beloved of
Christ?”
There was a long silence as he pondered this question. Then
suddenly, like a light bulb coming on, a bright smile broke on the young man’s
face as his mind was awakened as to what the Abbott was trying to teach
him. He suddenly realized that the sandals, even with the dirt, were still sandals: That the floor, even with the dust, was still
the floor. And that he, even with all his
limitations, those things he saw as impairing him, his weaknesses, his faults,
his warts; he was still the beloved of God, and loved by Christ.
Soon there-after, the young man was initiated into the
community as a monk. As time would later
show, he became the best and most loved of all the monks. At time, he would chuckle to himself when
others teased him about his slowness, or when he was a bit clumsy. But with the
birth of his special insight, this awakening in his heart, he was able to see, in a new way, all those people who entered
the doors the monastery for the first time.
No matter what their position, no matter what situation in life, no
matter what their difficulty or struggle, he saw them as the beloved of God, as
loved by Christ, and he welcomed them, every one of them, as Christ
himself.
Perhaps the greatest obscuration that people face today
when it comes to advent, and when it comes faith practice, is that we often
fail to see things are they really are.
We fail to see that no matter what our impediments and warts, no matter
what our limitations, no matter what our station in life, no matter what we
have done, we are the beloved of God. We
are loved by Christ. If we can free
ourselves from this obscuration, then like the monk in the story, we will
discover who we are before God; we will discover God’s perfect plan for our
lives, and the gift that is ours to share.
John the Baptist was able to see things as they really were. “I am not the light”, he said. "I am not the messiah. I am here as a witness,
to testify to the light”. What is this
witness to the light? I like what
Archbishop Mancini had to say about this when he presented the building blocks
for the new evangelization. He compared
the witness to Christ to a witness in a court case. He said that a witness is not the judge. A witness is not the arresting officer. A witness is one who gives testimony as to
what he or she has seen, what he or she has heard, and what he or she has
experienced.
During the early
years of my Christian journey, in my mid-twenties, I went through a time of what
I call a critical introspection. I thought that to be a better person, I would
have to root out all the things I didn’t like about myself: my shyness and
introversion, my aloofness, my dark thoughts, my selfish tendencies. All of this introspection did very little
good. In fact, it made me feel worse
about myself, until that moment when my mind and heart was awakened to that
deep realization that I was God’s beloved, that I was loved by Christ. It was not just an intellectual thing, but a
heart-felt experience; a experience that changed the course of my life.
Advent, this beautiful season of our church year, is here
as a reminder that first and foremost, we are being called to give birth to Christ
in our hearts. When we give birth to
Christ in our hearts, then all our feeble attempts at trying to find
fulfillment through our own efforts begin to die away, and through Grace, we
become the person that God intends us to be. We are not the light, but we become witnesses
to the light found in Christ.
Grace means one thing – to be thankful, to be filled with
gratitude, to overflow with the light that is given to us as gift. The other
readings for today speak of this so beautifully. The reading from Isaiah is not just meant for
Isaiah, or for Christ. It is meant for
us: “The
spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release
to the prisoners.”
The beautiful “magnificat” found in our responsorial
psalm is not just a prayer for Mary, but is our prayer as well: “My
soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savoir, for He has
looked with favour on the lowliness of His servant.”
And St. Paul’s prayer in his letter to the Thessalonians
is not just for Paul. It is again our
own advent prayer of thanksgiving: “Brothers and sisters, rejoice always, pray
without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.”
Advent is not about turning ourselves into super people.
It is not about perfectly having all our plans in place in order to meet the illusionary expectations of what we feel Christmas is all about. This is only an obscuration. Like the young monk is the story, Advent is
about giving birth to Christ in our hearts, recognizing that we are the beloved
of God, and becoming grateful witnesses to Christ’s indwelling Spirit.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Experiencing God - 195 Removing Our Mourning Veil
"On this mountain, the Lord will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples and the shroud en-wrapping all nations. Death will be destroyed forever."
Isaiah
Scripture's most beautiful imagery can be found in our Advent readings from Isaiah. The time of the above reading was around 740 BC. Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel finds itself in a "life and death" struggle against its own people to the North. These beautiful scripture readings of Isaiah were written during difficult moments when brother was fighting brother on the battle field.
Isaiah is an artist with words. He paints a tapestry that touches the hearts of a troubled people. It's a tapestry that touches our heart even today in the midst of our own struggle.
I remember, not too long ago, when I was a part of a "Celebrating the Word" group. Twelve of us gathered to share the Sunday scripture readings.
The producer of the "Celebrating the Word" program always asked soul searching questions. One I remembered was: "What is heaven like for you, or how would you describe heaven?" We would then go around the room and each person would identify something from their own hearts as to what heaven was like for them. And each person would offer something unique that added to the picture that would eventually emerge.
We need images such as this because they restore our hope and bring us in touch with a reality that is often in conflict with our day to day experience and struggle. They express something much deeper, at the level of the heart, that take us beyond the surface of our own existence.
Jesus in the Gospels is doing much the same thing, but He is doing it differently. He creates a tapestry for us through the actions of His life.
We read in the Gospel of Matthew: "Jesus sat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and crowds came bringing the lame, the blind, those without speech, and many others. These they put down at His feet and He cures them."
Through these biblical accounts, we see the tapestry of Jesus' actions beautifully laid out before us, not only offering us hope, but challenging us to live differently in order to see and build up God's Kingdom.
This painting of God's tapestry with words and actions is not unfamiliar to us in our Christian faith. In fact, our Archbishop has done this in his recent Pastoral letter called "Lord, Where Are You Going". In conclusion, I have quoted a paragraph from this letter as it relates to mission and community.
Mission
The mission to which we are presently being called is to effectively do, in our times and in our world, what Christ came to accomplish. Christ's mission is to proclaim a vision of life and a hope for humanity, revealed in a culture of personal encounter, and experienced in relationships of self-sacrificing love. This is presently counter-cultural. The challenge is to take seriously the proclamation of an alternative way of being and living, which can touch the heart of humanity, and do it consciously and deliberately through commitment and action.
Jesus spoke about the "Kingdom of God" using terms that were relevant and understandable in him time. Now, we need to present the same concept in our own language and context, by speaking in terms of achieving a better world. We need to speak of a world where the truth and reality of God is not an idea, a philosophy or a political agenda, but where the truth of our Trinitarian God is founded on the personal experience of being loved; where love is a choice, a decision and a deliberate action, not just a feeling or wishful thinking.
Community
To speak of rebuilding our Church is not to speak about repairing, reconstructing, or even maintaining what we had; nor is it about repeating what we have always done. That Church has largely disappeared. If we are going to interact with the present world, we need to be there. We need to develop the skills, the discernment and the mentality that lead us to see, recognize and acknowledge God present in all circumstances. This is the formation of heart and mind needed to bring about engaged communities of Christian faith.
A community is not something perfect or only for the elite who qualify. Think of your families and friends: They all have communities to which they belong because they are welcomed and accepted. If your sons and daughters are not perfect, you don't reject them; you don't stop loving them. If there are points of disagreement, you learn to cope with them. With such attitudes and qualities, dynamic Christian communities can and must become centres of welcome, providing opportunities for conversations and invitations for accompaniment on the spiritual journey, where people and their needs are respected and discernment is encouraged with time and patience.
Isaiah
Scripture's most beautiful imagery can be found in our Advent readings from Isaiah. The time of the above reading was around 740 BC. Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel finds itself in a "life and death" struggle against its own people to the North. These beautiful scripture readings of Isaiah were written during difficult moments when brother was fighting brother on the battle field.
Isaiah is an artist with words. He paints a tapestry that touches the hearts of a troubled people. It's a tapestry that touches our heart even today in the midst of our own struggle.
I remember, not too long ago, when I was a part of a "Celebrating the Word" group. Twelve of us gathered to share the Sunday scripture readings.
The producer of the "Celebrating the Word" program always asked soul searching questions. One I remembered was: "What is heaven like for you, or how would you describe heaven?" We would then go around the room and each person would identify something from their own hearts as to what heaven was like for them. And each person would offer something unique that added to the picture that would eventually emerge.
We need images such as this because they restore our hope and bring us in touch with a reality that is often in conflict with our day to day experience and struggle. They express something much deeper, at the level of the heart, that take us beyond the surface of our own existence.
Jesus in the Gospels is doing much the same thing, but He is doing it differently. He creates a tapestry for us through the actions of His life.
We read in the Gospel of Matthew: "Jesus sat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and crowds came bringing the lame, the blind, those without speech, and many others. These they put down at His feet and He cures them."
Through these biblical accounts, we see the tapestry of Jesus' actions beautifully laid out before us, not only offering us hope, but challenging us to live differently in order to see and build up God's Kingdom.
This painting of God's tapestry with words and actions is not unfamiliar to us in our Christian faith. In fact, our Archbishop has done this in his recent Pastoral letter called "Lord, Where Are You Going". In conclusion, I have quoted a paragraph from this letter as it relates to mission and community.
Mission
The mission to which we are presently being called is to effectively do, in our times and in our world, what Christ came to accomplish. Christ's mission is to proclaim a vision of life and a hope for humanity, revealed in a culture of personal encounter, and experienced in relationships of self-sacrificing love. This is presently counter-cultural. The challenge is to take seriously the proclamation of an alternative way of being and living, which can touch the heart of humanity, and do it consciously and deliberately through commitment and action.
Jesus spoke about the "Kingdom of God" using terms that were relevant and understandable in him time. Now, we need to present the same concept in our own language and context, by speaking in terms of achieving a better world. We need to speak of a world where the truth and reality of God is not an idea, a philosophy or a political agenda, but where the truth of our Trinitarian God is founded on the personal experience of being loved; where love is a choice, a decision and a deliberate action, not just a feeling or wishful thinking.
Community
To speak of rebuilding our Church is not to speak about repairing, reconstructing, or even maintaining what we had; nor is it about repeating what we have always done. That Church has largely disappeared. If we are going to interact with the present world, we need to be there. We need to develop the skills, the discernment and the mentality that lead us to see, recognize and acknowledge God present in all circumstances. This is the formation of heart and mind needed to bring about engaged communities of Christian faith.
A community is not something perfect or only for the elite who qualify. Think of your families and friends: They all have communities to which they belong because they are welcomed and accepted. If your sons and daughters are not perfect, you don't reject them; you don't stop loving them. If there are points of disagreement, you learn to cope with them. With such attitudes and qualities, dynamic Christian communities can and must become centres of welcome, providing opportunities for conversations and invitations for accompaniment on the spiritual journey, where people and their needs are respected and discernment is encouraged with time and patience.
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