"Did not our hearts burn while he opened to us the scriptures"
Gospel of Luke
In this Gospel story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we see two very discouraged people. As they were wandering to their village a few miles outside Jerusalem, they were described as looking very sad. In the Jerusalem Bible, it reads: "Their faces were downcast". And of course, we know why. They had witnessed all that had happened to Jesus: His arrest, His torture, and His execution. All their hopes and dreams in respect to Jesus were shattered, and they were returning to Emmaus to try to pick up the remaining pieces of their lives.
And then, the extraordinary happens. Jesus Himself came along and began to walk with them. But they failed to recognize Him.
In one Gospel text, it is described as: "their eyes were held back from seeing Him", an expression of their spiritual blindness. Even though these two disciples had read many times the teachings of the prophets from the Old Testament; even though they were familiar with Jesus' teachings during the preceding three years; they failed to make the connection. Jesus to them was only that historic figure whose life was played out before them, and ended with His death on the cross.
So Jesus greeted them, listened to their despondent responses, and then began to process of opening their hearts and minds. Finally, as they invited Jesus into their home, and during the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him.
By this time their mood had completely changed from despondency to a new found hope and excitement. They immediately returned to Jerusalem to meet with the other disciples to share the news.
The story of the two disillusioned disciples on the road to Emmaus is really our own story as the reality of the scriptures are opened to our own minds and hearts. He journeys with us, lifting us from our despondency, giving us the hope and excitement we need to return to Jerusalem to give witness to His transformational presence in our lives. This new Jerusalem is the community of the faithful. His presence is found in the words from scripture, in the breaking of the bread that we share.
Our task today is to become that witness to Christ, active and present in our lives as we open our hearts to Him. We give witness to teach and to heal those who are unable to see or understand Him clearly.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Experiencing God - Fully Alive 173
" Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
Gospel of Matthew
I believe it can be said that people of faith discover within themselves a longing to be fully alive in God. To know God, to love God, to respond to God's love is our longing because we know that this leads to the time and place where we are most alive, most connected to life. Taking refuge in scripture, taking refuge in prayer, taking refuge in Christ and community are ways in which we discover a fulfillment of that longing. It has little to do with getting caught up in the world with all of its expectations, all of its demands, and all of its apparent attractions. It is a turning inward to discover the rich treasure that lies within our own hearts, a treasure that leads to a relationship with God and with others.
The Beatitudes found in the Gospel of Matthew are reminders to us of that reality. "Fixing His eyes on His disciples, Jesus says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
We think of the poor as being deprived of the basics of life. So who wants to be poor? Do you want to be poor? Do you want to go hungry? Of course not! But we are poor, very poor, if we think that these outward things can satisfy the inward longing of our hearts, to be alive with God. We are hungry, and will remain hungry, if we think an abundance of food will help us discover the treasure that lies within, at the center of our hearts. That's why Jesus says: "Woe to you who are rich, you are having your consolation now. Woe to you who have your fill now; you shall go hungry." It's just another way of saying that if our focus and attention is fully given to acquiring things, if our focus and attention is given to satisfy our physical needs, then we will not be meeting the longing of our hearts to be fully alive. We will not discover the treasure that lies within. And that treasure will remain buried under the rubble of superficial attractions and wants.
Those who see the poverty in such outward things search for the fulfillment of that longing in God. For them, Jesus proclaims: "Yours is the Kingdom of God. You shall be satisfied." And this ties in so closely with Jesus' teaching on prayer: "Seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened; ask and it shall be given." These are not superficial requests to have our outward needs satisfied. These are requests to have our hearts opened to the full realization that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that it lies within.
Through our seeking, through our knocking on God's door, and through our asking with humble Spirits, we will experience our hunger being satisfied. We will experience being made alive with God.
Gospel of Matthew
I believe it can be said that people of faith discover within themselves a longing to be fully alive in God. To know God, to love God, to respond to God's love is our longing because we know that this leads to the time and place where we are most alive, most connected to life. Taking refuge in scripture, taking refuge in prayer, taking refuge in Christ and community are ways in which we discover a fulfillment of that longing. It has little to do with getting caught up in the world with all of its expectations, all of its demands, and all of its apparent attractions. It is a turning inward to discover the rich treasure that lies within our own hearts, a treasure that leads to a relationship with God and with others.
The Beatitudes found in the Gospel of Matthew are reminders to us of that reality. "Fixing His eyes on His disciples, Jesus says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
We think of the poor as being deprived of the basics of life. So who wants to be poor? Do you want to be poor? Do you want to go hungry? Of course not! But we are poor, very poor, if we think that these outward things can satisfy the inward longing of our hearts, to be alive with God. We are hungry, and will remain hungry, if we think an abundance of food will help us discover the treasure that lies within, at the center of our hearts. That's why Jesus says: "Woe to you who are rich, you are having your consolation now. Woe to you who have your fill now; you shall go hungry." It's just another way of saying that if our focus and attention is fully given to acquiring things, if our focus and attention is given to satisfy our physical needs, then we will not be meeting the longing of our hearts to be fully alive. We will not discover the treasure that lies within. And that treasure will remain buried under the rubble of superficial attractions and wants.
Those who see the poverty in such outward things search for the fulfillment of that longing in God. For them, Jesus proclaims: "Yours is the Kingdom of God. You shall be satisfied." And this ties in so closely with Jesus' teaching on prayer: "Seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened; ask and it shall be given." These are not superficial requests to have our outward needs satisfied. These are requests to have our hearts opened to the full realization that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that it lies within.
Through our seeking, through our knocking on God's door, and through our asking with humble Spirits, we will experience our hunger being satisfied. We will experience being made alive with God.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Experiencing God - Following the Holy Spirit 172
"We start by doing what’s necessary, then we do what’s possible, and suddenly, through the Holy Spirit, we are doing the impossible."
St. Francis of Assisi
In 1964, I was 18 years old. I had just finished high school and a business course and was leaving home for my first job. I was glad to be leaving, not because I disliked my family or anything like that. I was ready to begin the task of working towards my fame and fortune. Within three years of starting work, I discovered two things that I didn’t plan or anticipate. The first was the discovery of how superficial and naïve was my plan for fame and fortune. The second, and perhaps the most surprising, was the intrusion of “faith” in my life. I call it an intrusion because this was not a part of my plan at all. I also call it an intrusion because it absolutely changed everything from that point forward.
The Gospel accounts are also about this intrusion; the intrusion of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles, the followers of Christ and the people of the early church. It was an intrusion that changed everything for those who encountered this Advocate. The Holy Spirit opened their minds and hearts to the role that they were called to play in the development of this mystery we call church. Christ had won for them their redemption. His sacrifice put them at right with God, but then, through the Holy Spirit, these people became engaged in a restoration process. Restoration of what? What the early church discovered was a call to begin to reorder things; their attitudes, their lives, their society, in accordance with God’s plan for them. It all had to do with the bringing about of this “Kingdom of God” of which Jesus spoke about quite frequently.
But this restoration process did not come without struggle. The book of Acts describes what is perhaps the first crisis experienced by this early church. It’s a crisis over a matter of faith practice, and there is a very good reason for it arising. The early Christian church was born from Jewish roots. Mary, Joseph and Jesus were Jews. They practiced their faith in the Jewish synagogue. The apostles and their families and all the early followers of Jesus were Jews. After Jesus’ resurrection and their first encounters with the Holy Spirit, it would have been quite normal for the new Christians to incorporate Jewish rites in their worship and Jewish rules into their faith practice. But when the Christian faith spread to the gentiles, who neither practiced nor were familiar with these rules and rites, a problem arose. Was it a requirement that these rules be incorporated into the faith-practice of the gentiles? The important thing that happened from all this was that the church gathered and prayed about it. The church called on Holy Spirit for guidance and direction, and a decision was made. And this decision determined the whole direction for the church at that time, and the people were united around that choice.
Recently, I had to opportunity to attend a workshop on the introduction of our new Catechism program for the Archdiocese. The Archbishop gave the opening address. He opened with the fact that our church is currently going through a crisis. As a result of this crisis, the church is no longer being heard as a credible voice of change in our society. There are many voices being listened to in this generation: political voices, the voices of individualism, the voices of consumerism, the voices of pleasure seekers, and many more. But the church is largely not one of them. He mentioned that that church has fallen somewhat in a state of disrepair and has to be rebuilt. But he mentioned quite positively that the building blocks are there. We do not have to start from the beginning. It’s just a matter of taking the building blocks that are there and putting them in place. And that is what the church is attempting to do. And the church, as it seeks the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit will accomplish that.
The Archbishop has already spoken to us at length about three of these building blocks, and I would like to mention a couple of them briefly here today.
The first is a renewed understanding of discipleship. What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ, a follower of Christ in our modern church, and through this new understanding, what are the methods and ways that we must learn to bring Christ’s message to the unchurched, particular many young families who are now absent from our community. It must be from a church guided by the Holy Spirit: a church that is able to give credible witness to Christ in our lives and in the world. In order for us to be that church, the Archbishop says that we must redefine our methods of being a disciple of Christ.
And this leads to the Archbishop’s second building block; that of becoming witnesses to our faith to others. We are not use to this. As church, we are use to people coming to us. You may recall one of Kevin Costner’s old movies “Field of Dreams” where a baseball diamond was built in a corn field. The theme that ran from this movie was: “Build it and they will Come”. This is the way our church has operated in the past.
To a very large extent, this is no longer happening. Our churches are not growing and they largely lack the presence the younger families of our community. Through prayer, we are coming to the realization that we must discover new ways to give witness to our faith and Christ in our lives. We must begin to see this as a changing mandate. The Holy Spirit is calling us now to respond to these situations in a new way.
As the apostles and the early Christian were guided by the Holy Spirit and changed in order to embrace the restoration process in the early church, so we are now being called to listen to the Holy Spirit to guide us through today’s crisis.
From the Gospel of John, chapter 17, we hear Jesus giving one of his final talks to his disciples, his final words of instructions. We read: “The words that I give you are not mine. They come from the Father. I am telling you these things while I am still with you. The advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything, and remind you of all I have said.”
Do you believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us, to change our lives and the lives of others, just as He guided the apostles and the early church? Many of us have got use to the church acting in certain predictable way. We have gained a certain amount of comfort in following the status quo. Unfortunately, there is little change or growth in the status quo or becoming satisfied with being comfortable.
We are now being challenged by the Spirit to change, so that we, as well as others, may begin to see again that God’s spirit is stirring, is alive and well in our church. When we allow this to happen, then we will again discover the means to mend and heal the many afflictions and sufferings that currently exist in our community, particularly with young families and youth.
The spirit that intruded into the lives of the apostles, the Holy Spirit that intruded in my life as a young working adult, is the spirit that changes everything. As said by St. Francis of Assisi: "We start by doing what’s necessary, then we do what’s possible, and suddenly, through the Holy Spirit, we are doing the impossible."
St. Francis of Assisi
In 1964, I was 18 years old. I had just finished high school and a business course and was leaving home for my first job. I was glad to be leaving, not because I disliked my family or anything like that. I was ready to begin the task of working towards my fame and fortune. Within three years of starting work, I discovered two things that I didn’t plan or anticipate. The first was the discovery of how superficial and naïve was my plan for fame and fortune. The second, and perhaps the most surprising, was the intrusion of “faith” in my life. I call it an intrusion because this was not a part of my plan at all. I also call it an intrusion because it absolutely changed everything from that point forward.
The Gospel accounts are also about this intrusion; the intrusion of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles, the followers of Christ and the people of the early church. It was an intrusion that changed everything for those who encountered this Advocate. The Holy Spirit opened their minds and hearts to the role that they were called to play in the development of this mystery we call church. Christ had won for them their redemption. His sacrifice put them at right with God, but then, through the Holy Spirit, these people became engaged in a restoration process. Restoration of what? What the early church discovered was a call to begin to reorder things; their attitudes, their lives, their society, in accordance with God’s plan for them. It all had to do with the bringing about of this “Kingdom of God” of which Jesus spoke about quite frequently.
But this restoration process did not come without struggle. The book of Acts describes what is perhaps the first crisis experienced by this early church. It’s a crisis over a matter of faith practice, and there is a very good reason for it arising. The early Christian church was born from Jewish roots. Mary, Joseph and Jesus were Jews. They practiced their faith in the Jewish synagogue. The apostles and their families and all the early followers of Jesus were Jews. After Jesus’ resurrection and their first encounters with the Holy Spirit, it would have been quite normal for the new Christians to incorporate Jewish rites in their worship and Jewish rules into their faith practice. But when the Christian faith spread to the gentiles, who neither practiced nor were familiar with these rules and rites, a problem arose. Was it a requirement that these rules be incorporated into the faith-practice of the gentiles? The important thing that happened from all this was that the church gathered and prayed about it. The church called on Holy Spirit for guidance and direction, and a decision was made. And this decision determined the whole direction for the church at that time, and the people were united around that choice.
Recently, I had to opportunity to attend a workshop on the introduction of our new Catechism program for the Archdiocese. The Archbishop gave the opening address. He opened with the fact that our church is currently going through a crisis. As a result of this crisis, the church is no longer being heard as a credible voice of change in our society. There are many voices being listened to in this generation: political voices, the voices of individualism, the voices of consumerism, the voices of pleasure seekers, and many more. But the church is largely not one of them. He mentioned that that church has fallen somewhat in a state of disrepair and has to be rebuilt. But he mentioned quite positively that the building blocks are there. We do not have to start from the beginning. It’s just a matter of taking the building blocks that are there and putting them in place. And that is what the church is attempting to do. And the church, as it seeks the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit will accomplish that.
The Archbishop has already spoken to us at length about three of these building blocks, and I would like to mention a couple of them briefly here today.
The first is a renewed understanding of discipleship. What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ, a follower of Christ in our modern church, and through this new understanding, what are the methods and ways that we must learn to bring Christ’s message to the unchurched, particular many young families who are now absent from our community. It must be from a church guided by the Holy Spirit: a church that is able to give credible witness to Christ in our lives and in the world. In order for us to be that church, the Archbishop says that we must redefine our methods of being a disciple of Christ.
And this leads to the Archbishop’s second building block; that of becoming witnesses to our faith to others. We are not use to this. As church, we are use to people coming to us. You may recall one of Kevin Costner’s old movies “Field of Dreams” where a baseball diamond was built in a corn field. The theme that ran from this movie was: “Build it and they will Come”. This is the way our church has operated in the past.
To a very large extent, this is no longer happening. Our churches are not growing and they largely lack the presence the younger families of our community. Through prayer, we are coming to the realization that we must discover new ways to give witness to our faith and Christ in our lives. We must begin to see this as a changing mandate. The Holy Spirit is calling us now to respond to these situations in a new way.
As the apostles and the early Christian were guided by the Holy Spirit and changed in order to embrace the restoration process in the early church, so we are now being called to listen to the Holy Spirit to guide us through today’s crisis.
From the Gospel of John, chapter 17, we hear Jesus giving one of his final talks to his disciples, his final words of instructions. We read: “The words that I give you are not mine. They come from the Father. I am telling you these things while I am still with you. The advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything, and remind you of all I have said.”
Do you believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us, to change our lives and the lives of others, just as He guided the apostles and the early church? Many of us have got use to the church acting in certain predictable way. We have gained a certain amount of comfort in following the status quo. Unfortunately, there is little change or growth in the status quo or becoming satisfied with being comfortable.
We are now being challenged by the Spirit to change, so that we, as well as others, may begin to see again that God’s spirit is stirring, is alive and well in our church. When we allow this to happen, then we will again discover the means to mend and heal the many afflictions and sufferings that currently exist in our community, particularly with young families and youth.
The spirit that intruded into the lives of the apostles, the Holy Spirit that intruded in my life as a young working adult, is the spirit that changes everything. As said by St. Francis of Assisi: "We start by doing what’s necessary, then we do what’s possible, and suddenly, through the Holy Spirit, we are doing the impossible."
Monday, January 27, 2014
Experiencing God - The Narrow Door 171
"Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” Jesus replied, Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail."
Gospel of Luke
In the Gospel of Luke, we hear a very interesting question asked to Jesus as He journeys towards Jerusalem. Jesus doesn't really answer the question but encourages the person to try to enter by the narrow door. So what is this narrow door that Jesus speaks about, the door that many will try to enter, but not succeed?
In order to figure out what this narrow door is, we must turn to Jesus Himself. We must examine His life and see how He lived. How did He live differently from the many other people of His time?
Our reflection will lead us to St. Paul's letter to the Philippines which for me helps to describe this narrow door. "Although Jesus was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking a form of a slave."
To empty oneself can be a difficult concept to explain, little long to live. It goes against what we are ordinarily inclined to do when left to our limited human resources. Emptying ourselves of "self" is not what our culture portrays as the "thing to do". The emphasis of our culture is to look after "self", get what is fair for "self", and in many cases, to exalt "self", often through the vehicles of power, recognition and prestige. But this is not Jesus' way. It is not what He portrays as narrow door that leads to the Father.
To empty "oneself" is not putting "oneself" down, to be used as a doormat by others; but a knowing of who we are before God. This means we know God's plan for us and for humanity, and we freely embrace this as a way of life. When we do this, we live in harmony with God's plan and accept where this may lead us. Jesus' life and our relationship with Him becomes the narrow door that we embrace.
But it is not enough just to know this. We must live it. "When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And He will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from."
In the story that Jesus told, many knew of Him. It is said that they ate and drank with Him, listened to His teachings on the street. But because it wasn't a lifestyle they adopted, when they knocked on the door, they were not recognized.
So this presents a real challenge. Many who may seem to be on the right road may not be at all, and many who, at first glance, may seem to be lost are in fact walking by the right path. The right path can only be discovered through prayer.
The other day, I read what Pope Benedict had recently said about prayer. "Prayer is an open window that allows us to keep our gaze turned towards God, not only for the purpose of reminding us of the goal towards which we are directed, but also to allow the will of God to illumine our earthly journey and to help us to live it with intensity and commitment."
Is he not describing the narrow door?
Gospel of Luke
In the Gospel of Luke, we hear a very interesting question asked to Jesus as He journeys towards Jerusalem. Jesus doesn't really answer the question but encourages the person to try to enter by the narrow door. So what is this narrow door that Jesus speaks about, the door that many will try to enter, but not succeed?
In order to figure out what this narrow door is, we must turn to Jesus Himself. We must examine His life and see how He lived. How did He live differently from the many other people of His time?
Our reflection will lead us to St. Paul's letter to the Philippines which for me helps to describe this narrow door. "Although Jesus was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking a form of a slave."
To empty oneself can be a difficult concept to explain, little long to live. It goes against what we are ordinarily inclined to do when left to our limited human resources. Emptying ourselves of "self" is not what our culture portrays as the "thing to do". The emphasis of our culture is to look after "self", get what is fair for "self", and in many cases, to exalt "self", often through the vehicles of power, recognition and prestige. But this is not Jesus' way. It is not what He portrays as narrow door that leads to the Father.
To empty "oneself" is not putting "oneself" down, to be used as a doormat by others; but a knowing of who we are before God. This means we know God's plan for us and for humanity, and we freely embrace this as a way of life. When we do this, we live in harmony with God's plan and accept where this may lead us. Jesus' life and our relationship with Him becomes the narrow door that we embrace.
But it is not enough just to know this. We must live it. "When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And He will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from."
In the story that Jesus told, many knew of Him. It is said that they ate and drank with Him, listened to His teachings on the street. But because it wasn't a lifestyle they adopted, when they knocked on the door, they were not recognized.
So this presents a real challenge. Many who may seem to be on the right road may not be at all, and many who, at first glance, may seem to be lost are in fact walking by the right path. The right path can only be discovered through prayer.
The other day, I read what Pope Benedict had recently said about prayer. "Prayer is an open window that allows us to keep our gaze turned towards God, not only for the purpose of reminding us of the goal towards which we are directed, but also to allow the will of God to illumine our earthly journey and to help us to live it with intensity and commitment."
Is he not describing the narrow door?
Experiencing God - Faithfulness 170
"Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that you may open the door for Him as soon as He comes and knocks."
Gospel of Luke
Jesus is saying to his disciples: "Be Awake", Be Aware", "Be Attentive", to what is going on around you. In this Gospel from Luke, Jesus tells His disciples a story about what it means to stay awake or to be attentive. "You may be quite sure, if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come , he would not have let anyone break into his home."
In telling this story, Jesus is not expressing a concern about a householder losing his personal possessions - computer, TV etc. He is concerned about the householder losing something else, something of greater value, a treasure that sustains us in hope, in this life and the next. It has to do with being faithful to the way of life in which we are called, a call to faithfulness. What is faithfulness?
To answer this question, let's move into that area of our lives where faithfulness is necessary - in our marriage.
The main attribute of a good marriage is faithfulness. When we think of marriage, being unfaithful will always be seen as a death to the relationship. Therefore, unfaithfulness must be avoided at all costs.
Faithfulness has to do with keeping ones word, keeping ones promise. No matter how tough the situation, no matter what comes along, faithfulness requires us to remain firm in our resolve to work through the difficulties together.
Faithfulness cannot be imposed. It is something that we must choose. Faithfulness must be given our full attention. And when we do give it our full attention, it has its own reward. We all yearn for and need faithfulness in our relationships because it brings with it a quality of life, an underlining joy that is irreplaceable. In faithfulness, we are thankful, and we celebrate life's events together. In faithfulness, we do whatever we can to make the relationship grow. We willingly share our gifts and our resources as a sign of our faithfulness to those we love.
“Who then is the faithful manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of."
In telling this story, Jesus is not expressing a concern about a servant losing his personal possessions - computer, TV etc. He is concerned about the servant losing something else, something of greater value, a treasure that sustains us in hope, in this life and the next.
Gospel of Luke
Jesus is saying to his disciples: "Be Awake", Be Aware", "Be Attentive", to what is going on around you. In this Gospel from Luke, Jesus tells His disciples a story about what it means to stay awake or to be attentive. "You may be quite sure, if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come , he would not have let anyone break into his home."
In telling this story, Jesus is not expressing a concern about a householder losing his personal possessions - computer, TV etc. He is concerned about the householder losing something else, something of greater value, a treasure that sustains us in hope, in this life and the next. It has to do with being faithful to the way of life in which we are called, a call to faithfulness. What is faithfulness?
To answer this question, let's move into that area of our lives where faithfulness is necessary - in our marriage.
The main attribute of a good marriage is faithfulness. When we think of marriage, being unfaithful will always be seen as a death to the relationship. Therefore, unfaithfulness must be avoided at all costs.
Faithfulness has to do with keeping ones word, keeping ones promise. No matter how tough the situation, no matter what comes along, faithfulness requires us to remain firm in our resolve to work through the difficulties together.
Faithfulness cannot be imposed. It is something that we must choose. Faithfulness must be given our full attention. And when we do give it our full attention, it has its own reward. We all yearn for and need faithfulness in our relationships because it brings with it a quality of life, an underlining joy that is irreplaceable. In faithfulness, we are thankful, and we celebrate life's events together. In faithfulness, we do whatever we can to make the relationship grow. We willingly share our gifts and our resources as a sign of our faithfulness to those we love.
“Who then is the faithful manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of."
In telling this story, Jesus is not expressing a concern about a servant losing his personal possessions - computer, TV etc. He is concerned about the servant losing something else, something of greater value, a treasure that sustains us in hope, in this life and the next.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Experiencing God - The God who Weeps 169
"On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” She went out and said to her mother Herodias, “What shall I ask for? The head of John the Baptist,” she answered."Gospel of Mark
In 1983, Harold Kushner wrote his acclaimed national bestseller "When Bad Things Happen to Good People". This book was his response to dealing with the tragic death of his son at a very young age. Through his family's shared ordeal, Kushner, a clergyman and man of faith came to see God as he never had before. He discovered a God who weeps with us during tragic times, and a God who can fill the deepest needs of an anguished heart.
The death of John the Baptist found in the Gospel of Mark is such a tragedy. The above scripture text gives witness to the death of a man in his prime. What makes it seem more tragic is the fact that his death resulted from such superficial and avoidable circumstances. The players in this tragedy were the very people that John the Baptist was trying to help. They were people of very short lives who got caught up in their superficial and egotistical needs.
First we have Herodias, wife of Philip's brother, but in a wrong relationship with Philip himself. When John the Baptist brought this to the attention of Philip, Herodias failed to see this as an honest attempt to correct the conduct of one venturing down a wrong path. Her pride burned with anger against John until her revenge could be taken.
We also have Herodias daughter, young, immature, desiring to please, and probably willing to do anything to gain the attention of others.
And then we have Herod, a man of considerable power but a fickle heart. He allowed his whole being to be compromised by a seductive dance, an irrational promise to a child, full of fear as to how he might appear to a bunch of his drunken friends.
The stage is set for a tragedy, a grave injustice that would raise a question in everyone mind's as to whether true justice is possible for human kind. What have we to learn from Herodias, her daughter, and King Herod?
Perhaps one thing we have to learn is that without God, without the power of His Spirit to guide us, to give us wisdom, strength and insight, then we too can fall prey to misjudgements that can lead to tragic results. Without the Spirit, we have only our a human nature that yields easily to pride, power, the desire for revenge or to please at the expense of others. When our impulsive nature sets in motion the events that lead to such tragedy, then we are referred to as lost.
We are all children of God, but if we choose to ignore or abandon God, we are left only with the weak resources of "self" to rely on. Then God weeps for us. God weeps because our gift of free will has been turned in on itself to spread only darkness among those who He is destined to save. God weeps for the victims who suffer unnecessarily at the hands of others.
When we listen to TV news or read our papers, we see this same tragic scene being played out continuously, and each time God weeps for us. If we turn to Him, He is there to comfort our anguished hearts. Why? Because He loves us, hopes for us, desires to be with us, dies for us, despite our failings.
This is our faith, faith that provides the hope to go on, to continue to embrace "Emanuel", meaning "God is with us".
In Jeremiah we read: "Brace yourself for action; stand up and tell them all what I command. Do not be dismayed for today I will make you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron. For I am with you to deliver you."
In 1983, Harold Kushner wrote his acclaimed national bestseller "When Bad Things Happen to Good People". This book was his response to dealing with the tragic death of his son at a very young age. Through his family's shared ordeal, Kushner, a clergyman and man of faith came to see God as he never had before. He discovered a God who weeps with us during tragic times, and a God who can fill the deepest needs of an anguished heart.
The death of John the Baptist found in the Gospel of Mark is such a tragedy. The above scripture text gives witness to the death of a man in his prime. What makes it seem more tragic is the fact that his death resulted from such superficial and avoidable circumstances. The players in this tragedy were the very people that John the Baptist was trying to help. They were people of very short lives who got caught up in their superficial and egotistical needs.
First we have Herodias, wife of Philip's brother, but in a wrong relationship with Philip himself. When John the Baptist brought this to the attention of Philip, Herodias failed to see this as an honest attempt to correct the conduct of one venturing down a wrong path. Her pride burned with anger against John until her revenge could be taken.
We also have Herodias daughter, young, immature, desiring to please, and probably willing to do anything to gain the attention of others.
And then we have Herod, a man of considerable power but a fickle heart. He allowed his whole being to be compromised by a seductive dance, an irrational promise to a child, full of fear as to how he might appear to a bunch of his drunken friends.
The stage is set for a tragedy, a grave injustice that would raise a question in everyone mind's as to whether true justice is possible for human kind. What have we to learn from Herodias, her daughter, and King Herod?
Perhaps one thing we have to learn is that without God, without the power of His Spirit to guide us, to give us wisdom, strength and insight, then we too can fall prey to misjudgements that can lead to tragic results. Without the Spirit, we have only our a human nature that yields easily to pride, power, the desire for revenge or to please at the expense of others. When our impulsive nature sets in motion the events that lead to such tragedy, then we are referred to as lost.
We are all children of God, but if we choose to ignore or abandon God, we are left only with the weak resources of "self" to rely on. Then God weeps for us. God weeps because our gift of free will has been turned in on itself to spread only darkness among those who He is destined to save. God weeps for the victims who suffer unnecessarily at the hands of others.
When we listen to TV news or read our papers, we see this same tragic scene being played out continuously, and each time God weeps for us. If we turn to Him, He is there to comfort our anguished hearts. Why? Because He loves us, hopes for us, desires to be with us, dies for us, despite our failings.
This is our faith, faith that provides the hope to go on, to continue to embrace "Emanuel", meaning "God is with us".
In Jeremiah we read: "Brace yourself for action; stand up and tell them all what I command. Do not be dismayed for today I will make you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron. For I am with you to deliver you."
Friday, January 24, 2014
Experiencing God - Our Ultimate Goal 168
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."
Paul's letter to Corinthians
You've all heard the expression: "Love does not put food on the table". It's a comment usually directed to young couples who wish to get married but are unable to support themselves. But there is another quote given by Viktor Frankl: "Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire".
Viktor Frankl was a survivor of four different Nazi death camps during the second world war, including Auschwitz. These camps claimed the lives of his mother, father, wife, and brother. He was stripped of everything during these years of imprisonment, down to the bare bones of his humanity, but during his ordeal, he wrote that he still experienced moments of bliss and consolation, especially when he thought about his beloved wife, parents and brother and other who were near him.
In no uncertain terms, Frankl learned that love was his salvation; that among all the virtues that offered him a source of personal meaning, it was love that proved to be his ultimate and highest goal.
In first Corinthians chapter thirteen, we read St. Paul's beautiful definition of love, a scripture that is often read at weddings. "Be ambitious for the higher gifts. In short, there are three things that last; faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love." St. Paul tells us that we can have many things; things that we may devote a lifetime to attain; things that capture our time, energy, and concentration; but if love is not the motivation behind their acquisition, than they are only the noise of a misdirected life.
Viktor Frankl was stripped of all of these things, but love remained, and it was love that saved him.
In Matthew's gospel, Jesus is saying: "To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces calling out to others"
Jesus is comparing what He sees with children playing games. When children play games, the most important thing is for others to join in. If you are having a dance, come and share in the dancing. Don't just sit as a critical observer on the sidelines. If it is a moment of loss, then join with the others in this moment of grief, and provide the comfort that is needed.
Jesus observed that many people of His generation were not willing to open themselves up to the actions of God, and were acting like obstinate children who refused to take part. They preferred to sit on the sidelines and criticise. They found excuses to reject John the Baptist and called him a demon, and then used the opposite excuse to reject Jesus. "God's wisdom however will prove its validity. Validity will be revealed to those who embrace the Kingdom of God.
What Jesus was seeing in His generation were many violations of love. He saw those who witnessed God's plan, but instead of participating, only criticized what they saw.
But to those who could see love as their ultimate goal, He said: "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."
Paul's letter to Corinthians
You've all heard the expression: "Love does not put food on the table". It's a comment usually directed to young couples who wish to get married but are unable to support themselves. But there is another quote given by Viktor Frankl: "Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire".
Viktor Frankl was a survivor of four different Nazi death camps during the second world war, including Auschwitz. These camps claimed the lives of his mother, father, wife, and brother. He was stripped of everything during these years of imprisonment, down to the bare bones of his humanity, but during his ordeal, he wrote that he still experienced moments of bliss and consolation, especially when he thought about his beloved wife, parents and brother and other who were near him.
In no uncertain terms, Frankl learned that love was his salvation; that among all the virtues that offered him a source of personal meaning, it was love that proved to be his ultimate and highest goal.
In first Corinthians chapter thirteen, we read St. Paul's beautiful definition of love, a scripture that is often read at weddings. "Be ambitious for the higher gifts. In short, there are three things that last; faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love." St. Paul tells us that we can have many things; things that we may devote a lifetime to attain; things that capture our time, energy, and concentration; but if love is not the motivation behind their acquisition, than they are only the noise of a misdirected life.
Viktor Frankl was stripped of all of these things, but love remained, and it was love that saved him.
In Matthew's gospel, Jesus is saying: "To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces calling out to others"
Jesus is comparing what He sees with children playing games. When children play games, the most important thing is for others to join in. If you are having a dance, come and share in the dancing. Don't just sit as a critical observer on the sidelines. If it is a moment of loss, then join with the others in this moment of grief, and provide the comfort that is needed.
Jesus observed that many people of His generation were not willing to open themselves up to the actions of God, and were acting like obstinate children who refused to take part. They preferred to sit on the sidelines and criticise. They found excuses to reject John the Baptist and called him a demon, and then used the opposite excuse to reject Jesus. "God's wisdom however will prove its validity. Validity will be revealed to those who embrace the Kingdom of God.
What Jesus was seeing in His generation were many violations of love. He saw those who witnessed God's plan, but instead of participating, only criticized what they saw.
But to those who could see love as their ultimate goal, He said: "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."
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