Food for the Journey: Reflection on the Readings for the Second Sunday of Lent 2014

1st Reading: Genesis 12:1-4a

The LORD said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.

“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the LORD directed him.




Food for Thought:

All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.
Words for a wanderer, the beginning of a pilgrimage.
What do those words mean to you?
What communities of the earth do you belong to?
How do you bless your communities?
How do your communities bless you?
Which communities have you "gone forth" from?
Do you remember to honor those communities?
Which communities are you a part of that have lost members that "went forth" from you?
How are those who have left still a part of you, even though not present any longer?
How are you still a part of those who have left?
What members are coming into your community and "into a land that God has shown them?"
How are the newcomers in your communities blessings to you?
How are you a blessing to the newcomers in your communities?

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

2nd Reading II Timothy 1:8b-10

Beloved:
Bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel.

Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.
This is Lent, the season of remembering the passion of Christ.
This is Lent, He saved us and called us to a holy life.
Christ brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Life and immortality.


The Gospel Reading is a transfiguration reading.
Jesus took his friends up to a high mountain
and he was transfigured, his face became like the sun
and his clothes shone like light.
They saw prophets from of old.
He showed them life and immortality, in the person of himself.
And He told them not to tell anyone
until he had risen from the dead.

He showed them a land, from the high mountain
This is the land he showed them
He showed them a land
Where Jesus, the Law and the Prophets
converse with one another
where the law and the prophets melt away
into the person of Jesus Christ.

But don't build a tent there.
We're not there yet.
Treasure those moments of transfiguration in your life.
They are food for the journey.





Peace in Christ,

Gazelle

God will never...

A reflection on the readings for March 9, 2014, the First Sunday in Lent.

This week’s readings focus on events of temptation, in the garden and in the desert. Temptation is an unwelcome feeling. I have witnessed a common stance among my generation: “If God didn’t want me to succumb, he wouldn’t have let me be tempted in the first place.” And yet, Jesus, who is fully man but also fully God, endured incomprehensible temptation after the 40 days in the desert. Do they believe they have more merit than God?

It is a common adage to say “God will never give you anything you can’t handle,” but I much prefer “God will never allow you anything He can’t handle.”

When we receive temptation, we are called to respond in a righteous way. We are called to imitate Jesus, especially as in Matthew 4:1-11.

Turn to God in times of temptation. Lenten sacrifices can be difficult, but remember in humility:

“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

“The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” (Matthew 4:10)

"Lent is like a long 'retreat' during which we can turn back into ourselves and listen to the voice of God, in order to defeat the temptations of the Evil One. It is a period of spiritual 'combat' which we must experience alongside Jesus, not with pride and presumption, but using the arms of faith: prayer, listening to the word of God and penance. In this way we will be able to celebrate Easter in truth, ready to renew the promises of our Baptism."

 - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI- Angelus Homily, February 21st, 2010

 

Godbwye,

Laurel

Whose Kingdom Are You Seeking?

Reflection for Sunday, March 2 -- The Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By: Judy Morss

Gospel of Matthew 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,

or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink? or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”


Ash Wednesday is this week, and so we enter into the Lenten season. As I enter into the Lenten desert, I hope to draw closer and closer to our Savior, Jesus the Christ. The readings for this Sunday seem to have a common focus seeking the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. There we will find the love of God and His care for us. Isaiah 49:14-15 tells us that even if it were possible for a Mother to forget her child, "I will never forget you."

Our response to Psalm 62 is "Rest in God alone, my soul" and we are told that "Only in God is my soul at rest; from Him comes my salvation."  In Matthew 6:24-34 Jesus tells his disciples: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other." He further tells us that we should not worry about our life or the day to day issues in our lives. All that we need will be given to us. Our focus must be on the kingdom of God.

We are not to worry about tomorrow; "tomorrow will take care of itself."  To stop worrying about tomorrow is not an easy thing. Jesus invites me to trust Him and know that He will give me what I need, according to His plan for me. Now comes the hard part. His plan for me; not my plan for me. I need to hear and receive this invitation to trust in a more personal, deep way. I need to feel the comfort that Jesus offers and accept and feel the bond, the special connection and the tenderness that God has for me.

God has a plan for me; He created me to achieve that plan. As I reflect on these readings, it becomes more and more obvious to me that I MUST decide who I will serve. When I focus too much on my wants and needs (security issues) then I am serving a false god. There is freedom in the decision not to worry about all of the external things, but to trust that God will provide for my needs. When I release myself from serving my own needs, I free myself to serve others. And that change in my focus, opens me up to all that the kingdom of God provides.

With peace and love,
Judy

Light is Sweet

Light is sweet! and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. However many years mortals may live, let them, as they enjoy them all, remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that is to come is vanity.  Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 (USCCB)

Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (USCCB)

Quoheleth reminds us that our life on this earth is fleeting and will ultimately end up in darkness, unless we cry out to Jesus who brings us the light that will never fail, never cease.  Jesus is the answer to the vanities of this life.  As we prepare to begin our Lenten journey, let us always bear in mind that our efforts to come closer to the Lord will always be tainted by our human weakness.  We will be tempted to think that it is useless and accomplishing nothing -- do not give up!  You are directing your heart and your soul to the True Light, and the True Light will accomplish what your human weakness cannot.

Peace and Grace to all!
Heidi

It's worth it.

A reflection on Matthew 5:38-48, the Gospel for February 23, 2014, the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

 

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You have heard that it was said,

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.

When someone strikes you on your right cheek,

 turn the other one as well.

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,

hand over your cloak as well.

Should anyone press you into service for one mile,

go for two miles.

Give to the one who asks of you,

 and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

 

“You have heard that it was said,

You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

 But I say to you, love your enemies

and pray for those who persecute you,

 that you may be children of your heavenly Father,

for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,

and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

Do not the tax collectors do the same?

And if you greet your brothers only,

what is unusual about that?

 Do not the pagans do the same?

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 

This week’s Gospel is certainly not easy to live out.

When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. But that hurts!

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. But it’s mine, I earned it!

Should anyone press you into services for one mile, go for two miles.  But I’m busy and far too tired!

Every statement in today’s Gospel emulates God’s love for us. He gave his whole self, and yet he continues to turn the other cheek when we reject Him and His teachings. His love does not lessen, no matter our actions. He desires us to have that same love for each other. It is not easy to do in an imperfect world, but we need to step outside our comfort zone.

What do you have to lose by extending yourself?

Better yet, what do you have to gain?

The losses are temporary, and the gains far outnumber them. If we never venture beyond the sense of security, we never grow.

A baby could very well remain helpless for the rest of their lives. Most have all their needs fulfilled by others, and are largely care-free. But they were created for more, and so they strive for more. Are a baby’s first steps without trepidation? Of course not. But they still take them, because by doing so a whole new realm of possibilities is opened.

When teaching a baby to walk, often times one parent will be supporting the child, while the other is a short distance away with arms open. The first parent releases the child, and waits with baited breath. The other beckons the child, encouraging them. Both parents are there to catch the child if they fall, and also to celebrate when the child is successful. This is parallel to God’s support whenever we strive for sainthood.

Picture a parent twirling their child in the air after the first steps. What if God was that elated each time you extended yourself righteously? (Hint: He is!)

Isn’t that alone worth it?

 

Godbwye

Laurel

 

Sirach

     Before deciding which of this Sunday's reading's I would share my thought's on, I came across this observation by Dr. Yoran Hazony, in his book, The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture. Although he was writing within the context of the prophet Jeremiah's frustration with the obstinacy of the Jewish people's refusal to change their ways, even with the Babylonian army on the march, Hazony's remark spoke directly to me. He wrote that, "man is unique of God's creatures in that he can freely choose to value that which will gain him little or nothing, and to devote his life to its pursuit." And that thought brought me to Sirach 15:15-20:


                                  
                                     
                                        

                                  "If you choose, you can keep the commandments
                   
                                       it is loyalty to do his will.

                                   There are set before you fire and water;

                                        to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.

                                    Before you are life and death

                                         whichever he chooses shall be given him.

                                     Immense is the wisdom of the Lord

                                          he is mighty in power and all-seeing.

                                     The eyes of God see all he has made;

                                          he understands man's every deed.

                                      No man does he command to sin;

                                           to none does he give strength to lies."

     The choice, as it is laid out by Sirach, sounds like a no-brainer. If we trust in God, we will live; we can choose between life and death, good and evil. Sounds easy enough. Then why can it be so hard for me? And why does Sirach keep pounding on the matter of choice: "If you choose (v.15)...to which you choose (v.16)...whichever he choose shall be given to him (v.17)?"

     For me, free will has often been a blessing and a curse. The filmmaker/actor Jean Renoir, as a character in one of his own movies, says, "The terrible thing about life, monsieur, is that everyone has his reasons." Well, Amen to that, brother! For nearly 20 years I abused alcohol. And I was so thankful that I never hurt anyone. But I was wrong about that. I hurt my parents, embarrassed myself and gave a terrible example to others. It's amazing how I tried to deceive myself and refused to see the sadness my actions were bringing into the lives of others. I'd simply laugh it off by saying, "It  seemed like a good idea at the time." Now, it reminds me of the final verse from the Book of Judges, a verse that tries to sum up the horrendous violence, depravity and death that permeated the Promised Land: "...everyone did what they thought best."(Jgs.21:25b)

      I have seen  the way to evil and a spiritual death, and I know the way that leads to emptiness, sadness and depression. But I am also blessed to know the way to life, to wisdom and to God. And God will not force me to take one path or the other. He trusts me. That's an empowering and a frightening thought. He has given me free will. And he knows that the way to a spiritual death can be appealing and attractive, and even a lot more fun than the path to him. And still he trusts me.

     There was a hit song in the late 1960's by a British rock group, the Animals. The song was, "It's My Life and I'll do what I Want." The title encapsulated my attitude as a clueless 17-year old, and the attitude of a large segment of society then, and for many, even now. Since then I've learned the hard way, through many false roads taken, that what I do with my life, with my choices, affects many, many people, some whom I've never met. And the consequences of some of my choices have hurt people I truly love. That was a hard, but necessary lesson to learn.

     Sirach is reminding me, some 2300 years after he either wrote, or recited to a scribe, that I am responsible for the choices I make, and that their consequences often reach farther than I can imagine, both for me and for others. Once asked by a reporter if he wanted to send a message to his village, Mahatma Gandhi, sitting in a train slowly departing the station, jotted on a piece of scrap paper: "My life is my message." So is mine. What message am I sending?                                 

Be the Light

Reflection for Sunday, February 9 --  The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

  Judy Morss

Gospel of Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”
The readings for this Sunday seem to have a common focus on light. Isaiah 58:7-10 tells us "If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday."

Our response to Psalm 112 is "The just man is a light in darkness to the upright" and we are told that ""Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just."
In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus tells his disciples: "You are the light of the world.... Just so your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."

Sometimes when I look around me, I see a lot of darkness. When I listen to the news, I often see and hear even more darkness. But then I will notice a person whose light shines brightly. Like the teenager next door who shovels the sidewalk for his elderly neighbor and takes no pay. Then there is a woman from church who brings a couple of elderly ladies to Mass every Sunday morning. I see our people at Eucharistic Adoration 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the light shines brighter and brighter.

There certainly is a lot of darkness in the world, but when I begin to feel some despair, I look to those people who do not "light their lamp and then put it under a bushel basket." And that makes me refocus on being the light. Our readings for this day tell us what we need to do. We need to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, cloth the naked, encourage and support those who are afflicted.

I have lots questions I need to ask myself. Am I gracious and merciful and just? Do I reach out to those in need? Am I a just person; can my soul be part of the heavenly light? I am commanded by my Savior to become light; to be light. If we all persevere and become the light, we can help put out the darkness. From darkness to light, that's my goal.

With peace and love,
Judy