I Am Still Here

A Reflection by Sharon Nelsen on Mark 5:21-43

This past Sunday, I attended services with a Boys Town student at the Protestant Chambers Chapel at Boys Town.  I arrived early and was able to stand outside and watch the family home vans drive up, park, and pour forth stunning groups of boys or girls.  Each young man was dressed in slacks, a colorful dress shirt and tie; the young women came in flowing dresses of all styles.  Like colorful streams of life, they proceeded to enter Chambers Chapel.

As I entered with my young student, we were handed a worship leaflet that contained all the songs and readings for the service, as well as the sequence, and, a place for making notes of our own responses and inspirations.

We began with praise, the singing led by a wonderful, spirit-filled Boys Town family teacher.  Selected students proclaimed the readings—the same three scriptures being read at the same time on campus at Dowd Catholic Chapel.  I was struck with the theme of Pastor Michael’s sermon—“Jesus is always available.”  He took that ministry of Jesus and broke it open for us in the stories of the hemorrhaging woman and the raising of Jairus’ daughter from death.  I had come to services that day very concerned about my friend in hospice and a few other situations of apparent hopelessness.  Pastor Michael’s faith stirred up faith within me.

The next day as I was reflecting on my flawed faith in relation to Jesus’ availability in all situations  in my life, I became aware of the spirit of negativity that has plagued me and my family for generations.  I asked the Lord to set us free from that spirit and to fill us with His Hope and Joy in knowing that in Him, everything is all right because He has the power in all situations and if we but ask, we receive.

I realized that sometimes we are so hard on ourselves, thinking of ourselves as “wrong” or “not right,” when actually we are just flawed.  A grapefruit’s skin can be flawed with a brown spot and still be a tasty, delicious grapefruit; a tree can grow unevenly and still produce good shade, a home for birds, fruit and beauty; a family can have flawed members and still be a good family.  All of us are flawed by sin and yet we are good, wonderfully made in the image of God, “fearfully, wonderfully made” as the psalmist proclaims in Psalm 139.  I could feel my mustard seed of faith growing; Jesus is available for every situation I am willing to bring to Him.

As I reflected further on Jesus’ availability to us, I heard the Lord explain:

Even if there is contamination,


I am still here.

Even if there are flaws,


I am still here.

Even if there are missing parts,


I am still here.

Even if there are missing resources,


I am still here.

Even if there is abusive power,


I am still here.

Even if there is terminal illness,


I am still here.

Even if there is ignorance,

I am still here.

Even if lies seem to prevail,


I am still here.

Even if bitterness takes hold,


I am still here.

Even if all seems bleak,


I am still here.

“Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?” (Genesis 18.14)


I am

I am here,


With you now and forever!

Jesus

This morning I am more grateful for the faith and vision of Father Flanagan who adhered to the truth, “Every boy must pray, how he prays is up to him.”   I personally experienced the fruit of his work in the preaching of Pastor Michael.  My faith increases as I reflect and remember that Jesus is always available for us, for He loves us with an everlasting love, and love means being available to another.  Availability is the hallmark of all staff at Boys Town.  

It seems fitting to conclude with a quote from St. Joseph Cafasso (1811-1860) who mentored St. John Bosco, who inspired Father Flanagan in his mission to homeless, neglected boys, “We are born to love, we live to love, and we will die to love still more.”  Love is always available.  “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1Cor. 13.13)

The Traveling Preacher

Sunday July 5, 2015

A Reflection on Mark 6:1-6 N.A.B.
By: Larry T

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday we read about Jesus’ preaching experience in his hometown synagogue. At first the people were fascinated and spellbound as they heard Jesus interpret the law in a new and astonishing way, but when they remembered that he had been their neighbor and was a simple carpenter at that, they turned their back on him and his message. What went wrong?

¹ He departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.

² When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!

³ Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.”

⁵ So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.

⁶ He was amazed at their lack of faith. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching.

How much time does a professional speaker have to gain an audience’s trust? Is it two, five, ten, or fifteen minutes? The answer is less than five, and sometimes as little as two minutes. In view of this professional speakers are trained to use a variety of time-proven techniques aimed at earning an audience’s trust in the first critical minutes of their speech.

For example, men are told to wear white shirts and women advised to wear white blouses because white implies purity. Married male speakers are instructed to wear plain gold wedding bands because an audience is more comfortable with a man who wears a simple gold wedding ring. Politicians consistently follow this recommendation; even politicians who are multimillionaires typically wear plain gold wedding rings when making speeches. Some speakers have meeting rooms set up with ninety percent of the seating required for the anticipated audience size; then they have additional seating brought in at the very last minute. This is so that seated audience members might think, Wow! Look at all the people coming in at the last minute, this speaker must really be good! These simple tricks-of-the-trade are all designed to help build credibility with the audience. Since Jesus had been invited by the synagogue officials to address the meeting he didn’t have much of a credibility obstacle to overcome.

What was the audience expecting from Jesus? After all, He was just one of them, and a common tradesman at that. At best His reading of the scroll could be a little better than average. Since Jesus didn’t have a formal education in Mosaic Law, his interpretations couldn’t possibly equal those of the Pharisees and scribes. All things considered their expectations of Jesus’ preaching might have been pretty low; some onlookers probably steeled themselves to simply suffer through it.

How good a preacher was the Lord? He astonished them! He stunned them by explaining Mosaic Law in ways that they had never heard before, in ways that they were not ready to accept. Every word that Jesus spoke and every act that he performed was a divine act in human form. This synagogue audience was simply unwilling to accept the Word of God. They rationalized that a simple carpenter could not possess the wisdom to speak as He did, so they rejected Him. Jesus was amazed at their lack to faith.

For two-thousand years all humanity has been Jesus’ audience; he continues to preach to us through Holy Scripture and his Church. Like the synagogue audience we have two choices: we can receive Jesus and live out his message, or we can reject him. The greatest fear that professional speakers have is that their audience will get up and walk out on them. This Sunday we might reflect on the Lord’s dismay as he sees members of his audience get up and walk out and his joy over those who stay.

Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord

 By Sharon Nelsen 

The month of June, this month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, has always been for me a time of developing more intimacy with Jesus. As I pray and listen in my morning prayer time, I experience the Lord leading me to a more meaningful relationship with Him. Years ago, when I first sang “Taste and See” (the song written by James E. Moore Jr.) the words settled into my heart. Recently, it appeared that God wanted me to apply His words more specifically. A “This-is-how-you experience-it teaching of Jesus” came to me: 

Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord.

Taste the FREEDOM of being released from bondage.

Taste the STRENGTH of trusting that I understand everything about you and all circumstances of your life.

Taste the HOPE from the promise that I make all things new and that I can and do bring good out of 2 Corevery situation you hand over to Me.

Taste the PEACE of experiencing my loving care, concern, and presence.

Taste My DESIRES burning in your heart.

Taste the JOY of being in relationship with Me, in My Word, in My People and in our quiet times together.



My desire is happiness for you, for all; happiness that flows from our relationship.  As you listen, as you taste, as you see My Goodness, you will not be able to stop the flow of happiness welling up within you, washing out all pain, cleansing and strengthening you each day. My love, Dear one, now and forever, Jesus



Another scripture touched my heart this month. As I reflected on “For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him (Jesus),” 2 Cor. 1.20 these words flowed out so effortlessly that I knew they were gift from the Holy Spirit and meant for all of us:




You are dear                  Open your ear

I am near                        You will hear

Can you hear                  For you are dear

My yes?                          To Me!

Journaling with Sharon: Examination of Conscience or Self-judgement

By Sharon Nelsen

This morning’s verse 10 from Psalm 103, revealed to me my disbelief:  The psalmist declares that God does not “treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults.”  Intellectually, I have to accept that, but experientially, I do not believe it.  It feels like presumption to me.

I took that to the Lord in prayer and discovered that I believed the lie, not the truth.  The Lord led me to look at what was underneath the lie, what was keeping me from accepting the Peace God offers me in those wonderful, merciful words.  To my surprise, what surfaced was that I needed to look more closely at the differences between examining my conscience and self-judgment.  To that end, the Holy Spirit activated this understanding:

Examination of Conscience


1. Taking time to reflect on my motivations and acts

2. Believing “I have power and freedom to choose/decide.”

3. Desiring growth/challenge

4. Acting in the conviction that God is with me

5. Free to admit errors

6. Empowering

7. Encouraging

8. Affirming

9. Owns true self

10. Delights in one’s humanity



Self-judgment


Reacting to immediate accusations, “I should have…”

Believing “I am a victim; I really have no choice.”

Avoiding growth/challenge

Acting as if God is my adversary, against me

Fear of “being wrong”

Weakening

Discouraging

Condemning

Denies true self

Resents being human


If I believe the lies associated with self-judgment, then I will avoid healthy reflection on my acts. To help me change my habit, the Holy Spirit inspired me with a “Once Again Prayer”:



Dear Merciful, Compassionate Divine Friend,



Once again

I have fallen short

Once again

I ask your forgiveness

Once again

I rely on your mercy

Once again

I ask for Your Grace that I may

Once again

Serve you with my whole heart, my whole soul, my whole being

Once again

I give You the praise and the glory for all the good you have worked through me and will

Once again

Continue to work through me in spite of my faults and weaknesses.

Once again



I thank you, Dear Triune God, for being with me. Amen!

The Birthplace of the Church

Sunday June 7, 2015

A Reflection on Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 N.A.B. 

By: Larry T

At a small group faith sharing meeting last year our parish pastor asked, “What does the Last Supper mean to you?” Red faced, the eight of us stared studiously at our hands, not daring to meet his eyes. To be sure, it wasn’t a fair question - the kind to be answered on the spur of the moment, because there is more than one good answer. Still yet, it is a thought provoking question. What are we to make of the Last Supper?

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday we read about the events leading up to the Last Supper, the meal itself, and the institution of the Holy Eucharist:

¹² On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

¹³ He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him.

¹⁴ Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’

¹⁵ Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”

¹⁶ The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

²² While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.”

²³ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

²⁴ He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.

²⁵ Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Our attention is immediately drawn to the words of Institution (vv. 22-24) because they are a familiar part of the Mass, but there is much more to it than that. Is it possible that Jesus asks each of us, Where is my guest room where I may eat my Passover with you? And if His words and actions have caused us to spiritually prepare for Him, He will come to dwell within us.

Once the meal preparations were completed Jesus gathered his disciples and went to the upper room. Today, some two thousand years later, Jesus continues to assemble us (his disciples) in preparation for the meal.

Jesus abruptly departed from the traditional meal ritual when he broke the bread, handed it to his disciples and said, “Take it, this is my body” and then offered them the cup saying, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many”. They would have been both alarmed and puzzled at Jesus’ words and actions. They could not have immediately fully understood that with this act Jesus was providing them and all humanity to come with the gift of his body and blood.

When the priest elevates the consecrated host above the paten or above the chalice and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” we might recall the words of Revelations 19:9 N.A.B.: “Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These words are true; they come from God.” The image of a wedding feast is frequently used in Scripture to describe the Kingdom (Matthew 22:2, 9:15, 25:1-13). When we receive the consecrated bread and wine which are truly the body and blood of Jesus, we are in communion with him; through it our living God spiritually and physically receives us.

The early Church was founded on Jesus’ death and Resurrection, which he anticipated in the gift of his body and blood at the Last Supper (v. 25), so we might even go so far as to say that this meal was the birthplace of the Church.

Joy is Strength!

Sunday, May 3, 2015
A Reflection on John 15:1-12 N.A.B.

By: Larry T

Lily B. is the most fulfilled and joyful person that I have met in recent years. She is sixty-something, a grandmother, a very plain woman who wears very simple and modest clothing. Her face is always lit up with joy, inner peace, and serenity. Anyone who has personal contact with Lily will go away thinking I want some of what she has.

Early Christians called themselves simply “the living”. Lily would have fit right in with them because she has found what all mankind is desperately in search of - life itself, full, and eternal life.

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday Jesus promises that if we remain in him our prayers will be answered (v.7), we will bear much fruit (v.8), our purpose of glorifying the Father will be fulfilled (v.8), we will experience divine love (vv. 9-10), and have fullness of joy (v.11). Remaining in Jesus brings joy and eternal life.

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.

² He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

³ You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.

⁴ Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.

⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

⁸ By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

⁹ As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.

¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

¹¹ “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

¹² This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. - John 15:1-12 N.A.B.

When does eternal life begin? The three most common answers to this question are either, I don’t know, I’m not sure, or immediately after death. Pope Benedict XVI points out: “Eternal life is not – as the modern reader might immediately assume – life after death, in contrast to this present life, which is transient and not eternal. ‘Eternal life is life itself, real life, which can also be lived in the present age and is no longer challenged by physical death. This is the point: to seize ‘life’ here and now, real life that can no longer be destroyed by anything or anyone.” - Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth.

This sense of eternal life is spelled out very clearly in the raising of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25b-26a N.A.B.). When Jesus said to his disciples, “In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.” (John 14:19 N.A.B.), he revealed once again that his true disciples “live” beyond the mere fact of existing. They find the real life that all humanity is desperately pursuing. This knowledge filled the earliest Christians with joy and is why they called themselves “the living”.

St. Teresa of Ávila, the 16th-century Carmelite nun and reformer, herself spoke out against deadly serious Catholicism. “A sad nun is a bad nun,” she said. “I am more afraid of one unhappy sister than a crowd of evil spirits…What would happen if we hid what little sense of humor we had? Let each of us humbly use this to cheer others.” This Doctor of the Church, and eminent teacher of the faith, continually endorsed humor. More recently, Mother Teresa said, “Joy is prayer; joy is strength; joy is love; joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.”

Remaining in Jesus means keeping his commandments including loving one another as he loves us. It is through this relationship with Jesus, who is Life that we become “the living”. This leads us to joy and eternal life because everything will be as it should be; there will be a sense of rightness in our lives. Although it is a life-long struggle, we have Jesus’ assurance (v. 7) that our prayers for strength will be answered.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) the French philosopher and Jesuit priest said, “Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God”.

Be a Witness

A reflection for the Third Sunday of Easter, April 19

By Judy Morss

Acts 3:13-15, 17-19

Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9

1 John 2:1-5A

Luke 24:35-48

The gospel this week finds the apostles back in the upper room. They were probably fearful and wondering what would happen next. Two of the disciples had reported back to the apostles that Jesus had made himself known to them in the "breaking of the bread."  Jesus appeared to the group gathered together.  It is not unexpected that they were startled and probably very frightened.  They thought they were seeing a ghost.

Jesus spoke to them asking why they were frightened.  Did they recognize Jesus? His wounds from

crucifixion were visible.  As he showed them his hands and feet, they probably began to realize that their Savior was indeed in their midst.  Jesus reminded them that he has already spoken to them about what would happen to him. He reminded them that everything would be fulfilled.

He opened up scripture to them so that they could better understand it.  Then he said that they are "the witnesses of these things." 

We are blessed to have heard the Word of God, even though we have not seen Him with our eyes.  We still believe. We, too, are called to give witness to what God has done for us and for the whole world.  Right now we are in that special place between Easter and Pentecost.  Our Savior has risen. What should we being doing?

 I think that we should spend more time being a witness. We are meant to be "witnesses of a great joy, witnesses that love is stronger than death, and witnesses of the resurrection." This is the role that the disciples will soon take on as their mission. This can be our mission as well.  Most of us will not be traveling throughout the world witnessing and evangelizing. However in our small circle of influence we can witness what God has done for us through his beloved Son. And who knows how we might be able to enlarge that circle.

I found Psalm 4 to be just beautiful. I plan to incorporate part of the Psalm into my nightly prayer.

"O Lord, let the light of our countenance shine upon us!  You put gladness in my heart.

  As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep, for you alone, O Lord, bring security to my dwelling. "

Peace and blessings,

Judy

(artwork Christ's appearance to the Apostles, by Andrey Mironov CC BY-SA 3.0 via wikimedia commons;  Jesus, I Trust in You, by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski  public domain via wikimedia commons)