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)

I am Peter!

A Reflection on Mark 9:1-10 N.A.B.

By: Larry T

Peter, James, John, and Paul were the four pillars of Jesus’ emerging Church. Peter, James, and Paul were ultimately murdered for preaching the Good News. Peter was crucified; James and Paul were both beheaded. Clearly, their faith in Jesus enabled them to face their executions, but why were they so loyal to him? It is true that Peter, James, and John had seen Jesus perform various healings and miracles, but it was probably the Transfiguration of Jesus, the empty tomb, and Jesus’ physical resurrection that cemented their faith. The Transfiguration was meant to be a wellspring of power and hope for them.

¹ He also said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.”

² After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,

³ and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.

⁴ Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.

⁵ Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

⁶ He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.

⁷ Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

⁸ Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.

⁹ As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

¹⁰ So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.

- Mark 9:1-10 N.A.B.

What did Jesus mean when he said “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power.”? This statement has been the source of much debate and speculation through the centuries. Just what did Jesus mean? Theologians and biblical scholars do not all agree on the meaning, but some convincingly argue that placement of this statement immediately before the Transfiguration clearly relates it to the Transfiguration event. Following this line of thinking, Jesus promised Peter, James, and John that they would personally witness the coming of the Kingdom of God “in power.”

Then, Jesus led them up onto a high mountain where he was transfigured before them and “and his clothes became dazzling white such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.” The astounding whiteness of His clothing reflected His transfigured glory.

Moses (the lawgiver and liberator) and Elijah (the first great prophet) suddenly appeared and began speaking to Jesus. With one foot in the Old Testament and one foot in the New Testament, Jesus is undoubtedly the new Torah.

Next, the whole Trinity appeared: the Father in the voice; the Son in the man; the Spirit in the shining cloud (C.C.C. 555). With, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.” the Father revealed Jesus to be his Son, representative, and revealer, then he gave divine authority to Jesus’ teachings.

The Second Letter of Peter to the Christians wasn’t written by Peter, but by an anonymous author. Still, it was based on oral tradition that summarized their Transfiguration experience, so we know that it had a deep-rooted effect on them.

¹⁶ We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.

¹⁷ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. - 2 Peter 1:16-18 N.A.B.

Later on, Peter vehemently denied Jesus three times, so we know his faith was still being formed. Imagine the bewilderment when he ran to Jesus’ burial tomb and saw that it was empty. On its own, the empty tomb didn’t mean much to him because Jesus’ body could have been stolen or it might have even been the wrong tomb. Nonetheless, he was certain that Jesus had died on the cross because one of the Roman soldiers plunged his spear into Jesus’ side (John 19:34 N.A.B.). It was only when Peter could see and speak with the physically resurrected Jesus that his faith was completely formed, and he could become one of the four leaders of the early Church.

As we reflect on the Transfiguration of Jesus, we might take the time to relax, take a few deep breaths, close our eyes and imagine that we are walking side by side with Peter. Can you hear loose gravel and small rocks crunch under our sandaled feet as we climb the mountain? We’re all gasping for breath and grunting as we struggle to keep up with Jesus. Rivulets of sweat stream down our foreheads into our eyes stinging them. Jesus is suddenly transformed. His clothing is so blindingly white that we can’t bear to look directly at him. Imagine our terror when Moses and Elijah magically appear. Moses and Elijah! Have we all died? Panic stricken, Peter foolishly blurts out something about building three tents. Then the cloud appears and we hear the voice of God the Father. In an instant it’s all over. What are we thinking as we carefully and silently make our way down the mountain? What just happened? Was it real? Was it a group hallucination?

Peter’s spiritual journey progressed from simple curiosity about Jesus to partial faith, then to half faith, and finally to rock solid faith in the Lord. Especially at this time of the year, as we work our way through Lent into and through the Easter season, we should set aside time to walk with Peter through each spiritual event as we just did through the Transfiguration. Be overcome with love for Jesus at the Last Supper as Peter was. Feel our blood pressure skyrocket and our bodies stiffen in rage as we see our beloved Jesus being brutally arrested. Share in Peter’s disgrace and despair at denying Jesus. Recoil in horror at Jesus’ crucifixion. Sense the desolation of the eleven disciples at Jesus’ death. And finally, be overcome with pure joy at being with the resurrected Lord. Peter’s spiritual journey is an example for all Christians; his faith journey from beginning to end is our faith journey. 

Even As We Sleep

Merry Christmas!

I have been trying all Advent to post something for Journey to Wisdom, but time is not on my side! So here it is Chirstmas Eve, all four candle are lit and if it is not done now, it didn't need to get done, right?  So I may as well write!

This has been a good Advent, though I would not have said so even a few days ago.

Because even though I thought I had all things under control as we lit the first candle; our Magnificat in hand with it's beautiful prayers and our children's nativity Advent calendar ready to go. (It usually comes out after we are past day 5 and we have to catch up with our readings!)  But then everything spun out of control!  The crazyness of the December activities had something to do with it, a new grandson living with us took up some time and energy, plus, as if those were not enough, a brief, but still burdensome, stint on Federal Jury Duty.  That was all it took!  We fell behind and our evenings got late so our prayer felt hasty--  when we had time to say them! When we did, I was always scolding (yelling at) the kids who never seemed to be listening, or much interested at all! So yeah, I was all like this:

Which always tells me that I am focusing on the exterior appearence of devotion rather than simply opening my heart up to God's intiative and allowing Him to pour out His  grace on us just as we are.  Instead, in my fear of not being good enough, or that I have to do something to catch His eye, I grasp and clutch at spiritual feelings, even though I know that when I grasp and clutch I lose more than I retain! As a result there is much anxiety that goes along with this type of spritual rapacity.

Unless the LORD build the house,
they labor in vain who build.
Unless the LORD guard the city,
in vain does the guard keep watch. (Psalm 127;1)

Of course this isnt to say that we need not keep Advent devotions;  they nurture our desire for the Lord, and we need to desire the Lord more, much more!  But even in our deficient, but growing desire we need to trust that He is pouring out what we need:

God gives to his beloved in sleep (Psalm 127;2)

Which is the gift He gave me this year, He calmed me down and let me know that my desire for Him is all He needs; I do not need to let anxiety overcome me, but yeild the deepeining desire He draws from me even as I sleep, or bumble thorugh my prayers.  

So as I tuck my children to bed this Christmas Eve; as I bless them and help nurture their desire for Him, and as I myself go to sleep, I will not allow my desire to be turned into fear and anxiety. Rather, I will know and believe, that Christ is being born in my soul, because He desires to be and He is deepening my desire for Him!  No matter what!

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 into the way of peace. Luke 1: 78-79

Know today that the Lord will come!  In the morning you will see His glory!
Merry Christmas!
Heidi

POWERFUL PANTIES or PRAYERFUL PERSEVERANCE?

"POWERFUL PANTIES

 or

 PRAYERFUL PERSEVERANCE?"

(a reflection on Luke 18:1-8, the widow and unjust judge)

by: Deacon Paul Rooney

 

I hope that none of you have superstitious notions.  According to a BBC poll just this year, it seems like one in three college kids think it worth giving "lucky underwear" a try, especially just before a college exam!

 If you have ever watched "Track and Field" events in the Olympic games, back in the era of the famous Carl Lewis in the late 1980's, perhaps you may remember the name of an Olympic marathon "hopeful" by the name of Margaret Groos, a girl from Tennessee.  Before she eventually had to withdraw from competitive sports because of a hyperthyroid condition, someone asked her the reason for her early success.  Her answer made it into the "famous quotes" archives.  She said this:

"When I was 15, I had lucky underwear. When that failed, I had a lucky hairdo, then a lucky race number, even lucky race days.  After 15 [more] years, I’ve found the secret to success is simple.  It’s [just] hard work." http://www.quoteswave.com/text-quotes/392817

Perseverance in good actions is always the answer, isn't it?  God gave each one of us certain gifts and skills, and He wants us to use them.  God did NOT say, "Don't forget to go to work today without your Rabbit's foot."  NOR did he say, "Make sure you read your horoscope today, it will guide you."  And He certainly did NOT say, "Don't forget to wear your lucky underwear."  What he did say is found in the First Commandment.

Well, in today's gospel we have a story of another woman who persevered.  However, she did not get her way with the judge because she wore lucky underwear.  Instead, she simply kept asking, and asking, and asking, until finally he gave in to her request for justice.  The story is pretty straight-forward.  If someone like an unjust human judge will give in to persistent pleas for help, don't you think that a just God  will respond to persistent pleas for justice?  Of course He will!

But here is the key: are we willing to be patient and allow God to respond in His own way and in His own time? This requires faith, believing that the Lord hears and will answer all prayers that are in accord with His will.

There is a footnote in the bible [NABRE] which says that persistent prayer is needed to avoid apostasy, and this is a sad truth. We all know someone who has simply stopped going to Mass.  That act of straying from the Sacraments has its roots in the non-existence of a real prayer life. I think we all know what happens when our prayer life becomes lax, or when we find excuses not to take quality time to pray.  Eventually this kind of spiritual sloth expands. When Jesus is not at the center of our daily lives, the virtues become harder to live out, and the vices and occasions of sin seem to crop up much more frequently as the enemy gains a foothold in our life. The deadly danger is the short distance between laxity in prayer and eventual apostasy, which is the complete rejection and repudiation of the Christian faith, by deeds if not by public assertion.

To avoid this deadly path to an inactive spiritual life, we need to heed the gospel message today: be persistent in seeking justice, and be persistent in our prayer life. A great image is presented in the First Reading (Exodus 17:8-13). As long as Moses had his hands raised in intercessory prayer, the battle went well for the Israelites. But when he stopped interceding with prayer, the enemy gained an advantage. And when others joined Moses to help him with the intercession, the battle against the enemy was won.

This is what Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, who continues to appear at Medjugorje since 1981, has been urging upon all Catholics: to pray persistently for peace (she tells us that "there will be no peace without prayer and fasting"), and to pray persistently for our priests to help them in their intercession for us.  She asks us to pray the rosary daily; to fast on bread and water on both Wednesdays and Fridays; to read scripture daily; to attend Mass every Sunday and as often on weekdays as possible; and to go to Confession monthly.

So there is our roadmap, from scripture, from the Mother of God, and from Jesus: persistent intercession, and perseverance in our daily prayer life.  Remember the way our gospel started today, and I quote: "Then [Jesus] told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary."  That is the key to victory in spiritual warfare!  All you need to do is use it!  (+)

Deacon Paul Rooney

Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha

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Photo Credits:

Marathoner: http://blog.tamar.com/2010/07/two-years-to-go-and-the-2012-london-olympics-marketing-marathon-starts-now/#.Ul1Qob4o4w0

Judge and Widow: http://www.ocarm.org/pre09/lectio/anno_c/orc29eng.htm

Moses Arms Upraised: http://bibleencyclopedia.com/pictures/Exodus_17_Aaron_and_Hur_raising_Moses'_hands.htm

Queen of Peace: http://deaconjohn1987.blogspot.com/2013/07/mary-tv-july-2-2013-medjugorje-message.html

 

BEWARE of SPIRITUAL LEPROSY!

BEWARE of SPIRITUAL LEPROSY!

(a reflection on Luke 17:11-19)

by: Deacon Paul Rooney

 

There is a well-known yarn, one which may or may not be true, that you can find in the writings of a nephew of Mark Twain, writings about the famous author and Nobel Prize winner, Rudyard Kipling.  You remember the things Kipling wrote like "Gunga Din" and "The Jungle Book," both of which were made into movies.  Kipling sold one of his books for a price that netted him one shilling for every word, which might be about 40¢ a word today.  So sure enough, one wise guy mailed him a shilling, asking him for "one word."  Rudyard Kipling responded with one word: "Thanks."⁽¹⁾  Well, in today's gospel (Luke 17:11-19) Jesus gave ten lepers something far more significant than a shilling: he restored them to physical wholeness.  Yet only one man responded with that precious word, "Thanks."

Two things make this episode unusual.  First, only one of the ten men returned to give thanks to Jesus for the healing.  Since Jesus made a pointed comment

about this, it highlights the direct connection between gratitude and faith.  One precious gift, faith, should lead everyone to the proper response, gratitude.  An obvious message is that every Christian should be so grateful for the gift of faith-that-leads-to-salvation that they will praise God daily for so wondrous a gift.  We believe in God's promise of salvation, and we recognize that he died to save us.  When we stumble and fall through personal sin, the Sacrament of Reconciliation once again restores us to spiritual wholeness.  Grace upon grace, gift upon gift!  Praise and thanksgiving for God's tender mercies should well up in us throughout the day, every day!

The second unusual detail in this gospel segment is that it was not the nine Jewish men, but only the Samaritan who demonstrated his gratefulness for being made whole.  He returned, throwing himself at the feet of Jesus in thankfulness.  Jesus had every right to be sad, seeing that only one person saw fit to return and thank him for the healing, especially since the other nine men were fellow Judeans.  Jesus did not "need" their thanks; he had experienced rejection before.  But he knew that the insensitivity of the nine men gave a glimpse into the condition of their heart and mind.  They may have been cured of leprosy of the body, but they now had spiritual leprosy of the mind, a condition of ingratitude and ungratefulness.

One can discern lessons for us today in this scripture passage.  For one thing,

the Christian should not expect to be rewarded with praise and thanks for doing what he or she is sent to do.  After all, the Master was rejected and forgotten; so that will be His disciples' destiny as well.  But just as importantly, we need to do a self-examination of our own attitude of gratitude towards God.  Hopefully we all pray in gratitude at mealtime.  But what about the rest of the day?  Are we aware of the priceless gifts that have been showered upon us?  Faith, Hope, Love, the awesome Incarnation, the sacrificial death of Jesus for my salvation, my very life and breath, my family, and many, many more...am I taking these for granted?  If not, what is my proof?

There is a reason that our Daily Examen begins with a prayer of gratitude and thanksgiving!  It is to help us avoid contracting spiritual leprosy of the mind, an insidious disease for the lax Christian.  We need to be reminded of Who the Giver of all gifts is; that all is grace; and that a response is demanded from us.  The bible mentions the word thanksgiving (in it's many variations) about 140 times, which helps us to remember our obligation.  I pray that thanksgiving already is, or will soon become, a habit on your daily journey with God.

Deacon Paul Rooney

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Notes:

⁽¹⁾"A Ken of Kipling" by William Clemens; http://archive.org/stream/kenofkiplingbein00clemuoft#page/104/mode/2up/search/shilling
Photo Credits:
Kipling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_Kipling
Nativity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_Jesus
Praying Hands: http://www.watton.org/clipart/prayer/prayer.shtml

 

God's "NEON" Messages

God's "NEON" Messages

by: Deacon Paul Rooney

 

The readings for this Sunday, October 6, 2013 (27^th Ordinary "C") are absolutely fascinating for me.  From the Old Testament we hear from Prophet Habakkuk (Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4), and from the Gospel we hear from Jesus (Luke 17:5-6).  Best of all, the Holy Spirit inspired the speakers to use quite vivid descriptions that would remain with us.  Both readings spoke to me about the relationship between faith, poverty of spirit, perseverance, and hope.  In my weekly Sunday scripture commentary on my website ( "Didja Know?" ), I spoke about what we might call these "bottom-line attitudes" that an Intentional Disciple of Christ must have.

Look closely at what God tells the prophet Habakkuk: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it."  Now, if you exercise by means of jogging, or perhaps the more common way of vigorous daily walking, you can appreciate what the Prophet is saying here.  God wants his message known so that everyone can see it.  It had to be on a very large tablet, because that would be the only way a runner or speed-walker passing by could have time to view it and understand it – which is why I call it a "neon" poster message.  (Maybe an image of a strobe light would be more engaging.)  And what is the message on that large poster?  It is the good news that salvation is coming; to wait for it patiently; to know that it has an appointed time and until then you must live in faith.  In fact, that is the prophet's conclusion: God's holy ones, the ones in right relationship with Him, live by their faith!  Neon tubes are luminous - - they are "full of light."  God's word is precisely that luminous light, and more!

 

Through the grace of God, I am able to help a few folks as spiritual director (I prefer the more accurate term, "co-discerner").  I know, as they all know, that faith is challenged many times during "dry" prayer periods, or times when we do not have the desire to pray.  That same challenge to our faith is also an opportunity for grace, because if we persevere despite these dark or dry times, then our faith grows much stronger.  That faith is a priceless gift.  It is the recognition that God is present, very luminous, even in our darkest moments.

In Luke's gospel today, Jesus teaches us that faith can move mulberry trees (Luke 17:5-6) and even mountains (Matthew 17:20).  This is powerful "neon poster" imagery!  How does one really move mountains?  I remember a former Trappist (James Finley) writing somewhere about working in a pig barn.  His job was to shovel manure.  But it seemed to take forever; so he learned to "shovel manure with integrity" - - he recognized that you can't move it all at once; you can only do one shovel full at a time.  Persevering in the task before you is what gets you to your objective. 

Faith is like that!  We must trust in the Lord's message, and live accordingly.  When life gets dark, even with persecution or significant illness, remember the goal, the objective: eternal salvation and life with God forever!  And then live life one day at a time, even one hour at a time, finding God in the "now" moment.  It is a "jogger's moment" – as we jog through life, we need to really "see" God's neon message of hope: he has redeemed us, he has saved us; now all we need to do is persevere in our hope, to live by faith, trusting entirely on the Lord!

- Deacon Paul Rooney

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Photo credit: http://www.uskidsmags.com/blog/2011/06/08/so-you-wanna-get-dirty-do-ya/

Lessons in Faith

 This Sunday's  readings all approach the subject of faith:  that gift from our loving Creator which allows us to love, trust, hope in things unseen and act courageously as we follow Christ and witness to a new life in Him.
  The stories of the OT show God to be a caring and compassionate being, who actively guides and directs history from the start.  He is not a god who hangs in out in the clouds, always at a distance, but makes His presence known in concrete and personal ways.  One important means of realizing God's care and compassion was fulfillment of the oaths or promises which God made to His people through history.  In our first reading, Wisdom 18:6-9,  the Israelites have "knowledge of oaths" or understand God's promises, which lead them to trust and have courage, even in the most trying of circumstances of captivity.  They believe in God's ability to deliver them out of Egyptian slavery and so await and plan for the Passover, ready to "put into effect the divine institution."  Their acts of faith and trust culminate in a sacrificial meal, then a journey to freedom on an unknown path.  In Lumen Fidei, (pg 46, para 35), the Popes write:  Religious man is a wayfarer; he must be ready to let himself be led, to come out of himself and to find the God of perpetual surprises.

   So our journey in life is the place where we find God's loving hand acting, guiding, directing and testing within the plan of our lives.   We respond by faith, accept the challenge with trust and love, then God who loves us unconditionally supports us along the way.   From Lumen Fidei, pg 31, para 26:  Faith transforms the whole person precisely to the extent that he or she becomes open to love. Through this blending of faith and love we come to see the kind of knowledge which faith entails, its power to convince and its ability to illumine our steps. Faith knows because it is tied to love, because love itself brings enlightenment. Faith’s understanding is born when we receive the immense love of God which transforms us inwardly and enables us to see reality with new eyes.

   My own journey of deeper faith started when I began to study the Bible.  Before that I really didn't know God, His love and certainly didn't have that "personal relationship with Christ," so frequently taught in homilies today.   But through coming to know salvation history and God's great love for me and all humans, a passionate faith (love, trust, belief...) blossomed in me, which continues to influence my journey.  (Please see the I Thirst Prayer for You Prayer at www.mcpriests.com, to get an idea of God's great love for you!). From other wise women and men, I've come to see how daily bible readings, prayer and meditation can provide answers to the questions of daily life.

    The second reading, from Hebrews 11, illustrates Abraham response to God's challenges as he uses eyes of faith, to trust and courageously journey to new, surprising vistas, becoming an example of faith for future generations.  God sends Abraham on a journey to a foreign land...Abraham trusts and obediently goes.  God promises numerous descendants, despite Abraham being so old he's "as good as dead." We know God's intervention succeeded in creating offspring for elderly Abraham.  Later, God tests Abraham's fidelity when He asks that his son be given in sacrifice.  Abraham perseveres in this most difficult task, nearly completing it.  Through all this, Abraham's faith and ability to act remains unshakeable.  Perhaps, as we persevere through life's challenges we come to know we lack nothing as God reveals himself dwelling within our "tents," providing the grace sufficient for each day. The author of Hebrews correctly described Abraham in saying, "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.  Because of it the ancients were well attested." (Heb 11:1-2)

    Hebrews 11 goes on to account other great patriarchs of faith, who, like Abraham did not "receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth....seeking a homeland....But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. " I don't know about you, but I've been feeling like an alien in a foreign country for awhile.  This unsettled feeling perhaps might be explained by these words in Hebrews; the journey in this life is just the beginning.  It's a road to greater love, faith and hope in God, in a person named Jesus and ends in His city, the new Jerusalem and with the coming of His Kingdom.  So I believe, hope and pray that this unseen dream comes true.  St Augustine's famous words that our restlessness ends when we rest in God sheds light on the endless earthly discomfort.  Lumen Fidei is also very reassuring, " ...who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Heb11:6).  We can see from this that the path of religious man passes through the acknowledgement of a God who cares for us and is not impossible to find.  What other reward can God give to those who seek him, if not to let himself be found?" (LF pg 45, para 45)

   In Luke's Gospel, chapter 12, Jesus reminds us not to worry, not be anxious and to have no fear as the Father will take care of all our needs.  Further in chapter 12, our Gospel reading this Sunday (Luke 12:32-48) Jesus states this heavenly reward, the kingdom will be given to us by the Father, who is pleased to do so. We can have so much faith in this that we should "sell everything and give alms," storing up treasure in heaven by our earthly actions helping build the kingdom.   Our heavenly reward is inexhaustible--it doesn't decay and can't be stolen.   These are amazing words which challenge us to work tirelessly for the kingdom laboring on God's plan, sharing our all (for all good giving and every perfect gift is from above Jas 1:17)

   Jesus' parables (Luke 12:35-48) reveals the divine perspective on what we humans need to accomplish in life.  We are called to prepare and persevere like Abraham:   be vigilant awaiting the master's return, ready to open the door at his knocking.  We need to know the master's will, having eyes of faith and ears which hear, so our preparations and actions are aligned with the Master, like the prudent and faithful servant.  This directive is where we use those precious gifts from God to buildup his kingdom on earth.  Interestingly enough, much of life seems to be a discovery of ourselves and our giftedness, which frequently changes with the passage of time.  I guess we just need to act with love and compassion in tune with the heart of Christ, no matter the situation or time.  Jesus didn't let up with his challenge to us, as the last line of this Sunday's reading demonstrate:  "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” 

   Thank God for His daily graces otherwise how could we live up to God's expectations at all?!  Some days, I think I need to leave it all to God, awaiting His lamp light on the path (which sometimes is just hitting my toes and not on the curve in the road 10 miles away--ok, I mean living day by day with the grace that's sufficient for that day).  Our parish priest wisely pointed out that the manna in the desert came daily without fail but it wasn't something they could store up or save until the next day.   Grace is kind of like that too and it helps us in our life of faith providing for our daily needs--from the book, Forming Intentional Disciples, by Sherry Weddell:  St. Thomas Aquinas taught that grace heals the soul by helping us recognize the good while empowering us to desire the good, do the good, persevere in the good, and reach glory.  
    In summary, my simple description of the journey of faith includes:  learning to love God and neighbor, following the examples of love, belief, and trust carved out by Jesus and the OT fathers of faith, learning to surrender to God all daily needs, knowing He will provide what is truly necessary, and hoping in the reward of eternal life.  

    May God bless you with a strong faith,
          provide for your daily needs, 
               all through His abundant love, grace and mercy.


Janet

HELPLESSNESS and HOPE

HELPLESSNESS and HOPE

(Reflection on the readings for June 9, 2013,

the 10^th Sunday, Ordinary Time “C”)

- Deacon Paul Rooney

 There is a lot of grieving going on today.  It includes those who have lost sons and daughters in a war in some far-off land.  It can spring from terminal illnesses that seem to pop up out of nowhere, and strike down a member of our family.  Another particular cause for heart grief is when a family member strays from the fullness of truth that is found in the Catholic Church.  No matter what form they take, these things tend to leave us feeling helpless and depressed.

Shared helplessness is certainly a common bond among those grieving either their own loss, or the loss sustained by someone else.  I could not help but think to myself, where is Elijah (1^st Reading: 1 Kgs 17:17-24), or where is Jesus (Gospel: Luke 7:11-17), both who brought back the dead in our readings today.  We all want certainties in life; we dislike painful and heartbreaking surprises.

All we know for sure is that we can’t blame God for the bad news.  In the midst of disaster, it is possible for all of us, still in shock, to overlook or forget another reality: Jesus is indeed always present.  We read about his endless compassion in our gospel.  Now we see his disciples continuing his mission of compassion, as they serve and help the grieving survivors in Oklahoma (and other locations) in every way they can.  Pity and compassion know of no denominational lines; instead, they come from a heart filled with Jesus’ own love.

It is only Jesus who can bring meaning out of chaos.  Jesus has power over death.  While we cannot imitate such power, we can imitate his compassion!  Each one of us knows all too well the tragedies that follow or flow from hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, drought, pestilence, and other things we call “natural” disasters.  When circumstances seem to confront us with hopelessness, our faith is put to the test.  We do the only thing our faith calls us to do: we cling to the one who promises eternal life, because we know that somehow all things turn to the good, because God is working in all things (Rom. 8:28).

Why do we know this?  Because the Father sent his only Son to live among us and teach us.   He suffered, and he died for us.  He understands suffering and dying.  He has been there, done that...  Now he wants us to trust him, to accept and endure with faith and hope whatever comes our way in life.  There are many books written on the topic of abandonment to divine providence (one even has that title); but that is the secret we need to bring into the light.  We are God’s kids, children of God, sons and daughters of our Father.  We need to trust in Him, and abandon ourselves into our Father’s hands, imitating our brother Jesus.

Blessings,

Deacon Paul

Reflections on the Gospel for Sunday, February 3, 2013

By Judy Morss

Today's gospel reading is taken from Luke 4:21-30 and is a continuation of the gospel reading from last week. Jesus is in the synagogue in Nazareth and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He has just finished reading the passage "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor..." and then announced that “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” I can visualize the men sitting around Jesus listening to him and thinking about all the great miracles they have heard Jesus has done and wondering what wonders He will do for each of them.

Jesus knew what was in their hearts; they were self-centered and would ask for signs and wonders, looking for what Jesus give to each of them. Surely the deeds for them would be even greater than those performed elsewhere in Judea. But as He always does, Jesus looked into their hearts and knew what was there. He reminded them that just as their ancestors had rejected God's prophets, Elijah and Elisha, so they would reject Him.

Faith is the key to miracles and the key to our conversion. Our world is overwhelmed by individualism; what's in it for me? What's in it for my personal fulfillment? It is never easy to step back from personal interests and to accept the invitation that Jesus is offering us. He calls us as individuals to join together and to walk along and beside him. He calls us to a cultural revolution in which trusting in God, longing to be with Him, and truly working together to move toward the Kingdom are the desired outcomes. And so the question becomes: How do I eliminate pride, envy, greed from my heart and truly work for what for the good of all? Something for us to ponder as we move toward Lent. We have one more Sunday before Lent begins. I plan to focus on what I can do to pass on the desire to join together to focus on that cultural revolution; I'm not planning to focus on what I can "give up" for Lent, but rather what I can DO during Lent to help bring about this cultural revolution.