20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 20th Sunday in ordinary time are:

1. Proverbs 9: 1-6
2. Psalms 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
3. Ephesians 5: 15-20
4. John 6: 51-58

1. Calling the simple
• Do you feel that wisdom is really something that God wants for each one of us?
• Do you feel that you're smart enough to be wise?
• How important is true wisdom in your life?
• If the local Junior College offered Wisdom 101, would you take it?
2. Taste and see
• How much of what we share as Catholics can really be expressed in words?
• How do you go about sharing the rest with someone that you care about?
• Do you think that we're going to get all the best of Catholic tradition (small "t" by the way) in one place, or do you think that we have to go afield a bit to experience the fullness of our faith?
• If you could take a close friend to just one event, one Liturgy, one talk, one concert ..., to try to convince them of the reality of Jesus Christ, what/where would that be?
• What does that say about our parish?
3. Living wisely
• How can we diminish our ignorance and increase in wisdom?
• Is that something best done alone, or in a small faith community, a parish, a Church?
• What would have to happen before such an opportunity was attractive to you?
4. Having true life
• Jesus' words regarding true life coming solely from Him implies that we're born into this world without that life.
• The tangible life that we are born into, breathing, thinking, feeling serves as a way to attain a deeper life, an eternal one.  What do you think the relationship is between that tangible, visible life, and the invisible one?  How does one sustain/support the other?
• What makes for a good death?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I doing on a regular basis to grow in wisdom?
2. What is my community doing to be more welcoming, more appealing, even alluring to those in need?
3. What am I doing to find God's will for me?
4. Is the life of Jesus in me more radiant today than it was yesterday, a year ago, five years ago?

Seeker

Weather beaten like an old piece of siding on an abandoned building in Mojave,

Yet supple like a worn piece of leather,

The would be disciple walked slowly towards the humble house of the master.

Knowing that soon, he would finally meet the one who would show him wisdom,

He knew that he would never be the same,

And wanted to savor the last few moments of the only life he had ever known.

Gently he knocked at the old woman's door.

There was a pregnant pause, and when it was done she said "enter if you've the courage."

The seeker thought about that a moment, and decided that ignorance might masquerade as courage

In its blindness, ignorance knows not what it faces,

And so is able to plunge ahead, heedless of the dangers.

Knowing what he didn't know, the seeker realized all he could lose was his ignorance, and turned the handle.

Natural light drew pictures on the walls,

The master was sipping tea at her table and motioned him to sit before a second cup.

"Come, tell me what you have learned thus far." she said.

The seeker gratefully took a sip, felt the roundness of the cup between his cupped hands,

Noticed how the circle of the brim celebrated completeness completely,

And thought that moments like this one are almost painful in their ripeness, if only we notice it.

He turned to her and said, I have learned that I cannot see beyond the edge of my ignorance,

That my touch in the lives of others can only heal when I am at my most vulnerable.

That all of this, glorious as it is, is not infinite, not eternal, not God.

She could tell that her tea was cooling, so she took another sip to celebrate its warmth as it faded.

She turned so that she could take in his face, and the slowly changing patterns of sunlight.

And with a gaze focused on eternity she said: 

Then you have come a long way to arrive here.  One thing more you need.

God reveals divinity in everything that is given us.

The rock shouts of it in its ineffable rockness.  The kingfisher celebrates life in being a kingfisher.

All of these share the Presence of God precisely in being precisely who and what they were created to be.

Each has a message to share, a song to sing of God.

Learn to find God in all things, find all things in God, then you will learn how best to be who you were created to be.

Then you can join the rocks, the trees, the stars, the kingfisher and take your proper place in creation.

Shalom!