Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Our readings for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God are:

1. Numbers 5: 22-27
2. Psalm 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8
3. Galatians 4:4-7
4. Luke 2: 16-21

• Be a blessing
• One of the supreme ironies that you hear about more and more these days occurs when management hatches a scheme to save money, and it involves the present employees training their eventual replacements.  In such circumstances, it's easy, maybe even justifiable, to intentionally or unintentionally sabotage such efforts, often to the detriment of everyone involved.
• Has there ever been a situation where you were called to be a blessing in someone else's life at your expense?
• What sort of struggles did you go through in that situation?
• Did you eventually become the blessing to that other person?
• How did that change you?

• God's watching over us
• When you think of God's face as it's turned towards you, what sort of expression do you see God wearing?
• If you were to try to summarize God's feelings towards you in three words, what might those be?
• What would you rather those three words be?

• The family business
• If we are all heirs to the Kingdom, what does each of us feel the deepest need for in our lives that we may fulfill that destiny richly?
• For my part, humility and wisdom are at the top of my list.  The humility to truly see myself as God sees me, the wisdom to see the true meaning of the events and condition of the world around me.
•  In which ways are the virtues like athletic skills?
• How are the different?
• How can we make room in our lives for a greater practice of the virtues so that we steadily become better at them?

• Taking time to ponder
• Do you ever feel as though life is happening too fast, demanding too much of you?
• Do you think that we are able to live better if we ponder, mull over, our lives?
• What practices are there that can help that intentional savoring of life?
• How can we help each other get better at it?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I afraid to be a blessing to others in my life?
2. When was the last time that I took time to delight in the presence of God, and let Him delight in me?
3. What am I doing to become more ready for the Kingdom?
4. What can I do to slow my life down, even if it's just a little?

The Smell of the Nativity

The stable was pretty well kept, all in all.
The stalls had been mucked out recently.
The straw relatively clean.

At least that's what the innkeeper said.
To a carpenter's nose, the stench was searing.
And yet, whenever I smell that bouquet of odors

I'm carried back to that lonely inn
Where Mary & I had found shelter for the night
Against the bitter cold outside.

Just when I thought that I had coped
With all of the practical essentials there
This band of shepherds shows up, excited beyond measure.

My first thought was "Oh bother", but Mary stopped me
With a glance that I was already learning to respond to.
And we listened to their amazing story.

And I realized that this time, this place,
Was a gateway to God's heart,
And that heaven was closer than ever before.

And suddenly, the scratchy straw was nothing to worry about
I realized that the stench of the stable came from the same place
As the warmth in those cramped quarters.

I realized that we were not alone, but surrounded
By a great cloud of witnesses through all of time and space
Hanging on every move, every word.

And I knew that all of the chaos, the unpredictability
Were there to break me open
The the vastness of eternity come down to Earth.

And I knew that we were home.

Shalom!

Christmas

There are an abundance, nay a wealth of Masses that are celebrated at Christmas.  I like the Midnight Mass because it's so full of expectancy, of things just on the cusp of becoming, a hushed moment in our liturgical cycle, the journey of years, the ticks of the centuries, when anything is possible, and Love never disappoints.

That, and the Gospel from that Mass is from Luke this year, and the face of Jesus that I see in Luke always looks so very human.  So human that He reminds me that in becoming one of of, all of us have become one in Him, we just have to reach out beyond our comfort zone to accept that grace for the gift that it is.

Our readings for Christmas Mass at midnight are:

1. Isaiah 9: 1-6
2. Psalm 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13
3. Titus 2: 11-14
4. Luke 2: 1-14

• The path to peace
• We all crave peace at this time of year, hoping to get a little breathing room in our lives.  But what does that really mean?
• How would your life be different if you were totally at peace?
• What would you miss about your present life if you were to totally embrace peace?
• What can you be doing today to be ready for real peace?

• Today is born our savior
• Are you ready for Christmas?
• What does that really mean to you?
• What about this season gives you happiness?
• How is Christ coming to, coming in, coming through you this year?

• Training camp
• Do you think that we get better as Christians by practice?
• What are you practicing these days?
• Are you getting any better at it?
• How can you tell?

• No one seems to care
• Grief, worry, dislocation, all of these and more can make us feel isolated, cut off from the rest of humanity, even when they are within arm's reach.
• When was the last time that you found yourself in a strange situation, or a strange place and felt abandoned?
• How did you work through that?
• Have you ever thought to bring those feelings to the Jesus in prayer?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I paying enough attention to the lights that are in my life?
2. What can I do to be more ready to receive my Savior, no matter what form He takes?
3. At this start of the new liturgical year, what practice can I take on to bring me closer to God?
4. How can I be more present to those around me in need?

Taking off the Training Wheels

Do you ever wonder what Joseph talked about with his buddies on Friday nights?

Maybe over a fresh mug of fermented pomegranate juice, or goat's milk eggnog.

Trying to explain why he took Mary as his wife even though it seemed crazy.

Or explaining he they ended up with Jesus in a feeding trough.

Joseph probably told folks about the frantic search for a clean dry place that night.

How he and his little family was just another bit of human flotsam looking for rest

Without a friend in the world, no one to speak up for them or look after them.

And explaining how he felt a peace about the whole thing, like he was right where he belonged.

I'm sure that stolid, intentional, prayerful Mary was a help, or maybe not.

How would you like to be told that everything is going to work out just fine,

When you don't even know just what "just fine" would look like?

Even less how to get from here to "just fine" and be just in time about it too.

Maybe Joseph just gave up trying to explain,

And learned from Mary to ponder things, look them over from different vantage points

Until the bigger picture started to emerge.

I wonder how he found time for that much silence to seep into his soul.

I want to learn that sort of intentional living.

That savors the moments into full flower,

Getting the real texture and sweetness of the moments

Before they fly away, never to be revisited.

Maybe that's the source and summit of peace,

Making time to hear the silence, and learn

Just what is really important in life, 

And hear what it has to say to all of us.

Shalom!

4th Sunday of Advent

Our readings for 4th Sunday of Advent are:

1. Isaiah 7: 10-14
2. Psalm 24: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
3. Romans 1: 1-7
4. Matthew 1: 18-24

• Reading the signs of the times 
• Survivalists work to get "off the grid" and simplify their lives so that when Armageddon comes around, they will not have any reliance on flimsy technologies.  Such folks have significant stores of food, ... and ammo, laid by against the day when justice and order as we know it collapses.
• What future do you see ahead of us all?
• What are you doing to prepare for it?

• A captive audience
• If the earth is the Lord's, and he loves it, why do you think that He put it into our care?
• What of this present existence do you think will last into eternity?
• What does that say about how we care for what we have on this planet?

• Slavery making it simple
• A slave never has to stress over their position in life, who they server, what the limits are to the initiative which they can take.
• In what ways are we like slaves to God?
• In what ways are we like sons and daughters?
• Can we be both?

• A little more information please ...
• Notice that the angel just told Joseph that this whole thing was part of God's plan, but never really said why that should make Joseph feel better.
• Has God ever asked you to trust Him?
• Was there a process in growing in that trust over time?
• How can we be better able to trust God?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I willing and able to leave this life that I have here and now behind to serve God?
2. Am I letting God be present to those around me through His creation?
3. What of my parish, family, and my life would I want to share with someone in ndeed?
4. What am I doing to grow in trust in God?

Shalom!

3rd Sunday of Advent

Our readings for 3rd Sunday of Advent are:

1. Isaiah 35: 1-6a, 10
2. Psalm 72: 146: 6-7, 8-9, 9-10
3. James 5: 7-10
4. Matthew 11: 2-11

• Return of the exile 
• Refugees of all sorts are like invisible amputees, they have been cut off from their roots, their homes, their loved ones, their livelihoods, and yet they look totally whole and complete.
• Our church tells us that we are exiles from God's heavenly kingdom.  How does that change the way that you look at all of the daily demands on your attention?
• When have you been displaced, cut off, exiled from friends, family, job, home, even if it was to move on to something better?
• What of heaven do you think will look/feel familiar when we are home again?
• How should that change the way that we live today?

• A captive audience
• Serious ongoing debate rages over how best to manage a seemingly endless supply of criminals in our prison system, yet you hardly ever hear discussion about how to rehabilitate them.
• When a convict who has served their time comes out of prison, it's easy to realize that they need a place to stay, a job, and so on, but what of giving them a reason to want those things?
• Fr. Al used to personally work with such folks to help them experience first hand what "life on the outside" could be like.  What sort of transition work should we, as God's faithful be doing for such individuals?

• If I don't complain about him, who will?
• Whining, griping, moaning, complaining is there any difference between those activities when it comes to how we treat one another?
• When one of us fails to be fully ourselves, fully who we are called to be, what are the rest of us to do?
• How can we tell when someone is really ready/able to take correction?
• Can such correction be prophetic?

• Congratulations, God has chosen you for ...
• We all want to feel commissioned, chosen, elected, but how does that election come to us?
• Do you think that your function/gifts/role within the Body changes over time?
• How can we become more sensitive to that change in direction? 

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How have I been hospitable to a displaced person lately?
2. How can I be more welcoming at our parish?  How can our parish be more welcoming?
3. When I speak, is truly in love?
4. What is the message of my life?

Good Intentions Can Leave You Lonely

Any paragraph that starts with "with all due respect" makes me cringe.
What follows is not outright mockery, but an object lesson in the limits of my authority.
A line drawn in the sand that says "I respect your office, your position, your role"
"But you, well, that's another story."

We cannot respect someone that we do not know,
And can hardly know someone we do not respect.
But once that deep knowledge of the other has been forged,
It becomes an occasion of mourning when they fail to be their true selves.

Sin in our lives obscures our view,
Cuts us off from the impact that we have on others,
Blinds us to the essential oneness of our existence,
To the point we feel our actions are victimless, truly secret.

Sin obscures my vision of how unlike myself I have grown
Grown into a caricature of myself,
A poor actor impersonating the real me
Upon a stage strewn with empty promises and quick fixes.

I need the occasional Nathan in my life
To remind me of who I am and what I am becoming
And help me see how much at odds that is with my thoughts, words, and deeds of late.
Any volunteers?

Shalom!

2nd Sunday in Advent

Our readings for 2nd Sunday of Advent are:

1. Isaiah 11: 1-10
2. Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
3. Romans 15: 4-9
4. Matthew 3: 1-12

• Strength through competition? 
• Competition is highly prized in our culture.  We see it as a way of weeding out the weak, the lazy, the unworthy.
• Do you think that competing with one another for honor, achievement, success, fame, might have a downside to it?
• Do you think that Jesus ever felt as though He was competing with anyone?
• When/where is competition a good thing and when might it be bad?

• A well endowed ruler
• Regardless of your party affiliation, I think that we all hope for those in power to be guided by wisdom.
• What can we do to help that to happen?
• What other values are we competing with?  What other qualities are often deemed more important in a leader?
• Do you think God wants us to pray for them, and if so, how?

• Running the race
• Life is not like a marathon.  In a marathon, you have finishers and, folks who just paid the entrance fees.  We have no choice, we have to finish this life at some point.
• What makes for a good finish in this life?
• How can we prepare for that, given that we don't know how or when it will come to us?
• How is a good death a gift to the survivors?

• Chicken and egg syndrome
• We have all heard of folks who want to change, but just feel trapped by their circumstances, often of their own making.
• Think of something that you really want to change about yourself.
• How can you make a commitment to make that change?
• Who would you make that commitment to?
• Would such a commitment be at all sacramental? 

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What have I done to shelter or aid the weak?
2. What do I hope for from our leadership?  Do I have the courage to aim higher?
3. What am I doing to increase my spiritual endurance?
4. What are some Liturgical New Year's resolutions that I need to make and start right now?

Keep me honest

Is something I often ask of my students.
It's meant as an invitation to tell me when I stray
From the published curriculum when I lecture off the cuff.
I would much rather use prepared material, believe me.

Who are the John the Baptists in your life?
Or the Nathans for that matter?
Ones so close to you,
That you would rather they call you out in your sin and weakness.

Such friends are a miracle
That require careful cultivation and care
For they risk much when speaking to you
Both in the relationship and personally.

Yet without such friends,
We have such a hard time staying true to our course.
Confusion over direction and duration can set in,
Unless an outside observer is ready with a reminder -

Of just who we really are
Someone to recall us to the rest of our life
Show us that all that has gone on before is source for what's next
And what's next is the spring for tomorrow's new horizons.

Shalom!

First Sunday of Advent

Our readings for 1st Sunday of Advent are:

1. Isaiah 2: 1-5
2. Psalm 122:1-2,3-4,4-5,6-7,8-9
3. Romans 13: 11-14
4. Matthew 24: 37-44

• I'd like to give you a piece of my peace of mind
• How do you see God bringing about peace in the world today?
• How can we as a Church, a parish, a family help bring that sort of peace about?
• How much peace can we really hold ourselves responsible for in this life?

• Praying for those who don't deserve it
• Have you ever felt that you were wasting your time praying about something or someone?
• Maybe you thought that your prayers for the impossible to happen would be better spent elsewhere.  Maybe you thought it silly to raise your hopes for the inconceivable, maybe you weren't even sure that was what God wanted.  But what if you're wrong on all of those counts?
• Where do we find hope?
• Where do we find the courage to hope?

• Making it Simple
• Many of us want to simplify our lives, shed that which is not doing us any good.  Perhaps cleaning out the garage is traumatic, but ridding ourselves of petty vices that seem almost endearing is sort of like cleaning the hull of a ship, one barnacle at a time.
• How can we become more sensitive to the impact that we have on others who are close to us?
• How can we become more honest with each other about things that hurt us?
• How can we become more authentic with each other?

• Making peace in odd places
• Where do you think that we most need peace in this world?
• What do you think it is to be a peace maker?
• What sort of credentials does such a person need?
• How can you be a peace maker, even if in small ways?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I doing to become a better peace maker?  Not just a peace keeper, but a peace maker?
2. Do I have the courage to ask for courage?
3. Is there anything in my life that I'm am not willing to give up in the face of God's call?
4. What can I do this week to bring peace to a specific situation around me?

Where to find Peace

Peace starts with trust.
Trust is build on humility.
For only humility is able to see clearly what I don't see,
Squarely face the limits of my understanding, my vision, my hope, and know there is much more.

Humility whispers to me that the cosmos is other centered,
And Humility clasps my hand and whispers that it's OK that I'm not the center.
A sprig of trust breaks through the snow and ice of my fear.
Gently spreads its leaves looking for the sunshine of indifference.

Indifference to whether my will be done,
Indifference that stills the screams of my apprehensions  and distress
Realizes that God's will not only is best,
But that it's best for me, no matter how much of a surprise that is.

And in the eye of the hurricane of my life,
With change swirling all around loudly and fiercely,
That indifference gives me space to hear the still small voice of God,
And I'm able to move in that eye of the storm, and find peace knowing I'm where I belong.

The trick is to ever be willing to leave a place
In favor of the next horizon that God is dwelling in
Following the Tabernacle wherever it might lead
Across uncharted deserts of newness and life amidst the burning sands of doubt and fear.

Shalom!

Christ the King

Our readings for Christ the King Sunday are:

1. 2 Samuel 5: 1-3
2. Psalms 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5
3. Colossians 1: 12-20
4. Luke 23: 35-43

• Servant king
• What do you look for most in a leader?  Is it maybe someone who is successful in getting resources and defending your turf, someone who is sympathetic to their people's issues, what then?
• What has to be in place before someone has the right to lead others?
• How is God's leadership of His people different from the types of leadership that we encounter in day to day life?
• Is it true that the "good guys finish last?"

• Remember
• The Jews looked upon the Temple as their tangible link to what we would call salvation history.  They went there to remember who they were, who their God is.
• At the same time, it's easy to cling to things.  Maybe that first Ford Mustang that you had as a kid, or you're reluctant to sell your house and move when a job opportunity offers itself, ...  How can we be ready and willing to change when it's needed?
• How do we tell what/who to hold on to versus what we can leave behind?

• Moving the deck chairs on the Titanic
• When all is said and done, the only things that we have today that will endure is God our immortal souls, and the relationships that we've built with God and each other.
• Do you ever wonder if Jesus had a favorite pair of sandals, or maybe a special tunic that His mother had made for him when He left home.  Maybe a favorite family that He stayed with whenever He was in town?
• If so, how did He manage to not get too attached to those things, not get side tracked from His core mission?

• Outreach is never easy
• Pain, suffering, despair, all of these can easily make us feel isolated, as though the rest of humanity must be somehow indifferent to what we are going through, and that we are all alone.
• The last time that you had a really hard chapter in your life, did you feel abandoned, as though no one cared?
• At some point or another, did someone convince you that someone, anyone, really did care?
• How did that change your outlook?
• How can we be that same change in someone else's outlook?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I doing to equip myself to lead God's people better, more faithfully?
2. Is there anything in my life that I'm am not willing to give up in the face of God's call?
3. Am I obsessed with success, the way that others regard me, comforts in my life ...?
4. Am I able to reach beyond pain and uncertainty to those in need, even when I am in need?  How can I begin to practice such reaching today?

Hangin' with the Homies

I've seen it before.
Usually when the crucifixion victims get here, they are pretty wrung out.
But this one, he was pretty much gone before we even got his cross in the ground.

His head hung down, exhaustion written large in his half-closed eyes.
His every word hoarse and gravely.
And yet he was so present, so there.

Most folks want to deaden the pain,
Die with as little awareness as possible.
It's so much easier that way.

And then, in the midst of the taunts and jeers from the curiosity seekers,
The reviling from my fellow guards,
He spoke to another criminal.

And his voice shed compassion, and mercy
Even in the midst of his suffering,
Right on the ragged edge of his life.

And I wondered what sort of man this was who could reach out
Even from the midst of that terrible sentence of death.
And not just to that other criminal, but, in some strange way, to all of us.

I try to tell that story to others.
As I try to explain why I left the Roman army.
I never quite do that scene justice.

But I think back to it often,
And try to savor that mercy again and again.
As I try to tell others who this man really was, and is.

Shalom!

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Malachi 3: 19-20a
2. Psalms 98: 5-6, 7-8, 9
3. 2 Thessalonians 3: 7-12
4. Luke 21: 5-19

• Apocalypse now, or at least soon please
• Scripture is awash in promises of justice, where those who have lived off of others will finally face justice.
• And deep down, at least some of us look forward to that prospect with a certain malice towards those who we feel have unjustly benefited from various calamities.
• What do you think God feels towards those people?
• How do you think God feels toward us for thinking the way that we all to readily do, of vengeance and recompense?

• Living the life
• I dare say that most of us have never been oppressed for long, been shut out of opportunities that we deserved, or shunted aside as people for very long.
• How then are we to identify with, and really touch the lives of those who are marginalized, pushed to the perimeter, and who have been that way for generations?
• I remember Fr. Al used to have friends that had recently been released from prison, and he would work with them to reintroduce them back into society.  You could always tell who they were, they just didn't fit in with the Cyprian crowd.  Maybe it was their taste in tattoos.
• How can we overcome the cultural divide between us and the needy?

• If you knew when the 2nd coming was going to be ...
• In what sense are you barely surviving, making it from one week to the next, never quite sure how you're going to make it through the next?
• If you knew that it was all going to end in 10 years, 5 years, 1 year, one month, how would that change the way that you lived?
• Since we have to live the the long haul, how can we also live with an eye towards Jesus' second coming?
• Is it a case that the daily life has to be set aside from time to time to make room for eternity to rudely shoulder its way into our lives on occasion, or can the here and the now illuminate Eternity, and vice versa?

• Letting go is the hardest ...
• To the 1st century Jews, the temple was their tangible manifestation of God among them, not only then, but through their long history.
• What are some things in your life that you cannot think of going without?  Your home, your job, your good name, ...?
• How much do you think that any of that matters in the long run?
• What then in your life really does matter in the long run?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I doing to bring about more justice in the world around me?
2. What am I doing to bring about God's rule in my family, my parish community?
3. How can I transform the ordinary every day into an on ramp to Eternity?
4. Am I willing to find out what really matters?

Hello Goodbye

The problem with being a pilgrim is the other pilgrims.
You exchange the secret handshake to be sure who they are
You exchange small talk of home and what you miss about it.

And slowly, without hardly noticing it happening
You realize that you're not alone on this journey.
That this miraculous other, is there alongside you.

And then, just as suddenly and unaccountably,
They are gone.  Left you to pursue other trails, other horizons.
And there you are, alone again.

Wondering how to proceed without them, how to honor their parting
And making room for the world to come in and fill the void,
While you wonder softly why you bothered to open your heart at all.

Wallowing in the sense of abandonment and just beginning to wonder
How Jesus managed, when His friends all left him, and His beloved,
Peter walking out on Him for the sake of a fire to warm his hands.

And somehow, you are able to join Jesus in that lonely garden,
Link your arm in His, and tell Him you're not going anywhere,
Reaching across time and space, you touch that loneliness,

And you know, you know that He's touched your loneliness with His,
And you know that your heart is more open that it ever has been,
And you know that you can and will open your heart again, and again.

Shalom!

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14
2. Psalms 17: 1, 5-6, 8, 15
3. 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-3: 5
4. Luke 20: 27-38

• Towards a more perfect union
• How is your relationship with Jesus better today than it was a year ago, five years ago?
• What is drawing you closer to Jesus week in, week out?
• What do you think Jesus sees in you today that maybe wasn't there before?
• Where do you think that Jesus is taking you?

• The apple of God's eye
• Has there ever been someone in your life who absolutely doted on you?
• How did that make you feel?
• How did you act, knowing that you were so important to that other person?
• How important do you think that you are to God?
• How are you acting in response to that doting?

• Marathons are always fun the first few miles.
• Do you ever wonder about how your own death will play out?
• Have you ever told God how you wanted your death to play out?
• How are you preparing today for that eventual final leg in life's journey?
• What do you think you have to do to be ready?

• Eternity is like nothing you've ever experienced before
• You become what your hope is.
• What are you hoping for in life?
• What do you think that your odds of getting that might be?
• How do you know that your hopes are God's hopes?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I growing in endurance in this life?
2. Am I spending any time in contemplation?
3. What new good habits am I taking up?
4. Am I willing to find out what really matters?

Will there be Clocks in Heaven?

The hard part about eternity is that all of time is equally accessible, all of the time.
The laughter, the tears, the joys, the disappointments are all always fresh and vibrant.

And I think that is going to be hard, especially for us who let time slip away
Never really savoring the now in favor of the "to come", never realizing

Never realizing the fools' ransom that we pay for that which is just over the horizon
In exchange for what is right there in our midst.

Moments are lost, not they are boring or mundane or meaningless
They are lost for lack of attention, lack of being savored and dwelt upon.

To live life without regrets, learn to savor every moment
Marinate in the now, and let it unfold naturally in your hand.

And maybe you'll take a meander through a rare pilgrimage.

Shalom!

31st Week in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 11: 22-12:2
2. Psalms 145: 1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14
3. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2
4. Luke 19: 1-10

• Slow and steady wins the race ...
• Can you think of a time when God led you somewhere gently?
• Did it feel gentle and merciful at the time?
• How would you define mercy?
• To what extent does mercy define you?

• We're all in this together
• What did the Budhist monk say to the hotdog vendor?  "Make me one with everything."
• Apparently, in some capacity that is beyond us, every element of creation is capable of praising God.  Also apparently, we are the only ones who have the sublime ability to get in the way of our own praise to God.
• To what extent can we enter into that song that echoes through the treetops and rumbles out of the roots of the mountains, sighs in the breezes through the meadows and whispers in the waves at the seashore?
• Should churches have walls?

• The Day of the Lord
• How can we best balance between preparing for the eventual coming of our Savior, and getting along in live through the day to day?
• Are those two goals at odds with each other?
• How can we make those two directions in our lives help each other?

• If you haven't offended anyone lately, you're not doing it right
• Jesus seems to rub just about everyone the wrong way.
• The setting of this story suggests that Jesus and His entire entourage apparently did a drive by through Jericho and didn't even have the grace to stop for a midday snack.  Then He decides to consort with a wealthy (meaning extremely successful) tax collector.
• How do you think that Jesus sets His priorities?
• Do you think that there is a formula there that we can/should use for setting priorities in our own lives?
• How might that change us?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I let God's mercy inspire mercy in me?
2. When was the last time that I raised up someone lowly?
3. Am I any more prepared for the end of time today than I was a year ago?
4. How can I be more flexible toward the promptings of God's spirit?

Standing Tall

The hard part about true repentance is that it leads into uncharted territory.
Suddenly, new vistas open wide before you, inviting you in, and yet
Such panoramas lack a certain concrete quality about them, almost as if,
The future that they hold is still firming up ever so slightly, even as we watch.

Repentance sets foot into rough terrain where we are vulnerable, and unsure.
No one knows how well, or even whether, there will be anyone there for us -
There for us when we arrive at the other end of where this repentance is beckoning.
This strange country in which nothing has changed, yet everything is new and dewy.

No half measures about true repentance.  It's all or nothing all the time.
The only thing that varies from one heart to the next is the face
The face of the events that shape our lives, the imago Dei in all things.
All that you can be sure of is that something has to change, and it has to be me.

I pray that my faith is strong enough to leg go of my own brokenness
For the offer of healing and wholeness there in front of me.

Shalom!

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Sirach 35: 12-14, 16-18
2. Psalms 34: 2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
3. 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18
4. Luke 18 9-14

• I'm proud of my work, too bad about yours ...
• We often hear of growing concern over an "entitlement mentality" in which a person feels that they are entitled to a living, no matter what they do or don't do about their present condition.
• What sorts of things do you feel entitled to?
• Does everyone have the same entitlements?
• If not, how do you differ from the "teeming masses of humanity"?

• I'm proud, but only in the best way possible
• What are some things that you are proud of?
• Does that pride draw you closer to God, make you more devoted, or push God away from you?
• How can you tell excessive pride, or sinful pride, versus a justifiable pride?

• Be proud of what you are proud of
• It's always good to take stock of our lives and ask ourselves what we think will go on our tombstone, versus what we would like to go on our tombstone.
• Given where you are in life, what do you thin is likely to go on your tombstone?
• Does that inspire or excite you?
• What could you do to make your tombstone more exciting?

• Mercy me
• Do you ever feel the need for God's mercy in your life?
• How does that make you feel about yourself, God, you fellow people?
• Where do you find that mercy?
• How has it changed you?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I count on God for what I need, or what I want?
2. What am I doing to keep my pride under control?
3. What do I want to accomplish before I die?
4. How am I growing in appreciation for God's mercy?

In My Humble Opinion

Humility is all about being clear
About who and what we are,
And whose we are.

It's easy to lose track of our place
When we're told that the greatest sin
Is not getting what we got coming.

Dear God,
Thank you that my back is strong and straight
Teach me to use that strength in your service.

Thank you that I have learned to see
A few things clearly here and there
Teach me to share that lovingly with others.

Thank you that I'm pretty sure
Where my next meal is coming from
Teach me to be generous to those who don't.

Teach me most of all to have a humble heart,
That I see how lavishly I've been blessed
And find new ways daily to give thanks.

Shalom!

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Exodus 17 8-13
2. Psalms 121 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
3. 2 Timothy 3 14 - 4: 2
4. Luke 18 1-8

• Can you lend me a hand here?
• We help others by lending them tools, sharing advice, agreeing to go to he hardware store with them.  But, have you undertake to help someone pray?
• How is praying for someone different than praying with them?
• Are we praying for each other, or with each other in Mass?

• Guarded Optimism
• Do you feel that God is watching over you?
• What are some things that He has prevented in your life lately?
• What are some things that God didn't allow to happen today?

• Being true to who you are
• Where do you go to find good advice about decisions that are tough for you?
• Is that person/advice column/... very reliable?
• How would you explain the statement "God speaks to me in His Word" to someone new to the faith?
• How would you explain that same statement to someone who has been a faithful follower of Jesus for decades?

• You call this a prayer life?
• How has your prayer improved through the years?
• How have you improved through the years?
• What would you like to change about your prayer life?
• What do you think that God would change about you, if you changed your prayer life?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where do I go for help with my prayer life?
2. Do I take the time to really see what it is that God has saved me from?
3. Where am I learning more about my faith?  Is that a reliable resource?
4. If I was really desperate for something, would prayer come to mind first?

Trust walk

Ice breakers are not my strong suit.
It's not just the organizing the event and getting everyone engaged,
It's the believing that something marvelous will happen.

It's no different with the trust walk.
Getting everyone organized into pairs,
Arbitrarily assigning leaders and followers.

The navigator of the team always knows that they are responsible,
For the safety of the other,
Until they don't know or don't care anymore.

You never know who is looking at you,
Seeking to fathom the secret to your success,
Trying to find God where you found Him.

They don't always advertise their presence,
These phantom groupies,
But they are there, maybe at the fringes.

Looking on at your life,
And wondering how God chose you.
So, I've resolved to be careful what I say

Who I say it to,
And most of all, who I am.
That I might never lead astray.

Shalom!

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. 2 Kings 5: 14-17
2. Psalms 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4
3. 2 Timothy : 8-13
4. Luke 17: 11-19

• Attitude of gratitude
• What are you thankful for these days?
• Were you always thankful for that?
• How was God's mercy shown you in that gift?

• Seeing is not always believing
• The popularity of apologetics is that once you master that material, you have something coherent to say to the next person who wants to challenge your faith.
• No one wants to be caught saying something lame like "well, I believe because I believe", or worse, "that's how I was raise."
• Why do you believe?
• Why do you stay where you are?
• If you felt a call elsewhere, how would you check that out to see whether it's really God's will?

• Perseverance takes such a long time
• Is there any aspect of your faith journey that is getting harder with time?
• What do you think is contributing to that?
• Looking ahead, when you are in the last year of your life, what do you think your faith will be like then?
• Is there any way to make that better now?

• On the way there
• Luke tells us that Jesus was journeying to Jerusalem.  If I were on my way to be executed, I think I'd be a little more focused, a little less attentive to anything else going on around me.
• Have you ever been on your way somewhere, trying to get somewhere and suddenly found that your immediate future had taken a turn?
• What made you stop and realize that had happened?
• How long did it take you to be generous in that situation?
• How did that "detour" change you?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. When was the last time that I told God "thank you", and for what?
2. Am I fully engaged where I am now, or am I in a "wait and see mode"?
3. What am I doing to make my spiritual self stronger, more lively?
4. How am I making a different along the way?

Quo Vadis?

It's not always where we are, but where we are headed that makes all of the difference.
"I have arrived" sounds more like a pronouncement of death-like stasis
Than it speaks to some blazing achievement.

I'd rather say "I am on my way to wholeness, one step at a time"
Or better, "I seek oneness along the journey to peace"
And leave plenty of room in the itinerary for surprises along the way.

Peace, I'm finding, is about giving away, shedding, simplifying,
Finding those things that once demanded so much attention
Now command next to nothing of me because I see them better.

The hardest thing to give up is a sense of importance,
In order to gain an element of transparency
Realizing that I'm just a conduit, a gateway.

There is a great deal of value added, in not trying to add anything
To what you are given.  The best thing to do with gifts is share them
Thus making sure that you never lose them.

And all of this life takes is proper perspective
As a medium of exchange
Gifts from the creator to be spread abroad as gifts.

Shalom!

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Habakkuk 1: 2-3, 2: 2-4
2. Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9
3. 2 Timothy 1: 6-8, 13-14
4. Luke 17: 5-10

• Hope for the morrow
• In some circles, the overall arc of events in our contemporary world points strongly to the impending 2nd coming of Christ, when all of the "loose ends" will get tied up, justice will finally be meted out to all wrong doers, and we will finally be done with this mess called "life".
• Does that rule out any sort of vision for making things better today?
• Is there reason to hope that the next generation will be better than the present one?
• Is our only hope for improvement in the "sweet bye and bye" or is God actively working to make the coming years better at the same time?

• The value of freedom
• The children of Israel were desperate for water, and they were wondering where this whole adventure with Moses and God had gone off the rails.
• What sorts of things make you wonder whether you were meant to take a particular path in life?
• How do you pray through that sort of adversity?
• What gives you courage?

• Success and acceptance isn't what it's cracked up to be
• We all want to be successful in life, throughout our lives.
• How do you define success?
• Have you ever done anything that looked like a bad idea to others, maybe even an abject failure?
• How do you think God defines success?

• The power of obedience
• How do you express your faith on a daily, yearly basis?
• How has that expression changed you?
• Has that expression of your faith always been comfortable for you?
• Are you getting better at exceeding your comfort zone?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where do I put my hope?
2. Do I look for freedom from things, or freedom to things?
3. How much do I value acceptance?
4. How has my faith changed my life?  How should it?

Someday my ship will come in

If you want to wait until some magic moment,
When everything falls neatly into its place,
Then you're likely to be waiting a very long time.

Tomorrow is full of potential, and disappointment.
A land where anything could happen,
And a time when hardly anything is started.

Today, with all of its limitations is the only now
That you will ever have.  The only moment that
You can control, messy and broken as it is.

Today is the day to start a new practice,
Today is the day to find forgiveness,
Today is the day to make peace with the world.

Shalom!

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Amos 6: 1a, 4-7
2. Psalms 146: 7, 8-9, 9-10
3. 1 Timothy 6:11-16
4. Luke 16: 19-31

• Self-made man
• In my generation, the "self made man" was held in high esteem.  This was the tycoon who started poor, worked hard, rose through the ranks, and "really made something" of themselves without the benefit of name, title, or inheritance.
• Which makes it tough to feel responsibility for those who are lost at the fringes of our society.  They are all reaping the results of decisions that they have made, so is there an obligation on the part of the rest of us to help?
• Would helping these lost (the unemployed, the homeless, AIDS victims, inner city gang members, ... the list goes on and on) violate their personal freedoms?
• How would we reach out to such folks since our lives are so removed from theirs?
• Or, are there others, still lost at the fringes, who are closer to home?

• Solidarity in our time
• Who are the "fatherless and the widows", those with no one to stand up for them, in our time?
• Is it possible that, by direct means or indirect ones, I might be taking advantage of injustices done to people that I've never even met?  If I get a bargain on a shirt made with slave labor in Malaysia, am I responsible in any way?
• How deep into the supply chains of our lives should we dig when looking for sustainable, just business practices?

• Perseverance isn't always pretty
• Among the monks it's said that the young pray for patience, and the old for perseverance.
• Are there any aspects of your Christian walk that are getting harder with each passing year?
• Is that just age creeping up on you, or is there a tiredness of another sort that's emerging?
• How can you keep your relationship with Jesus fresh and lively?

• Warning others
• What does it really mean to be a prophet?
• Do you think that poets are ever prophetic?
• Do you think that it's possible to have too many prophets in our midst?
• Could God be calling you to be a prophet in the context of some community?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I willing to be touched by others in need?
2. Do I see all of humanity connected in God?
3. How am I renewing my faith for the long haul?
4. If I imagine myself heroically standing up for my faith, where/when is that?

Someday this will all be yours

Dad had it in his mind to leave behind a legacy.
Nothing pretentious mind you, no statuary needed.
Just something, a trend, a discovery, a school of thought
That said "Tom Brown was here and we're better for it."

I remember as a child, Dad putting his arm around my shoulders,
And in one sweeping gesture, taking in our suburban home,
The garage with the cars, the tools, the assorted stuff,
Not to mention the crazy dog in the backyard

And with that grand gesture, he said "someday, this will all be yours."
I must have been in my early teens by that time,
Because I remember thinking that was a mixed blessing at best.
For I'd already seen the responsibilities that came with "all that".

But, dad was right.  There's too much stuff in the garage
To even allow us to park one care there, let alone two.
We finally retired our mortgage a couple of years ago.
Got the kids through college and well established.

And that's been rewarding.  I've touched lives along the way.
But I always wonder, worry actually,
Whether I've paid enough attention to the Lazarus along the way
That was patiently waiting for help that only I could give.

I remember frequently being told "never take generosity for granted."
And I've done a good job at expressing appreciation for each kindness.
But maybe I've taken being generous for granted.
And missed some opportunities along the way.

Lord make me sensitive to the calls for help that you send my way
That I may live a life full of living
And empty of regrets
Amen.

Shalom!

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Amos 8: 4-7
2. Psalms 113: 1-2, 4-6, 7-8
3. 1 Timothy 2: 1-8
4. Luke 16: 1-13

• Someone's watching
• How would you define oppression?
• Is it denying someone opportunity to live in a particular neighbohood, send their children to a particular school, get admitted into a prestigious college, a prevailing and pervasive attitude towards "their kind", or something deeper?
• What is the difference between good business and oppression?
• What are we to do about it?

• Solidarity in our time
• Who do you think the prophets and psalmists are talking about when they refer to the poor and the lowly?
• Do you think that you can identify with the poor and the lowly in any regard?
• How has God lifted you up?

• The price of peace
• During this time of polarization in our country, how are you praying for our nation?
• Do you think that God is interested?
• What do you think God wants to come out of this season in our history?
• What can we, as His people do to help?

• Who/what do you worship?
• How do you tell when something that you thought you owned, owns you?
• How do you fix that broken relationship when you find it?
• How do you keep from letting that happen in the first place?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I sensitive to those in need who are around me?
2. Do I see others, less fortunate than myself as "losers"?
3. Do I trust God even in politics?
4. What can I do to become pure of heart?

Wake Up Call

Lord, here we are at the start of another day.
I don't know what you have ordered for this day,
Nor do I know how those gifts will come to me.
Give me the grace to accept all of it gratefully,
That I might see Your image engraved in each moment.

Help me to find joy in the littlest of things
That I might find that same joy in you.
Help me to be generous and give away
All that I am, have and hope for to those You bring to me
So that my hands are full when I come home to you.

Give me the grace to savor the jeweled moments
So that I can give them away without regrets
And not try to cling to that which was never mine.
Give me simplicity, trust, and courage,
That I may not trade you for success, honor, or appreciation.

Let me find peace in stillness
Meaning in the silence
And guidance when there seems no light about me
That my trust in you
Might light my way to my next horizon.

Shalom!

24 Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Exodus 32: 7-11, 13-14
2. Psalms 51: 3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
3. 1 Timothy 1: 12-17
4. Luke 15: 1-32

• You're not alone ...
• The ancient Hebrews felt abandoned by God at the foot of Mount Horeb.  Lots of drama going on up on the mountain, but no one there among the people to tell them what was going on, how long it would last, whether they'd get done in time to make the Saturday matinee at the Bijou ...
• When have you had a hard time trusting God?
• What was God asking you to trust Him for at the time?
• How did you pray about that trust issue?
• How did God answer?

• If only you knew
• Do you ever wonder whether you are blissfully unaware of some of your sins?
• Do you think that what you don't know won't hurt you?
• How do you think we can become more sensitive?
• Is it worth it?

• Trusting me
• What are some things that God has trusted you with?
• For instance, if you are a parent, God has entrusted you with His children.
• Or, if you have any abilities, God has entrusted those to your stewardship.
• Do you think that you are always worthy of God's trust in you?
• How has God made you more trustworthy over time?

• Hitting bottom
• The parable of the prodigal father shows the son "coming to his senses".
• The parable tells us that he realized that he was starving for no good reason.  Do you think that a person in such a circumstance might come to other conclusions (such as "gee, I guess I cannot make it entirely on my own!)?
• What might some of those be?
• Do you think that his turning back to his father was perfect contrition?
• Why do you think it does/does no matter?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How deep is my trust in God?
2. Am I hurting others in my community without knowing it?
3. How is my life a gospel?
4. What is holding me back from true freedom?

Trading my sorrows

You really cannot go home again.
Sure, the place may still be there, even the people,
But they have changed, you have changed
Time has had its way with you and what was
And joined in some grand conspiracy to take it all away.

Making amends doesn't turn the clock back on itself,
Give you the chance to pretend as though it never happened.
Forgiveness is far harder harder than travel.
It means seeing yourself with fresh eyes,
Looking yourself in the eye and admitting fault.

And not merely being satisfied with some superficial motive,
True forgiveness can only occur in the company of true awareness.
And awareness can hurt a great deal.
Particularly if you have been dodging that awareness a long time.
And fooling yourself along the way.

God never tires of waiting for our discovery.
God even has the mercy to let us make that journey one step at a time.
Never hurrying the process, or pushing an outcome.
Still He waits, with so much hanging in the balance -
Waiting for us to gradually see ourselves for who we truly are.

It's in our weakest, darkest moments that He can be most present
Shriven of all pretense, all lies, all posturing
We stand naked before Him, and know
The depth of His mercy towards us.
Pity the poor person afraid of weakness.

Shalom!

23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 9: 13-18b
2. Psalms 90: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 4, 17
3. Philemon 9-10, 12-17
4. Luke 14: 25-33

• The big picture
• Have you ever been told that your take on something suffered because you didn't have "the big picture"?
• Were you able to find out the "big picture" so that you could make decisions more intelligently, or did you have to continue to muddle along, knowing that there was more going on than met the eye?
• Why do you think that God doesn't always give us the "big picture"?
• Do you think that any of us has that "big picture"?

• Separation anxiety
• Have you ever felt abandoned by God, lost in some maze that no one else can see?
• How do you think that you got into that circumstance?
• How did you work your way out?
• What did that teach you?

• Transformation
• Have there been any sharp turning points in your relationship with God?
• Were any of those expiences brought on by something that you did, or were they totally initiated by God?
• Do you wish that you had seen those coming?

• Decluttering life
• If your house was burning, what would you be sure to rescue on your way out?
• How do you know if your attitude toward that thing/person is helping you, or hurting you in your walk with Jesus?
• How are we supposed to rid ourselves of attachments to things in our lives that are hurting us?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How deep is my trust in God?
2. What in my life is robbing me of my peace?
3. What is going on right now in my life that will make my relationship with Jesus better?
4. What is holding me back from true freedom?

Trading my sorrows

The hard part of making your career in a large corporation
Is that, in the aggregate, there's a powerful, nameless, faceless presence,
That often lacks anything that anyone would call kindness.

Some shrug their shoulders and call it the law of the jungle.
The fit survive, the rest of us don't.  It's hopeless to try to make it different.
You might as well try to stop the wind from blowing.

Others will tell you that it is no one's fault.  Fear is the constant strand
Woven through the decision making process.  Fear of losing business
Fear of losing suppliers, fear of losing control, fear of irrelevance.

Others will tell you that it's not worth worrying about, whatever the reason,
Just move on with your life and be grateful that you dodged those bullets,
All those years.  Gratitude will ease the pain, buffer the grieving, open your eyes.

For my part, I just know that nursing a grudge, cherishing a hurt
Hurts no one but myself.  The hard part is knowing who to forgive.
And maybe that forgiveness needs to start with me.

Forgive myself for getting so attached to a career, a position, a spot at the table
That the whole bundle became so important to me, that I let the rest slip away.
And mistook obsession for a work ethic.  Forgetting that there are all sorts of work.

Maybe the best way to be ready to give something/someone up is to savor that now,
And know that there will be no regrets later for lost opportunities to learn and grow.
And remind myself that every moment is privileged, every season in life unique.

Shalom!

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Sirach 3: 17-18, 20, 28-29
2. Psalms 68: 4-5, 6-7, 10-11
3. Hebrews 12: 18-19, 22-24a
4. Luke 14: 1, 7-14

• Finding humility
• When you think of humility, who are some of the examples to you?
• When I was a kid, one saying that was in circulation was "it's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am."  That chestnut was always delivered with a self-mocking air so that the speaker would not get shot down outright, but it speaks to an underlying conception that humility and greatness are somehow at odds with each other.
• Do you feel that a humble person somehow needs to downplay, hide, or camoflage their skills, talents, accomplishments?
• If someone came to you and asked you for some exercises (practices/habits) that they could adopt to foster greater humility, what would you give them?

• Making room for the forgotten
• How do people "fall through the cracks"?  For instance, an elderly widow may have relatives, but they are all from a younger generation, occupied with the pressures of getting their kids through college, finishing off a morgage, worrying about threatened budget cuts, and the like, so they never get any visitors.
• As a whole, what do these "invisible" people have to tell us about us as a culture?
• What can we do to change that within our families, our communities, our churches?

• Seeing is believing
• As Catholics, our sacramental life is replete with things that we can touch, smell, taste and hear (the so called "smells and bells" of our faith).  If all of those sacraments are there for one purpose, to point us to God, why are there so many?
• How can we, as liturgical ministers, make those sacramental experiences richer, more potent in terms of making the hevenly realities more immanent and accessible?
• How can the sacraments permeate/inform/illumine our lives and vice versa?

• Giving up the outcome
• In aerospace, we were pretty famous for hosting meetings that went nowhere.  The reasons for such time wasters were legion.  Folks didn't come prepared, the agenda was unclear, the hidden agenda was out of phase with the published agenda, the leader forgot, and invited Ron, when everyone knows that Ron will never let anything of consequence happen unless he's in charge, ...  When we endure something like that, the assessment can often be "there's an hour of my life that I'll never get back."
• If you were given a secret power that allowed you to predict whether something was going to be a success before you embarked on that effort, how would you use that ability?
• Let's take it a step further, and say that you could establish what you meant by "success", and this amazing power of yours would take that into account.
• Do you see God ever giving us such a capability?
• Why or why not?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I willing to invest in order to achieve real humility?
2. Am I willing to bear the pain of what it means to be "forgotten" so that I can minister to the forgotten ones around me?
3. What about my life is not sacred that should be?
4. Am I willing to serve, with no thought for the benefits?

Kindness Anonymous

Pithy words of advice tell a great deal about the culture that spawned them.
In fact, I suspect that such bits of sage wisdom could easily be used
As a yardstick to measure changes in our culture as they happen.

"Never "google" an old girlfriend.  You'll never really like what you see."
If she's done well for herself, you'll kick yourself for not making it work.
And you'll wonder why the two of you went your separate ways.

If she's fallen from grace, and become some pale caricature of herself,
You may feel a moment of triumph and relief that you bailed when you did,
But then another part of you asks whether she would have been better with you.

Nowadays, fame, notoriety, publication if you will
Is so easy to come by, that a life of anonymity is unheard of,
And can rouse suspicions.  After all, the Unibomber was pretty private too.

There's scarcely any room anymore for quiet, unassuming virtues like kindness,
Extending a gentle hand when needed, saving a heart, wiping a tear, offering tea
Each of these acts of love has a sharp focus, one, maybe two at a time.

The love is extended, the event done, and everyone goes back to what they were about.
But a transformation has occurred in sharing a burden, a sacramental exchange of gifts
And Christ is remembered in the sharing of pains and sorrows, joys and triumphs,

Whether there was anyone there to record it and post it
Or not.

Shalom!

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 66: 18-21
2. Psalms 117: 1, 2
3. Hebrews 12: 5-7, 11-13
4. Luke 13: 22-30

• Unexpected brotherhood
• More and more we are learning to appreciate and value diversity along different dimensions: ethnic, gender, cultural, and even religious.  Do you think that God meant for us as a race, a people, to be so diverse, or do you think that a Godly unity is built upon all of us sharing the same point of view?
• Do you think that God expresses Himself differently to different people?
• Why do you suppose that is?
• What does it say about how we try to show God's glory to others?

• Our place in history
• God's faithfulness spans generations, continents, epochs.  Have you ever reviewed family history and looked for signs of God's hand in past generations, previous places?
• What do you think that you would find?
• Who is the historian in your family?
• Do they ever draw lessons from the family history, try to apply them to the present, invite the present generation to a deeper sense of identity as part of a long and enduring relationship with God?

• Seeking transformation
• There is a great deal of attention being paid to the question of the distinction between discipline and abuse.  How would you define each of those terms in the context of a family?
• How would you define discipline vs. abuse in a Church setting?
• Does God ever get angry?
• Does that anger ever lead to abuse?
• Why not?
• What can we learn from that?

• You never know who you'll run into in heaven
• How would you define hospitality?
• Where is hospitality appropriate?  Is there a hospitality dimension at home, work, school,church?
• How are those ministries of hospitality related?
• How can we be more hospitable?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I willing to reach beyond my comfort zone to show God to another?
2. How do I celebrate God's mercy in my life?
3. Am I disciplining myself to God's service?
4. Can I trust God to touch the heart of even those whom I don't like?

Shalom!

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Jeremiah 38: 4-6, 8-10
2. Psalms 40: 2, 3, 4, 18
3. Hebrews 12: 1-4
4. Luke 12: 49-53

• Speaking up for those who speak up
• Do you think that we can ever have enough prophets in our midst?
• What are some of the traits that you would look for in someone to serve God as a prophet?
• How should we, as God's people nurture and support those with a prophetic gift?
• Do you think that a prophet could be a musician, an artist, a poet, ...?

• The shape of victory
• Do you think that God is actively working on your behalf, day in, day out?
• How would you go about proving that to someone?
• What form does that help and support take?
• Based on your experience, what does it really mean to say that God is victorious in our lives?

• Freedom can be a very lonely thing
• What do you spend the bulk of your time thinking about, talking about, taking care of?
• Is that in any way related to an eternal priority, something that will last?
• What are some ways that you could simplify your life?
• Do you think that such simplification would sharpen your focus, free you from distractions?
• Is such a "leaning down" worth it?

• "In spite of" peace
• How do you tell when you're on the right track?  Often, for the tough questions we often seek the advice of others, maybe read the lives of great men and women for inspiration, pray through the Scriptures, or even ask ourselves what a sane, sensible person might do in our situation.
• What role do your feelings play in your decision making?
• If you found yourself utterly alone in terms of a decision that you had made, would that be a clear sign to you that you had strayed?
• Do you think that Jesus can meet you there in such loneliness?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I willing to say what needs to be said, without thought for the consequences?
2. Where do I go for the good news that is happening in the world around me?
3. How am I drawing strength and encouragement from the saints who have gone before me, the saints around me, the saints who are to come?
4. Am I willing to be alone for Jesus?

Go Big or Go Home

used to be a battle cry among the folks I worked with at Boeing.
We would unsheath that sentiment when someone wavered,
Uncertain whether to take a risk or not for fear of the response.
It was meant to convey a wealth of sentiments all in one package.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
You have to break some eggs to make an omelette.
No pain, no gain.
There is magic in boldness.

And behind such determination must lie something stronger, and quieter.
A realization that what is at hazard in any decision is far greater,
Greater than embarrassment, loss of stature, loss of fame.
Rather it is loss of the true self.

Paths chosen because they are easy, comfortable, consistent with the past
Or radically creative traces through the wilderness,
The path less taken, the road less traveled
Are a gateway to our future, the emerging me at once becoming.

A true friend is the voice, daring you to be ineffably yourself
In spite of the fear, the risks, the potential disappointments.
We all need such friends in our lives.
Being that prophetic voice for another is perhaps our highest calling.

Not all such friends are alive with us today.
Some have gone before us.
Some have yet to be born.
Yet all of us witness to each other, and journey together.

Shalom!

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 18: 6-9
2. Psalms 33: 1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
3. Hebrews 11: 1-2, 8-19
4. Luke 12: 32-48

• Wait for it, wait for it ...
• What are some promises that God has made to us that you cherish?
• How have those promises changed your outlook, your actions?
• How are you preparing for the fulfillment of those promises.

• The chosen
• Do you feel that you choose your work, or that your work chooses you?
• Have you ever felt chosen for some particular purpose/role/destiny?
• If not, how might that change your attitude and actions?
• How can we find that calling?

• Indifference versus "whatever"
• Have you ever gotten frustrated with God, with your relationship to God?
• Did you talk with God about that frustration?
• What's the difference between faith that it will all work out somehow in the end, and a "whatever" attitude that basically just disengages and waits for what's to come without getting involved?

• Holding down the fort
• T-shirts with the question "what would Jesus do?" were popular at one point in time.  How far do you think that question will take us in the face of questions that we face today?
• If Jesus were alive and in our midst today, where in our society do you think he'd be?  Maybe a CEO of some corporate where He could benefit the employees, customers and stockholders?  Would he be some Church official?
• What do you think Jesus might want to say to us, today, if He were here right now?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How am I showing God my trust in Him?
2. What am I waiting for in my life?
3. What am I willing to risk to follow Jesus more closely?
4. Where is my treasure?

In it for the long haul

So what's the difference between a distraction and a calling?
How do you tell when a person or a community,
Have lost sight of their ultimate purpose
And traded it away for security, predictability, safety?

Are all of us called to be ultimately creative?
What does creativity look like?
Is it inherently predictable, steady, arrives on schedule?
Is the muse intrinsically rational, or intuitive?

A project manager hates nothing more than the phrase:
"It will get done when it gets done."  Or worse:
"We have nailed down the known unknowns,
But the unknown unknowns are still emerging."

I somehow doubt that Jesus worked to a schedule
Or had a secret Day Planner tucked in his robes.
Ghandi was known to wait for months at a time
For the inspiration that led to his next flurry of action.

Lord, grant me the ear to hear you through the day to day,
Let the routine, the predictable, the consistent,
Be the strings which you pluck, to call me to my center,
Where I can find your next move for me, day in, day out.

Shalom!

18th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23
2. Psalms 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
3. Colossians 3: 1-5, 9-11
4. Luke 12: 13-21

• Let it go

• We've all said to ourselves "if I knew then what I know now, ...".  When were some times that you would have done things differently, or done different things, had you known how it was all going to turn out in the end?
• How do you really know if/whether something that you put your time and energy into is a waste of time?
• Do you think that we are always going to know the full extent of the impact of our actions and words?

• Counting the days - Philip James Bailey perhaps says it best:

We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.
And he whose heart beats quickest lives the longest:
Lives in one hour more than in years do some
Whose fat blood sleeps as it slips along their veins.
Life’s but a means unto an end; that end,
Beginning, mean, and end to all things—God.
The dead have all the glory of the world.

• By what yardstick do you measure your accomplishments in this life, by what means do you judge yourself?
• What makes for a successful existence in your view of life?

• So what's so bad about passion

• What are some things that you are decidedly passionate about?
• Where do you think that those passions came from?
• Do you think that God can use those passions to guide us?

• One man's riches are another man's rags

• Do you consider yourself rich in one way or another?
• To what degree do you think that you can share those riches with others?
• Would those riches be diminished, or multiplied in the sharing?
• Do you think that, at some level, God calls each of us to be rich in the same way, or is it the case that we each have a different destiny, and different path that defines us?
• Does that have to be an either/or?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I willing to let go of the outcomes of my life?
2. Even though I may have dedicated my life to God, am I still listening for that still small voice?
3. Have I listened to my passions lately?
4. Am I willing to simplify my life to get closer to God?

At Your Service

I'm told that Itzhak Perlman, the great violinist, lives a simple life.
Each day he gets up pretty much at the same time.
Has a light breakfast.
Gets some exercise.
Then settles in for a day of practice.

Everything is at the service of his art, his craft, his destiny.
When contemplating whether to go with the cheesecake or the cobbler,
His first question is "how will this make me a better violinist?"
He exercises because he knows that his craft is best served by a fit body.
And he knows that the world is a better place because he practices.

Call it what you will, your life lodestone, your muse, Dharma or destiny,
Each of us has a center, a genius, a calling.
It is better to fail colossally at our own calling
Than to succeed miserably at someone else's.
The cardinal virtue then becomes integrity to that calling.

As a practicing Catholic, just what is it that you practice?
Are any of us better at living today than we were twenty years ago?
Today, as we arise, do we meet life with twenty more years of experience?
Or one year of experience repeated twenty times?
Were we to meet ourselves from twenty years ago, would they be excited or disappointed?

Shalom!