13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. 2 Kings 4: 8-11, 14-16a
   
2. Psalms 89: 2-3, 16-17, 18-19
   
3. Romans 6: 3-4, 8-11
   
4. Matthew 10: 37-42
   

• Sensitive and vulnerable
  
• I have an engineer's mind.  Which is great for solving problems, not nearly as useful when my wife is pouring her heart out in frustration and/or anxiety over something going on in our family.
• If you knew that no one expected anything of you besides active listening, would that make you more likely to listen?
• As members of the Body of Christ, do we necessarily need to have an answer to everything that we, or anyone else, encounters in life?
• Does God have to have an answer?
  

• Creative tension
  
• Some things in this life are constant.  The goodness of God is one of them.  Yet God finds new ways to express that goodness every day.
• How has that goodness of God shown itself in your life lately?
• Has it always been that way for you?
• Would you have appreciated that goodness of God earlier in your life?
• How can we be more open to that goodness?
• How can we be more open to being that goodness in someone else's life?
  

• The resurrection road
  
• The corpus on the cross at the front of Catholic churches serves to remind us that Jesus is the ultimate sacrament, the ultimate gateway to all that is sacred, and that in one measure or another, all of us must follow in His footsteps.  The corpus is not there to deny the resurrection, but to give it context, and show us how to enter into that resurrection.
• What are some things in your life that need to die?
• How are you working your way to letting them go, giving them up?
• What are your fears as you contemplate that death?
• What makes you think that its worth it?
  

• Receiving, making a place
  
• Folks come and go in our lives from the moment that we are born.  Sometimes they dwell with us for a short span, sometimes a lifetime.  Sometimes loved ones change, and the person that we knew and love is replaced.  That change could be brought on by a transcendent experience that they or you go through, a trauma that they have to work through, or the steady chipping away that occurs to all of us as we age.
• How do you know whether to receive someone into your life?
• Have you ever had a relationship end before you were ready?
• Given the way that it ended, what do you conclude about that relationship as a whole?  Was it worth investing in?
• If saying "good bye" to someone can be so painful, why say "hello"?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to be healing for another?
2. How is God being good to me today?
3. Where is God calling me to let go?
   
4. Where is God revealing Himself to me in another?
   

  Too Many Goodbyes

I remember walking with my young son Justin to the post office.
He was probably about ten, full of life and optimism.
We were holding hands.

I remembered thinking "this is as close to heaven as it gets"
At least on this side of eternity.
Each of us enjoying the other's presence, totally in the moment.

He's a dad now, with a family, a home, a mortgage, two dogs,
And a lot of worry.
He asks me questions like "How did you get your work/life balance when you were my age?"

I'm glad that I was able to say goodbye to that happy young man
So many years ago.
And say "hello" to this mature, earnest, thoughtful young man.

But there are days when I miss that other Justin.
I wish that I had made time for more walks to the post office with him,
Sweated over applying those stupid decals on just a few more model airplanes.

For today, I try to let those regrets remind me to say "hello" more thoughtfully.
Not just let the moments blur one into the next.
Until the book is closed on one more chapter in my life.

I doubt that I'll be able to live a life free of regrets.
I don't always see the forest for the trees.
But at least I can make my goodbyes mean something.

Shalom!

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Jeremiah 20: 10-13
   
2. Psalms 69: 8-10
   
3. Romans 5: 12-15
   
4. Matthew 10: 26-33
   

• Fear of failure
  
• Fear of failure often shackles us to our comfort zone.  No one wants to see something that they invest in fail to produce the desired results.  More profoundly, as God's people, we fear failure because deep down inside we think that failure means that we had missed God's will for our lives, that failure was a result of our sin.
• What are some failures that you have had in your life?
• Why do you feel as though you failed at that?
• Do you think that you took that challenge on because you were led by God?
• How do you think God feels about your failure?
  

• No longer strangers
  
• A prophet is someone who says what needs to be said, not necessarily what anyone wants to hear.  Perhaps the toughest part about being prophetic is the isolation that the prophet feels in the wake of rejection.
• Who are some prophets that you can think of?
• If they spoke out in the past, how did that message strike you at the time?
• How can we support our prophets in our time?
  

• Amazing grace
  
• Actual grace is a little more tangible than sanctifying grace.  One definition of actual grace is a "spiritual kick in the pants."  St. Ignatius I believe would call such interventions in our lives a divine consolation.
• Think of a time you found the strength, the courage, the vision to be God's presence in a way that surprised you.
• How did that happen?
• What do you think led up to that breakthrough?
• How did that grace change you?
  

• Fear no one
  
• Corporations, governments, countries, entire generations can have a discernable character, a personality.  Trying to alter the course of something as large as such character, such culture may seem foolhardy at best.
• What are some things that you do that are counter-cultural?
• Why do you do those things?
• What effect do you think that your actions are having on the greater culture?
• Is that effect enough to make the work worth it?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. What fears do I need to place into God's hand?
2. Where are God's prophets calling me today?
3. Am I open to the grace that God has for me?
   
4. Where am I living in fear and need to step out of my comfort zone for God.
   

  Three pebbles - two of them are spares

Towering over the valley floor the giant stood - death in a pair of sandals.
His heavy armor gleaming defiantly in the morning sun,
His sword and shield lowered.  He felt no fear, no threat -
Not from the lone shepherd boy coming toward him with fierce determination -
And hardly anything else.

"I am offended that you cowards send out this defenseless youth against me!
At least have the courtesy to put suitable armor on him
So that I am not dishonored to slay this miserable specimen
Who dares to desecrate this battlefield by his feeble presence.
Today I will water this valley with his blood and yours."

God's servant sprinted to well within javelin range.
Meanwhile feeling one pebble in his hand, learning its shape, and edges -
Praying that his God would give him strength, aim, and courage.
And land a blow that no one of this shepherd's kinsman could imagine.
And free God's people from the hands of their oppressors.

He stood there, all alone, no army to back him, no one shouting encouragement.
Slowly his sling began to circle, faster and faster.
The boy began to run again, fully present, fully alive,
Straight at certain death at the hands of his towering foe.
Releasing that stone at the top of its arc.

His aim was true, his missile found its mark.
The giant staggered, bled, and toppled.
The boy had no sword to finish him off.
He improvised and finished the battle with his foe's own sword.
Hoisting the trophy of God's intervention for all to see.

The boy's kin suddenly found their lost courage.
Now they saw that God was still with them despite appearances.
And they charged into battle for freedom -
Confident that they were not alone, that they never had been.

Now go, and find your Goliath.

Shalom!

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Exodus 19: 2-6a
   
2. Psalms 100: 1-2, 3, 5
   
3. Romans 5: 6-11
   
4. Matthew 9: 36 - 10: 8
   

• You can never be too holy
  
• If you define holiness as "right relation with God", and you define "right relation with God" as fulfilling God's own destiny for you in your life, then the holy person is the one who is most authentically and courageously who God created them to be.
• Who are some folks in your life who stand out to you as holy?
• How are they making a difference in the world around them?
• Does their example at all inspire you?
• What would you like to do, to become, to be more like them?
  

• God is always faithful
  
• God never turns His back on us, no matter how dark the time, no matter how deep the despair that surrounds us.
• Do you think that God is able to turn anything to good?
• How has that sort of transformation occurred in your life?
• What was the hardest part of such a transformation?
• If you had to go through that again today, would it be easier?
  

• Reconciled to God
  
• Reconciliation in most of our minds has been identified with the sacrament of that name.  But that's to miss a good portion of the glory of reconciliation.
• What are some signs that you need to be reconciled to God in some way?
• When you see those signs, how do you respond?
• How do you find reconciliation to God when you need it?
• Do you think that you are more or less sensitive to that need for reconciliation?
  

• Against all odds
  
• Sometimes, the work in front of us seems overwhelming.  We want for the energy, the affirmation, the success, at least once in awhile, to reassure us that we are doing the right thing, and doing the thing right.  I think we need to get over that.
• How do you know when you are where God wants you?
• If no one agreed with the work that you were doing, or with you, is it possible that you could still be doing God's work?
• What are some signs that you have received in the past that you were doing God's will?
• Are those signs there all of the time?
• Does that matter?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. How is God calling me to be more authentic today?
2. Where are there hurts in my life that God would love to heal?
3. Where can I build greater peace in my life?
   
4. How are the various ministries in my life building the Kingdom?

  Lost

Imagine that you are out hiking in the local mountains.
The trails are well marked, well kept, easy to see.
Time goes on, and the trail begins to get dimmer.
Signs disappear, the grade gets steadily steeper.
And you realize that you are no longer on an established path.

At that point, you could just turn around and return the way that you came.
But trails have crossed each other more and more lately.
Retracing your steps seems all but impossible now.
To make matters worse, your canteen is all but empty.
And the sun is going down soon, plunging all into darkness.

You pull out your handy US geological survey map of the area.
And try to locate yourself on that map,
Starting with your last known location.
Hoping that you actually do know where that was.
Then, trying to trace your decisions of the day on the map.

At least you know you are lost.

Imagine instead that you don't realize that you're off the trail
Because you never knew that there should be a trail.
Instead, you just pick your direction by instinct.
Trying to judge where the cliffs and cataracts might be.
Looking for a place to camp for the night, with no clear direction.

Imagine that you are sent into the wilderness to find and rescue
Someone who was lost, and who did not know they were lost.
You cannot just pluck them out of the wilderness,
They have to want to come to safety with you.
You have to convince them that there's a better way to hike.

In the meanwhile, they are in a hurry.
They don't know where they are going, but they are making great time.
You keep up so that you can converse
Sharing the trail with them as you are trying to make a rescue.
You try to come up with ways to get through to them.

Then you let them know that friends, family, relatives are worried.
They tell you that they are out here in the wilderness for sweet freedom.
They don't want to be shackled by other's ideas of what to do, how to live.
They find that communing with nature satisfies their every longing.
And they know that they are happier this way, with no restraints.

And suddenly you know how Jesus feels about His children.

Shalom!

Corpus Christi Sunday

Our readings for Corpus Christi Sunday are:

1. Deuteronomy 8: 2-3, 14b-16a
   
2. Psalms 147: 12-13, 14-15, 19-20
   
3. II Corinthians 10: 16-17
   
4. John 6: 51-58
   

• Faith sharing through the generations
  
• In certain Protestant circles, sharing your testimony of God's goodness in your life is called "witnessing".  I always looked upon such sharing as an opportunity to show appreciation to God for His goodness.  Now I feel as though I can go deeper, looking for the Presence woven through affliction and pain, the strength provided in weakness, the hope that shines through despair.  If only we can learn to listen for it.
• Thinking back to stories that you heard from previous generations in your family, can you see the hand, the Presence, the voice of God in those?
• Has God been faithful to your family, your community through the years, the decades?
• How has that faithfulness become evident for you?
  

• I'm special
  
• None of us wants to just be "one of the herd".  We all want to stand out, be special for one reason or another.  That specialness helps us to identify and define our purpose, our mission.  But the hard part can be finding the best use for that specialness in each of us, seeing where God wants to use that gift that each of us has.
• Can you think of someone in your life who has made good use of the blessings that God has given them?
• How have they figured out where to apply themselves?
• How has that inspired you?
  

• We are one Body
  
• Jim O'Neil used to go to Communion, and when the Eucharistic minister handed him the sacred host with the words "The Body of Christ", Jim would say "Yes, we are."  The Eucharistic minister offers the Body of Christ to the Body of Christ that we might all become more perfectly the Body of Christ
• How had your celebration of Communion changed you through the years?
• What difference does your celebration of the Eucharist make to you on Monday morning when you have to face your day to day challenges?
• How do you prepare for your next celebration of the Eucharist?
  

• Sacraments of sustenance
  
• Sacraments are funny things.  They are easy to take for granted if you are not careful.
• We only get baptized once in life.  We only get confirmed once in life, yet some go to Communion daily.  Why is that?
• If daily Communion is good, would twice a day be even better?
• How long do the effects of Communion last in you?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. How is God's faithfulness changing me today?
2. Where might God be calling me to give myself away in some new capacity?
3. How am I sustained through the week by my celebration of the Eucharist?
   
4. How might I gain more from my celebration of Communion?

  We Sing Alleluia

It is easy to view the world around you through the lens of self-love.
After all, you are the only one of you in the entire universe.
You know yourself better than anyone else knows you,
So naturally, you know what your legitimate needs are.

Others deflect all attention from themselves, no matter the occasion.
Always worried that any attention on them is wasted -
Especially when so many others are perishing for lack of care.
Unloved, unheard, shoved to the side by indifferent hordes.

Still others look for a balance, a give and take between self and others
Trying to find a natural and organic way to gently sway from one to the other
Always trying to keep self and others in healthy harmony
Refereeing the struggle to attend to both, making sure they play fair.

Maybe a deeper dynamic beacons use in the bread we share, the cup we pour.
Jesus gave everything for all of us, yet He found time for warmth, laughter,
The occasional cup of local wine, the family meal shared with loved ones.
He was, is, ever shall be One with, in, and through all of us.

And we are as much One with Him as we too are One with each other.

Shalom!