5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Job 7: 1-4, 6-7
   
2. Psalm 147: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
   
3. 1 Corinthians9: 16-19, 22-23
   
4. Mark 1: 29-39
   

• Too much noise
  
• Dwelling in the present is all but impossible nowadays.  Instead we either brood over the past, trying to find healing where there is none, or worry about the future before we have any chance to influence it.  Meanwhile, the present, the eternal now as Richard Rohr calls it, passes us by.
• Do you ever feel as though you never get the chance to "catch your breath" in your daily life?
• Do you think that you can afford to keep going like this the rest of your life?
• What are the alternatives?
• Would more prayer in your week help?
• Can you afford to take that time?
• Can you afford not to take that time?
  

• Faith sharing
  
• In Protestant circles, we would share testimonies with each other.  These were stories from our personal lives that illustrated God's goodness, kindness, and mercy.  I remember listening to these stories and trying to see how to achieve the same successes that the story teller spoke of.  Instead, I should have been listening to these stories to deepen my faith.  In Catholic circles, we often speak of such dialog as "faith sharing".
• When was the last time that you did any "faith sharing" with anyone?
• Do you think that the sharing of your faith did them any good?
• Do you think that it did you any good?
• Why not make that a regular part of your life?
  

• Transformative testimony
  
• Writing for me is transformative.  I rarely know just what I'm going to end up saying when I start a poem.  Sometimes the surprise I feel when the last line comes out takes my breath away.  I suspect that spreading the Gospel is meant to be like that.  Touching lives, comforting the afflicted, bringing hope to the downtrodden cannot help but transform us.  We become more deeply the Gospel by sharing who we are in God.
• What have you given away that has transformed you in the giving?
• Did you know that you had that grace to give away in the first place?
• Did the person receiving that grace that you offered appreciate that gift?
• Would you ever be able to be that generous again?
  

• Making peace
  
• I'm always impressed that Jesus never seems to get annoyed, frustrated, or short-tempered.  I wish I could say the same of myself.
• Would those who love you most say that you roll with the punches pretty well, that nothing ever really phases you, that you are always able to see the best in people, events, happenings?
• What do you think would help you learn more patience?
• How would prayer factor into that process of achieving more patience?
• Is it worth it?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where can I learn to be intentional about living in the now?
   
2. Who might need to hear about how God is blessing me these days?
3. Where might God be calling me to be more generous?
   
4. Where is God calling me pray my way into more peace?

Finding time to pray

The dew lies gently on rock, soil, leaf and branch -
The goodbye kiss of last night to the arriving day.
A crisp chill full of pregnant with promise of a new beginning.

My body is rested, my spirit is weary, worn, depleted.
I find a smooth boulder to sit down on.
Letting my muscles conform themselves to unyielding stone.

I relax my skin, let the chill in, thanking my Father for the dawn.
Gradually my breathing slows, each becomes a season of its own.
My breath greeting and becoming one with the air around me.

Through my closed eyelids, the sun invites me into the new day.
I rejoice in the soft glow that I feel, taste and see around me.
I remember yesterday, and thank my Father for each touch, encounter, healing.

I open my hands, letting my body be a fleshy echo of my heart.
I know this time is short, but I savor the moment anyway -
Knowing that the Father and I are one, whatever befalls us.

Still, still breathes my heart.
My blood flow slows as I settle deeper into my Father's arms.
And move beyond mere knowing into the center of my being.

My Father waits for me there, in stillness and majesty.
We gaze upon each other in love, affection, and deep unshakable joy.
And that is enough for us both, now and always.

Frantic my friends are.
They see nothing but unrelenting, gaping need and hunger all around them.
They panic that I am not there to feed all those clamoring for attention.

It's time for us to continue sowing the seed of the good news.
Calling forth from my brothers and sisters their deepest hunger:
Eternal love, affection, and deep unshakable joy.

Shalom!

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Deuteronomy 18: 15-20
   
2. Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7, 7-9
   
3. 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
4. Mark 1: 21-28
   

• Be careful what you say
  
• Speaking and acting with authority are not the sort of activity that most of us rush into.  We second guess ourselves, wondering "what if I'm wrong", "did I really consider all of the possibilities", or even "who am I to say anyway?".  But in spite of all our doubts and misgivings, we are asked to stand witness to the unseen realities that pervade the universe that we find ourselves in.
• What are three things that you would like to hear said during your eulogy?
• How certain are you that those three things will come up in your eulogy?
• How long have those three things been a focus in your life?
• Why do you think that someone looking at your life would conclude that those have been your priorities?
• What might you do differently to make those priorities more evident in your life?
  

• Finding a soft heart
  
• Many things can make us "hard of hearing."  If we have been hurt in the past, and the necessary healing has not had a chance to come, we may be hyper alert, always looking to avoid getting hurt the same way again.  Or we may want something so much, that that one desire blots out everything else in our life.
• What are some things in your life that have made you hard of hearing?  They might be anger, pride, jealousy, ...
• How have those things hurt you?
• Why is it that you cling to them?
• What would life be without that obstacle in your heart?
• What's next on that journey?
  

• Letting go for dear life
  
• It's easy to define ourselves by what we have, what we do, how we earn a living, even our past.  But none of these things are us.  All of these and more have impacted who we are today, but none of them really define us.
• What is something that you've had to give up in your life?
• Was that hard?
• Was that a conscious decision, or just a new set of habits that you "fell into"?
• Do you think that God calls us to shed just for the sake of shedding?
• Do you feel more free in your life with that "thing" that you thought was so important?
  

• Your words are drowned out by your actions
  
• Talk is cheap.  It can happen that our words become divorced from our actions.  The words themselves might be technically accurate, but lacking in meaning or significance because our life does not bear witness to those words.  Those words die, or worse yet, rot.
  
• Think of someone whose life reflects their words, and whose words reflect their life.  What about them inspires you to step beyond your comfort zone, give you courage to dare the impossible, call you forward to greatness?
• What of that inspiration is something that you could apply this coming year, this month, today?
• Would they be able to help you take that first step?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where can I learn to be more prophetic in my speech and writing?
   
2. How might I be more trusting of God?
3. Where might I need to let go of something that has served me well, to make room for something even better?
   
4. Where is God calling me to follow inspiration?

Finding the Courage

These fits come over me without warning.
Rage like a tempest, fear, despair
All rising like a flood with no escape.

I saw him enter the temple by a side door,
Eyes downcast, feet shuffling,
His robe in disarray,
As though he had arrived unprepared.

But my friends, they told me that Jesus would be there.
The preacher from Nazareth that everyone was talking about.
Perhaps He could give me comfort, find me a measure of peace.

My heart went out to him, 
Seeing the torture written in the lines of his face.
And then I knew what I would share today.
And a deeper understanding of why I am here.

We locked eyes, each seeing the other for who he is.
He knew me in an instant.
And I knew I needed to stay and find healing and rest.

I knew that healing him would cause a sensation.
Violate the mean spirited shadow of a Sabbath that they celebrated.
Shatter their notions of who their Father can be for them.
Offer them the chance to melt their cold judgemental hearts.

He spoke of freedom from sin, freedom from hate, and anger.
He told us that the Father could transform that pain into joy.
If only we have the trust to let Him truly be our Father.

I saw him growing more and more restless in the back.
I reached out to him with my eyes, told him I wasn't going to leave him.
My love and compassion for him soared through my words
And then, in a spasm of pain, he shrieked his agony.

I wanted to run to His arms, and the same time send Him away.
I tried to think what life would be like without the burn of this hatred.
And all I heard in reply was "trust me, give me your hand."

Lifeless he lay, spent, drenched in sweat, and beloved.
I took him by his hand, and raised him up.
Telling him that he had every right to stand among God's children.
Restoring his hope for tomorrow, and the courage to step into his sonship.

Shalom!

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our readings for 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Jonah 3: 1-5
   
2. Psalm 25: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
   
3. 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31
4. Mark 1: 14-20
   

• Effective words
  
• Prophets generally spend their time telling folks things that they do not want to hear.  Sometimes, the same message needs to go out over and over again, and it seems as though that message just gets ignored over and over again.  One example might be abortion.
  
• How does God communicate to humanity?
• Does that include protest marches outside of abortion clinics, letters to your congressman, your decisions when you vote?
• How do you know whether you are personally called to be prophetic?
• Do you think that God calls "full time" prophets?
• Why can't God just use "professionals" for His prophets?
  

• Learning how to learn
  
• When I was RCIA director, I realized that faith formation was a very different thing from faith information.  Formation is about passing the faith on from person to person in the context of the community.  Formation cannot happen in a vacuum.
• How has your faith been formed through the years?
• Who are some of the folks who had a big impact on your faith formation?
• If you have been involved in helping someone else form their faith in God, how did that experience transform you?
• Does faith formation have to be in the context of a formal curriculum or program?
• How do you know that we are passing on the true faith to someone?
  

• This too shall pass
  
• When things get crazy, my mom likes to say "this too shall pass."  I think that's her way of saying that the bigger picture, those truths and realities that don't pass, should be the center of our lives.
• At the end of the day, what is the "bottom line" that you want to be able to say about your life as God's child?
• Looking back over the things that you gave yourself to during today, did you do anything that did not support that ultimate bottom line for your life?
• Why did you do that?
  

• Late bloomer
  
• Nowadays, conventional wisdom holds that we all need to change jobs every few years.  When I entered the job market, the expectation was that you found your niche in life as soon as you could, get a good job in that area, and stick with it until retirement.  I suspect that most fishermen of Jesus' day expected to stay in that line of work as long as they were physically able to do so.
• What are some of the really big changes to the sort of work that you do?
• Have you ever wondered why that change did not come along earlier in your life?
• Have you ever wondered whether the earlier work that you did somehow prepared you for that transition?
• How do you think that things would have gone if you you had known at the start of your career, what you would eventually end up doing?
• Was it better that you didn't know?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where can I learn to be more prophetic in my speech and writing?
   
2. How might I be a means for forming someone else's faith?
3. Am I truly indifferent to the physical world around me?
   
4. Do I trust God to be preparing me for his next calling in my life right now?

Thanks Dad

Dad, I never got the chance to properly thank you for raising me.

Seeing your dedication to a job well done taught me the value of work.

 

You taught me that a job well done is a job well done

Regardless of who its for, what or even whether you get paid.

 

Seeing the time that you spent with me in Boy Scouts

Taught me the value of time spent with my family.

 

Your love and concern for your family and community

Showed my that giving myself away is transformative.

 

Giving myself away meets the needs of others,

And leaves me with more to give to the next one in need.

 

You always encouraged me to follow my dreams,

To reach for that unreachable star,

To be true to the destiny that God has for me,

No matter where, how, or when that leading might happen.

There have been surprises along the way.

But you told me to expect those as part of life.

Thanks for teaching me to be open, and grateful.

Pray for me that I can use all these lessons until we meet again.

Shalom!

2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our readings for 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. 1 Samuel 3: 3b-10, 19
   
2. Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
3. 1 Corinthians 6: 13c-15a, 17-20
   
4. John 1: 35-42
   

• Effective words
  
• No one wants to "waste their breath".  Normally that happens either because your audience does not have the inclination or the means to properly appreciate your words, or your words are inconsequential.  But what if, by some miracle, you could be sure that neither of those was true, that no matter whom you talk to, they will be able to follow every nuance of your words, and you will never say anything inconsequential.
• When are some times that your words had no effect, or worse, had an effect that you did not intend?
• Why did that happen?
• What could you have done differently?
• Do you think that all of us should be effective in all of our words all of the time?
• What can we do to help make that happen?

• Obedience is hard
  
• Every time that we make a decision, we have an opportunity to be obedient to God.  At the very least, just the process of seeking out God's will in our lives makes us better children of God, more humble, more trusting, more attentive.
• How do you go about making tough decisions?
• How much time to you typically give that process?
• Once you've made a decision, do you ever second guess that decision?
• Are you getting better at making wise decisions?
• What would you like to improve on with respect to your decision making?
  

• Glorifying God in your body
• A professional athlete always asks themselves "is this {thing that I'm going to eat, this activity that I'm about to engage in, this book that I'm about to read ...} going to help me be a better athlete?  Each of us could have that sort of focus regarding our lives as God's children.
• If you were that focused with respect to your life as a child of God, would that be restrictive, or freeing?
• Do you think that you could live that way for a year?
• What changes do you think that living that way would make in you?
• What do you think that you would miss out on living that way?
  

• Spreading the word
  
• A year or two after I became a Catholic, my mother asked me why I did not try to convince her to become a Catholic.  After all, if I felt that the Catholic faith had more to offer than the tradition in which I had been raised, why wouldn't I be trying to share that with those that I cared about?
• How do you find yourself sharing your faith with others?
• If someone came up to you and said "I sense something deeply spiritual, even holy about you.  I want what you have."  What would you do?
• If that same person decided to dedicate their life to Jesus, what would you do to help support that decision of theirs?
• Are you sure that they would be warmly welcomed if they became a member of your faith community?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where can I learn to be more prophetic in my speech and writing?
   
2. How might I become more sensitive to God's desires for me in my life?
3. Where might God be calling me to more focus in my life?
   
4. Where is God teaching me more trust today?

Reluctant missionary

Brother, how many have you saved today?

I hung my head, knowing that I had nothing to report.

Then he asked "what's holding you back?"

I gazed off into the distance to collect my thoughts.

And I asked "how do I know that they'll be happier?"

My companion looked at me in shock.  "What do you mean?"

Slowly I replied: "This path that we start them on is a hard one.

These new followers of Jesus are gradually going to become more and more sensitive.

Sensitive to the still small voice of the Spirit in their lives.

They will come to see more and more that we are all connected.

That none of us lives in isolation, that we all need each other.

And all of us are here to support and sustain each other.

That's a lot of responsibility for someone to take on.

Especially if they have bought the lie that they are responsible to no one but themselves,

That their only measure of success is how well they looked out for number one.

Then there's trust.  Trust that God has them in His hands.

Trust that this new life of service will all work out in the end.

Even if they end up leaving behind things that looked so important.

I wonder who among my family, friends, coworkers are really ready.

I wonder if I am really a good example of the life that Jesus is calling them to.

I wonder what sort of welcome they will receive when they join us.

I wonder if I am really worthy to bring another into our midst.

As if I'm so much further down the road than anyone else.

I wonder what will happen when I fail, and they see, and wonder.

Maybe I need to learn more trust.

Trust that God can transform my weaknesses into strengths, if I let Him.

Trust that God can provide the hospitality that these new disciples need.

Trust that God can use me if I'm willing.

Even if all that I have is the willingness to be willing.

Willing to help another hear God's gentle call.

 

Check back with me tomorrow.

I might just have the beginnings of a different response.

Maybe."

 

Shalom!