3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the ThirdSunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
2. Psalm 19: 8, 9, 10, 15
3. 1 Corinthians 12: 12-14, 27
4. Luke 1: 1-4, 4: 14-21

1. Celebrating the Liturgy of the Word
• Too bad that no one thought to write down the commentary that Ezra gave on the Book of the Law when he read and interpreted it to the people.  What background do you think Ezra had that equipped him to interpret the law to the people?
• Do you think that God's word needs interpretation?
• Is that interpretation something that we can/should do strictly alone, in a faith sharing setting, or both?
• Where do you get your faith sharing?
2. You are what you think
• Each week we seek forgiveness and God's mercy for since of thought, word, and deed.  How do your thoughts influence your actions?
• How can our words influence our actions?
• If you know in your mind that your beliefs need to change, but your heart is not in it, is it possible to gradually change your heart merely by verbalizing something that your mind assents to?
• If that is the case, does reciting the Creed each week make us better people?
3. You are only as healthy as your sickest member
• Unity seems in short supply Christians these days.  What sort of priority do you think that should have among all of the things that we collectively and individually are dealing with in these times?
• Is achieving wholeness within God's people something that is only a concern to the leaders of our various groups?
• What can we do to help?
4. Standing your ground
• It's helpful to ask yourself from time to time why the Lectionary readings are organized the way that they are.  This week's Gospel is something of a cliff hanger.  Jesus makes what must have seemed an astounding declaration, and then we pause in the narrative for a week-long commercial break.  Don't miss out next week for the stirring conclusion.
• Do you think that you have an anointing?
• Do you think that you need to broadcast that anointing to those around you?
• When was the last time that you told someone that you felt called of God into some ministry, some change in your career, some decision in your life?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How am I growing in God's word today, this week, this year?
2. Am I willing to be convinced of the truth of something, even if it takes me out of my comfort zone into uncharted waters?
3. Am I willing to grow closer to God by dialog with others who many not hold my views?
4. Am I willing to be bold in my ministry?

Gifted and Anonymous

We've all found ourselves in a room full of strangers.
Standing awkwardly, libation in hand, wondering
Wondering how long before the social torture ends
And you can go home, curl up with a good book,
And enjoy the company of someone who understands.

You decide to make the best of it, and try to strike up
Strike up a conversation with the person next to you.
You consider the usual openers, like "what do you do?"
Or, "whereabouts are you from?" to start things off.
Instead, unbidden, you utter "who are you, really?"

And that other person gazes long into your eyes
Looking to see if you really meant the question.
They come to a decision, and they begin:
"I'm a pilgrim, a priest, a poet, a philosopher.
I don't earn a dime for any of those roles, but they define me.

My pilgrimage lies in how I get there, not where I'm going.
My priesthood is founded on offering myself to others.
The poetry of my life is recited in my actions.
And my questions frame the philosophy of my existence.
I try my best to remain true to myself in obedience."

Then your partner in this strange endeavor sighs, and asks:
"What are you most afraid of, what keeps you up at night?"
And suddenly you see yourself, with all your foibles,
And you are suddenly very fond of the who of you
And the answer to that frightening question comes:

"I don't fear failure, or poverty, or even indifference.
I fear meaninglessness, my own cowardice and laziness,
I so want to do things that matter, to matter myself.
To rise above my fears, extend myself, transcend myself
So that I can make a difference."

Give it a try next time you're in a social setting,
One that needs a little stirring up.
I guarantee at least someone will know that you were there.
Which could be all that it takes to start both of you
On a pilgrimage of discovery.

Shalom!

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 62: 1-5
2. Psalm 96: 1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10
3. 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11
4. John 2: 1-11

1. Pet names
• Some of us give those close to us a nick name or a pet name.  It's a reminder of some shared event, something meaningful to the two of them.  Sometimes that name is something that no one else knows about.
• If Jesus were here physically today, and he called you to be one of His personal disciples, and He wanted to give you a new name, what would you want for him to give you?
• What would you do differently in your life to live up to that name?
2. Salvation day by day
• What has God saved you from lately?
• As part and parcel of that salvation, what has He saved you to?  In other words, now that you're free of what bound you, what are you doing with the freedom?
• What makes you think that's God's will for what he wanted to see in your life?
3. For the benefit of all
• If you define a faith community as a group of folks who gather regularly to share their story in the context of God's unfolding salvation history, what faith communities do you find yourself in?
• Do you think that you bring the same gifts to each of them, or is it the same gifts that simply get expressed differently in each of those contexts?
• What are you doing to actively develop those gifts so that you can be of greater service in the years ahead?
• Do you feel appreciated?
• Does it matter?
4. The look of abundance
• You have to figure that schlepping somewhere near 150 gallons of water from the nearest well to fill those stone water jars was not a welcome task, yet the servants did it.  What would have happened if they had tried to get away with less water than those jars could have held?
• Do you think that we generally have to have a hand in miracles?
• How can we be just as abundant in our participation as God is in His?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What is God expecting of me today?
2. Am I able to share of my salvation history with others, in terms that they will understand?
3. How is God using my gifts today?
4. As I share of myself, am I striving to live a balanced life?

This Might be Enough

I watched the Master as He fearlessly distributed the loaves and fishes
To a countless hoard of hungry folks on the hillsides of Judea.
Thinking to myself, worrying actually, whether there would be enough.

And I remember back to the days in Cana when He made wine from water,
Water with sediment and a faint smell that none of us could identify,
Drawn from the village well on a hot summer's afternoon.

And I ask myself why, again, why He is asking for some elements to work with
Something to transform, some dust from the ground to breath new life into.
Why not just conjure up the final result from nothing and let it go at that?

Our fathers, on the far side of the Jordan river as they entered the Promised Land
Saw that river raging in its flood season.  The waters did not abate
Until the priest's sandals touched the water's edge, and then God bared His holy arm.

And now, I see the widows and orphans gathered for their daily distribution
And I wonder how long we can go on feeding and clothing them.
And I've stopped wondering why God doesn't make all this need go away,

Instead, I wonder at the way He's able to take the simplest things
And renew them to meet needs scarce known, hardly spoken
And I wonder what He's going to do next with this poor offering: me.

Shalom!

Baptism of the Lord

Our readings for Baptism of the Lord Sunday are:

1. Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11
2. Psalm 104:1b-4,24-25,27-30
3. Psalm Titus 2: 11-14, 3:4-7
4. Luke 3:15-16,21-22

1. Something to shout about
• All of history is on a story arc.  Is ours ultimate destruction, or transformation?
• Is there any aspect of our existence, our reality, our universe that is maturing, unfolding, getting better?
• How can we further that maturing?
• If it's all going to vaporize at the second coming, what does it matter?
2. Creature comforts
• How active do you think that God is in your life?
• Did He merely set up the whole DNA infrastructure, and sat back to see how it would turn out?
• Did He influence the development of each and every hillside, rock, tree and animal to culminate in what we see to day?
• Does He continue to create, even as we are speaking?
• If God forgot about you, would you still exist?
• What role do you think that we have in creation?  How are we like the animals of the forest, the sky above and the rivers, and how are we different?
• How should that relationship to God and His creation change, transform, illuminate our prayer life?
3. Embracing the stranger
• Thinking about RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), how would you explain that to someone?
• It's a vetting process to make sure that we don't get any of "those people" in our midst.
• It's the start of a lifelong dialog between a person and God in the context of the Catholic Church.
• It's a way for someone new to Catholicism  figure out whether they want to learn more.
• It's a way for someone new to Catholicism to learn all that they will ever need to know about our faith.
• It's a clever way to recruit people who didn't realize what they were getting into when they married a Catholic.
• Is a formal initiation process the only time and place that someone can join us?
• What is the pivotal event/rite at which a person is fully initiated?
• In what ways, at the personal level, do our relationships to someone change at the various steps along the way as they are initiated?
4. Being a blessing
• In his book Sacred Fire Ronald Rolheiser speaks of being a blessing to others in a radical way.  The blessing that God gives Jesus in this Gospel reading transcends merely the verbal, it's an investment in Jesus, a passing of the torch to him.  Henceforth, the ultimate, the only revelation of God is going to be this Jesus, this Son of His.  God is betting the farm on Jesus, there's no going back, no plan "B".
• As you have gone through life, have you had epochal moments, big transitions, watershed events where you have handed some part of yourself over to another?
• How did you go about doing that?
• Was it well received?
• If that hand off was not well received, did it happen anyway?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I find the thought of Christ's Second Coming a comfort or an anxiety?
2. Do I properly discern God's presence in Creation?
3. What is the way that I'm living preparing me for?
4. Am I in the business of launching ministries, or jealously trying to hang on?

The Big Cheese

The hard part about ministry is to remember that all of us are just bit players
In a drama that is unfolding on sets all around the world, through all of time.

We and the other cast members see each other, interact, even call to each other
To bring forth the faithfulness to the original call deep within all of us.

But it's so easy to forget who made that call on us, brought each of us forth
Individually to serve right here, right now as His servants to His flock.

Maybe I can hang a pair of sandals in my office as a reminder
That my life is just walking in Jesus' shoes, trying to follow His footsteps.

So that I'll learn the hard lesson of humility,
Or at least not have to be reminded so often.

Shalom!

Epiphany

Our readings for Epiphany Sunday are:

1. Isaiah 60: 1-6
2. Psalms 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
3. Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6
4. Matthew 2: 1-12

1. It's better with all of us
• How would you define unity among God's people?
• Would that be limited to agreement on essential doctrines?
• Does unity just mean that we are all able to work together for God's Kingdom?
• How can we make that regathering of God's people happen in our midst today?
• Why does it matter?
2. Who are you calling rich?
• Do you feel fortunate?
• Do you think that your good fortune in any way obliges you to others?
• How do you see God tending the afflicted?
• Do you think ministries like Mother Theresa's and The Catholic Worker have made a permanent difference?
• Are those who are hungry, homeless, alone, ... the only "afflicted" in our midst?
• How can we make their lives better as opposed to just easier?
3. Revelation anyone?
• How is God revealing Himself/Herself today?
• Do you feel as though that revelation has been changing at all over the millennia?
• If you think that there have been changes, do you see those changes as merely matters of presentation or substance?
• To what extent is it possible/desirable to be inerrant in our interpretation of that revelation in the face of emerging knowledge and trends in such disciplines as psychology, anthropology, socialogy, ...? 
4. There's just something special here ...
• Imagine yourself one of the magi, seeing Jesus for the first time.  You look at his mother and father, and you immediately recognize them as peasants.  You've seen such all of your life.  You recognize the surroundings as the last option for a family, displaced from home, in the company of strangers, with no one to take them in, helpless, cold, no standing or apparent importance.  You've seen such over and over again.  And yet, you know this is the one, and you prostrate yourself.
• How did they know?
• What of their background prepared them for this moment?
• How can we be better prepared to see and recognize the Messiah, wherever and however He chooses to manifest Himself?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. In what ways am I shining for Jesus to those around me?
2. What am I willing to do to bring about true justice in the world?
3. How am I partaking of God's ongoing revelation?
4. How am I making Jesus more and more welcome in my life?

Somehow, This Isn't so Important Anymore

Each of us had carefully chosen our homage to bring.
For me, my people's myrrh was the signature of our tribe.
The essence of weeks of work from entire families back home.

I had wrapped the flask of myrrh carefully so that it would not spill,
Set the carafe in a nest of blankets in my saddle bags for transport,
And always made sure that I checked it each night and morning.

That flask had been on my mind for weeks, for miles beyond counting
As we slowly made our way to this strange outpost of the empire,
To present our homage to the newborn king.

And when I looked into his eyes, and he looked into mine,
I felt such acceptance, and gratitude,
And knew that he could see beyond the flask, the blankets, the caravan

And see into my depths, and see someone able to journey far
Leaving everything behind in order to find meaning
Without even a clear direction nor destination.

And he accepted far more than a mere gift of my home village,
But he accepted me.  And that has made all the difference.
I may have been a king before, but I left royalty.

Shalom!

Christmas Day

Our readings for the Nativity of our Lord (Mass during the day) are:

1. Isaiah 52: 7-10
2. Psalms 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6
3. Hebrews 1: 1-6
4. John 1: 1-18

1. Peace can be hard to do
• Peace is a big part of this season, yet so much in our world offers us anything but peace during this time.  What brings peace to you?
• Is a godly peace just a temporary pause in the routine to catch our breath, or is there something transformative about it?
• What about Jesus makes Him the Prince of Peace?
2. Planting a victory garden
• As I understand it, victory gardens during WWII were hailed as every citizen's humble ability to support the war effort by growing crops for themselves on their own land and saving the food that they didn't have to buy for the war effort.  What sorts of things can we do, in our own capacity, to help the victory that Christ is working toward?
• We know how this is all going to end, so why does it matter what little contribution we can make?
• Where has Christ had some victories in your life lately?
3. We are all creative
• Do you feel that creation is pretty much a done deal, that God built all of this, wound it up, and then just turned it loose, or do you think that He's actively creating even as we speak?
• Do you think that any/each of us has an active role in that ongoing creation?
• Why do you think that matters?
4. You light up my life
• The phrase "bringing it to light" speaks of revealing something, good or bad, which previously was unknown.  Those who fear the light fear being open about who they really are, the deep struggles that they face, the demons that they wrestle with.
• How important is it to our various communities that we are transparent with each other?
• What can we do to earn each other's trust?
• If one of us falls, is confession the last word in the healing process, or is there more?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I taking all of the things that put stress on me to God regularly?
2. Do I have the opportunity to praise and thank God for all that He has done for/in me?
3. What part of God's ongoing revelation am I playing?
4. How am I being a light to others?

The Hermit

"How did you find me here?" he asked.
I told the old man that I had heard rumors of a holy man in the woods.
Who had once been a village elder and had disappeared from view.
Who had lived a holy and generous life all his days, and was sorely missed.

He sighed deeply, looked off into the distance, and began in a low voice:
"At first it was fear.  I had become aware that so many of them depended on me,
Depended on me to show the way by my life, all I had to do was to be.
But then the questions started coming, questions that had every right to be asked.

I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough life in my answers to sustain the seekers,
So I told them to live with the questions, and come back to me.
And many of them did, many times with new questions, more urgent ones.
And I realized that they were getting closer to the heart of the matter in their lives.

And for the ones who seemed to have the capacity, I would invite them, again,
To live with the questions, and come back to me again.
And a few did, this time with foundation questions about existence, and meaning.
And I would simply invite them to sit with me, in the company of those questions.

And somehow, that simple acceptance of those questions, their legitimacy,
Gave some very courageous members of my village, strength to continue in their journey.
And they would return to me, telling me, and others, how our time together
Had meant so much to them, changed their lives, transformed them.

And gradually, more and more of the village came to venerate my presence
Felt that there was some sort of magic in my gaze,
When all I did was to invite them to be honest with themselves,
And not run away from the hard questions.

But no one believed me that it was that simple, and I became afraid.
Afraid that if I ever had a question that I wanted to run from,
That my one act of cowardice would rock the village, hurt those I loved,
And so I came out here where I could hurt no one.

But, you see, I'm dying now.
It's nothing that needs to be fixed really, it's just time.
But it's also time for me to give away one last gift.
To be grateful for the chance to share my life with my loved ones.

And to give away my death as well,
So that we can all grow together in this final chapter of my time here
And perhaps shed some light on the meaning of life along the way.
So if you don't mind, fetch my cane from the corner over there.  We'd best be going.

We have a long walk ahead of us.

Shalom!

4th Sunday of Advent

Our readings for the 4th Sunday of Advent are:

1. Micah 5: 1-4a
2. Psalms 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
3. Hebrews 10: 5-10
4. Luke 1: 39-45

1. Peace on earth or the earth in pieces
• If you define peace to be freedom from worry, disquiet, a state of tranquility, it's hard to find anyone who's against that.  But peace to what end?
• If your outlook was peaceful, if you had the sort of faith in God that you could trust Him to accomplish all things in His own good time, what would such peace equip you to do?
• If you were so focused on God that you cared more about serving Him well than health or sickness, wealth or poverty, regard from others or disdain, what would you be doing differently?
• What's stopping you?
2. Grow where you're planted
• Do you feel as though you're right where you ought to be in life, or do you feel like a round peg in a square hole?
• Do you feel that your whole life has gradually led right to where you are right now, or do you feel as though you've jumped off the rails of destiny somewhere?
• As we prepare to welcome Jesus into the world, into our communities, our families, our hearts, where do you see that welcome taking you?
3. Where there's a will there's a way
• Do you feel that you've sacrificed a great deal in your life for God, do you feel that the blessings outweigh the sacrifices, or do you feel that following God is its own reward and it's faintly heretical to even ask the question?
• Do you feel that it's important that our will be in line with God's will before we do that will of God, or is it merely enough that we obey, regardless of the motive?
• What are some ways that you've found to "get on the same page" with God?
4. Leaping lizards Sandy!
• What do you think motivated Mary to go see her cousin Elizabeth?
• As their respective sons grew older, what do you think happened to the relationship between Mary & Elizabeth?
• Do you think that God can use friendships, family ties to get the work of the Kingdom done?
• What does that say about how we treat our relationships?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How can I simplify my life and become more at peace?
2. What am I willing to endure to be where God formed me to be?
3. What have I done to know God's will?
4. When was the last time that I told anyone about a blessing in my life?

Thank you for putting skin on God

God bless all of you
God bless you for the hearty chuckle, the quick squeeze, the hugs, the tears,
God bless you for the courage to show your true self, to reveal what really matters to you,
God bless you for showing me the heart of God in ways that I can relate to.

Jesus discipled his friends, and doubtless today He would friend his disciples.
Jesus steals into our lives, our hearts on the wings of of flowers given,
Holding the hand of a dying loved one
Or wrapped up in a casserole delivered to someone grieving the lost of a spouse.

He shows me who He is by calling me to show others who He is.
Kind, generous, tender
His rays of love seek a way through the cracked and abused window of my life
If only I let him clean me, that I may more faithfully be who He created me to be.

In the meantime, squint a bit when you look at me
To see that there is some hint of Jesus looking at you
Out of my baby blue eyes.
And if you cannot see Him, tell me so, I can always use the help.

Shalom!

3rd Sunday of Advent

Our readings for the 3rd Sunday of Advent are:

1. Zephaniah 3: 14-18a
2. Isaiah 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6
3. Philippians 4: 4-7
4. Luke 3: 10-18

1. Rejoicing over me?
• Ignatius of Loyola had a profound sense of the gaze of God upon him, and began each time of prayer just making himself more in touch with and conscious of that gaze.
• When you see two young lovers gazing at each other, do you think that each brings about a change in the other with just that gaze?
• Why do you think that sometimes a look can convey more than words?
• If God were to try to convey His gaze at you in words, what would those words be?
• Do you think that those words change in response to what you do, how you behave, who you are becoming?
2. The messiah is among you
• You've probably heard this story, but I like it anyway.  Years ago a monastery was slowly coming apart.  Petty jealousies and meaningless squabbles were becoming more and more of an issue, and the abbot was near his wit's end trying to get the monks to rise above such pettiness.  Finally, he sought a wise old man rumored to be deep in the surrounding woods, found him and explained his plight.  The wise old man said, "you must go back to your monastery, and take one fellow monk into your confidence.  Tell them that the Messiah is among you, and tell them they they can tell no more than one person this great truth, and then it must never be brought up again in conversation.  That person that they tell may in their turn tell just one other person."  The abbot was credulous, but tried it.  Soon, all of the monks began to defer to one another, see each other's faults and foibles in a different, more charitable light, and they began to listen to each other more.  Soon they became known as a group with a strong charism for hospitality and love, and new novices were pledging to the monastery in record numbers.  But the abbot was worried that he had kindled all of this based on a lie.  So he went back to the old man and related all that had happened, and asked "what am I to do now?  I know the Messiah is not among us."  The old man said "how are you to know that?" and "does it really make a difference if He is not?"
• Is the God of our fathers among us?
• How is that God most evident?
• How can we be more aware of that Presence?
3. Perfect peace
• What does perfect peace mean?
• If someone told you that they were in perfect peace, regardless of the circumstances, what would you conclude?
• Does peace of mind even make sense in this day and age?
4. Next time I won't bother asking
• This is one of the few places where we are given specific direction about how to live.
• Do you think that God has specific direction like this for all of us?
• All in all, how does God direct your life?
• Do you wish He could be a little more direct?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What do I really believe about God's love for me?
2. Am I willing to accept God's salvation in all of its abundance?
3. What am I anxious about today?
4. What am I willing to share with those in need?

Shalom!