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!