Trinity Sunday

Our readings for Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Sunday are:

1. Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39-40
2. Psalms 33: 4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22
3. Romans 8: 14-17
4. Matthew 28: 16-20

1. Chosen
• In the course of any given day, what is it that you find yourself thinking and talking about most often?
• Would you say that concern is the most important thing in your life?
• How did that come to be the case?
• What does that say about your priorities?
• What does that say about your faith?
2. You're being watched
• As Catholics we have a strong tradition of Eucharistic adoration as a time to gaze upon the physical presence of Christ in our midst.  Do you think about the fact that He's looking back?
• Have you ever seen two lovers, their eyes gently resting on and in the gaze of the other, and wondered what was transpiring between them, how that moment, however short, was changing each of them?
• Do you think that it's possible for us to have those moments with Jesus?
• What difference does it make?
3. Suffering sucotash
• Suffering in this world seems to be a portal, a path to the intimacy of the Trinity.  Isn't there some other way?
• If suffering is so good for us, why take Tylenol?
• Is there anything wrong with "taking the edge off" with a few beers?
• Is there anything wrong with unplugging from life, ceasing to care, ceasing to hurt?
4. Go, you are sent
• Do you think that there is evangelization needed among those in the pews on Sunday?
• How would you tell a true disciple of Jesus if you saw one?
• Do you think that this discipleship thing is something that can be done by degrees?  Maybe if you're a 4th degree disciple you get to wear ostritch feathers (but only for ceremonial occasions)?
• How would we start such an evangelization?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. If I were to ask a close friend what was most important in my life, what would they say?
2. Am I willing to just rest in the presence of God?
3. Can I believe God for being there with and through suffering?
4. Am I willing to suffer that others may come to know Christ?

Holy Hour

Here I am Jesus.
Not entirely sure what's supposed to happen,
But I'm up for anything at this point.

You sound worn out,
Sad,
Tired.  Talk to me.

Oh, nothing a good night's sleep won't cure.
I just can't seem to turn it off.
All this stuff swirling around all the time.

You call it "stuff"
Like it's debris left over from building something worthwhile,
As though all that's left now is bits of scrap lumber, broken masonry, things to clean up.

O no, nothing like that.  You see my work, it's so demanding.
The end of the day never really comes,
I bring my work home with me in ways that keep me all knoted up.

Frustrated?
Unable to do what you long to?
Unable to be who you long to?  Shackled?

Well, that's just the cost of this sort of work.
Everyone else on the team just bears down, takes the burdens, soldiers on.
Maybe I'm getting too old for this.

You were born too old for this.
I loved you into being that your work might be a celebration.
I breathed life into you that you might breathe it into others.

Yeah, well, that doesn't pay the rent,
It's not what I'm trained for,
This makes no sense.

Let me invite you into another sense of sense.
I see in you so much potential, for so much joy.
Do you think that you can just rest in that gaze awhile?

Yeah, I guess so.  We're running out of time you know.
12 minutes left on this hour, but sure,
I feel as though I'm willing to try just about anything at this point.

God, you still there?  I'm not hearing anything!
Shh.  I'm loving you.
Ooooooh ...

Shalom!

Pentecost

Our readings for Pentecost Sunday:

1. Acts 2: 1-11
2. Psalms 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
3. Galatians 5: 16-25 (two options here)
4. John 20: 19-23 (two options here)

1. Now is the time
• Have you ever had to wait for unseen/unknown events, attitudes, your own heart to mature before you moved on something?
• How did you know that the time was ripe to make a change?
• How can we learn to tell such opportunities better?
2. Breath in all
• Do you think that the Spirit is present in all of creation?
• How does that Presence manifest itself?
• How does that Presence benefit us?
• How can we honor that Presence?
3. Bearing fruit
• If there existed an authoritative catalog of every known sin, would you read it?
• What would be your reaction if you found a sin or two in there that surprised you?
• Failing that, how do you develop your conscience, and draw closer to God?
4. We have nothing to fear but fear itself
• Do you think that the arrival of the Spirit removed all fear for those early disciples?
• Think of people in your life who exhibited real courage.  What was that courage founded on?  Was it the sure expectation that everything would turn out the way that they expected, or something deeper?
• How would you define bravery?
• Do we need to be brave?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How am I intentionally listening for God's direction in my life?
2. What am I doing to achieve gladness in the Lord?
3. What are some things in my life that tend to separate me from the love of God?  What am I doing about those?
4. When was the last time that I visited my Confirmation and consciously appropriated those graces?

Brave Heart

The true cause of burnout is not overwork,
Nor chronic stress,
But rather, lack of passion.

Passion is not something that we can "whip up"
As if it comes as the reward for hard work.
Rather passion comes from alignment.

A gentle settling in to who we really are,
Like a goose, after waddling toward the shore,
Floats in its welcome element, and finds peace there.

The gifts of the Spirit are not so much talents,
As they are names by which we call callings.
And it is our calling to find our calling.

Humans are the only creatures
Who can get confused regarding their identity.

Come Holy Spirit come
Show me the way to be Your Presence

Help me to find peace in your service
And passion in your embrace.

Shalom!

7th Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 1: 15-17, 20a, 20c-26
2. Psalms 103: 1-2,11-12, 19-20
3. 1 John 4: 11-16
4. John 17: 11b-19

1. Communal discernment
• We have seen people come and go in various roles within the parish, but outside of small conversations in various contexts, we never talk about their passing, or how to respond.  Do you think that could be improved upon?
• What sort of forum would be best for having that sort of discussion?
• Do you think a group discernment - seeking God's will for the community as a community is even possible?
• How would that get started?
2. Removal of sins
• We all know that sin in our lives has an impact on our relationship with God, those around us, the creation that we inhabit.  When our sins are forgiven, how is all that damage mended?
• Do you think that it would help us to lead better lives if we were more aware of the impact of our sins?
• How do you think we might gain that awareness between now and judgment day?
3. Love hurts
• In the film Bruce Almighty, Jim Carey gets a taste of what it's like to be God (artfully played by Morgan Freeman, one of my favorite actors).  Part of the deal is that he hears all of the prayers from everyone from a few square blocks in East Manhattan.  The avalanche of prayers that hits him threatens to overwhelm him, and he tries several ways to deal with them en masse with no success.  We don't have God's powers of generosity, so how is it that we are to love those that God calls us to love, and trust Him to somehow deal with the rest?
• Have you ever had to balance competing calls upon your life, and both of those demands were good?
• How did you make that decision?
• How did it turn out?
4. Somehow, I don't feel all that protected
• What gives you joy in life?
• Would that joy persist in the face of hatred and privation?
• So just what good is it that Jesus is protecting us?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How is my life a witness to the resurrection?
2. When was the last time that I took inventory of my thoughts words and actions to see whether they were pleasing to God?
3. How would I know if I strayed from God's love?
4. What about my life truly takes a stand that others might object to?

Gone Without a Trace

Years ago there was a family in the parish beloved and appreciated by all.
They were model parishioners, active, generous, always ready to help.
They even started their own booth at our annual community fest.

One day, they announced that they were relocating to a new home.
Someone organized a farewell party for them in the parish hall,
Turnout was generous, the grief and well wishes mixed in equal portions.

They passed their community fest booth on to us, and we're still at it.
A living legacy of their commitment and dedication, that few remain to remember.
And yet, they are the lucky ones.

So many others have come, poured their lives into this place, our hearts,
And then, for one reason or many, they have passed from our midst
Without comment, without reflection, no wake to mark their passing.

And I wonder if it's just that we're too busy to pause and reflect,
Or the loss is too painful to share,
Or we don't even know that we need healing that only we can give.

From this day forward, I want to be more intentional,
To truly feel the loss, both personally and as part of the community,
That I might get past my own abandonment to their pain in parting.

Somehow, hospitality is not very real,
When we don't do a good job of mourning those who leave.
I choose to love more deeply, and yes mourn more painfully.

I will share their stories with anyone who will listen.
Try to learn from those who make their departure.
And not shift blame or anger to someone else.

Shalom!

6th Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 6th Sunday of Easter are:

1. Act2 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48
2. Psalm 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4
3. 1 John 4: 7-10
4. John 15: 9-17

1. Thinking outside the box
• It's easy enough to say that there are no bounds to God's love.  What are some practical ways that you see God demonstrating that day by day?
• What are some circumstances in which your ability to love where challenged?
• What is it that you fear most about extending love to another?
• Do you think Jesus has the same fears for you in your life?
• How do you think that the two of you can deal with those fears?
2. Rejoice with me
• Who is the first person that you go to with really good news?
• When you tell that person about really good things happening in your life, does the conversation turn to thanking God?
• What do you think would happen if you turned the conversation to thanking God the next time that someone had something wonderful to share with you?
3. Love me, love my maker
• If we get to know God by loving, then does it follow that truly knowing God will foster love in our hearts?
• When you get to know someone else, you learn their tasts in music, where they grew up, what sort of family they have.  What sort of small talk do you make with God?
• How do we get to know God?
• How do we know that we're not just talking to ourselves?
4. Joy, unleashed
• What gives you joy?
• If that is gone, is the joy gone as well?
• How would you distinguish that sort of joy from the joy of the Lord?
• How joyful are you?
• What are you doing about that?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How much like me does someone have to be before I can be hospitable to them?
2. How thankful am I to God for the good things that He gives me?
3. What have I done lately to be better at loving others?
4. What am I doing to build my trust in God?

The Sacred Other

The challenge in relating to somone else, is to let them be else to you.
Not assume that they are just like you, see things your way.
Instead, let them open up to you, show you what's important to them,
What their dreams are, their hopes, their sorrows, what gets them out of bed.

When we fail to listen to that other, they will eventually know.
They will see that you are relating to a caricature of them,
An image of yourself, cast in their likeness, but not their substance,
And, if you are lucky, they will get your attention, and tell you that you're not listening.

There is no one like God, no other other as distinct as He is.
The hard part of prayer is to be open to that otherness, that distinctness
And build a relationship to that other, always ready for surprises.
And learning to respect those surprises however they come.

I'm starting with "come again?"
The next time that I think I've gotten something in prayer
That I cannot process, I'll just ask God "come again?"
Not to win time, but to take accountability for truly under standing.

Shalom!

5th Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 9: 26-31
2. Psalms 22: 26-27, 28, 30, 31-32
3. 1 John 3: 18-24
4. John 15: 1-8

1. The Church at peace
• How would you define "peace"?
• John 14: 27 is one of the many places where Jesus offers his disciples peace ("Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you.  Let not your heart be trouibled, or let it be fearful.") why is His peace not like what the world gives?
• Have you ever experienced such peace?
• How did you get to that peace?
2. Time to remember
• Have you ever written a spiritual autobiography?
• Have you ever reminisced with anyone about earlier times in your spiritual journey?
• What sort of lessons is your past teaching you today?
3. Loving the best way possible
• When making decisions, how do you choose between good and better?
• What role does God typically play in those decisions?
• Are you getting any better at making such decisions?
4. Fruits of our labors
• When you think of the phrase "life's work", what would you include in that?
• Would you consider work that you've done as a volunteer part of your "life's work"?
• Do you think that all of the work that you do is equally fruitful?
• How do you measure success?
• How successful are you willing to be?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How have I shown God that I trust him lately?
2. What sort of a spiritual legacy am I leaving behind?
3. Do I strive to pray for what God wants?
4. What am I willing to give up in order to draw closer to Jesus?

Grown Old in His Service

I love the story of Simeon in Luke 2.
He gently gave his life in God's service, one day at a time.
Never looking back, never second-guessing, always thankful.

At the end, it was all just fulfillment, completion.
No regrets, no missed opportunities, no "if onlys".
His life finding completion  in being completly given away.

I'm getting steady hints of the passing miles
The life ahead of me is the product of a lot of decisions
Some good, some not so good.

And I hope that when it comes time to harvest
The fruit of my life's labors,
More of this will make sense than it does just now.

I pray that God will give me the wisdom
To make the best use of what He's given me.
That I can make a strong finish, and depart in profound peace.

Shalom!

4th Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 4: 8-12
2. Psalms 118: 1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
3. 1 John 3: 1-2
4. John 10: 11-18

1. We are Jesus' resurrection glory
• How can we become imitators of Christ, without becoming mere imitations?
• What does it really mean to carry on His ministry?
• What does that say about our prayer life?
2. Blessed with rejection
• Jesus was rejected by His people, by all of humanity.  Can you think of any saints who have been similarly rejected?
• Do you think that rejection was somehow necessary or pivotal for that saint's ministry.
• What does that say about our lives as Jesus' followers?
• How does that make you feel?
• How do you tell that rejection you face is because you are His follower, not something more mundane, like bad hygiene?
3. Image and likeness of God
• The epistles speak often of "the world", worldly pleasures, and so on.  Just what is meant by that, what does it include?
• If the world truly does not know us, know what's best for us, what will make us happy, what does that say about the values that the world tries to offer us?
• How do you think we might better distance ourselves from those values of the world?
• How might we help each other in that regard?
4. It's not what you know but who you're known by
• Who are some folks who look to you for example?
• What is it that you think they see in you?
• What sort of responsibilities do you have to them?
• Ask these same questions about you to someone else and see what you get.

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Would anyone describe me as a healing presence?
2. Who/what do I put my trust in?
3. When was the last time that I shared my life with someone who really knew me?
4. Is there anyone that I would lay down my life for?

Trust is hard

In his book Jacob the Baker, a woman asks Jacob if he trusts God.
To which Jacob replies "Faith uses its strength to develop trust."

Paul tells us in Hebrews "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Faith is a gift, freely given.  None of us earns it.

By faith, we are able to see the visible for what it truly is
A manifestation, a shadow of what is not visible.

And by gazing at this whole picture, in all its wholeness
We can see the hand of God far more clearly.

Seeing God's movements, His ongoing creation
Shows us His character, His generative generosity.

We learn that God is true
True to His own nature, to who He is revealing Himself as.

That Vision tells us that God is with us in ways unfathomable
And yet so intimate.

And as we gaze with that Vision upon that Vision of a much wider realness
We grow in confidence that He is always there, always Present.

And trust becomes the only possible outcome
It is our only response.

Shalom!

3rd Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19
2. Psalms 4: 2,4, 7-8, 9
3. 1 John 2: 1-5a
4. Luke 24: 35-48

1. God's promise fulfilled
• Couples sometimes speak of "us" as an entity in its own right, beyond the two members of the couple.  Some theologians have described the Holy Spirit as the love between the Father and the Son, the embodiment of the relationship between them.
• How do you regard your relationship with God?  Does that relationship flourish or weaken over time?
• How often do you take a reading on how that relationship is doing?
2. Trust and peace
• What are some times that God has answered your prayer in your life?
• What does that tell you about the God whom we worship?
• If some individual person had accomplished all of that for your, how would you treat them?
• Is that the way that you treat God?
3. True children of God
• Why do you think that Jesus came to save the whole world?
• Do you think that God is an extrovert and just needs lots of people around?
• Surely God must have known that there were going to be diversity of cultures, backgrounds, ... how does He expect us to welcome all of that?
• How can we be more welcoming this Sunday?
4. Open the eyes of my heart Lord
• It seems that the risen Christ spent a good deal of time revealing Himself to his disciples on every level, tactile, visually, mentally, emotionally.  How is God revealing God's self today?
• In your life, who are those that really stand out as revealing the glory of God?
• What makes them so good at that?
• What can we do to emulate them?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Have I consistently brought life and peace to those around me this week?
2. What are the things that distress/stress/worry me?  Are they from God?
3. What can I do to be the Love of God to the most difficult person in my life?
4. How am I sharing my faith with those who need to hear that?

Hey, I was going to eat that!

Feeding the homeless isn't for type A personalities.
The donations come in all shapes and sizes,
No real schedule to them.

Then, there's the people that you are there to serve.
Getting them to E-mail you with an RSVP is just not going to happen,
So you just have to make your best guess how many places to set.

And yet, folks I've met who do this day in, day out
Radiate joy when they speak of their ministry
The love of Christ for these marginalized -

That love is sustained by being given away
Strengthened in the face of daily need
Flourishes by every touch of those in need.

Jesus Himself ate in the resurection.
Maybe we will too.
Maybe the need to serve each other will persist into Eternity.

Maybe abundance isn't so much about never wanting
As it is about never fearing to share.
The way I figure it, they weren't expecting Jesus to appear to them.

So I have to wonder who thought they were going to eat that fish He had.

Shalom!